Popular perennials planted as little indoor plants include african violets. They belong to the genus Saintpaulia and the family Gesneriaceae. Their dark green leaves have a silky, fuzzy texture, and their blooms come in a stunning variety of hues and shapes.
Do African violet blooms reappear each year?
With the correct care, African violets may bloom for almost the entire year, which is one of the reasons they are so popular. Each flower will endure two to three weeks if it is healthy. A healthy plant can continue to routinely produce fresh blossoms for 10 to 12 months of the year.
African violets are actually relatively low maintenance provided the appropriate circumstances are met, despite their reputation for being a little fussy. You may give your African violet the best chance of success (also known as continuous bloom!) by learning more about its maintenance.
A word on genetics: Your plant’s genes are the one thing you can’t change. Some people are natural performers, while others live their entire lives with stage terror. However, if it has previously bloomed, chances are good that you can encourage even the most reticent plant to rebloom.
How should African violets be cared for in the winter?
The vibrant African violet blossoms are particularly lovely. They’ll provide color right away to any space.
Even during the gloomier winter months, they have a reputation for continuing to bloom. Place them around the house so you may enjoy their vibrant hues and plush textures all year long.
Once you establish a routine for caring for African violets, you’ll discover that they expand with ease. But unless all of their fundamental requirements are satisfied, they won’t develop. Give them the proper temperature, light, and nourishment, and you’ll start to bloom right away!
How to Choose and Take Care of African Violets:
1. Start out strong. Select a plant with the desired blossom color and vivid emerald foliage. Make sure the pot has openings for drainage.
2. The ideal lighting. African violets frequently don’t blossom because they don’t receive enough light. Because direct sunlight can burn the leaves, African violets require indirect light. For optimal results, pick a window that faces north or east. Keep plants away from cold glass, and turn the container once every week to ensure that all the leaves get enough light. African violets can be grown under a grow lamp to extend the day throughout the winter.
3. Remain cozy. The most comfortable temperatures for most people are between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
4. Subsurface water. Water should be at normal temperature to fill the saucer. Pour off any extra water after letting it settle for about an hour. Between waterings, let the plant dry out completely.
5. Use the new liquid Violet from Espoma to fertilize! Every two to four weeks in the spring, summer, and fall, indoor houseplant food.
6. Be thoughtful before replanting. Only when a plant is root-bound will an African violet bloom. Use organic potting soil designed exclusively for African violets, such as Espoma’s African Violet Mix, when it comes time to repot your plants. Choose a pot that is about a third the diameter of their leaf spread in diameter because they flower best in compact pots.
Do African violets hibernate during the colder months?
Given enough warmth and light, African violets do not naturally go into a dormant state and will keep growing and blooming all year long.
Do violets reappear each year?
Purple-blue blooms and heart-shaped leaves are features of the wild violet (Viola odorata). White or yellow blossoms are also present on some cultivars. Wild violets frequently self-seed and return every year in unexpected places, despite being classified as annuals or biennials in some regions.
The plant’s low-lying blossoms, known as cleistogamous flowers, do not open but instead create and contain seeds, facilitating easy reproduction. The main drawback to this quality is that, if not restrained by some sort of barrier, wild violets have a propensity to spread widely and become invasive.
Where should an African violet be placed?
Because they require dry leaves, African violets are only grown indoors in North America. If you want the finest color and flowers, grow your plants in bright, indirect light. The optimal location for a plant stand is three feet away from a window that faces west or south. When placed directly next to north or east-facing windows, plants will still grow, but their leaves will be thin and spindly, and they will be less likely to flower. African violets can be grown indoors, 12 to 15 inches above the ground, under 40-watt fluorescent lights (also known as grow lights), if you don’t have a nice location near a window.
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.
How cold should it be for African violets?
Avoid extended exposure to temperatures below 60 degrees under all circumstances. Keep your Violets protected from chilly drafts that enter through windows by being aware of them. See “Caring for African Violets” for further information on the ideal temperature and other aspects of air quality.
Can you grow African violets outdoors in the summer?
African violets typically cannot survive outside. Despite being very hardy plants, you need to create the ideal environment for them. African violets are native to Tanzanian rainforests, therefore your backyard is probably not up to the task. The unpredictability of outside surroundings makes it impossible to offer the ideal conditions these plants require to flourish.
However, the fine print contains a lot of ambiguity. Some gardeners claim that some areas have more hospitable climates; others insist that African violets thrive best when grown outside only occasionally; and many say categorically “NO” to the topic in its whole.
Let’s examine what you need know about cultivating African violets outside.
How frequently should an African violet be watered?
Consider fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lighting is the solution if you lack bright window light. I make use of four-foot lights that each have two cool white bulbs. I’ve successfully used one warm white and one cool white bulb in a fixture. unique plant bulbs, known as “A beautiful plant is also produced under grow lights. 8 to 12 inches is the ideal distance between the pot and the light.
How frequently should African violets be watered? “The most frequently asked question regarding African violets is how frequently they should be watered. The greatest indicator is to touch the surface of the soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. For best results, African violets should be given time to completely dry out in between waterings. An overwatered plant can die. A soggy, moist soil mass prevents air from penetrating the fine roots of an African violet, which they need. Half of your work is finished once you have learned the art of watering African violets.
Do African violets need to be watered from the top or bottom? Both are acceptable. It’s crucial to avoid using cold water; lukewarm or warm water is recommended. To prevent leaf spots, if you water from the top, take cautious not to get water on the leaves when the plant is in the sun. If you water from the bottom, you should dump any extra water once the plant has absorbed all that it requires. An African violet shouldn’t be left submerged in water for too long.
Succulents are African violets, right?
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.
When do African violets bloom in the year?
Saintpaulia ionantha, called African violets, are native to the coastal forests of east Africa, but they have gained popularity as indoor plants in the US. In the right light, the plants can flower all year long, and the blooms are various colors of deep purple. Most plants are sold at their blossoming stage. However, after that, it can be challenging to encourage African violets to blossom.
Which violets grow year-round?
According to botany, pansies, almost all violets, and violas are perennial members of the genus Viola. Pansies and violas, on the other hand, are typically thought of as annuals and are excellent for spring through early summer color in colder locations and for fall, winter, and spring bloom in areas with mild winters. typically utilized for bulk color in borders, edgings, pots, and as coverings for spring-flowering bulbs. Violets are more frequently grown in rock or woodland gardens.
Pansies and violas may tolerate some shade or sun, but if given afternoon shade, pansies will bloom later into the spring. Although most violets are native to deciduous forests and may thrive in partial or complete shade, they bloom best when they have at least some sunlight throughout the flowering season. Pansies are more delicate than violas, which can withstand both heat and cold better.
Nearly all violets have two types of flowers: normal, conspicuous ones that are held above the foliage and can be pollinated and set seed, and short-stemmed, inconspicuous cleistogamous flowers (Greek for closed mouth) that set seed without pollination and produce numerous offspring that are identical to the parent. Additionally, many violets spread by aboveground runners. Some plants multiply so easily that they stifle the growth of smaller plants.
Due of their complicated ancestries, violas and pansies are often listed by selection name rather than being classified as a species by botanists. However, even though these names may now be invalid, we think it will prevent confusion if we continue to use them for these plants.