Cultivate African Violets in a Less Than Ideal Environment

African violets are hardy houseplants with beautifully delicate flowers. My grandmother grew these and my love for these colorful plants likely began with her. I will admit that I have a black thumb- I can kill just about any plant that finds itself in my home- which is why I was cautious about bringing African violets. I also do not have great lighting but I have still found a few tricks for keeping the plants alive.

Lighting for African Violets

You do need good, indirect light for African violets. I was told that an east-facing window offers the best lighting for growing violets. I have a southwest facing window and it does work well, particularly in the winter but I do have to shade the plants with the blinds in the summer. Too much direct light can cause unsightly blemishes on the leaves of the plant and can hinder flowering. Moving the plants back from the window can help too. You can also use artificial light if your home does not offer ideal sunlight. Violets are not picky about where the light comes from, just the strength and length of it.

Be careful not to subject the plants to drastic changes in temperature. They like the stability of the indoor temperatures so do not toss them in your car or outside for extended periods of time.

Watering African Violets

These are one of the hardiest flowering houseplants but can be extremely picky when it comes to watering. If you have your plants on a watering schedule, do not add your violets to it. Only water violets if the top layer of soil is completely dry. Even then, water only a little bit and do it at the base of the plant. Water can damage or cause blemishes on the leaves.

Another good way to water violets is to put the plant in a pot with a base watering hole. You fill the pot from the bottom and allow the roots to soak in the water. I saw my grandmother do this once by filling up the saucer the plant was sitting on. This way the plant only takes in the water it needs and prevents overwatering which will kill the plant.

Soil for African Violets

Never keep your violets in the potting soil it comes with. Most of the time, the potting soil in stores has a high water content and can cause root or crown rot in the violets because it does not drain well. The plant will also be root bound and needs to be in a bigger pot in order to flourish.

You can use a special African violet soil or use a lighter potting soil. You do not want anything too heavy or too moist. Find something that allows for good drainage. Plant in plastic or porous ceramic pots. Terra cotta planters should be avoided due to the salts, chemicals, and pests in the clay. (www.ehow.com) I did use a terra cotta pot for one of my violet plants and after awhile I had to throw out the plant because the salt ruined the leaves. Also avoid the pretty stone planters since it has poor drainage.

Feed your African Violets

If you want blooms year-round, you will need to be sure your plant has food. Miracle Grow offer special African violet food but I have not used it. I found that Miracle Grow Shake n' Feed works just as well on violets as on my other houseplants. Be careful to shake the beads around the base of the plant and not onto the leaves or flowers.

Prune your African Violets

The easiest part about violets is pruning. If it looks bad, trim it off. In fact, if you start to get an excess of leaves, pinch off the underside and farthest from the center leaves. Pinch off dead or dying flowers. It may look a little thin after a pruning but trust me, it will grow back thicker and with more blooms.

Growing Additional African Violets

If you want to grow a second plant, all you have to do is re-pot the first in a larger pot. I did this quite by accident. I needed to put fresh soil in my violets so I transferred one to a bigger pot thinking it would be all right. It was more than all right. In about six months, I had a second plant growing alongside the first. If that happens, be sure to separate the plants as soon as possible so they do not over work the soil and drain the nutrients twice as fast.

Keep African Violets Fresh

Keep an eye on the soil in your African violet planters. If it looks like the nutrients are gone or the soil becomes cracked and rough, re-pot the plant with fresh soil. If you notice the leaves are looking bad or you have not seen blossoms in a while, re-pot with fresh soil and food. Usually the violets will perk up after that.

African violets are not only great houseplants because they are hardy but they are also a beautiful plant with flowers varying from brilliant white to deep purple.

A violet means modesty, simplicity, faithfulness, and loyalty. No wonder these lovely flowering plants are given as gifts so often.

Source:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2321028_grow-beautiful-african-violets.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art