One of the easiest house plants to grow can also be one of the showiest. While older varieties of African violets may only bloom once a year, the newer varieties can bloom off and on all year round with little effort on your part. African violets are native to east Africa and were discovered in Tanzania. The delicate little flowers are what attracted the attention of a visiting baron who sent them home to his native Germany for study. They were grown strictly in conservatories or botanical gardens until they were introduced into the commercial industry in 1926. Since then they have become one of the most popular houseplants in the United States.
They come in a variety of colors, flower shapes, and leaf shapes, colors and textures. Plants range from miniatures (less than 8”), standard (8-16”) to large (more than 16”). Flowers can be single, semi double, double, star or wasp shaped, and colors include white, pink, maroon, blue, lavender, violet and deep purple. The leaves can be round, heart shaped or oval and have a fuzzy or velvety texture. They can be silvery green, bright green, deep green or even with creamy white edges.
Violets need light, but will do well in medium light. In the winter, light from east, south or west facing windows should be adequate. They generally need 14-16 hours of light and 8-10 hours of darkness in order to bloom. The plants can benefit from additional hours of light from fluorescent lights – another added benefit to using compact fluorescent bulbs in your lamps and ceiling lights. During the summer months light from southern or western windows may be too intense and too hot. Unless sheer curtains shield them, they may do better in an east window.
African violets do not like soggy soil. Overwatering is a bigger threat to African violets than any pest, so be sure that your potting soil is a mixture that drains well and that your plant is in a pot that has drain holes with a saucer underneath. You can water African violets from the top or the bottom. When the top inch of soil is dry, water the plant from the top using a baster, syringe or narrow spouted bottle. Be careful not to get water on the leaves as this can cause leaf spots. Water until the water comes out of the drain holes and then dump the excess water from the saucer. To water from the bottom, set the pot in a bowl of room temperature water, 1” deep. Allow the water to wick up from the bowl until the soil surface feels moist. Remove the pot from the bowl. Water left in the saucer or bowl can wick back into the soil and lead to root rot.
Most root rots are caused by various species of soil-inhabiting fungi, which require cool, moist soils in order to grow and multiply. Conditions which keep the soil moist, such as overwatering, poor soil drainage, inadequate light and crowding of plants, favor the development of root rot. Evidence of root rot is lower leaves that look water soaked, wilted and weak. Very often when you buy an African violet it will come in a pot that drains but the pot is covered with colored tin foil. If you leave the plant in the tin foil, be sure that you dump off the excess water or it will leach back up into the soil. Use room temperature water when you water; cold water spilled on leaves can leave white spots or streaks. Violets also like high humidity, so that could become a problem in the winter when our houses tend to become very dry. Group several plants together to conserve humidity or set them on a tray of pebbles and water. Make sure the pot is not sitting in the water, but just above it.
Most African violets thrive in warmer temperatures, 70° during the day and 65° at night, although newer varieties tolerate cooler conditions. Fertilize African violets regularly. There are fertilizers specially formulated for African violets but you can use any regular houseplant fertilizer. Fertilize every time you water with a very dilute mixture of fertilizer, or fertilize once a month with a ½ strength mixture. African violets do not do well outside because their velvety or ‘hairy’ leaves may develop foliar problems when water is trapped and allowed to sit on them.
As mentioned, the main threat to African violets is over watering leading to root rot; in addition, leaf stems that sit on a wet pot rim can also be subject to rot. Remove blooms as soon as they fade. With minimal attention you can enjoy several blooming periods throughout the year.