It is a well-liked houseplant, however can typically be difficult to develop. Strive these watering, repotting and fertilizer ideas for African violet care.
Some folks discover rising African violets to be a chunk of cake. Their violets thrive with little particular care, blooming repeatedly and creating contemporary new fuzzy leaves frequently. Others battle, by no means seeing a bloom, moaning over noticed leaves, and finally wind up chucking their vegetation within the trash. Should you’re within the first group, you don’t want the following tips. Should you’re within the second group, strive these troubleshooting ideas for African violet care.
- Widespread title: African violet
- Scientific title: Saintpaulia ionantha
- Gentle wants: Brilliant, oblique gentle
- Watering wants: Water the soil, by no means the leaves, or backside water
- Soil: Moist well-draining soil
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African Violets Not Blooming
“I’ve three African violets however solely one in all them blooms. How can I get the opposite two to supply?” Peggy Hinds of Louisville, Kentucky.
Horticultural knowledgeable Melinda Myers: Though African violets are well-liked flowering reward vegetation which are pretty straightforward to take care of, I encounter many gardeners with the identical state of affairs as yours. Your vegetation look like receiving the identical quantity of sunshine, water, humidity and fertilizer, so we are going to rule these out because the trigger.
If they’re completely different cultivars of African violets, that might clarify the distinction. Some varieties are extra prolific and frequent-bloomers than others. Current transplanting into a bigger container may also delay flowering till the roots have an opportunity to fill the pot, which helps to encourage flowering. Lastly, it’s usually simply a person plant’s response to the rising situation—in that case, you’ll simply have to attend for the others to bloom.
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African Violets Want Brilliant Oblique Gentle
African violets are native to rainforests within the mountains of japanese African international locations like Tanzania. They’re low-growing vegetation, thriving within the shade of different vegetation. Of their native environments, direct gentle by no means touches their leaves. Your African violets will do greatest in an atmosphere that mimics this.
Present vivid gentle, however by no means direct solar. In a sunny window, use a sheer curtain to guard the plant from direct solar. In case your plant isn’t flowering, likelihood is it’s not getting sufficient gentle. Experiment with completely different settings to search out the perfect gentle publicity (vivid synthetic gentle could be efficient, too).
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Watering African Violets
Within the wild, African violets develop in humid environments. They like potting soil that’s constantly moist however by no means soggy. If your own home is dry, strive filling a shallow dish with stones and set the pot on high. Fill the dish with water that can present humidity because it evaporates. By no means let the roots sit in water, although, or they’re more likely to rot.
Many individuals want to make use of room temperature water, since chilly water can shock the plant. Should you water African violets from the highest, use a narrow-spout watering can to get the water on to the soil. Water that sits on leaves may cause spots. Permit the water to empty by means of, and do away with any extra. Setting the pot within the sink first is the best manner.
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Temperature
Make observe of the local weather in your house. African violets want temperatures of no less than 60 levels, and dislike sudden temperature modifications and drafts.
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Repotting and Fertilizer Wants
When you’ve found out the best gentle and watering schedule in your plant, don’t mess with success! Take into account re-potting every year if the plant has outgrown its pot, however keep in mind they flower greatest when roots are pot-bound. The identical goes for fertilizing. Don’t overfeed your plant. Observe the instructions on a top quality fertilizer made for African violets. Liquid fertilizers often don’t must be used greater than as soon as a month. Different common upkeep consists of gently eradicating useless leaves and flowers, and protecting an eye fixed out for indoor plant bugs.
African Violet Propagation
When you’ve mastered rising an African violet efficiently, you’ll discover your plant is producing “suckers”. These are child vegetation rising out from the primary stem, and are a technique that African violets propagate. To keep up the well being of your plant, take away these suckers once you discover them. You possibly can discard them, or re-pot them to make extra African violet vegetation in your pals!
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