Caption
African Violets are delightful houseplants and will brighten up any room with their purple, pink, or white colors.
Photo Credit
Ludmila Kapustkina/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Streptocarpus (formerly Saintpaulia) ionanthus
Plant Type
Sun Exposure
Soil pH
Bloom Time
Subhead
Growing African Violet Plants: Watering, Light, Repotting, and Pests
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Planting
How to Plant African Violets
- You can use an actual African violet potting mix or an all-purpose potting soil, as long as it is well-draining. Here’s how to create your own mix.
- Keep African violets planted in small pots and repot every few years to mix in fresh soil. Being a bit pot-bound encourages African violets to bloom more, so don’t be too quick to give them more space.
- The soil should be loose and well-draining; high organic matter content is a plus. Learn about organic soil amendments.
- When repotting African violets, don’t plant them any deeper than they were already planted, and be careful not to bury the crown. African violets’ stems can be susceptible to rot if kept too moist.
Growing
How to Care for African Violets
Watering
- Keep the soil lightly moist, but be careful not to overwater, as African violets’ soft stems are very susceptible to rot. Learn more about proper watering and care.
- Use room-temperature water, as chilled water can leave marks on the leaves.
- Leaves are susceptible to rot and fungal spots if kept in high humidity, so water African violets from the bottom to avoid getting excess water on the foliage.
Lighting
- African violets prefer bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight and keep them at least a few feet away from bright south- or west-facing windows. An east- or north-facing window gives them the best lighting without the risk of burning their sensitive foliage.
- Artificial lighting works well, too. Use fluorescent or LED bulbs to supplement natural lighting.
- Thin, dark green leaves and leggy stems tell you the plant is getting too little light; light green or bleached leaves indicate too much light.
Fertilizing
- During the active growing season (spring and summer), fertilize every 2 weeks with a high-phosphorous plant food. Only start fertilizing when the plant appears to need an extra boost (slow, thin growth; pale or yellowing leaves).
- Over-fertilizing is a more common problem than under-fertilizing since most soil mixes come infused with plenty of nutrients.
General African Violet Care
- According to Julie Weisenhorn, an Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, “If you are comfortable, your African violet is comfortable. Optimal room temperature for growing African violets is between 60°F and 80°F and ideally 70°F.” However, some are more tolerant of cooler conditions. In any case, keep them away from drafty windows in winter.
- Plants should be shifted to larger pots as they grow, but keeping African violets slightly root-bound can encourage them to bloom. One sign that your violet needs repotting is wilted leaves.
- The fuzzy leaves have a tendency to collect dust and dirt. Brush them off gently with a small, soft-bristled paintbrush.
For more information on African violets, visit the website of the African Violet Society of America.
Types
Hundreds of varieties and hybrids exist, from miniature violets to trailing varieties! They differ mainly in the colors of their flowers, which range from white to purple, though some varieties also have variegation in their foliage and flowers.
African violets are typically classified by size, based on how wide they grow:
- Miniature: less than 8 inches across
- Standard: 8–16 inches across
- Large: more than 16 inches across
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Comments
Just have patience!! I did this about 6 months ago. Single leaf looked healthy for many months and finally a teeny tiny leaf emerged..others followed more quickly and now I have a healthy small violet! I kept it watered with Violet fertilizer the sameness I do for my mature plants.
I have had an african violet for a couple of years now. Plant is doing beautifully and has grown alot, but I have never had any flowers on it. I do give it fertilizer and I did just repot it for the first time. What to do?
Mine flowers terrifically. It's in a north facing window and receives 2-4 hrs. of direct light per day. Wish I had more insight, just stupid lucky with this one.
Put them in an east window or make sure they receive early morning sun and that should stimulate blooms.
Mine all do well in east window too!
With mine I have found that when they do not flower they do not seem to be getting enough light.
Not direct light... just more light... then they bloom a lot...
I moved mine to a window ledge and that made all the difference.
I have been given an African Violet plant; and dont know the first thing about this plant. Iwill enjoy browsing you information. What a pretty flower!!!
I have received an African Violet as part of a living flower arrangement. Can I leave it in there or should I remove it and re-pot before the roots from the other plants tangle up with it? The current container is about a foot in diameter and it looks like there are about 6 others plants in the container.
African violets have special needs as they are jungle natives. They tend to do better in their own pots--with special African violet soil and fertilizer (or any good potting soil with peat moss plus perlite to keep the soil porous). The pot should be small. A good rule of thumb is to choose a pot that is a third of the diameter of their leaf spread. They like more humidity so it helps to use warm water and set them on small gravel-filled saucers with enough water to keep humidity high as it evaporates. They don't like cold temperature so keep them away from A/C. Just keep soil moist, not soggy nor dry.
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It sounds like you are doing everything right, Shawna. You might need to give it a little more time. The African Violet Society of America advises that it could take "a period of months."
You might consider doing for your plant what the AVSA advises for starting in soil, especially if you are in an area of relatively low humidity: Put your starter container (with the plant in it, in moist soil) into a zip-lock bag, blow into the bag (adding carbon dioxide) until it puffs up, then close it tightly. The "air" is good for the plant and will help to keep the bag from sagging and touching the leaf. Put the package into a place that gets bright light, but not direct sunlight. That method—a sort of greenhouse—might encourage growth of your cutting.
Or you can wait a while longer.
We hope this helps.