African Violet Care: How To Grow These Indoor Flowering Plants

African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) is one of the most popular indoor flowering plants. These petite and beautiful plants produce a cluster of violet-like flowers several times a year. These flowers contrast well with their thick, fuzzy, and velvety leaves. Discovered in 1892, African violets were popular houseplants back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Even though they have come a long way, African violets are still as popular as they were before. Because of easy African violet care and their beautiful appearance, these plants are a great choice for any indoor garden. These evergreen flowering plants are slow-growing but can spread their beauty for years.

These plants have a reputation for being difficult to grow; however, with the right African violet care guide, you can grow and care for these plants easily. Therefore, we bring this complete guide on African violet care to help you take better care of your plants.

African Violet Care

Here are some basic care tips for African violets –

• These plants prefer warm and humid conditions with bright sunlight.
• Regularly prune dead or spent flowers to encourage healthier growth.
• Water the plant carefully, avoid overwatering, underwatering, and watering the foliage of the plant.
• African violets need good air circulation and proper humidity levels to thrive.

Water

African violets can be finicky about watering; the trick to keep them happy is to maintain the right moisture levels in the soil. For this, use a moisture meter instead of relying on a fixed watering schedule. Avoid watering the foliage of the plant as it can cause browning on the leaves.

For better African violet care, use a dish or saucer tray filled with lukewarm water. Place the plants over it so that the soil can take in as much water as needed for 15 to 30 minutes. You can also get self-watering pots for your African violets.

Light

Bright and indirect sunlight is ideal for African violets. Place your plants within 30cm of a north or east-facing window. If the leaves of these plants start turning light green, it means that they are receiving too much light. Whereas, leaves turning thin and dark green indicate a lack of sunlight.

Too much sunlight can scorch the foliage of these plants. Therefore, use artificial lights for better African violet care. Artificial grow lights have been more successful and reliable for growing these plants.

Soil

Use a well-draining potting mix for African violets, as poor drainage can cause problems like root rot. A light soil mix for indoor plants, consisting of equal amounts of perlite, peat, and vermiculite, is ideal for these plants.

Temperature and Humidity

African violets can adapt well to indoor environments and thrive in a temperature range between 65℉ to 80℉. These are humidity-loving plants, but misting them can cause problems like brown spots on the leaves.

Fluctuations in humidity and sudden drafts can also affect the health of these plants. So, for African violet care, maintain a consistently humid environment. You can place the plant over a saucer filled with water and gravel or use a humidifier.

Fertilizing

African violets can benefit from weekly feeding during their growing season (spring and summer). A fertilizer rich in potassium will promote more flowers in these plants. Make sure to use water-soluble fertilizer and dilute it to half its strength to prevent any damage to the roots.

Pruning

Pruning African violets is simple; you just need to remove dead and decayed leaves and spent flowers. Regularly removing spent foliage and flowers promotes new and healthy growth in plants.

Repotting

For African violets to remain healthy and bloom consistently, they must be repotted. You can maintain the health of your plants and even grow new ones if you take proper care of them.

Repot African violets at least twice a year, or whenever the plant develops a “neck” (a naked stem at the base), the soil is compacted or depleted, or the roots get rootbound (circling or growing out of the drainage holes).

Propagating African Violets

African violets are among the easiest houseplants to propagate, most commonly from leaf cuttings. Here’s how to do so –

• Choose a firm, healthy leaf from the second or third stem from the center of the plant. Avoid old, damaged, or very young leaves, as healthy, mature leaves produce the best offspring.
• Use a clean, sharp knife or scalpel to cut the leaf with 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) of stem (petiole) attached.
• Use a light, well-draining mix, such as a 50/50 mixture of perlite and vermiculite, or a specialized African violet potting mix.
• Insert the petiole into the medium at a 45-degree angle, ensuring the leaf blade rests just above the soil.
• Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag or place it in a clamshell container to maintain humidity
• Keep the medium moist but not soggy.
• Roots usually form in 3–4 weeks, and new plantlets (babies) appear in 6–8 weeks.
• When several small plants form at the base of the cutting, gently separate them and pot each into its own container with fresh potting mix.

Common Problems With African Violets

African violets are easy-to-grow plants, but they can still suffer from many indoor plant problems –

• Lack of Flowers – This is one of the major problems with these plants and is mostly caused by the lack of light. African violets need optimal sunlight to produce flowers. Therefore, move your plants to a brighter spot if they are producing fewer or no flowers.
• Yellow Leaves – Yellowing leaves can be a sign of dry air around the plants. For better African violet care, keep a regular check on your plants and follow a good care routine.
• Spots on Leaves – This problem is caused by water on the foliage; therefore, always water African violets from beneath.
• Pests – African violets are also susceptible to many common pests, such as spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, and more. Use neem oil or insecticides to get rid of these pests.

Conclusion

African violets are some of the easiest indoor flowering plants to grow. The beautiful flowers, attractive foliage, and easy African violet care make these plants a great choice for any indoor space. Though they have specific needs to grow optimally, these needs can be fulfilled easily as long as you are willing to grow these plants. So make sure to add these beautiful plants to your list and download the Plantora app to learn more about growing and caring for African violets.