African Violet Plant Care Instructions
This information is provided
courtesy of Optimara African Violets, and is
summarized from the following website: http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare1.html
Light: Moderate to bright, indirect, indoor light.
The amount of light that an African Violet receives is important for its health and overall performance.
African Violets, like other plants, need light for photosynthesis. An African Violet which simply does not get enough sunlight will stop
flowering and its leaves begin to turn yellow. It is also likely that the
African Violet, which is not getting enough sunlight,
will become rangy as it develops elongated leaves and stems.
Too much
sunlight can also cause problems. Among other symptoms, too much sunlight will
produce brown spots on the leaves and flowers. This is a form of necrosis
analogous to sunburn. In addition, too much sunlight can cause the leaves to
curl down and may turn variegated leaves entirely green.
African
Violets perform best when they receive a lot of indirect sunlight. While
African Violets will tolerate direct sunlight very early or very late in the
day, they should, in all other cases, be shielded from direct sunlight. For
best results, place your Violets in a window where they will receive light most
of the day, i.e., a window with western or southern exposure. Adjust your blinds
or use a sheer curtain to filter out some of the light. You can get a
reasonable approximation of good light by simply holding your hand over a
Violet during the time when it is receiving the brightest light. If you can
barely see the shadow of your hand over the Violet, then it is getting the
correct amount of light.
Also, it is important to rotate your
African Violets so that they receive an equal amount of sunlight on all sides.
They should be rotated one-quarter turn, about once a week or each time you
water. If African Violets are not rotated in this manner, they will begin to
bend towards the light and grow larger on the side closest to the window.
It is
important to remember that African Violets need at least eight hours of
darkness, each day, in order to bloom.
Watering:
Keep
soil moist to dry, and allow soil around roots to dry out before watering to
encourage blooming. Water from the bottom with room temperature water by
placing the plastic grower's pot in water, and allowing the plant to absorb the
water (not more than 30 minutes ). Avoid getting water
on the leaves as this can cause spotting damage. For best results, use violet
plant food as directed.
In general, African Violets need just
enough water to keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Too much water will leave
your African Violets susceptible to such deadly pathogens as Pythium, Root Rot and Crown Rot. Overwatering can also
cause denitrification, a
condition which prevents plants from getting the nitrogen they need.
The
water should be room temperature, or as close as possible in temperature to the
air around your plants.
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.
In terms of temperature, humidity and
other factors of air quality, African Violets thrive in an environment which
most people would consider pleasant. In general, you
should keep the air temperature, around your African Violets, as close as
possible to 70 degrees F. At the very least, do not allow temperatures to drop
below 60 degrees or rise above 80 degrees. When the temperature is too warm, plant growth
will become rangy (i.e., elongated stems and leaves), leaves will appear dry
and shriveled, and flowers will begin to drop off.
While excessive heat will cause your
African Violets to suffer, they are not nearly as deadly as cold temperatures.
At the very least, African Violets will stop flowering, and plant growth will
be slow. In more severe cases, leaves and flowers will rapidly begin to wilt,
and the plant will go into shock.
You should try to provide your African
Violets with at least 50 to 60 percent humidity.
If
necessary, there are a number of ways to increase the amount of humidity around
your African Violets. First, you can
create a favorable microclimate by grouping your African Violets together.
This, by itself, can increase the humidity around your plants by as much as 15
percent. However, when doing so, it is important not to place your African
Violets so closely together that the leaves are touching. You may simply want
to consider using a humidifier. This will probably be more necessary during the
winter months than during than the summer. However, both heating and air
conditioning can dry out the air to some extent. In the winter, use a warm-mist
humidifier so that the increase in humidity does not affect the air
temperature. In the summer, use a cool-mist humidifier.
Because humidity is so important to
African Violets, good air circulation also becomes a vital concern. Maintaining
good air circulation, especially when the air is damp, helps prevent the growth
of such fungi as Botrytis and Powdery Mildew. However, be vigilant to any cold
drafts which come in contact with your African Violets. Even when the overall
air temperature is within acceptable limits, a cold draft may eventually send
an African Violet into shock. In many cases, this can be fatal. At the very
least, a cold draft will often cause African Violets to grow lopsided. When
this is the case, the source of the draft should easily be located, since an
African Violet will become smaller on the side closest
to where the draft is originating. In most instances, the source of the draft
will be the window in which the Violet has been placed.