While re-potting some houseplants today, I realized that I must always have had at least a couple of African Violets sitting somewhere in the house blooming or resting by a bright window.Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We will only recommend products we use, love or think are informative and helpful.
African Violets
I love flowering houseplants! Through the winter months when garden flowers are not available somewhere in the house one of these houseplants is usually blooming.
Here are some of the plants I recently repotted. The metal bakers rack sits in front of our east-facing window receiving bright morning light.
This is the African Violet that I have had the longest. The plant has grown large and has many crowns that need to be separated. But I am reluctant to remove the plantlets from the main crown because it is still healthy and I love the abundant display of flowers 🙂Care and tips for growing African Violets
Light
African violets prefer moderate to bright indoor light protected from direct sunlight. They will tolerate direct sunlight that comes from very early morning or from very late in the day, but be sure to shield them from direct sunlight at other times.
For best results, place your violets in a window where they will receive light most of the day. A window with a western or southern exposure is a good choice. If you need, adjust your blinds or use a sheer curtain to filter out some of the light if it is too intense.
Water
African Violets need just enough water to keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Allow the soil around roots to dry out before watering to encourage blooming. Be careful that water does not get on the leaves to prevent spotting damage. To prevent overwatering, you can water from the bottom with room temperature water by placing the pot in water, and allowing the plant to absorb the water for not more than 30 minutes. Overwatering can lead to disease such as root rot and crown rot.
Soil
A well-drained potting mix is essential. Poor drainage can cause root rot, in which the plant becomes waterlogged and its leaves begin to fall, so make sure that the plant is never allowed to be exposed to standing water for an extended period of time.
Temperature and Humidity
Try to keep the air temperature around your African Violets, as close as possible to 70 degrees F. Avoid temperatures to drop below 60 degrees or rise above 80 degrees.
Fertilizer
Feed regularly with a standard balanced fertilizer or a specialized African violet fertilizer.
Tips
- Pinch off spent blossoms and blossom stems to encourage development of new blooms.
- Place plants away from floor vents, fans, or entrance doors to avoid air drafts and bursts of cold air.
Propagating African Violets
Increase your collection of African violets by propagating from leaf cuttings or from offsets. Adult plants occasionally produce small plantlets or shoots from the side. Just remove these little plantlets and pot up in their own pots. Removing these plantlets also encourages better blooms on the parent plant.
Potting and Repotting African Violets
African violets do better when they are slightly underpotted. Once or twice a year, repot your violets by refreshing the potting mix.
A good way to know when it is in need of repotting is when it has lost its lower leaves and is starting to look lanky. Just remove the plant from its pot, and with a clean, sharp knife or shears, cut away some of the roots. Put the plant back in the pot so that the bottom of the leaves are level with the rim of the pot. Then add fresh potting mix to cover the roots up to the pot rim.
Water the plant less than usual while it’s developing new roots and adjusting to the repotting.
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My favorite houseplants are Orchids and many plants of the Gesneriad Family which includes African Violets.
Here is another gorgeous houseplant. Beautiful Streptocarpus, related to the African violet, is from the family of Gesneriad plants. It blooms easily with lovely tubular flowers. It has been growing in our bathroom for many years. There is a dormant period with no flowers but the lovely arching leaves still look nice when the flower is not blooming.
Although not necessary, you can grow miniature African violets in a terrarium culture. Kept in a bright location, they bloom frequently.
Other Gesneriads
There are many plants that come under the gesneriad family. Some that I have grown and are are easy to grow as houseplants include:
- Sinningia (some of the tiniest flowering houseplants)
- Episcia
I have been growing houseplants for a very long time as seen by these faded Polaroid photo’s from 1977. Using ‘Grow Lights’ was popular back in those ancient days along with macramé plant hangers. Those 70’s were like, far out!
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HI Maggie
I am a African violet lover as well and I enjoy your page and I enjoy seeing your plants. I am wondering if you would be willing to sell a leaf from the purple African violet plant you have photographed?
I love your violets. I have a passion for violets and have been growing violets for about 36 years. Do you happen to know the variety of the big one with the huge amount of blooms? would love to know what the name of it is. They are so beautiful. Great job.
juliaholloman@gmail.com or http://www.milestogoblog.com
I love african violets so much. I haven't had any in quite awhile and this makes me want to go buy some to fill my window sills. Your collection is lovely. I have a terrarium much like your's that I have nothing in. I was wondering if african violets would do well in one.
your violets are so pretty. I've never been very good with plants in the house. I have a very bad habit of forgetting to water them. Of course if the brown and crumbly look ever goes in style I'll be doing good 🙂
The violets are so pretty. I can never keep anything alive inside.
So lovely. I just adore everything about African Violets, and your collage of your collection is sweet!
You have very lovely houseplants. Your violets are beautiful. They are one of my favorites as well.
I was saddened last time I did some re-potting of my violets. They sure don't have a very long root system. The one very large plant I had like yours simply broke off and I was crushed. I tried to save some of the root, but it didn't take. Do you ever have problems with re-potting them?
I enjoyed these photos so much. I have no luck with indoor plants and these are just beautiful!
Your violets and pics are lovely! I grow them too but not like this!!!! A few ?, if you'd be so kind as to share your talent…are they potted directly in the milkglass? How do they drain? Do you use any special food for them? How exciting to find something so rewarding you have enjoyed it all these years! Thanks for sharing! V
Oh, your African violets are beautiufl!!! I have never seen one as big as what you have in the one picture. Afrian violets always make me think of my grandmother as she always had quite a few around her home! Sweet memories!
Hugs, Carolyn ~ Cottage Sunshine
Oh, they are all beautiful! I don't do well in the houseplant department! I either overwater or underwater ~ both with the same result ~ dead plants!
And the terrarium is magnificent ~ with or without plants!
I've really enjoyed your 'violet' post! I enjoy mine so much. I've got some 'babies' up and doing well, that I started from leaves. My hubby found me a book at the 'Good Will' entitled….'1001 African Violet Questions Answered by 12 Experts'. That is a very interesting book for sure. I like your miniature things and your Streptocarpus is like the spring violets, & very pretty. I'd never heard of it before. My daughter found a Terrarium similar to yours and gave it to her sister-in-law. Yours is pretty. =) It looks like leaded glass, wonder where you got it. Warm wishes for a cozy evening….Maggie
Those are beautiful African violets. I have never had any luck with them at all…and my Mother grew them beautifully. Your photography is amazing! xxoo Diana
Such beautiful plants and your photography is just amazing. Mother loved to grow African Violets back in the 80's. She and Karen's oldest son enjoyed re-potting the "babies!" Sweet memories and a beautiful post!