LIGHT
Adequate light is important for good growth and flowers. They like a well lit position but NOT direct sunlight.
WATERING
Use room temperature water as cold water may shock their roots. Water when the soil feels dry to the touch.
You can water from the top keeping the mix moist but not wet, wick water or bottom water with a saucer and tip out excess. Always water moderately.
FEEDING
African Violets enjoy being fertilized each watering following the directions for your chosen fertilizer but mix to a quarter or half strength.
TEMPERATURE
African Violets enjoy the same conditions you do so moderate temperatures and humidity. If you feel comfortable so do they. Ideal temperatures are between 16 and 25 degrees C but plants can tolerate temps outside this range.
SOIL
Light airy open potting mix. Our Society’s own mix is perfect. African Violet potting Mix from Garden Centres and nurseries is fine with added perlite. Additives like manure or compost are not recommended.
GROOMING
Except for trailers, do not allow extra crowns (suckers) to develop. African Violets should be grown single crowned. Flowers appear from new growth so excessive numbers of older, lower leaves are unnecessary.
POTTING
Ideally repot standard plants every 6-12 months. Pot size should be approximately one third the diameter of the plant. They are shallow rooted so prefer squat style pots and like to be pot bound to flower. Plastic pots are ideal.
Remove spent flowers and keep your growing area, tools and pots clean to prevent disease.
Remember to ISOLATE all new plants from your collection until you are sure they are disease and bug free.
We hope you enjoy your plants
LEAF PROPAGATION
* The leaf you grow from should be fresh and healthy.
* If the leaf is very big cut the top and/or sides down.
* Whilst a leaf will root sucessfully it will need to be move to potting mix or any plantlets it produces will be weak and possibly lack the strength to grow to a mature plant.
* Cut the stem 10-20mm long at an angle so the cut edge from where all roots & plantlets come is maximised,
* Use a small pot (60mm) to plant your leaf.
* Plant leaf in 2 parts coarse vermiculite medium vermiculite.
* Dampen the mix.
* Make a hole and plant the cut end face up under mix surface and firm it down.
* Put leaf pot into a propagation box with the base lined with damp felt.
* Water felt when it dries out, about every couple of weeks or so and be patient.
How long does it take to grow a flowering standard African Violet from a leaf?
* For the leaf to root – 2-4 weeks from date of planting.
* For the plantlets to appear – 6 to 12 weeks from date of planting.
* For plantlets to be ready to separate into individual pots – 8-16 weeks form date of planting.
* For plants to be potted on into 80mm pots – 8-12 weeks from last repotting.
* For plants to be potted on to 100mm pots – 8-12 weeks from last repotting.
* For first flowering with a good quantity of blooms – 8-12 weeks from final repotting.
This is a total of 32-52 weeks. In other words if all goes reasonably well you should have flowering plants within a year.
If the weather is cold, if your conditions are less than ideal, if the leaf was not really vigorous, if you sometimes let the pot dry out, if you failed to repot on schedule or if any other difficulty arises the time will be longer.
Thank you to Sue and Pamela from the Gold Coast African Violet Society Inc. who spoke at our April meeting for the above information.
New members and especially visitors are always welcome at their meetings at the Uniting Church Hall, Applecross Way, Elanora – just past The Pines Shopping Centre.
