African Violets are delightful houseplants and will brighten up any room with their purple, pink, or white colors.
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Growing African Violet Plants: Watering, Light, Repotting, and Pests
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鈥檚 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鈥檛 be too quick to give them more space.
- The soil should be loose and well-drained; high organic matter content is a plus. Learn about organic soil amendments.
- When repotting African violets, don鈥檛 plant them any deeper than they were already planted, and be careful not to bury the crown. African violets鈥 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鈥 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 , 鈥淚f you are comfortable, your African violet is comfortable. Optimal room temperature for growing African violets is between 60掳F and 80掳F and ideally 70掳F.鈥 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.
- Blooming issues? Check out our tips on how to make sure your African violets flower.
For more information on African violets, visit the website of the .
Catherine Boeckmann
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I'm fairly new to growing violets. I have four (one I propagated myself, YAY!) and they've all done reasonably well. However on two of them, the central "crown" of leaves are growing in a tight clump, rather like a cabbage or something. It looks to me like there are far too many leaves on each plant, too. Weirdest thing. I've watered more, watered less, fertilized, not fertilized, turned, changed the location and lighting, all to no avail. Oh, and they've stopped blooming, too. I'd appreciate any help you could give me at all! Thanks in advance.
It’s normal for violets to grow with a tight crown that spreads out over time, but it sounds like your plants鈥 new growth could be stunted, which would cause a 鈥渢raffic jam鈥 of sorts in the center of the plant. Stunted growth can be caused by a number of things, but because you’ve tried adjusting your care in multiple ways already, you may want to try treating the plants for pests, specifically cyclamen mites. Cyclamen mites are tiny, nearly-invisible mites that attack new growth and can cause stunted growth if their numbers get out of control. Other symptoms of mites include grayish leaves and twisted leaves in the center of the plant.
First, you should isolate the affected plants away from other plants, then try a few rounds of treatment with an insecticidal soap spray, which you can find in most garden or hardware stores. Make sure it’s meant for mites and other houseplant pests. Before you treat the whole plant, try the pesticide on a leaf or two, then wait about a day to make sure that there is no adverse reaction.
My grandma could grow the most beautiful violets ! Me not so much.She had up to 30 different plants in her east window seat turned violet heaven.
Can u plant violets outside in shade. Very little sun
The outer leaves are turning light brown and there are tiny, tiny white powder-like on a few green leaves. Are these mites? They are heavy on one leaf and sparse on another, The plant is still blooming. I have other plants and don't want my other plants to get anything. I will appreciated your advise on this, please.
It sounds like you could be describing mealybugs or spider mites. Spider mites create thin webbing on the plant, while mealybugs look like tiny white, cottony spots. In either case, the first thing you should do is separate the infected plant away from others and check the plants around it for signs of the pest. They like to hang out on the undersides on leaves and in the center of the plant, where they feed on new growth. They both spread by crawling from plant to plant, so ensure that the infected plant is sufficiently far from other houseplants.
The pests can be wiped off or squished with a paper towel (or your fingers), but there are likely more than just the ones you are seeing. Try treating the plant with horticultural soap or neem oil. These can be bought at most garden centers or hardware stores, and are organic pesticides. It’s important to test the pesticide on a single leaf and wait 24 hours before using it on the rest of the plant, just to make sure that the plant won’t react negatively to it.
If this doesn’t improve the situation, you may need to dispose of the plant, unfortunately. But preventing a larger infestation should be the #1 priority!
I'm seeing comments that some African Violets are quite old. With proper care, how long can I expect my violet to live?
I have an African Violet that is 25 years old and doing well.
African violet. After rooting a single leaf and planting it the plant has started, do I remove the single leaf? Can I root the single leaf again?
It’s not necessary to remove the old leaf, but in theory you could use the same leaf again if you carefully separated it from the new plant. Depending on how young the new plant is, the old leaf may still be supporting it, so it would be wise to wait until the new plant is well rooted and is big enough to sustain itself.
