The African Violeti
by
Carmen Cosentino

(part2)

A few weeks ago we talked about the wonderful African violet and its popularity and
background. Now let us look at how to be successful with this beautiful, ever blooming
plant. Do they have any problems? They sure do. But none are ever too serious and
most are very easily corrected. Let’s look at some violet questions.
My plant is beautiful. The leaves are green and it is growing. But I never get any
flowers. Why? The most common cause of non-flowering violets is that they have been
placed in too large a pot. Violets are most floriferous when slightly pot bound. When it
seems that the roots are, indeed, overcrowding the pot, it is time to repot. But, go up only
to the next size pot, up an inch. Too often we go from a 3” pot to a 6’ and it may take the
plant nearly a year to get back into the flowering stage again.
I’m sure that he plant is in the right size pot, but still no flowers. Why? Try this. Add a
pinch of Epsom Salts to the water . . . once. Chances are it will induce flowering.
My leaves and flowers are rotting? Too frequent watering and watering from the top
could be the culprit here. It is best to water about twice a week all year long. To
properly water, stand the pot in a saucer of water for about a half hour. Remove and
discard the water.
What do I do when my leaves turn a pale green color? Either the plants are getting too
much light or they need some fertilizer. The first move would be to move the plant out of
the direct sunlight to a more diffused light. If the new leaves are small in size the plant is
telling you it needs some fertilizer. Actually it is a good idea to feed your house plants
with the recommended strength (it’s on the package) every two weeks. Especially during
the flowering season.
What causes my leaves to turn black? That sounds like leaf shine damage. Never, never
spray your African violets with leaf shine. It can create all kinds of problems. Dusty?
Use a pastry brush to flick off the dust.
Everyone says that violets need high humidity to thrive. How do I accomplish that?
There are two easy ways. First of all place the violets near larger foliage plants. The
ambient humidity seems to be higher there. Easiest of all, depending on the size of your
collection, find a tray or dish that will accommodate all of them and fill it with river
stones or gravel and keep that container filled with water to just below the top. As that
water evaporates, the air around the plant will carry a lot of moisture. Never, never,
spray water on the plant to increase the humidity.
Every so often my violet leaves suddenly turn yellow and I lose the plant. What’s
happening? Sounds like gas fumes or a draft. If you have gas heat or a gas stove nearby,
it takes a lot less of the gas fumes to damage a violet than for a human to notice.
My leaves are limp and just don’t look good. Always check the temperature around the
plant. Sounds like this one may be too low. Even in a warm room, a window sill might
be 10 or 15 degrees lower than the room itself. Consider the position of the plant.
African violets just do not like to be where it is below 58 degrees.