Many “experts” in caring for African violets will tell you that no greater sin can be committed against your violets than to water them from the top.
It would be best if you watered them from the bottom or with a unique self-watering pot for African violets.
Others, equally proficient, say “Always water from the top,” and they also have excellent results.
I do it both ways, from the bottom and the top, just as the spirit moves me.
When I use it, watering from the top washes in fertilizer, making sure it reaches the roots.
Not How… When
Much more important than how I water is when. I get excellent results by letting my violets dry and soaking them thoroughly with tepid water.
Liquid plant food may be added to the water at intervals of two weeks. A mild kind made especially for African violets gives the best results. This helps develop robust rooting systems and hastens to flower.
You may have been told never to wet violet leaves, especially the crowns. It is true that water on violets, if it is a little cooler than room temperature, will leave white rings on the leaves and that continually wetting the crown may cause it to rot.
It is also true, however, that leaves collect dust. They must be kept clean. I know no better way to do this than gently syringing them with tepid water every two weeks or so.
Related: Wick Watering and African Violets
I hold them on their side over the sink and spray thoroughly, with particular attention to the underside of the leaves where the stomata, or breathing apparatus, is.
I let them dry where they are, out of drafts and sun, before returning them to their places.
What is the best temperature for African violets?
The extremes at which they will grow and do well would surprise you. Most growers say they get the best results with a daytime temperature of about 70° degrees Fahrenheit and not below 60° degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Mine bloom best when my daytime temperature is about 78. Then the little plants burst into flowers.
My Simple Solution For Light Problems
I have a simple solution for this problem of light. There have been volumes written as well.
Just leave it up to your violets; watch them; they’ll tell you how much light they need.
If their leaves hug the edge of the pot and bleach out, the light is too strong. The light isn’t strong enough if they grow long and flowers don’t appear.
You can also determine whether the light is right by holding your hand about four inches from the plant. If a faint shadow is cast on it, there is enough light. Don’t be afraid of a bit of sunshine. Like other flowers, African violets need it.
Many growers say that when the plants start to age, become “turkey-necked,” and acquire an ungainly leafless stretch of the stem, you may as well discard them and start all by propagating African violets from leaf cuttings.
I disagree. My plants become friends to me after they have lived in my home for a year or so, and I’m reluctant to consign them to the trash heap.
I score those turkey necks with long deep slashes, you know, the way your cat sharpens his claws on your best mahogany chair legs and rubs a rooting hormone powder into the incisions.
Then I dig up the plant and wash the soil off the roots, reducing their length by one-half with my scissors.
I replant in fresh potting soil so that all the turkey neck is planted, and the soil line is at the lower leaves. In no time, roots will have grown right up that ugly stem, and you’ll have a beautifully proportioned plant.
Those are my tips, but I believe my success has come by mastering the art of watering my African violets.
10686 by D Schroeder