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How To Grow African Violets

How to Grow African Violets Grow plants in bright, indirect light. Plant African violets in African violet pots filled with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix. Water and feed with Miracle-Gro® Blooming Houseplant Food. Split the parent plant into smaller plants when your African violet becomes large and crowded.

How often should African violets be watered?

An important point to remember when bottom watering African Violet plants is to top water at least once a month. This way you are flushing out any extra fertilizer salt build up and refreshing the soil/roots from the top too.

Do African violets need direct sunlight?

African violets need indirect sunlight, direct can burn the leaves. Choose a north- or east- facing window for best results. Keep plants away from cold glass and rotate the pot once a week so all leaves receive light. Extend daylight by placing African violets under a grow light during winter months.

How do you take care of African violets?

African Violet Care Light. Bright, but not direct sunlight. Soil. A well-drained potting mix is essential. Water. Keep soil moist with warm water and strive for high humidity. Temperature and Humidity. Do not allow to fall below about 60ºF. Fertilizer. Feed with an African violet fertilizer every other week.

Are African violets difficult to grow?

Unlike most houseplants, the flowers are the stars of the show with African violets. Though these fuzzy blooming houseplants have a reputation for being finicky, they’re actually not difficult to grow once you know how to follow some basic rules for their care.

Should you deadhead African violets?

Deadheading. If you have success getting your African Violet to bloom, be sure to pinch or deadhead spent blooms. This allows the plant to continue to put energy into creating more buds/blooms and beautiful foliage.

Should you water African violets from the bottom?

Should I water African violets from the top or bottom? Either is fine. It is important not to use cold water; lukewarm or warm is preferred. If you water from the top, be careful not to get water on the leaves when the plant is in the sun; this is to avoid leaf spots.

Where is the best place to put an African violet?

Grow plants in bright, indirect light for the best color and blooms. A plant stand three feet away from a west- or south-facing window is an ideal location. Plants will still grow when situated right beside north- or east-facing windows, but leaves will be thin and spindly, and plants less likely to bloom.

Is coffee grounds good for African violets?

Is Coffee Grounds Good for African Violets? Yes, coffee grounds are a great homemade fertilizer for African Violets. Make a mixture of dried coffee grounds and dried egg shells, then work the coffee ground mixture into the top of the soil. Replenish every couple of months.

Do African violets prefer morning or afternoon sun?

Violets require 2 to 4 hours of morning or afternoon sunlight. If they don’t receive enough light, they will not bloom. They will look like a healthy plant with dark green leaves but no flowers. Too much direct sun will give the appearance of reddish yellow leaves and spindly flowers.

When should I repot my African violet?

African violets need to be repotted about once a year to keep them growing big and beautiful. It is best to inspect them first to see if their leaves and roots are healthy.

How long do African violets live?

Repotting these blooms is so important due to their long lifespan. “Remember that African violets have a very long lifespan and have been said to last up to 50 years,” says Ryan McEnaney, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nurseries.

Can an African violet be outside?

African violets are tropical plants from East Africa. That’s why they make good indoor plants. They would never survive outdoors in most U.S. climates as a normal violet would. You can buy these plants almost anywhere, including grocery stores and garden centers.

Can African violets go outside in the summer?

During the summer, you can improve the health and appearance of your house plants by moving them outside. Most indoor plants thrive in outdoor conditions, although it’s best to keep tender tropical plants, such as moth orchids and African violets, indoors.

Do African violets like to be misted?

African Violets do not enjoy misting, but if you really think you need to mist your African Violets, it’s best to do it rarely and when the humidity is below 30%. Misting frequently or for an extended time can cause leaf damage to the plant, which then has a direct effect on the overall health of the plant.

Do African violets like to be crowded?

Violets need to feel crowded to bloom, but when a plant gets too big for its pot, divide the plant’s separate-looking leaf heads. When you repot, tease the roots apart and plant in room-temperature potting soil.

How do you get African violets to flower?

8 Ways to Get Your African Violet to Bloom Again. Let There Be Light. Turn Up the Humidity. Replenish Essential Nutrients. Keep it Pleasant. Choose the Right Soil. Protect From Pests & Disease. Constrict the Roots.

How do you keep violets blooming?

Too little light can cause of African violets not to bloom well. They prefer bright, indirect sun. Too little sunlight causes them to stretch for the light and produce few or no flowers; too much sun can burn the leaves. An east-facing window is ideal, especially with a sheer curtain to block the sun’s harshest rays.

Why are the leaves on my African violet limp?

If your African Violet plant has been over-watered, the soil will retain too much water. This retention of water will cause the leaves and /or leaf stems to turn soft, limp or mushy. The roots absorb so much water, that they can no longer hold onto so much water and eventually rot.