Many people who grow African violets have problems with them, and they probably will doubt the fact that the plants will bloom the year around. However, if the growing conditions are right, such a performance can be expected.
For year-round blooms, the plants must get the right amount of light. The temperature and humidity are also to be considered, as well as the amount of air, soil moisture, soil temperature, and fertility.
Why African Violets Do Not Bloom
The chief reason why African violets do not bloom is that they do not get the right amount of light. Too much light may burn the foliage; therefore, it’s best not to place your African violet plants in direct sunlight.
Some direct sunlight in the early morning will not harm them, especially during winter.
During the summer, the best location for good light is a northern or eastern exposure. Put your African violet plants in a south or east window during the winter.
Usually, you can tell when plants are getting the right amount of light; when they get too much, the leaves become pale, and growth is slow.
The plant is more compact and flowers freely for only a short time. When there is too little light, leaves become large, with long leaf stalks and little or no flowering results.
Room Temperature
Room temperature must also be watched. African violets need a day-and-night temperature of not less than 60° degrees Fahrenheit and not more than 75° degrees Fahrenheit; temperatures less than 60° degrees Fahrenheit make the leaves brittle and the flowers discolored.
It is wise to move plants from a window to a warmer place on cold nights or place paper between the window and the plant to avoid chilling.
Humidity is Just As Important
Humidity, as well as temperature, is important for healthy plants. Perhaps you have noticed that plants thrive better in the kitchen than in any other part of the house.
Usually, humidity is higher there, and that’s what African violets need if they are to bloom freely.
You can create higher humidity in other rooms by placing pans of water on radiators or other heaters.
Give Enough Water
The next thing you have to do for year-round bloom is ensuring that plants get enough water.
When watering your plants, there is no single rule to follow. The time for watering and the amount of water needed varies with growing conditions.
Add water to the soil surface or a container under the pot. Any watering method is effective if the soil is always moderately moist. Keep cold water off the foliage; do not get the plant’s crown wet or let it stay wet.
Sometimes giving your African violets a bath is a good idea to keep the plants looking fresh. When you wash the foliage, ensure the water temperature is about the same as that of the room.
Use Loose Soil
Another factor to consider is the soil in which the plants grow. African violets need loose soil.
Good soil consists of two parts garden soil, one part leaf mold or peat, one part well-rotted manure, and one part sand. Regardless of what soil mixture you use, be sure that water can seep through.
Here are some steps you can take. Before you pot your plant, put an arched piece of broken pot over the drainage hole.
First, add an inch of gravel, then the soil. Do not crumble the soil too finely because fine soil is likely to pack.
Sterilize The Soil
Sterilizing the soil and time flower pots before potting your plants is good practice because this treatment kills disease organisms, insects, weed seeds, and earthworms.
It is easy to sterilize soil in your oven; use slightly moist soil, and heat it in the oven until the entire quantity reaches 180° degrees Fahrenheit.
Hold that temperature for 20 minutes, and check the center of the soil occasionally with a thermometer to see that the temperature does not go below 180° degrees Fahrenheit.
Give Plant Food
Plants need not only water and good soil but plant food as well for good growth. If you have used the proper soil mixture, fertilization will not be necessary for several months after potting.
Small plants started from cuttings usually do not need plant food until the first flower buds appear. Fertilize older plants when roots begin to fill the soil surface next to the pot.
Guide For Adding Plant Food
Foliage color serves as a guide for adding plant food. If plants get the right amount of light, yet the leaves gradually become pale and flowers fewer and smaller, fertilizer is needed.
Water soluble fertilizers are quick and easy to use, or mix one teaspoon of a commercial garden fertilizer with one quart of water.
Let it stand for several hours before pouring it on the soil. It is better to use a small amount of fertilizer frequently than a large amount spasmodically.
Avoid getting fertilizer into the crown of the plants or on the leaves; if it does spill, wash it off immediately.
44659 by Evelyn B. Butcheson