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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Hi, I wanted to let you know I found your article about growing African violets very helpful. Thank you, Richard
I have two plants that sit right next to each other. They both get watered and fertilized the same but one blooms and the other one wont. Do you have any ideas.
Interesting! Are they the same age and size? African violets prefer to be a little bit pot-bound鈥攊t can encourage them to bloom. If one of your plants is smaller than the other, perhaps it’s not quite 鈥済rown in鈥 enough.
Or, are they different varieties or species? If so, this could explain the difference in care preferences. Try adjusting some aspects of your care for the non-bloomer, such as moving it to a brighter spot, watering less or more, and so on.
My plant has abundant heathy green leaves, no flowers, it has bloomed in the past.
What is wrong with it?
Lack of flowering usually results from a problem with either watering or lighting (or both). First try moving the plant to a brighter location. They prefer bright, indirect light, but may be scorched by direct sunlight, so keep them out of south-facing windows.
If it’s still not blooming, consider fertilizing it with an African violet fertilizer. That may stimulate it to produce flowers!
I have an AV plant looking strange. Looked under the leaves and found a small single plant..not much of a root just a nub..I barely scraped nub as to take scab off..took plastic wrap and made a small covering several layers... filled wine glass with water, covered top with plastic cover tightly, poked a hole in middle big enough that the nub fits and set plant on it...keep water level up. After a weekish I had a long root, planted it and plant is doing fantastic..I looked just the other day and there were 2 more small plants.. they are on wine glass now..what size pots for the small ones? Won't they grow somewhat? Thank you for reading my story/question!
I have a healthy looking AV, but it鈥檚 soil has white mold growing on it. I keep the soil moist. What should I do about the mold?
I have a 2 year old AV (not re-potted) who is NOT happy. New growth around center starts then dies. Water which drains off is BROWN. Keep indoors year round and use a grow light. What is wrong with my plant?
It sounds like your plant has crown and root rot; it could be planted too deeply, too wet (a common cause), or have poor drainage, which doesn’t sound like your plant. But too wet does sound right. The plant may be too far gone, but if it’s not—and you’ll know when you tranplant it— repot in sterilzed soil. AVs can be very finicky even though it seems like everybody else has such an easy time with them.
The leaves on my african violet get almost clear in the stem and then the leaves seem to die and stem gets limp and whole thing drops off. I water from the bottom when soil is dry.Not showing any blooms
