FeelingWow! Magazine

Though African violets do actually originate in Africa, the plant is not a violet at all. It belongs to a family of herbs that are known as Gesneriaceae. The names comes from the flower color, though African violets can be grown with blue, white and pink flowers. Its botanical name is Saintpaulia, which is in honor of Baron Walter von Saint Paul, the one who found them and brought them back to Europe with him in 1893. In the past ten or so years, the plant has sprung from relatively being unknown to great popularity, and with great reason. The African violet is a beautiful plant that are very adaptable for indoor living and they bloom constantly. The African violet has a low-lying tendency, with hairy green leaves. There are more than one hundred different varieties and the blooms range in color from pink to mauve, to blue to purple. Its flowers are smaller sized and will sometimes run about an inch and a half across.

Growing African Violets

African violets are perfectly adaptable growing indoors, except for having a low humidity requirement. The plants thrive in a warmer environment than most other types of house plants, they prefer a temperature between 70-75 F, and not below 60 in the night time. In the winter time, if the temp gets down below this, the plant should be relocated away from the windows at night and covered with newspaper. Due to the natural conditions of the African violets, the moist and humid environment of the jungle, it will need more humidity than most plants. The best way to go about achieving this is to put the plant in a pan or saucer of water with a layer of pebbles. Of course, you can also do the recommended humidity practices that were discussed earlier, such as putting a bowl of water on the floor near the plant.

The plants can either be watered from above or below, if watering from above try using a water can with a long spout that will reach the inside of the foliage and can wet the soil without getting the leaves wet. One of the major drawbacks of above watering is that the plant will get white spots if they are splashed with water. This is the result of the water being used is too cold. The plant should always be watered using room temperature water or warmer. Though some experts believe that a warm water mist spray on the leaves will not do any harm, it will not do much good so it is best to avoid it. There are also wick-watering methods that can be used. Another reason why these plants can be such a joy to people is that they do not require as much sunshine as other types of plants. An east or west window ledge works ideally, though the plant will continue to do well in a north facing location as well. Of course, the north position is not ideal in the winter time because it will get no sunlight at all, but during the summer this location is perfect.

One thing to remember about African violets is that not only does it not require plunging in the summer, but it is a plant which does not need to be outdoors. Keeping the plant in the house and the leaves free of dust by cleaning with a soft, damp brush, are all important to having a beautiful African violet.

Soil Requirements

Because African violets prefer a rich soil of humus, its requirements are higher than that of other plants, special soils have been prepared for this reason and can be purchased in the same place you buy your gardening supplies. Like other commercial soils, this mix is scientifically prepared to certain specifications that African violets need for optimum growth. When potting the plant, make certain that the soil is not packed too tightly or heavily around them, because they prefer a good aerated soil. Since these plants are more tolerant of consistent moisture at the roots than other plants, they will do well in a larger pot. African violets need a special plant food that can be in the form of a dry fertilizer specifically designed for their needs.

The food will need to be given to your plant periodically in the amounts recommended on the back of the bottle, and also when you are repotting or beginning new plants from cutting.

Propagation

The most common method of propagation is by doing leaf cuttings. This should be done in the spring so that new plants will gain the benefit of summer weather to help them grow. It is generally about 10-12 weeks before the new leave to emerge. A successful new plant will flower after 4-6 weeks, so if you begin the process in early spring, you should have well grown and flowering plants by the fall.

African violets can also be propagated by doing something called division. If you find the crown of your plant has grown to thick and does not flower, the plant can be divided into different sections and replanted. Growing African violets using this procedure is easy and can be done with other plants also such as ferns or ivy. You need to turn the plant out of the pot and very gently remove the soil from around the roots, gently tap the ball of soil and roots against the table and loosen it. Then using a light stream of lukewarm water, wash the remaining soil away. You should see the at the base of the crown that its divided into different segments, each of these segments will have roots attached. Separate the roots from the main section of the plant, and again gently, repot each into separate containers that are suitable for the size of the newer plants. Feed and water the divisions well and place them in a west or east location on a window sill.

Pests and diseases that can infect your plant

These plants are subject to infestation and attacks from mealy bugs and red spider mites, however these enemies should never be allow to get in your house in the first place. If you find you are facing an infestation, use insecticides that have been especially prepared for use only on African violets.

Varieties of African violets

There are many hundreds of types of Saintpaulia, and the number is increasing yearly. There are many varieties that are popular and it is easy to see why.