The colorful blooms of African violets are extra special. Place them throughout the house to enjoy their colors and velvety texture throughout the year. Start off healthy. Choose a plant with bright emerald leaves and the flower color that you want. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. The right light. African violets need indirect sunlight, direct can burn the leaves. Choose a north- or east- facing window for best results.
Keep plants away from cold glass and rotate the pot once a week so all leaves receive light. Extend daylight by placing African violets under a grow light during winter months. Or maybe your plant bloomed reliably for ages and then suddenly shed its pretty petals. You just need to know a few good tricks. One of the reasons African violets are so well-loved is that they can bloom nearly year-round with the right care.
Each healthy flower will last two or three weeks. A happy plant can continue producing new blossoms regularly for 10 to 12 months out of the year. Learning more about African violet care will help you set your plant up for success AKA perpetual bloom!
Some are born showboats, while others will struggle with stage fright their whole lives. However, if it has bloomed in the past, chances are you can coax even the shyest plant back into blossom. Luckily, most of the things that make your plant stop flowering are pretty easy to remedy. Read on for a few common culprits—and how you can get your African violet to bloom again.
If your plant has stopped blooming, or is struggling to produce healthy flowers, take a look through this checklist to see if you need to make any changes in your routine. Inefficient lighting is one of the main reasons African violets drop their blooms.
In the summer, place your plant in a north-facing window or somewhere it is protected from the harshest rays of the midday sun.
In the winter, an east-facing window gives your plant full light without the risk of sunburn. Houseplant Pro Tip : A quarter turn once a week helps your African violet grow an even crown. These tropical plants need more moisture in the air to reach their full potential. Grouping your plants together boosts humidity; just keep the leaves from touching to prevent the spread of pests and disease.
Placing your pot on top of a plate of pebbles and water or a humidity tray can also do the trick. Just like you, your plant needs food to function.
We recommend using a gentle formula every time you water for a steady boost that goes soft on sensitive roots. Use a knife to cut a few drainage-slits in the bottom of the container…. Fill the shallow bottom with soil, and then insert leaves about 2 inches apart from each other. Close the cover, and place the nursery in a bright window or beneath fluorescents. After two to three months have passed, the leaves will give birth to numerous baby plants, as pictured above.
One year, I had a single leaf sprout 9 new clones! Give them the same care I described earlier, and in six to nine months they will bloom as beautifully as the parent plant did. Do African violets bloom well for you?
You can let me know by leaving a comment. As always, I love to hear from you. Hungry for more? Thanks for this info, Kevin! I had a plant that someone gave me…I kept it alive and healthy for two years without a single bloom. I just might have to try again now. Hi beetree — Glad you found some useful information here. Maybe your neighbor can snap off a leaf for you to propagate. This winter one of my indoor projects is to turn a hallway window that is east facing into a window garden.
Maybe in the summer I could attempt some ferns or something…. But this is a beautiful guideline for african violets! I will be triumphant! I have a violet that is healthy, green and beautiful…. It has also morphed into a trifoil, with only one stem appearing to have roots. Any suggestions? Hi Donna — Sounds like you have the perfect window for a garden — shady in summer, and sunny in winter. With glass shelves and a broad sill in place I use a low bookcase as a sill , you can have all kinds of fun making horticultural portraits!
I would guess an offshoot would come from below the soil line, and these do not. Maybe I am mistaken. I think if I would cut two of the three off I would not be able to root them as the stem is pretty thick. Thanks for asking and I hope you have a suggestions!
These interfere with flowering. I deal with them this way. Hi Kevin, I have an African Violet with beautiful pink leaves. It has never flowered. Are they only grown for their leaves or do they need an environment different from the green leaf variety?
Its a beautiful plant. I almost killed it by forgetting to empty the water in the saucer its in. Hi Kevin, Thanks for those valuable tips for African violets. Thanks for sharing Kevin. I have always loved my african violets and had extra wide window sills built into my east and southeast windows, just for them. Last week was plant dividing time and really enjoyed potting up new little pups. Ran out of room this year so not making any new plants from leaves. You are so right on using slightly warm water for the lovely plants they show their appreciation!
I also use a fluffy makeup brush to clean up the leaves after potting and montly just to give them alittle dusting. Always enjoy seeing your plants, I am green and violet with envy.
Kevin, you are always an inspiration. Thanks for the detailed directions. Kevin, my Mom also had African violets in many colors when we were kids. And my Grandmother and my Great Auntie Alice. And every other blue-haired lady I knew as a kid! Mom kept them in her bedroom in a huge south facing window in the winter. Sort of set back on a shelf unit. I never really thought much of them as I grew all kinds of other things my Dad, who worked in the greenhouses at Brookhaven Natl Labs, would bring me home.
He could grow anything! Well, now that I am older yikes! I crave flowers! My summer is so short that by time your petunias start to look good they freeze! I always thought they were finicky plants and that is why old, gray haired ladies always had them!
Thank you for the shove off the starting line to get going with them. Mine also surprising bloom pretty much all the time. Have a wonderful holiday!! Thanks for the great tips on growing African Violets.
It always has flowers! The stem —if I could straighten it out is probably inches long. It just spirals, and spirals. What do you to to keep it from growing like that? Hi Kevin — Thanks for the advice and nice detailed guide to dissecting my violet. This morning I got out the scalpel and went at it! The two crowns that looked less robust were cut off; each had a very tiny root system attached.
I removed some lower petals, dusted all cuts with root hormone and repotted. The mother plant was also repotted. Several leaves were cleanly cut, dipped in hormone then placed in the lettuce container greenhouse as you suggested. Fingers crossed that I have success. This plant has a pretty flower:white with purple fringed edges and a coating of glitter over all.
Thanks for the great guidance! Cheers, Constantine. I have about half a dozen plants that are all flowering profusely. Four of them are from leaves given to me by a friend. From these I was able to pass along three propagated plants to another friend while keeping four for myself of varying colors.
The friend who gave the leaves to me cannot seem to get her original plants to flower so I am sending her a link to your site to help. However, I think it is probably the lack of light that inhibits her plants. One white violet that I have had for a long time was so very prolific that I think I re-potted around half a dozen suckers to give to a group of friends who adopted them.
Not sure what will happen to my colorful plants but I will have to find a way to keep them going ….. Thanks so much for the direction for African Violets..
I still have the 2 originals but none of the other survived. I have no clue what I did or didnt do, but my 3 orchids died as well. I think those plants all started to die after I brought a new orchid in the house.. No other plants died though I have a house full, none other are flowering types, they were the only ones affected. I keep thinking I should repot the African Violets and give them new pots as well as soil.. They are in a perfect for them window.. North in the winter and mostly shaded in the summer.
I didnt know it was perfect for them, but as I said, until this year, they were happy. Hi Apryl — In my experience, African violets with wildly-variegated leaves such as your pink-leaved variety tend to flower poorly — if at all. The reason: lack of chlorophyll. But the pink leaves are something to enjoy even without flowers! I chuckled when you mentioned building extra-wide windowsills in your house.
Oh, what we do for our plants. I think of Margaret Jones, an elderly neighbor who gave me a leaf to propagate when I was 10 years old. Oh, the memories. Hi Cathy — Wow — a year-old African violet! You may not want to tamper with the plant.
But long necks can be cured this way: knock the plant from its pot; cut off at least half the roots, and remove all but the top set of leaves. Best to pot these separately. Constantine — Glad that worked out for you. With all your propagation efforts, you will soon dozens and dozens of clones!
Karen L. So if the windows in your new home are not suitable for plants…then by all means attach a fixture or two beneath your bank of kitchen cabinets. Then you can have blooming plants right on your counter top. Kim H — Hard to know what caused your AVs to falter. Like you said, it could have been a pest or disease that came in with your new orchid. About showering the African violets. I have soft water everywhere in my house except the kitchen sink cold water. Will the salt in the softened water hurt the plants?
I was given a violet as a gift and have had some for many years. This one blossomed for along time in my east window and i moved it to the south in the winter. It started looking limp and stopped blossoming, so i repotted it in a supposedly african violet pot. It just got limper and limper and finally i got rid of it. We have our own well and i have wondered if that can have an affect on plants? I used to have many violets and when i moved to this home brought my last one i had for many many years with.
It had a trunk like a tree and reading your care ideas i realized i should have separated the off shoots but i thought it looked cool. Eventually i had to get rid of it also because it became limp. I will put your ideas to use and see if i can make them survive but do wonder about the type of pot that the top pot sets in the bottom pot of water and if my well water can affect my house plants.
Thank you. Hi Caren — Yes, softened water is harmful to African violets, and not just the leaves, but the roots, too. Any chance you can divert the water before it reaches your softening-unit? Linda K. I never use them. Too often, water is left is in the outer pot. Consequently the plant drowns.
And the first sign of drowning is — you guessed it — limp leaves. Well water should be fine, especially if you first pour it into a gallon-size jug. Let the jug sit overnight or longer so that potential gasses can evaporate. Then water your plants. I lived in Africa for 6 years and still have a high interest. I looked up the Usumbara Mountains and they are in Tanzania. Thanks again, Becky. Kevin, thank you so much for this article on African Violets. I have loved them and grown them for years.
They remind me of my maternal grandmother whom I had a very close nurturing relationship with. She always grew them and I am absolutely in love with them. But they are just so, so beautiful and varied when they bloom. I have definitely learned some things from your writing about them and loved looking at your photos.
Question: I have always rooted mine in water and then transferred to a pot. Is this not a good idea? One more question: Some of my older, larger plants have outer leaves which have very long stems and rest on the pot rims, then seem to droop and die. Do you have this problem? Any ideas for a remedy?
Keep up the fascinating life you lead! Naomi Shelton — Petiole rot is a common problem with stems that rest against the rim of a pot. If you use clay pots, as I do, it helps to dip the rim of the pot in melted paraffin. Paraffin not only keeps the rim dry, but provides cushioning for the stems.
A ring of aluminum foil along the rim works, too, whether the pot is clay or plastic. I am fairly sure the cause is a build-up of salts in the soil from fertilizer and calcium in the water. My solution is to flush out the soil by slowly running water though the pot for several hours. After a week or so, my AVs will perk up and blossom again. Switched to AV food like you use which increased blooms. My standards and semis are flourishing, but the minis are not reblooming for months.
I have an abundance of pinks but none as bright as those on your bathroom window so am scouting. Would be wonderful to make your tours next year. Am so glad I found your site. My violets have not bloomed in a long time. They are in light,I water and fertilize. What am I doing wrong and what can I do to get blooms?
After reading your instructions, I feel that they have a chance to flourish and am looking forward to implementing them. Thanks so much! Kevin I have my mother plant in a self watering African Violet pot. It is upstairs in a south facing window with bright light and has been doing fine. I went to my other home for 9 days and watered it when I came back as it was dry to the touch but within a day the leaves fell down but flower stems still standing tall.
Outer leaves are rotting off. What did I do wrong? Too much water? And are those self watering pots really good for African Violets?
I love your violets…never quite thought of them in quite that way though…it will probably be a line forever in my mind now. I use to have a window full until I moved down South. I love African Violets and have no problem getting them to bloom. But can anybody tell me why my plants are too leafy because the ones I see in photos have few leaves. Kevin — thanks for the info. I already have a couple African violets but you have inspired me to get more! By any chance, do you have a favorite source for plants?
I would love to be able to find some plants which are specific cultivars rather than just the typical no-name varieties found at my local garden center. Jokha — Probably your African violets have produced suckers. You can remove these off-shoots and create new plants this way. Abby — My favorite mail-order source for named varieties of African violets is Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses. Paul Serano, who owns the business, is a world-class hybridizer. I enjoyed this post. It is in nearly perpetual bloom, and it produces new side plants regularly.
I separate the plant every two years, and share the babies with friends. I was glad to read that you put plants in a north window. People react almost violently when I tell them that! Some have leaves which have curled under, and I wonder if they are more sensitive to the cold temperature I keep the room. Thanks for the info about Lyndon Lyon.
I have already propagated lots of Begonias and it looks like they have to make room for some neighbors. If you hear about a woman who has been swallowed up by her plants, you will know whom they are talking about! I was given an African Violet for Easter last year and it was beautiful. Actually I just did that this morning and noticed the soil is saturated and the bowl still has water in it.
If I allow the soil to dry out and begin watering as suggested above will the plant bloom again? Hi Patricia — Yes. If you keep the soil moist but not saturated, and if you follow all other cultural directions described above, your African violet will most definitely bloom again. I heard once that violets need companions. Is this true? Kevin, I have read all blogs about not blooming African violets, I purchased one in March with plastic container , blooming, then of, now of course blooming has stopped, I water underneath,bottom, and every now and then I have a 5cc syringe to water the top to remove white desidue top of soil, I named her Lucy, I did see one sprout looking like about to bloom go in to the light and I was excitied ,but wittherd and died.
Lucy is a beautiful Plant under whats called an Intellegent Light fluorescent , I keep her in my bedroom…. Hi Conrad Horst Jr — It sounds like you are doing everything right. However, you did not mention food. I feed my violets with every watering. Thank you so much for this page! I have a lot of info on them now; again, thank you so much for your helpful page. Years ago, I found what worked best for me is that I plant my AVs with a couple of inches of athletic shoe shoe string up into the dirt from the base of the clay pot hanging out the hole at the bottom with several inches of string extending down into a watering area.
The watering area is always separate from the pot and below it, for example a small plastic margarine tub with a hole cut in the top and the string going through its hole, or a gravel-filled dish. Then the watering area is always kept full of fertilized water I also like 10 30 20 which wicks up into the pot soil through the shoe string, keeping the soil constantly moist without ever directly watering it.
I just make sure that the watering area constantly has enough water. Then I put the margarine tub or gravel dish inside a basket or larger pot with the clay pot with violet sitting on top. My secret is hidden and the plants flower bountifully! Can I leave the violets in the same size pot as I bought it in ,can I just leave it in the same soil also Diane.
Hi Suzanne — Wick-watering which is what you described is wonderful. Love that you keep your reservoir hidden for the purpose of display. Thanks for all the pictures and wonderful information.
I snapped a couple of African violet leaves off as I was repotting the plant. I put RO water in small styrofoam cups, covered the top of the cup with plastic food wrap, put a pencil hole through the wrap, put each leaf in its own cup, and set them under my fluorescent lights. I watched the leaves for a couple of months, both getting many roots; I added a tiny bit of fertilizer as I replenished the water as it slowly evaporated. As I got busier and busier, I forgot to pot them.
Imagine my surprise when each leaf grew a plant; still not having the time to repot, I left them in the cups. I was thrilled when each clone bloomed!! One of the fun trends now that I have noticed is growing Tillandsias in hanging glass shapes. I found an egg-shaped glass and now have an African violet in it with the depth of the glass just deep enough to hold water and roots of the violet.
It too is blooming. I love experimenting with growing plants. Kevin, you got me on the road to African Violet heaven! I got teased constantly about saving the plastic containers in which fruit and lettuce come, but they are perfect for propagating violets!
I have never had such luck! Thanks so much for the great tips! Plants are expensive and this makes it possible for me to have as many as I want! Keep giving us the fantastic ideas! My violet is in a plastic pot with no drainage hole. Its not doing so well and is looking a bit wilted. Do you think I should swap it into a different pot? Also what causes the leaves to get yellow spots? Your plants look amazing by the way! Hi Kevin. I have had them long enough to have needed repotting 3 times.
I propogated one, and the bloom came out just purple. So do you have any idea how this is happening? The mother is healthy but many years old, and has had many babies that were the correct bloom.
I have an African Violet that had blooms and rebloomed then earlier this year then the blooms died off and I was hoping once the. I got new leaves but they stayed small in the middle and no. I brought two AVs with me to university in the fall and they did not like the dorm very much and stopped blooming and got yellow patches on their leaves.
Hi Kevin, Thanks for all the good tips. In the midst of moving preparations I accidentally let my lovely African Violet get too dry and the flowers died. The leaves are still healthy looking. Should I pull them off or not? Once they have died, can they come back with the care and treatment you describe?
At the time, they were in blooms and quite beautiful. Now—over a year later—no more blooms but the leaves still look fantastic! Hi Kristy — One plant per pot is best.
Otherwise, leaves will create too much shade and bloom will suffer. Have fun with your violets! I got a surprise at one of my local supermarkets. They have surprised me twice in the past few years.
I confess to causing crown rot in one of my older plants. Took a chance a peeled all the rot off and stuck the little bit of healthy crown into the soil. It lived and has a flower. Dear Kevin, love your newsletter. Do you have any info regarding streptocarpus? Thanks, Michele. Kevin, your directions were doable instead of daunting, and because of them I now have 6 had 7,gave one away beautiful African Violets from one plant.
After dividing, they spent time under a fluorescent light fixture in the basement until they were blooming beautifully. I have now placed those beauties on my Victorian violet stand and divided two more, plus replanted one that had a stretched neck. Thank you for your great information! I had been mistakenly keeping my violets away from all windows because I was towould be too much light.
And the blooms are extra special to me, because of my grandma of course, but also because theyare different from all the other violets I have now, and from any of the ones I see in the stores. Anyway I just wanted to say thank you. And again thanks to you,I noticed it has 2 centers. So now I know it needs to be split. Thanks for all your help! I have a mini AV given to me as a gift with lots of blooms.
Now it has plenty of healthy green leaves but no blooms for about 9 months. I water regularly once a week or when soil is dry, and fertilze with Miracle Gro AV food I even cut off some of the older leaves in hope of diverting nutrients to incite bloom, but to no avail, of course.
New leaves are sprouting yet no bloom. It does not have any sucker plants. What else can I do? Try moving the plant to brighter spot, if possible, or place it beneath fluorescents.
Also, better to use a plant food which is high in phosphorous. Look for a high middle number. Also how can I tell if my AV needs divided or separated?
I have one large AV with variegated leaves in the center and the outer leaves are pure green. Thanks for your help. I need your help. I read your advice and was very happy with what you teach. I have been using Dyna-Gro, liquid Bloom, plant food — Your fertilizer is Do you think I should change to your kind? Love my African violets! My grandmother, mom and I all have the knack for growing some beauties. Yet my sister and mother in law have no luck at all.
Your info was great and i will try a few ideas I picked up on! I must have the perfect place. SoI bought 25 leaves on the ebay. She sent doubles and only 3 died. It has been 9 weeks and I have babies all over. Thanks for the video. Mine look like yours.
When do I chop off the mother leaf? Mine are still doing well and green. This is a porch I have enclosed with windows on the north and east. They get a direct blast of sun for a short time in the morning. I have insulated it under the floor so it should be ok. The older plants have constant bloom. Thanks for the inspiration. Can you tell me the name variety of your white and burgundy african violet in the last picture just before the Comments section? I have many leaves on my plant, but no blooms.
It is in a room with Orchids that are thriving and lots of light. I am wondering if it is my container. It is called an African Violet pot like they had years ago. Glazed pottery on the outside and pourus on the inside. The florist tag said to keep the plant moist and that pot seems to do that, but according to what I read in your information I think it might be getting too wet. Will appreciate your answer. Thank you for the instructions.
I followed your suggestions and started a dozen plants. Cant wait to do it again, thinking I might need to snag a leaf or two from a friends love to have a variety. Have you ever tried to combine leaves to get a different variety? Hi Reeni — Miniatures demand more light than standard varieties. They bloom best when placed 2 inches beneath fluorescent lights. I have 6 plants in 4in pots that are old and flower beautifully.
Can you help? My violet blooms all the time and I totally ignore it. I have it in a northeast window in one of those self watering pots. Hi Kevin, I just may have a new tidbit for you pertaining to African Violets! Each time you water, add 2 teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide to the water, you will be AMAZED in about seven weeks to see how many flowers you will have on your plants!
I have shared this tip with many Garden Club ladies, and I get many letters telling me how fantastic their plants are now! Kevin, I have a tip for you that will encourage more flowers than you have ever seen on your African Violets.
When you water, add a couple teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide to the water. Seven weeks later you will be amazed. The leaves will be full and plentiful too. I have several violets..
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