How to Properly Care for Your African Violets
If you need proof of this fact, let me tell you about my friend Gale. She loves these leafy plants with the small, colorful flowers. Gale has a house full of African Violets. Some of the her plants were actually inherited from her mother and her grandmother, while she has grown the rest of her collection. (I have to add here that both relatives have long passed away, so that tells you the age of some of her African Violets!)
My friend doesn’t have any secrets to her plant-growing success. Instead, if you want to follow her plan, then just: water the plants when you remember to, and buy African Violet fertilizer, but stick it away in a drawer. That’s how easy it is to keep these plants alive!
However, if you want to grow lush, thriving, African Violet plants, there are some things you’ll actually need to do. First off, when you bring your new plants home from the greenhouse, set them inside your house on a table or plant stand, and allow them to get “settled in”. They’ll need to adjust to the changes in temperature, humidity, and lighting.
The best location for an African Violet is right by a window where they can receive plenty of indirect sunlight. Be sure to turn them a couple of times a week so they don’t grow sideways towards the sunlight. Setting them outside in the weather right away is not recommended. Because, they are used to the regulated environment of the greenhouse. Therefore, the plants haven’t been “hardened off”.
You can easily tell if your African Violets are getting the right amount of sunshine by checking their growth. If they tend to grow upwards, then they need additional light. But, on the other hand, if the plants are flat and squat, they’re getting baked by the sun and they need to be moved away from it.
African Violets grow their best when they live in an environment that’s warm. Somewhere around sixty-five degrees is a good temperature for their care.
While your plants are getting used to their new environment, give each one a drink by using water that’s at room temperature. Cold tap water or hot water can send your plants into shock, and you don’t want that.
Hard water that’s pumped up from a natural well does fine for houseplants. (As long as it’s not run through a water softener.) But if you have city water, which normally has chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals in it, you might want to use bottled spring water instead. How often you’ll need to water depends on the plants and the level of humidity in your home. Once you have your African Violets for awhile, you might find that a weekly or semi-weekly watering schedule works well for their needs.
In the meantime, check the top of the soil in your African Violets a couple of times every week. If the soil is dry, then the plant needs a drink. Pour off any excess water that might run into the bottom of the pot.
At the same time, give your African Violets care by checking your plants for dead leaves and brown flowers. Carefully remove these and discard them. You should also keep the leaves of your African Violets clean by either rinsing them off with a little clean water. Or, brush them off gently with a soft brush.
After about four weeks time, your African Violets should be adjusted to their new home. Now, you can repot your plants without harming their growth. Buy a soil mix that’s especially made for your African Violets. Keep in mind that the new pot should allow enough room for the plant to be planted in, plus allow for future growth. That is, don’t try to squeeze a plant into a pot.
And finally, your plants will need fertilizer for their proper care. Forget the fertilizer, and your plants won’t bloom like they normally would. Not only that, but the leaves can grow small and be pale in color.
Choose a fertilizer that’s designed to feed African Violets, and be sure to follow the directions on the package in order to achieve the best results.
