All the Dirt: Out of Africa

By Jim Nunweiler Saturday, February 20, 2010

African Violets have been a favorite house plant for years. They originated in the eastern area of Africa now called Tanzania.

The violet belongs to the genus Saintpaulia (saint-pawl-ee-a) named after the discoverer Baron Walter von Saint Paul. We don’t want to confuse the area as being hot like the Serengeti plains. The Baron found these growing in the shaded mountainous regions. What plants he found were predominately shades of blue, hence the name violet. Since then, the hybridizers have cross pollinated these beauties and have come up with flowers that are shades of red, pink, and white, along with some variegated varieties.

African violets are well-adapted to indoor growing. They prefer indirect lighting but can thrive with morning sun. The ideal location is an east window sill.

Turning the pot 180 degrees once a week will keep the plant uniformly shaped. If you do not have the perfect spot for lighting, you can keep them anywhere in the home with fluorescent lighting suspended a foot over the plants for 12-14 hours each day.

These violets perform well when temperatures are kept between 65 and 70 degrees at night and an additional five to 10 degrees during the day. Following these temperature guidelines along with high humidity are ideal conditions. Humidity levels can be increased with the addition of plastic or metal trays with gravel and water that the pots can rest on. Just make sure the pots don’t set in water or root rot could occur.

There are great soil mixes available specially made for African violets that can be found at most garden centers. These mixes will have the necessary pH (6.0-6.5) for the violets.

When repotting, choose a container, plastic or clay that is about two inches larger then the current pot with drainage holes in the base. It is best to transplant violets when they start to dry down. When doing this, the leaves remain limp and are less likely to break during the process.

The watering may sound a little tricky but isn’t. Over watering, or under watering can damage the plant. It is best to let the plant start to dry down before watering. This will be apparent when you see the leaves starting to droop. This is the time when you give it a thorough drink.

There are two schools of thought about watering the violets. One says water from the bottom in a tray. The other says water from the top. I have had the best success by watering from the top. Just keep the water can away from the crown of the plant. Don’t let it splash onto the leaves, and use water at room temperature. Watering from the top also will wash down any soluble salts that have accumulated around the edge of the pot. That’s the crusty stuff that sticks to the top edge of the pot.

Fertilizing can be applied monthly during the active growing season, which would be during the late spring through early fall. Any water soluble fertilizer for house plants will work.

Following these tips will reward you with some beautiful colors in the home year-round.