JEAN'S TIPS ON HOW TO GROW BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY AFRICAN VIOLETS:
A) How African Violets are potted is important:
Put them in a pot with holes in the bottom - plain 4 inch nursery pots for small violets. Use good commercial African violet soil.
Make sure they can breathe. Place the pot into a decorative pot that allows them to breathe. They must have about a quarter of an inch clearance between the rims of the pots. If the deco pot is too large, put a jar lid or a small plastic container in the bottom of it, and place the violet pot on top so that the clearance is about 1/4 inch.
Place the violet in a bright north or north-east or north-west facing window.
B) Pamper your Violets:
Put them in the sink and water them until the water runs through the pot.
Let them drain for 10 minutes or so.
Look carefully for tiny bugs you may see in the bottom of deco pot or while draining. Add a little Safer’s Insecticidal Soap to the watering jug and water as above if you see bugs.
Pick off any discoloured or dead leaves and fading flowers. Be ruthless, as faded or dying leaves and flowers sap the strength from the violet.
Watch for powdery mildew - if you see it, wash it off gently with a warm water spray, or take the leaf or flower off. Be careful not to spread the powdery mildew.
Watch for soil that has started to turn white and moldy. Scrape it off and throw it away. Thorough watering and draining will help avoid this.
Do not overwater your violets. They should be completely dry before you water them again. Depending on the moisture in your home, this will be from 7 to 10 days.
C) Fertilize your violets:
Fertilize them twice a month - no more. I use Schultz 8-14-9 Liquid Plant Food. Pick a time to do this regularly like the 1st and the 15th of the month, or the first Sunday and third Sundays.
Use the same watering method. Put the fertilizer in the watering jug and let it run through.
Violets like some order to their lives, as well as a little bit of love and attention. They will live and flower for many years if they have it.
"I learned all of this by osmosis from my Aunt Marion. I received some of her Violets when I first came to Kelowna in 1995 and inherited all the rest in 1998 when she passed away. Some of them were several years old at the time. Neither of us were experts, but we just love African Violets. I still have a couple of the originals, but I have clones of all of the rest. I have since given dozens of “my babies” to friends and family, and I love to find new homes for them. They just keep on multiplying!
Jean Dangerfield
* Photo courtesy Darlene Cross
