African Violet
Saintpaulia ionantha
Who couldn’t love an African Violet plant? Small, compact African Violets with their soft, furry, dark green leaves, and beautiful delicate flowers in blue/violet, pink, fuchsia, and white can often bloom all year. Newer cultivars have double and bi-colored flowers. African Violets can be “miniatures” about 6” in diameter or standard sized 8”-12” in diameter. There are even trailing and hanging varieties. Saintpaulia was given the common name African Violet because the plant originated in Tanzania and eastern Africa and its flowers resemble violets.
African Violet
Light
African Violet plants do best and flower more in bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light., close to an east-facing window is ideal. When the light is too low, the leaves turn dark green, lose their plump appearance, and the plant produces very few flowers. The leaves turn a pale yellow-green and the flowers fade quickly when there is too much light.
Water
Allow the top 1"- 2" of soil to dry out before watering. Avoid using water that has passed through a softener or water containing chlorine or fluoride. Always water African Violet houseplants from the bottom to prevent water getting on the leaves. Remove any excess water that is still in the saucer after 15 minutes.
Fertilizer
Special fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
for African Violet plants is available wherever plants are sold. In a pinch, you can use any balanced, soluble, houseplant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Feed African Violets monthly when the plant is actively growing. Over-fertilizing causes leaf tip burn, poor flower production, leaf cracks, and may even kill an African Violet plant.
Temperature
These plants do well in temperatures of 75°-80°F (23.9°-26.7C) during the day and about 10° cooler at night. Keep African Violet plants away from cold drafts and heating vents.
Humidity
High humidity is preferable, but African Violets easily adapt to basic household humidity.
Flowering
Quickly remove dead blooms and stems to encourage flower growth. Keeping the soil of African Violet houseplants on the dry side helps the plant bloom more often.
Pests
spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them. and Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. are two house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pestss that attack African Violet plants. Use a Qtip dipped in alcohol or Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. to treat these insects as soon as they appear. Since the leaves of African Violet Plants are easily damaged, only use commercial insecticides that are recommended for African Violets.
Diseases
African Violets are susceptible to botrytisBotrytis, or Gray Mold as it is commonly called, is a fungus that attacks the leaves, flowers, stems, and rhizomes of house plants. It first appears as a round brown or gray spot that gradually turns into a mass of fuzzy gray spores. This is where the nickname, Gray Mold, comes from. Prevent Botrytis by quickly removing all dead or dying leaves and flowers that can serve as a breeding grounds. Keep water off of the leaves and provide good air circulation around plants. If a plant becomes infected with Gray Mold, trim off the diseased areas, remove any soil that has mold on it, and spray with a commercial fungicide. If you are adverse to chemicals you can try this homemade remedy. Put a tablespoon or two of baking soda in a spray bottle, add a teaspoon or two of mineral oil, and fill with water. Shake well and spray all parts of the plant. Botrytis often attacks the flower buds of Cyclamen, Begonias, African Violets, Lilies, and Geraniums., powdery mildewPowdery mildew is a plant disease that puts a grayish white powder on plant leaves and stems. View a picture of this plant disease and learn how to treat it., and erwinia blight. Preventing plants from getting diseases is much easier than treating the diseases once they appear. Provide good air circulation and never get water on the leaves. This will help prevent diseases from infecting your plants.
Soil
African Violets like a rich, airy, potting medium. Special African Violet soil is available at most garden centers. These plants should be re-potted every 6-12 months using fresh soil to prevent unwanted salt build-up.
Pot Size
Keep African Violets a little root-bound in a small pot. This encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Pruning
Remove 2-4 leaves from the bottom of an African Violet plant each month to encourage new leaf development at the top of the plant. Quickly and carefully remove any dead flowers and their stalks as soon as they appear.
Propagation
African Violets are easily propagated by leaf cuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. during the spring. You'll need a little patience. New leaves may not develop from the leaf cuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. for up to three months.
Special Occasion
African Violets are perfect gifts for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and birthdays.
Poisonous Plant Info
Why are the leaves on my African Violet plants cracking and becoming brittle?
The leaves of African Violets crack and become brittle when the plants are getting too much plant food. When fertilizing African Violets always dilute the plant food to 1/2 the recommended strength and only feed African Violets when they are actively growing. Use plain non-chlorinated water for better leaf growth. Keep the leaves of African Violets dry and out of direct sun.
How do you get an African Violet Plant to bloom more often and produce more flowers?
African Violet Houseplants bloom more often and produce more flowers when kept in a small pot and fed with the proper plant food. Other ways to help African Violets produce more flowers is to move the plants to a brighter location and use distilled water that is free of chemicals such as chlorine.
What’s the best way to propagate African Violet plants?
The best way to propagate African Violets is to take leaf cuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. from the plant during the spring. Remove a leaf, with its stem attached, dip the cut end of the stem in Rooting HormoneRooting Hormone helps plant cuttings produce new roots and is very important to use if you want your propagation attempts to be successful. Always dip the cut end of a stem or leaf into water and then dip it into the rooting hormone before planting it. Tap off any excess powder since too much hormone is worse than too little., and gently plant the African Violet cutting in a peat-based, quick-draining soil.
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