Summary:
If you have had bad experiences when it comes to plant keeping, but you love the idea of having fresh flowers or something beautiful from nature in your home, before you select a bouquet of flowers from the store that will die within a week, think about making a small investment of time in learning to care for African violets.

Details or Sample:
10 Tips for Growing the Most Popular Houseplant – The African Violet

African violets are among the easiest and most economical flowering plants to grow. With their wide variety of colors and leaf styles, it’s easy to see why they are the most popular houseplant in America.

What You Will Need to Begin

This is what you will need: a drainage dish to catch water runoff, a commitment to watering your plant once a week, fertilizer for plants that prefer acidic soil, and a window that gets morning light. That’s it.

Don’t Over Water

The first and most important thing to remember is that African violets don’t like to be wet. The easiest way to kill an African violet is to over-water it. I’ll say this again because it’s important: African violet roots will die if they are submerged in water for any length of time. The good news is that your plant requires less care because you don’t have to water it frequently. The bad news is that water allowed to accumulate in the drainage dish will kill it.

The Virtues of Benign Neglect

This said, try to apply a philosophy of benign neglect to the care of your plant. Water it on a regular schedule, but only when it’s dry. A good way to tell if the plant needs watering is by picking up the pot. If the pot feels light, the plant is dry and it’s time to water. Once you know how long it takes for the pot to dry out in the microclimate of your home, that’s the schedule you should follow. Water it thoroughly, and then drain off any excess immediately.

Provide the Right Light

Your African violet likes gentle light but doesn’t respond very well to full sun. Ideally, you want it to get morning light from an easterly facing window. You’ll know when it isn’t getting enough light because its stems will start to look leggy, and the green in its leaves will begin fade. With the right light, the leaves will look bright green, and the plant will look sturdy and compact.

Don’t Forget to Feed

There are many excellent African violet (acid loving plant) fertilizers on the market. They are generally water soluble and easy to use. Instructions for frequency often vary, so read the label.

Although African violets flower all year, they are most prolific in the summer. When they are flowering, they need more nourishment. After you have a little experience with your plant, you will know how often to feed it as part of its watering schedule.

How to Propagate Your African Violet

It´s easy to propagate your African violet. Pick a healthy leaf and cut off the bottom third of the stem end with a very sharp implement. Place the leaf in a bag that you have partially filled with a planting medium like African violet soil mix or vermiculite. Water until the medium is moist, and then close the bag and place it in a window that receives good light but no direct sunlight. (You have created a little greenhouse in the bag, so it shouldn’t need to be watered for a while.) When the plant has rooted and started to sprout leaves, move it to a starter pot.

Common Misconception – Leaves and Water

One of the most common misconceptions about African violets is that the leaves will spot or even die if they get wet. It´s true that the leaves will discolor and possibly die if they are sprinkled with cold water, but African violets love to be bathed in warm water. The leaves of the African violet are covered with small hairs that can accumulate dust, pet hair, and other airborne particles. From time to time it´s good to rinse them well with warm water. They will thank you for the extra care.

Blooming

African violets, if well cared for, will bloom almost continuously. They are available in many different colors, with wonderful variations in leaf color as well. They can be grown individually or started together in shallow dishes of mixed varieties. Groupings of African violets can make breathtaking displays that are easily maintained and inexpensive to create.

Wicking

To eliminate some of the maintenance concerns of keeping your African violets, you can attach them to a wicking system. Wicking is a way of drawing water into the pot through a piece of string or twine. The string is drawn from the top of the pot down through the soil and out the drainage hole. The string is then positioned in a drainage tray or reservoir that is filled with water. This method takes the guesswork out of watering, and is great solution if have had problems keeping African violets in the past.

Value

The African violet gives you good value for your investment of time and money. For the novice indoor gardener, flower lover, or nature lover, collecting and caring for African violets is a great way to bring the outdoors in and make your home more welcoming.

If you have had bad experiences when it comes to plant keeping, but you love the idea of having fresh flowers or something beautiful from nature in your home, before you select a bouquet of flowers from the store that will die within a week, think about making a small investment of time in learning to care for these remarkable plants.

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Written by: S. A. Holt
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