African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are a popular, beloved houseplant for good reason. In addition to being prolific bloomers, they are also relatively easy to care for. Their charm lies not just in their beauty, but also in their relatively straightforward care requirements. As far as houseplants go, African violets are one of the easiest plants to care for. With the right care, African violets will bloom anywhere from 10 to 12 months a year.
African violets are small houseplants that grow well in average house temperatures, flowering almost continuously in clusters of white, blue, or purple blossoms over fuzzy leaves. However, once you understand how to care for them, they will reward you with vibrant blooms throughout the year. Of course, for an African violet to thrive, it does have a few specific requirements.
African violets have been a staple in homes for generations, delighting with their velvety foliage and radiant blooms. African violets are generally classified into 3 different sizes. Typically, you’ll know which kind of African violet you have when you buy it.
Despite their common name, African violets are not a type of violet but produce vivid, violet-colored flowers. They are now categorized in the genus Streptocarpus. However, as their name suggests, African violets are native to East Africa, stemming from the tropical rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya. In 1892, German colonial officer Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire identified these plants and sent seeds back to Germany.
Let's delve into the essentials of keeping your African violet healthy and blooming.
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Light Requirements
An African violet’s light requirements are the only tricky part about caring for African violets. African violets prefer bright, indirect light. East-facing windows are ideal, offering morning sunlight without the harsh intensity of the afternoon. African violets do well indoors in a sunny window where they get bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight and keep them at least a few feet away from bright south- or west-facing windows. An east- or north-facing window gives them the best lighting without the risk of burning their sensitive foliage.
If windows aren’t available, fluorescent light or LED lights may be used to supplement. Instead, you’ll need to provide 8 to 12 hours of light a day to see the most prolific blooms on your African violet. 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. African violets can bloom between 10 to 12 months of the year, but they need enough sunlight to do so.
During the winter, you may need to supplement the natural light with artificial light if you want your plant to continue blooming. Artificial lighting works well, too. Use fluorescent or LED bulbs to supplement natural lighting. It’s also okay if you don’t provide extra light.
Violets receiving adequate light grow with a flat horizontal wheel of leaves. Thin, dark green leaves and leggy stems tell you the plant is getting too little light; light green or bleached leaves indicate too much light.
Key Takeaway: Provide bright, indirect light for 10-12 hours daily. Supplement with artificial light during winter if needed.
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Watering Techniques
Water is crucial, but overwatering can be detrimental. Watering frequency depends on various factors such as temperature, humidity, pot size, and soil type. African violets are fairly forgiving when it comes to water as long as you do not overwater them. Water your African violet whenever the soil has almost dried out. Generally, you should water African violets when the top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Leaves are susceptible to rot and fungal spots if kept in high humidity, so water African violets from the bottom to avoid getting excess water on the foliage. There are three ways to water African violets. To prevent leaf spotting, water the soil directly, ensuring that water doesn’t splash on the leaves. Watering from the top can allow small droplets of water to discolor the leaves. This doesn’t look great, but it does not harm the African violet.
Watering from the bottom just means filling a tray or other container with ½ inch to 1 inch of water and then placing the African violet in the tray. Make sure the water reaches the drainage holes so the soil can absorb water. On average, you should expect to water around once a week. However, this depends on factors like the temperature, the season, and even the size of the African violet. Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy, and never let your plant sit in water.
Use room-temperature water, as chilled water can leave marks on the leaves. Do not use softened or chlorinated water for African violets. Use room-temperature distilled water, rainwater, or reverse-osmosis water.
Key Takeaway: Water from the bottom with room-temperature water when the top inch of soil is dry. Avoid overwatering.
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Humidity and Temperature
African violets do so well as houseplants because they thrive in the average home environment. Originating from tropical regions, African violets thrive in higher humidity. In addition to warm temperatures, African violets also need an average amount of humidity. In the wild, they prefer 70 to 80 percent humidity, which is not advisable to replicate at home. Instead, try to keep the humidity at around 50 percent and your African violets will be fine. African violets can tolerate humidity as low as 10%, but that is so dry that tiny buds rarely survive to open as flowers.
To encourage flower development, it is best to aim for 30-60%. Humidity at 40-60% will help African violets thrive. Group plants together to conserve humidity or set plants on trays of pebbles and water. Set a plant on a saucer of pebbles and water. Make sure the plant does not sit in the water but just above it.
African violets prefer temperatures between 65-75°F during the day (18-24°C) and a slight drop, about 10 degrees cooler, at night. African violets prefer the temperature to stay around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive cold temperatures are more damaging to African violets than excessive heat. Optimal room temperature for growing African violets is between 60°F and 80°F and ideally 70°F. As long as the plants are away from drafty areas or air vents, they will do well basically anywhere indoors with a lot of light.
Key Takeaway: Maintain temperatures between 65-75°F and humidity around 50%. Use pebble trays to increase humidity.
Potting and Repotting
A well-draining potting mix, specifically designed for African violets, is crucial. You should be using a potting mix designed for African violets because it will hold on to just enough water while allowing excess water to drain. Potting mixes African violets have fine roots and require well-drained, soilless potting mixes with a pH of about 6.2 - 6.5. Pre-mixed commercial blends high in peat are available at most retail garden centers. Some growers recommend a blend of 50% commercial African violet potting mix and 50% perlite. The soil should be loose and well-draining; high organic matter content is a plus.
Planting containers should have one or more holes in the bottom that allow excess water to drain. Choose a pot with drainage holes that allow excess water to drain from the pot. Don’t let the decorative pots without drainage holes tempt you-it’s just too easy to overwater without drainage holes. It’s also important to use potting soil designed for African violets.
Repot your plant annually or when it outgrows its container. The recommended repotting schedule is once or twice a year. When you repot, be sure to use fresh potting soil. Move to a larger pot if your African violet is outgrowing its current pot. Otherwise, you can wash and reuse the same pot. If moving to a larger pot, look for a pot that is only about 1 inch larger than the previous pot.
African violets should be potted in small, shallow pots. The diameter of the pot should be about one-third of the diameter of the African violet’s leaves. Keep African violets planted in small pots and repot every few years to mix in fresh soil. Plants should be shifted to larger pots as they grow, but keeping African violets slightly root-bound can encourage them to bloom. Being a bit pot-bound encourages African violets to bloom more, so don’t be too quick to give them more space. One sign that your violet needs repotting is wilted leaves.
When repotting African violets, don’t plant them any deeper than they were already planted, and be careful not to bury the crown.
Repotting African violets while they are blooming can cause stress, but you shouldn’t delay repotting due to blooms. If you are careful when you repot, you may not see any change in your African violet after repotting.
Key Takeaway: Use well-draining African violet potting mix and repot annually or when necessary, keeping the plant slightly root-bound.
Fertilizing
Houseplants usually need some kind of fertilizer because they only have access to a limited amount of nutrients. Regularly feed your African violets to keep them blooming during spring and summer. African violets require a mild fertilizer each time they are watered. Fertilizers formulated for African violets can be purchased at many garden centers or online.
African violets are no exception. Feed with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer specifically designed for African violets every 2 weeks. Look for a balanced formula, one where the NPK levels are equal or close to equal. Liquid formulas allow you to easily control the amount of fertilizer you apply. During the active growing season (spring and summer), fertilize every 2 weeks with a high-phosphorous plant food. Only start fertilizing when the plant appears to need an extra boost (slow, thin growth; pale or yellowing leaves).
Over-fertilizing is a more common problem than under-fertilizing since most soil mixes come infused with plenty of nutrients. It is often wise to ask others in your area which fertilizer works best for them. 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. Fertilizers listing their source as urea nitrogen are often the cheapest and also the least desirable.
If a plant is dry, always moisten the potting mix with plain water to prevent possible root burn before fertilizing.
Key Takeaway: Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 2 weeks during the growing season. Be cautious of over-fertilizing.
Encouraging Blooms
Although African violets have beautiful, attractive leaves, most people are more interested in the blooms. African Violets can bloom 10-12 months a year. Individual African violet flowers can last anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks. With the right care, African violets will bloom anywhere from 10 to 12 months a year.
Keeping African violets blooming all year requires a harmonious balance of the right conditions. To encourage prolific blooming, ensure that your African violet gets adequate light. If your plant isn’t flowering, it might be receiving either too much or too little light. 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. African violets are easy to keep alive, primarily when provided with the right care. Blooming can be triggered by ensuring your African violet several hours of darkness at night.
Here are some common reasons why African violets don’t bloom:
- Lack of Light: This is the most common reason. You won’t see blooms if your African violets get less than 8 hours of light a day, and most of the time, African violets need anywhere from 8 to 12 hours of light.
- Improper Watering: African violets will also stop blooming if they are overwatered or underwatered.
- Inadequate Fertilizing: Additionally, African violets may stop blooming if you aren’t providing fertilizer correctly. Although African violets only need small amounts of fertilizer, they may stop blooming if they aren’t getting enough.
If the light, water, and nutrients are adequate, your African violets will continue blooming most of the year.
Pruning and Grooming
There’s no reason to leave dead flowers on your African violet. 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. Remove faded flowers and yellowing leaves to encourage new growth and maintain the plant’s aesthetic appeal.
Once a flower has finished blooming, use clean scissors or a clean knife to remove the faded flowers. Trim off the individual flowers as they fade, and when the entire cluster is gone, remove the flower stem by rocking it from side to side until it comes loose from the main stem. Grooming also includes removing leaves which are damaged and any that are fading on the lower rows. Pruning techniques would include removing secondary crowns (suckers) either to propagate or to discard.
If a secondary crown has been allowed to grow to a mature size, then the plant needs to be divided by cutting between the two crowns and potting each into its own pot. Pruning also occurs when shaping trailers to achieve a beautiful form.
Key Takeaway: Regularly remove faded flowers and yellowing leaves to promote new growth and maintain appearance.
Cleaning African Violet Leaves
The fuzzy leaves have a tendency to collect dust and dirt. 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. Persistent cat hair or drywall dust may be more difficult to remove. Several growers in social media have reported using lint-remover rollers with replaceable sticky paper. They gently roll across the leaf from stem toward the tip.
Propagation
Another great thing about African violets is that they are easy to propagate. You can successfully take cuttings or divide African violets to create new plants for yourself or to share with friends.
The most common way to propagate African violets is through leaf cuttings. African violets can be propagated from leaf cuttings or offsets. To propagate from leaves, cut a leaf that is 2-3” long near the base of the plant. Cut a healthy leaf with its stem, and insert it into a pot with African violet mix. Allow the plant to have a natural dormancy period during the fall and winter. To grow new African violets this way, choose several healthy leaves from a mature African violet. Cut the stems from the original plant, and then make a 45-degree angle cut at the bottom of each stem.
Place the cuttings in a container filled with African violet potting mix. Dip the end in rooting hormone and plant in African violet soil or a similar media. Water the cutting thoroughly. Cover the container with a plastic bag or lid to keep in moisture. Place the container in a sunny spot with indirect light. After about 8 weeks, tiny new plants should begin emerging. Allow the plants to develop 3 to 4 leaves before potting them on their own.
Offsets (new plant shoots that grow up from the mother plant) can be cut off and potted independently. This will also help the mother plant produce more blooms.
Common Problems and Solutions
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are generally easy to care for, but they are not immune to pests and diseases. Here are some common issues and their treatments:
| Problem | Symptoms | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Mealybugs | White, cottony masses on leaves and stems. | Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol and dab the mealybugs. |
| Cyclamen Mites | Stunted growth, distorted leaves. | Insecticidal soaps or miticides can be effective. |
| Root Rot | Soft, limp leaves, especially at the bottom of the plant. | Ensure proper watering practices. Overwatering and letting the plant sit in water are common causes. |
| Leaf Spotting | Spots on leaves from water contact. | Improve air circulation and avoid getting water on the leaves. |
| Powdery Mildew | White, powdery substance on leaves and stems. | Improve ventilation, reduce humidity, and remove affected parts of the plant. |
The biggest danger to African violets is overwatering, which can lead to root rot. It’s easier to prevent root rot than to treat it. First of all, don’t immediately panic if the bottom leaves of your African violet are dying. However, if all the older leaves are turning yellow or drooping at once, root rot may be an issue. Root rot happens when African violets are overwatered and the roots are damaged. Adjust your watering schedule. Make sure you allow the soil enough time to dry out between watering and treat with a root supplement.
Key Takeaway: Regularly inspect plants for pests and diseases. Adjust care practices to prevent common issues like root rot and powdery mildew.
