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Caring for your African Violet |
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Caring for your African Violet |
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African Violets are an excellent houseplant choice. They bloom year round if cared for properly. Also there are so many different kinds that you could fill your house up and not duplicate one plant. You can have almost any flower color you want. Even if you just have one it can bring many hours of enjoyment to you. So here is how to keep them looking there best.
Lighting: Adequate light is the most important factor in promoting flowering. To make sure that your plant is getting enough light place your hand 12 inches over the area where the plant will sit. If there is a sharp shadow, then there should be sufficient light. An east facing window is good as African violets do very well in the light of the morning sun. If you don’t want to use an east facing window then any other window will do as long as your plant gets filtered light not hot direct sunlight. If you do not have any windows that will work don’t fret you can use fluorescent light. Fluorescent light will provide great results to. Use double tube fixtures, have the lights on 12 to 14 hours a day, and place the plants so the foliage is about 12 to 14 inches from the light.
Watering: African violets may be watered from the top, the bottom (adding water to a saucer or tray) or by wicking. However, about once a month, the plants should be watered from the top. Use a generous amount of water so it runs through the pot to flush out accumulated salts, and remove any excess water. Using room temperature water so that you don’t spot the leaves. Water only when the top of the soil feels slightly dry to the touch about once a week. If the leaves feel soft, look wilted, or bend over, the plant is too dry. Water more often. Be careful to not water to much because one of the most common reasons for failure of African violets in over-watering. Don’t leave the plant sitting in water because you can cause root rot.
Fertilizer: This is the secret to keep your violet blooming. Either lack of fertilizer or too infrequent fertilizing is one of the reasons for lack of blossoms. Most growers use a potting mix with little nutrient content. This type of mix requires using a dilute fertilizer solution each time the plant is watered. For natural light use 1/8 teaspoon of water soluble fertilizer to one gallon of water. For fluorescent light growing, use ¼ teaspoon to one gallon of water since growth is greatly accelerated under fluorescent lights.
Temperature & Humidity: Temperature, humidity and air circulation are important factors. African violets thrive in the same atmosphere in which people are comfortable. They do seem to do best at 65 to 70 degrees. They will suffer in temperatures below 60 degrees or above 80 degrees. They also prefer a humid atmosphere with about 40 to 50% humidity, enough to maintain tissue moisture. To keep the humidity this high set containers of water around your plant or plants. Another method would be to use a gravel tray.
Potting: Today, almost all of the commercial potting mixes are the "soil less" type. A mix suitable for African violets should be light and airy to allow easy root penetration. It should also be sterilized to eliminate harmful bacteria. If you don’t prepare your own mix, buy a top quality mix that is especially formulated for African violets. They usually do not need a pot any larger than 4 inches.
Grooming: A properly groomed, fresh, clean African violet is a pleasure to behold. Keep dead leaves and faded blossoms removed. They not only make it look bad they can attract bugs and diseases which you do not want. Then with a soft brush, flick away soil particles, lint, animal hairs, etc., or damp-wipe the foliage with a soft wet sponge.
Reconditioning: The process of aging and loss of leaves eventually causes a neck to develop on African violets. To eliminate the neck cut the plant so that only two inches of the neck or stem remain on the plant. There will be no roots. With something sharp like a knife scrap the neck to remove all the outer skin or crust. If you don’t do this then suckers, rather than roots, will be encouraged to form. Allow the plant to dry an hour or so after you scrap it. Then the plant can be potted in moist vermiculite or the plant stem can be placed in water where the new root system will form. If you put it in water check the water level often as the plant will drink up the water fast. After a good set of roots is formed, the plant may be potted in a small pot using either vermiculite or light soil mix. Through a constant recycling process(potting down the neck), there is no limit to an African Violets life span.
Problems and solutions: What do you do if your plant is healthy and in the right size pot but you have no flowers. Try fertilizing first if you do not do it on a regular basis. If that does not work or you do fertilize on a regular basis try putting a pinch of Epsom salts in water only once to trigger flowering season.
Money saving tips: Save those ½ to 1 pound deli container to use to wick water your plants.
