African violets were discovered in the late 1800s in Tanzania by Baron Walter von St. Paul. The wild flowers were the typical small purple 5-petaled blossoms. They have been popular in the United States since the 1920's. Soon hybridization began and today there are hundreds of cultivars available. Colors range from pinks and reds to whites, blues, and of course, violet. Flowers can be singles or doubles, plain or double, fringed or smooth. Leaves can be also be variagated in color or have serrated or curly edges.
African Violets need light, water, food, air, and a little loving care, just like us. Nevertheless, they are hardy plants and can tolerate a range of growing conditions.
The basics of violet care are:
Violets love light. Light can be natural. Plenty of violets thrive in windowsills. In order to thrive and bloom the plants need 10-12 hours of light a day.
But to grow fabulous show plants most growers keep their plants under artificial lights. Fluorescent lights seem to work the best and a combination of one cool-white and
one warm-white bulbs in a twin fixture works well. Putting the lights on a timer assures that the plants get the right amount of light every day.
Violets do well went watered from the bottom. However, they don't like sit in water or be too wet. Two good methods of watering the plants
from the bottom are wick-watering and capillary matting. With wick watering, a wick is run through the soil and out the bottom of the pot. The wick is kept in a reservoir of
water so the plant can absorb the water it needs. A capillary mat is an absorbent material which holds water. When the plant sits on the mat it will absorb the
water it needs from the mat.
Violets need a clean, dust-free, location, and good air circulation. Humidity is important also, a humidity level of 50% works well. Air temperature should be
around 70 degrees F.
Most commercial 'violet soil' is really too heavy. Potting mix should be light and porous. One good mix is a combination of one-third sphagnum peat moss, on-third
perlite, and one-third vermiculite.
Use a fertilizer labeled for African Violets. The primary nutrients needed are nitrogen(N), phosphorous(P),and potassium(K). The formula for African Violets
is 14-12-14 and will appear on the label.
It is important to keep your violet well-groomed. Remove spent flower stalks and dead leaves. Keep leaves clean by brushing off dust periodically with a small paint brush.