African violets are common houseplants because they flower reliably and are easy to grow. Plants have fuzzy leaves with flowers in various shades of blue, purple, pink, red, white, and even green. With good care, plants can live and bloom for decades. Whether your first violets are starter plants or mature plants, at some point, you will need to repot them. Repotting once or twice a year enhances growth, and fresh growth encourages blooming.
To ensure your African violets thrive, it's essential to understand their specific needs and provide the right supplies and care. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you cultivate healthy and blooming African violets.
Potting Mix
What will you use for a potting mix? What does a potting mix do? Physically a potting mix provides a substrate to anchor the roots for the plant to grow. It makes water and oxygen available to the roots. Chemically, the mix holds the nutrients the plant needs.
In the wild, African violets grow in crevices and loose substrate on rocky cliffs or porous rocks. You want a potting mix that approximates these conditions: evenly moist but well-draining, slightly acidic, and with a loose crumbly texture. Potting mixes suitable for African violets contain no actual soil’ that is why they are called soilless mixes.
The most common ingredients in potting mixes are sphagnum peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and dolomite lime.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
- Sphagnum peat moss comes from a bog plant that grows in low-pH, poorly draining environments. Since other plants cannot grow under these conditions, peat moss is free of weeds and weed seeds.
- Perlite is made by heating a type of volcanic rock to a very high temperature. The water trapped in the rock expands, creating a light, porous material. There are various type of perlite, sorted by the average size of the particles, from very fine to quite chunky. Look for coarse or horticultural grade perlite.
- Vermiculite is made by heating up a type of laminated rock. It expands into a very light material that has excellent water-holding capacity and can improve soil aeration.
- Dolomite lime is a powder-fine ground rock that is used to adjust the pH and add calcium and magnesium to the potting mix. Most peat moss has a pH of around 3.5 to 4, which is well outside the ideal pH for African violets and most other plants. Unless you are buying pure peat moss, most commercial potting mixes have some added dolomite lime to adjust the pH. Be sure to look for the powdered dolomite.
- Coir now is included in many commercial potting mixes. Coir is ground-up coconut husks. Compared to peat moss, coir has higher water retention, a finer texture and a neutral pH.
There is no single, perfect potting mix. The best potting mix for your plants depends on your growing conditions, including the general temperature and humidity, and how your water and fertilize your plants. If you wick water or mat water, you will want to use a potting mix that contains 40% to 60% perlite.
The African violets you buy in the supermarket or big box store might be in a much heavier mix that holds a good bit of water. This makes sense because once these plants leave the greenhouse, their care won’t be as consistent. When people get them home, it is easy to overwater them and kill them with kindness.
If you are a new grower with a small number of plants, consider getting your potting mix from one of our AVSA commercial growers or an eBay supplier recommended by another grower. They’ve already done the work for you to blend an optimal mix, especially for African violets. Many popular horticultural supply companies offer bags of potting mix especially for African violets. They usually come in 8-quart sizes, so it is ideal for the hobbyist with a small collection.
Some of these mixes contain fertilizer, so if you choose to use them, be sure to cut back on your own fertilizer for the first few months after you repot. These blends are sold to be used straight out of the bag, but they generally are heavier mixes with very little perlite. I have had success mixing these blends evenly (50/50) with coarse perlite or a 40% mix to 60% coarse perlite. The percentage of perlite can vary because of factors like coarseness or individual growing conditions. Even variations in the base mix can affect the water-holding capacity of the final product.
If you have a lot of plants or you just like to “do it yourself,” you can easily blend your own African violet potting mix. A good place to start is with either Pro-Mix BX or Pro-Mix HP, or a similar commercial mix. These brands are readily available in garden centers or horticultural supply stores. One drawback is that the base-mix comes in large bags or compressed bales. If it seems like that much potting mix will be more than you can foresee using, consider teaming up with your local club or growing friends to share the cost of materials.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Mixing up a good potting mix could be a fun club activity, and a good opportunity to learn about potting mix and repotting violets. There are a lot of good recipes, probably as many as there are growers. I don’t add vermiculite to my potting mix because I wick water, and I think the vermiculite makes the mixture hold too much water. The Pro-Mix I use contains mycorrhizae, which are beneficial fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with the roots and enhance their ability to absorb water and nutrients. Since the mycorrhizae in the base mix don’t have a long shelf-life, I add some additional mycorrhizae before I pot up my plants. I adjust my pH with dolomite lime to a range of 6.5 to 6.8.
You might have read a lot about fertilizers and additives some growers include in their potting mixes. Before you start adding a laundry list of “special” additives, be sure first that you can tell whether any positive or negative changes to your plants are related to the potting mix and not some other change. No matter how promising you think the improvements or additives are going to be, try the new mix on just a few plants at first.
Is it time for your plants to be repotted? Buy some of your favorite mix or mix up a batch and get to it.
Light
Proper light is necessary for good blooming. Place your plant where it will receive plenty of bright but indirect light. Avoid hot sun, especially in summer, which can burn the leaves and fade the flowers.
African Violets want bright, indirect light, an east or north-facing window is ideal. Many violet enthusiasts agree that African Violets bloom more profusely under grow lights. Use full-spectrum bulbs for a total of 12-15 hours a day. Proximity of the light fixture depends on the wattage, so read the package for how close to position the light.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
African violets prefer to be within 12 inches of a bright window. If windows aren’t available, fluorescent light or LED lights may be used to supplement. Depending on the lighting product, violets should be positioned 10-30 inches away from the light unit, and the light should be turned on for 6-12 hours a day. Violets receiving adequate light grow with a flat horizontal wheel of leaves.
Watering
Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy using water that is tepid, not cold. Watering too frequently will cause the roots, leaves, and base of the plant to rot. If the leaves look wilted even when the soil is moist, you may be overwatering. Let the top 1/2" of the potting mix dry out before watering again.
When watering African Violets make sure to use tepid water; cold water can cause spotting on the leaves. If water does get on the leaves, gently wipe it off with a cloth. African Violets are sensitive to dryness and prefer moist but never soggy soil.
African Violets can be watered from the top or the bottom. Traditionally, self-watering pots are commonly used. These pots consist of a smaller porous pot that fits into a larger pot that holds water. This type of watering can push excess salts to the surface and harm the plant. Once a month pour water through the plant to flush away these salts.
The easiest way to make sure you give African violets the right amount of water is to grow them in the self-watering African violet pots mentioned above. These pots have a top part in which the plant grows, and a bottom part (or reservoir) that holds water. Ceramic pots are usually glazed on the outside, but the bottom of the planting section is unglazed so that water can easily soak through from the reservoir. Plastic African violet pots usually have a fibrous wick connecting the planting pot to the reservoir. Be sure to monitor the water level and change the water weekly.
If you are not growing plants in African violet pots, water just enough to keep the soil about as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
Humidity
African Violets and Gloxinia need moderate humidity. Now the not so good news. African violets come from cloud forests of Africa, and thus they do best where the humidity is between 50 and 80 percent. Humans find such high humidity excessive. Homes and offices that have any sort of climate control bring humidity to between 25 and 35 percent.
To increase humidity around your plant, set the pot in a tray filled with pebbles or gravel. Add water to a level just below the tops of the pebbles (if the potting mix in the pots comes in contact with the water, the mix will draw water into the pot, which will cause the mix to become saturated, eventually leading to rot).
Homes are typically lacking the high humidity African Violets would prefer. Place plants on a pebble tray with a shallow layer of water.
Fertilizing
African Violets need a regular supply of nutrients. This is especially important during the active growing season (March-September). A water-soluble fertilizer designed for blooming houseplants is the best choice. To support all their beautiful blooms, African violets benefit from regular feeding with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food. Be sure to follow label directions.
African violets bloom best when fertilized regularly with a balanced mix for African violets. There are many good brands.
Almost all fertilizers offer the basic three “macro-nutrients” of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are needed in ample supply for healthy plant growth. A few also include the “macros” of calcium and magnesium. Since these two latter “macros” are found in many city water supplies, most growers will get enough calcium and magnesium from their water. If you use rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water, be aware that you need a fertilizer that contains both, or you will need a supplement (commonly called Cal/Mag) to supply them.
In the past, many growers chose fertilizers with a high “middle number” (phosphorus) because it promoted blooming. There may be some value in boosting phosphorus briefly if you are a show grower, but be careful because too much can damage foliage and hurt the plant.
Many fertilizer brands also have and list “micro-nutrients” which are needed for healthy growth, but in very small amounts. Not all brands list the “micros,” but they can be very important. Sulfur, for example, tends to lower pH in the root zone. If you have problems with high pH (over 7), a fertilizer with sulfur will help you control your problems and bring your pH into a more desirable range of 6-7. But, if your pH tends to become too acid (below 6), then sulfur will make the problem worse.
If you use well water or live in mining regions where your water supply may carry high amounts of specific minerals, it is possible for your violets to show symptoms of toxic levels of a micro-nutrient. This may cause irreversible stunting of center growth which looks very much like the violet has mutated to a miniaturized version of the original.
Fertilizers listing their source as urea nitrogen are often the cheapest and also the least desirable. If your growing area is frequently colder than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a fertilizer made from urea is more likely to result in ammonium toxicity. It is often wise to ask others in your area which fertilizer works best for them.
Fertilizers currently (2020) being mentioned by many growers in social media (especially to use with rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water) include either DynaGro Grow 7-9-5 or Feed Me MSU fertilizer for African violets (from repotme.com). Also recommended is Better Gro Orchid Plus 20-14-13 without urea, which is also preferred by many growers of other Gesneriads. Jack’s Classic formulations generally lack sulphur and may be useful for growers with acid growing conditions.
Repotting
African Violets like to be kept tight in their pots, but they usually need repotting at least once a year as plants “neck” up. As the plant grows older, leaves drop off. Removing those leaves creates a “neck” on the plant. When you repot the African Violet and bury the neck below the soil surface, new roots will form giving the plant a boost.
African violets bloom best when in small pots, ideally only one-third the diameter of their leaf span. African violets bloom best when the roots are well-developed. The best roots form in very porous potting mix which is kept evenly moist at all times-never saturated and never bone dry.
Select a pot that's 4 to 5 inches in diameter, either a self-watering pot or a ceramic pot with a drainage hole. Fill the container about ⅓ full with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix. Place your African violet in the soil so that the lowest ring of leaves is even with the edge of the pot. Add more soil to fill in around the plant roots as needed. Water and let drain. If you have a pot with a drainage hole, place a saucer under the pot. Move your African violet to its new home and enjoy!
As the lower leaves on an African violet plant begin to die back, the lower portion of the stem may become bare (this is sometimes called a "neck"). Remove the plant from the pot, cut off the bottom of the root ball (the amount of root ball removed should be equal to the length of the bare stem), and repot the plant in the same container using the directions above, fully covering the neck with soil.
Continuing Care
Use scissors to cut off the stalks of faded flowers. Older leaves turn yellow and dry as they age, and these too may be trimmed off. Aside from the repotting directions for when your African violet loses its bottom leaves, these plants don't require heavy pruning, but removing spent flowers and dead leaves regularly is a must.
Pruning in African violets is not done in the same way, generally, as it is for other plants. It is more common that violet growers groom plants by removing any individual flowers as they fade and entire blossom stems when the last flower is fading. Grooming also includes removing leaves which are damaged and any that are fading on the lower rows.
If it is only a tiny bit of debris, it may be removed by blowing. For more general cleaning, many growers brush debris away with soft brushes such as those used for makeup or painting. Violets may also be washed at the faucet using a gentle flow of mildly warm (tepid) water. If residue is stubborn, some growers spray mist the leaves with a solution of 1-2 drops of water in a quart bottle of warm water. After all leaves have been rinsed, you should blot excess water off the leaves (especially any in the center) with a soft sponge, paper towel or cloth.
Common Problems and Solutions
Many common problems with African violets come down to overwatering, underwatering, and poor light conditions. Adjusting these factors using our instructions above will typically help your plant recover. Cool air can also cause problems for African violets, so make sure the temperature stays above 65 °F.
Here’s a quick guide to troubleshooting common issues:
- No blooms: This usually means your plant is stressed from a lack of light, food, water, or a combination of these. Try adjusting these factors one at a time to find the cause. Review your plant food label directions to ensure you're giving the right amount, and move your African violet where it gets plenty of bright, indirect light. If these aren't the cause, try giving your African violet a little more water.
- Pale, bleached-out leaves: African violet leaves should have a rich, green color. If your leaves are looking pale, your plant may be getting too much sunlight. Move your African violet further away from the window or to a new home where it's out of the direct rays of the sun.
- Brown leaves: This typically means you're underwatering. Start giving your African violet more water, but take it easy! You don't want to overwhelm the plant with too much water all at once.
- Leaf spots: Spots on the leaves are usually caused by water. If you're not using a self-watering pot, make sure you're not getting the leaves wet when you water. You may also be overwatering, so make small adjustments to your watering practices and keep an eye out for new spots.
- Fungal disease: African violets are unfortunately prone to diseases like powdery mildew and root rot. These diseases are often the result of overwatering, so slowly pull back on your watering routine. Also, remove any dead or diseased leaves when you spot them.
With the right supplies and a little attention, you can enjoy the beauty of African violets in your home for years to come.
