African violet

African violet: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, compact rosette about 15 cm tall and up to 30 cm wide, without a real stem.

Leaves

Round to oval, fleshy, 4–8 cm, velvety and borne on long leaf stalks; green above, purplish underneath on some cultivars.

Flowers

Small flowers of 2–4 cm on slender stalks, purple, blue, pink, white or two-tone; single or double.

Roots

Fine and shallow: it wants a small, shallow pot and flowers best when the roots only just fill the pot.

Flowering: January–December · Plants: March–April

Why grow it?

• Flowers almost all year round, even in the dark winter months.
• Stays small (about 15 cm tall and 30 cm wide): ideal for a windowsill or a shelf by a window.
• Plenty of colours and forms: single, double and fringed flowers, sometimes with variegated leaf edges.
• Easy to propagate: a single leaf gives a new plant.
• Also does well under a grow light, handy in dark rooms.

African violet: where does it grow best?

• Bright without direct sun: an east or west window, or a very bright north window. Strong midday sun scorches the leaves.
• Warm and even, 18–24 °C and never below 15 °C; no draughts and no cold windowsill.
• Light, airy, humus-rich potting compost with perlite; slightly acid to neutral.
• Evenly moist but never wet; humidity of 50–60 % suits it.
• One plant per small pot. Several plants can stand on a tray of clay pebbles and water for extra humidity.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 15 °C

Goes well with

• Gloxinia: Same family and the same care: light, warmth and humid air.
• Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis): Likes the same bright spot without sun and the same humidity.
• Calathea: Decorative foliage that enjoys the same warmth and humid air, pretty beneath the flowers.
• Begonia: Flowers freely in the same bright, warm place.

African violet: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, when the plant has outgrown its pot or the compost is exhausted; about every 1–2 years.
2. Choose a small, shallow pot about a third of the width of the rosette, with a drainage hole.
3. Use African violet compost or mix ordinary potting compost with a third perlite.
4. Remove old lower leaves and set the plant so that the lowest leaves just sit above the compost; a long, bare neck can be planted deeper.
5. Water from below with lukewarm water, leave to soak for 15 minutes, then pour off the surplus.
6. Put it in a bright place without sun and wait 4 weeks before feeding.

Care

Water

Lukewarm, low-lime water (rainwater or boiled and cooled water) in the saucer, left for 15 minutes then poured off. Keep the leaves dry: drops cause spots. Let the top centimetre dry out between waterings.

Feeding

Every 2–4 weeks a flowering houseplant feed at half strength, also in winter if the plant is in flower; never on dry compost.

Spent flowers

Pinch off faded flowers and their stalks right down to the rosette, and flowering carries on.

Humidity

Do not mist, it marks the leaves. Stand the pot on a tray of clay pebbles and water, without the pot sitting in water.

Turning

Turn the pot a quarter turn every week for an even rosette.

Tip: Keep it in a small pot: an African violet flowers best when the roots only just fill the pot. Now and then root a leaf cutting as a spare plant.

African violet: when to prune it?

When: All year round: real pruning is not needed, but remove faded flowers and old yellow leaves as soon as you see them.

How:

• Pinch off spent flowers with their stalk down to the rosette.
• Remove yellowed or damaged lower leaves with clean scissors, as close to the plant as possible.
• A long, bare neck on an old plant can be planted deeper when repotting.
• Remove dust gently with a soft, dry brush.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Leaf cuttings

March–July: cut off a healthy leaf with 3–4 cm of stalk and push the stalk in at an angle into moist, light seed compost or a mix of potting compost and perlite. Keep under clear plastic, bright, at 20–24 °C. Roots in 3–5 weeks, plantlets in 2–3 months to pot up separately.

Division

If the plant has several crowns (side rosettes), separate them in spring when repotting and put each in its own pot.

African violet: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: the minimum is 15 °C. Do not put it on a cold windowsill or in a draught.
• Keep it as bright as possible: close to the window, or give about 12 hours a day under a grow light.
• Water a little less, but never let the compost dry out. In a heated room a tray of clay pebbles and water helps.
• Do not use cold water: let tap water reach room temperature first.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: Mostly too little light, too cold or a pot that is too big. Move it somewhere brighter (without sun), keep it at 18–24 °C, use a small pot and give flowering feed.
• Leaf spots: Pale or brown rings come from cold water drops or direct sun. Water from below and keep the leaves dry.
• Crown or root rot: Limp leaves and a soft, brown crown after too much water. Let it dry out, remove affected parts and repot in fresh, light compost. Sometimes only a leaf cutting saves the plant.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on leaves and flowers in cool, stagnant air. Remove affected parts and ventilate without draughts.
• Mealybugs: Small white cottony tufts in the leaf axils. Remove them with a cotton bud dipped in a little alcohol or soapy solution.

Through the year

• January: Put in the brightest place, extra light if needed. Little water.
• February: Pinch off spent flowers to keep flowering going.
• March: Repot if needed. Take leaf cuttings.
• April: Repot or divide. Feed every 2–4 weeks.
• May: Feed. Take leaf cuttings.
• June: Shade from strong sun. Water evenly.
• July: Water from below, keep leaves dry. Feed.
• August: Watch the humidity. Feed.
• September: Move a little closer to the light. Check for mealybugs.
• October: Keep warm and avoid draughts. Feed a little less.
• November: As bright as possible; the windowsill must not be too cold.
• December: Give extra light, slightly less water, keep warm.

Did you know?

• The African violet is not a true violet (Viola) and does not come from the Cape: it comes from East Africa and belongs to the Gesneriaceae, like the gloxinia.
• The plant was discovered in 1892 by Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire in the Usambara Mountains in present-day Tanzania. The old genus name Saintpaulia honours him.
• A leaf cutting usually gives a copy of the mother plant, so you can easily keep a favourite colour.