The African violet belongs to the genus Saintpaulia (Streptocarpus), which also comprises numerous other varieties of blooming perennials. Despite their common name, they are not related to violas; rather, the term was given to them because of the attractive flowers they produce. African violets can bloom in a range of colors, including blue, violet, lavender, pink, red-violet, lavender-pink, white, and purple, despite the fact that we often associate them with the color purple. African violets are indigenous to Tanzania’s high-elevation tropical rainforests.
The most distinctive feature of African violets, outside the blooms, is their fuzzy, succulent foliage. An adaptation to assist the plant collect water from the air is the fine hairs on the leaves. The decorative value of some cultivars is increased by the presence of ruffled or variegated leaves.
Depending on the variety, African violets can reach heights of 2 to 6 inches and widths ranging from 3 to well over a foot. The majority of the plants have flower clusters in the center, barely above the foliage, surrounded by layers of dark green leaves that resemble rosette shapes. Some varieties have blooms with bicolored petals, semi-double or double layers of petals, trailing growth patterns, or microscopic size. Plants that are properly cared for can bloom practically continually.
What size African violet is there?
Streptocarpus, achimenes, Aeschynanthus, and Nematanthus. The words don’t flow smoothly off the mouth.
It’s unfortunate that these gesneriad family members comprise some of the most stunning flowering plants in the world because their names are enough to scare off many cautious gardeners.
Starting with Saintpaulia, also referred to as the African violet and undoubtedly the most well-known and adored of the gesneriads, would be simple.
The entire family, which also includes columneas, gloxinias, episcias, sinningias, and many more plants, is incredibly fascinating, according to Laura Progebin, a master judge and instructor who served as the past president of the American Gloxinia and Gesneriad Society. At the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ 31st annual Tropical Short Course, which was held in late January at Broward Community College, Davie, Progebin gave an overview of these plants.
Progebin stated, “There are 2,000 species, and only God knows how many hybrids. They range in size from tiny to tree-like. Different species can grow indoors or outdoors, in tropical or alpine settings. Even though one genus, the episcias, will freeze to death at 50 degrees or below, many gesneriads are hardy to 40 degrees.
There are homicidal plants and plants that are simple to grow. “I dare you to grow me,” they sit there and sneer at you, Progebin, a resident of Plantation, stated.
She once raised the largest African violet ever measured, measuring a massive 37 inches wide and sporting more than 350 open blossoms, back when she still lived in New Jersey.
She advised against raising a 37-inch African violet. You stay at home for two years before leaving.
That award-winning, one-of-a-kind plant’s leaves were once fingered by an adoring visitor.
I was great, Progebin thought. I questioned Sylvia, “Do you want to spend less money by only having to buy one glove?”
Gesneriads come in hundreds of different varieties, and new ones are constantly emerging. New species are being brought in by collectors from the tropical rain forests where they are found. Plant breeders are also quite active, in Progebin’s opinion.
In many plant families, hybridizers are creating too many identical species, but African violets and sinningias are particularly guilty of this, according to the author.
According to her, chimeras, or plants with naturally occurring genetic alterations that give rise to traits different from their parents, most notably color differences in flowers and leaves, are the hottest things in African violets right now.
African violets are frequently multiplied from a single leaf, however chimeras prevent the resulting plants from displaying the unique traits that made the parent plant desirable. As a result, they have to be multiplied from rather rare offsets, which makes them quite expensive. Progebin noted that to reproduce such a plant, the inner crown of leaves is removed, causing the tuber and its remaining outer ring of leaves to produce more offsets than they would normally.
She said that it is not yet known if tissue culture can be used to create these chimeras.
She identified other fascinating and lovely gesneriads that belonged in a plant collection.
She suggested the nematanthus hybrid known as “Castanet,” which has huge, pouched, peach-colored flowers and red-marked leaves, as well as Aeschynanthus speciosus, which is covered in large, golden-orange blossoms and is “the hardiest and showiest in flower.”
A collection of little plants known as achimenes, which can thrive in full sun and are derived from teeny, scaly rhizomes, is another of her favorites. Progebin remarked, “There are handsome ones in a variety of colors. She particularly enjoys the hybrid “Rosa Traun,” with its 2-inch transparent shell pink petals that eventually deepen to rose. You never grow tired of it, she continued, adding that it makes a fantastic basket plant.
Episcias are ground coverings in the wild and many varieties may be grown outdoors, making them another favorite of collectors. Progebin cautioned, “But if the weatherman says it’s going to be 55, bring them in.” The pink-leaved episcia cultivars should never be planted outside. They are extremely fragile mutant forms that require a safe environment. She claimed that even a windowsill might be too harsh for them.
Episcias are multiplied via the plants’ many runners, or stolons. The episcias make particularly attractive topics for a hanging basket because of their cascading runners.
The majority of episcias have bright orange-red flowers, while there are two with yellow flowers. On her distinctively pink-leaved “Cleopatra” episcia, Progebin claims you’ll never see blooms. Not that the plant itself is defective in any way. She added, “I pull off those orange flowers on a pink plant because I can’t take the sight of them.
It’s not entirely awful to take flowers from an episcia. The velvety-leaved plant typically grows larger and develops more of its traits after the blooms are removed.
Progebin also offered the following tips for raising gesneriads:
—A light, permeable medium should be used to plant gesneriads. She blends one part of perlite and one part of vermiculite with two parts of milled Canadian peat moss. Equal proportions of these components mixed together or one of the commercial soilless mixtures, such Pro Mix B, will also work well. She suggests baking the mixture in the oven to pasteurize it.
—To prevent crown and root rot, water all gesneriads along the pot’s edge rather than in the middle. Progebin suggests, “Touch the soil.” “Wait another day before watering if your finger comes away soiled.” The soil needs to be kept uniformly and mildly moist. Before rewatering hanging baskets, allow the soil surface to dry out.
She prefers a wick arrangement in which the wick is placed with one end in a water reservoir and the other no more than one-third of the way up the pot. The rhizome or tuber of the plant, which will rot if overwatered, should be below the wick in the container. She claims that rhizomes won’t ever experience stress from having too much or too little water and will continue to grow rhizomes if a well-designed wick system is used.
—Progebin alternately fertilizes her plants every time she watered them. Mix the plant feeding solution at one-fourth the suggested rate when watering from the top. Mix it at one-eighth strength in a wick system. She asserts, “You’ll never get into difficulty with less.
She suggests Peter’s 20-20-20 or Hyponex. She claims that Peter’s is “excellent if you’re unsure of what you’re doing.”
Spray the plant with plain water once a month. Remove the whitish fertilizer salt buildup from the pot’s rim and re-water the soil with it.
—Renew plants like nematanthus by trimming back any long, barren stems on a regular basis. For new plants, the cuttings can be rooted.
—Progebin claims that if you lose a plant to root rot, “you have another opportunity.” Any healthy leaves that are still present might be used to create new plants.
From her streptocarpus and sinningia plants, Progebin trims off the bulky central vein and cuts each leaf in two lengthwise. After that, she lays each leaf half, cut side down, in an equal mixture of vermiculite, perlite, and Canadian peat moss that has been soaked. Use equal parts of vermiculite and perlite if the leaves are particularly sensitive. Each leaf vein will produce a new plantlet when the leaf is inserted between 1/4 and 1/2 inch into the mixture.
The leaves could potentially be “wedged,” as with begonia propagation. Triangles from each leaf are cut out and inserted into the potting soil. Once more, new plants will be grown. However, she advises against trying this with micro siningias since the leaves are very sensitive.
Take a single, healthy leaf from an aeschynanthus or “lipstick plant” and place the short stem end in moist potting soil. It will create a single or multiple new plants.
Instead of using scissors, cut leaves or stolons for propagation. According to Progebin, scissors will sever and obliterate plant cells.
—Finally, it’s best not to believe the name on a plant’s tag from a flower store because it may have been mislabeled. Always purchase from a reliable grower.
How old are African violets on average?
Because of their lengthy lives, repotting these flowers is crucial. Ryan McEnaney, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nurseries, advises consumers to keep in mind that African violets can live for up to 50 years. To avoid becoming overly root-bound, plants can be repotted into larger pots as they mature. It’s probably time to relocate your African violet when it has doubled or quadrupled the size of your container and the leaves are beginning to wilt, according to McEnaney.
However, you don’t have to repot your plants right away. If your African violet appears to have outgrown its container, don’t rush to relocate it, advises Brian Parker, senior merchant for Live Goods at Home Depot. “African violets are best when their roots are in a little bound condition,” he adds. “They will produce and perform for years and years with just a simple routine of the right light and food,” the speaker said.
Light
When African violets receive the proper quantity of light, they develop normally, maintain good health, and produce a lot of flowers.
Results are good when 1,000 foot-candles of light are used for 6 to 8 hours each day. A sunny, east or west window or a bank of four fluorescent shop lights provide more light than this. Low light levels are also tolerable for violets (200 to 500 foot-candles).
The best light in winter comes from windows facing south or west. Windows with east or north exposures perform best during the warmer months.
Probably the most frequent cause of an African violet’s failure to flower is a lack of light. When violets are growing in insufficient light, the leaves get a darker green and become thin. Additionally, the petioles, or leaf stems, become exceedingly long and flimsy.
Too much sunlight will cause the leaves of violets to turn a pale yellow-green color. Dead, charred, or bleached-out places could also exist. To ascertain whether the light intensity or duration in your home is enough, some research and testing may be required. You might need to use a very sheer curtain where plants must be grown in windows with strong light to diffuse and lessen the light reaching the plants. Because of their short stems and slower growth, plants in an extremely high light intensity risk being burnt or, at most, become quite compact.
Artificial light makes it simple to grow African violets. It is advised to use an intensity of about 600 foot-candles for 14 to 16 hours each day. Lights may be turned on and off automatically with inexpensive timers.
The most popular type of lighting, fluorescent bulbs can be stacked or fastened to shelves to provide an appealing and practical light source. 12 to 15 inches above the tops of the plants is the ideal height for the tubes. Many plants can be grown on a shelf with two or more 20- to 40-watt tubes. Numerous businesses provide fluorescent tubes intended exclusively for plant development. There is more useful radiant energy in the light that is released. However, most indoor gardeners find success with more affordable “Cool White” tubes. The fluorescent tubes may be paired with one or two incandescent lights.
Due to their low light spectrum and heat output, regular incandescent bulbs are not advised as a sole source of illumination. There are 75 and 150 watt incandescent spotlights made specifically for plants. They are most effective when placed between 12 and 18 inches away from the plants.
Temperature
The most beautiful violets are cultivated at a temperature of 70 to 90F during the day and 65 to 70F at night. Low temperature plant growth will result in malformed plants. The leaves could cup, curl down, and get brittle. Flowers could be discolored and distorted. At colder temperatures, foliage may also be a light green, especially when grown in the right lighting circumstances. Plants growing near windows or in drafts may have damaged leaves.
Avoid placing the plants where it is more than 90 degrees or less than 60 degrees for optimal results.
Humidity
A healthy violet’s growth depends on humidity, or the amount of water vapor hanging in the air. Despite the humidity levels found in typical homes, violets can thrive and bloom there. Plants thrive best in environments with a greater humidity level. There are gadgets that raise indoor humidity for the benefit of both people and plants.
Setting the pots in watertight metal or plastic trays filled with water and gravel or pebbles can boost humidity when a few plants are involved. Water in the tray should always be at a shallow level. The pots shouldn’t be placed in water; instead, place them on rocks or upside-down shallow pot saucers.
Planting violets in big glass goblets, aquariums, or terrariums is a current trend to make humidity control easier.
Soil Moisture
Your success in growing African violets depends on the moisture content of the soil and appropriate watering. Too much or too little water can kill plants. The soil, the size of the pot and the plant, and the environment all affect how much and how frequently to water. You must therefore determine your plants’ specific moisture needs and create a customized watering schedule.
There are instruments and moisture meters available to measure soil moisture. A simpler (and less expensive) technique is to just touch the soil’s surface with your finger tips, however some of these are reasonably dependable. Between waterings, let the soil become a little bit dry, but don’t let it get too dry because wilting can harm the roots.
Apply water until the bottom of the pot is drained. At the end of 20 to 30 minutes, pour out the surplus.
Ring spot is caused by light green, discolored spots that develop when leaves are slapped with cold water (55F or lower). Even a 10F temperature difference between the leaves and the water might cause damage. However, if the water is warmed to room temperature, damage can be avoided.
Many producers of violets choose watering from the bottom of the pot as opposed to the top. Although this works well, salts that might build up in the soil are not leached. Every now and then, water all plants from the top with warm water to flush out salts and eliminate dust.
Without drainage holes, plants in containers are significantly more vulnerable to overwatering issues like root rot or stem rot.
In comparison to plants in low light and high humidity, those in high light and low humidity require more frequent watering. A heavy, poorly drained soil mixture has to be watered less frequently than a coarse, well-drained soil mixture.
As plants outgrow their pots, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the proper soil moisture. Repotting crowded plants into the next larger size pot is advised.
Soils
There is a huge variety of soils and soil combinations in which African violets can grow. The best results for gardeners come from soil that is well-drained, well-aerated, and includes a lot of humus or organic matter. A mixture of one part leaf mold, one part peat moss, one part sand, and two parts loamy top soil typically produces good results.
Violets grow well in artificial mixtures like peat-vermiculite and peat-perlite. They are largely pest- and disease-free and relatively clean. Soil, peat moss, and horticultural perlite can all be used in equal amounts to create a mixture. Perlite can be replaced by vermiculite.
Because the quality of artificial mixtures is more reliable than that of sand or soil, some producers of violets prefer them. The finest soil for growing violets is sterilized potting soil or a specialized African violet soil mix.
Potting
Keep take mind that violet leaves, stems, and root systems are extremely delicate and easily broken when potting them.
More than one crown is typically present in older plants. After carefully removing the plant from the pot, cut into the root ball with a sharp knife to separate the crowns. Take care not to remove all the soil from the root systems or to completely damage the roots.
Repotting requires filling the pot only partially with soil. Set the plant so that its crown is roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch below the pot’s rim and slightly higher than the soil level. Surrounding the old root ball, gently compact the dirt.
Keep in mind that plants thrive in containers with drainage holes. To stop soil from washing through the perforations, use a covering of pebbles, bits of pantyhose, or shattered pots.
Fertilization
Like other plants, violets benefit from frequent fertilizer applications. Every four to six weeks, most violet hobbyists like to use liquid or water-soluble fertilizers like 20-20-20. It is also possible to utilize dry fertilizers and slow-release or encapsulated fertilizers. Make sure the soil is moist before applying a dry fertilizer.
No matter what type of fertilizer you use, read and abide by the manufacturer’s instructions.
Less fertilizer may be needed for plants that are growing in non-active stages or in less than optimum environments. African violets are extremely susceptible to soluble salt buildup, which can harm plant roots. However, too little fertilizer may result in a slowdown in growth and/or other deficiency signs. Many indoor gardeners find that they achieve their best results with one-third to one-half the suggested amount of fertilizer. Also be in mind that excessive fertilizer can occasionally cause symptoms that resemble shortages. Your best resource for identifying the issue will be a soil test.
Propagation
By division, African violets can be easily multiplied (see Potting). Leaf-petiole cuttings can also produce more violets, although it takes longer for the plant to bloom. A few types of African violets can be produced from seeds, though. Under ideal conditions, a leaf cutting or seed can grow into a flowering plant in around 10 months.
Making a greenhouse out of two 8 x 12 inch clear plastic storage boxes is the easiest way to propagate violets. 4 inches of potting soil should be placed in the bottom of one box. Violet leaves should be inserted into the soil after it has been moistened, about a half inch deep. Tape the sides together and place the other storage box’s transparent plastic bottom on top. Put the box in a window facing the east or south. In 8 to 10 weeks, young violet plants will emerge, and in three months they will be prepared for transplanting.
It is advisable to avoid adding fertilizer when potting freshly rooted cuttings. However, you might want to apply 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon of a complete African violet fertilizer for each 5-inch pot volume of soil combination when dividing or moving huge plants to larger pots. To avoid damaging the roots, thoroughly incorporate the fertilizer into the soil. The best results come from a slightly acidic soil mixture (pH 6.0 to 6.5).