African violets are a popular and easy to grow flowering houseplant. They tend to bloom on and off throughout the entire year, so they are a colorful addition to any house.
African violets do best when they are placed in a well lit area. In the winter, a south or west facing window is good for them; in the summer, they need to be moved into an east or north window where they won’t get too hot. They need to be kept at about 60° -70°. They don’t like to be chilled so make sure that there are no drafts in the growing location.
African Violets like to have their soil kept moist but not too wet. When watering them, make sure that you don’t get water on their leaves, water on the leaves can cause brown spots.
They can be fertilized regularly with a weak solution of fertilizer or once every month with a half strength fertilizer.
The biggest problem with African violets is overwatering them, this can cause crown or root rot. What is crown or root rot? It can be but is not necessarily fungi related. Basically what happens is that the leaves turn yellow and mushy and fall off. It looks as if the plant is having an excessive amount of premature dieback. A word of caution-often when we spot droopy leaves, our first instinct is to water the plant. Because overwatering is at the “root” of this problem, this could be detrimental to the plant’s health. In order to prevent this problem, make sure that the potting mix that you use isn’t too heavy and is free from disease organisms. Adding Perlite to the mixture will also be a big help and making sure your pot has good drainage is a must.
If you are having trouble getting them to flower especially in the winter, try placing them under a fluorescent light during the night.
They don’t tend to have many problems with insects but if you do need to treat them make sure that you are using an insecticide that is recommended for African violets.