African Violet Care

Saintpaulia loves moisture. However, try not to flood the plant's leaves when watering the flower. Gardeners advise watering the violet two or three times a week, so the soil does not dry out.

There is no consensus on whether it is necessary to remove violet leaves. The exception is when the leaves turn yellow with age. At the same time, experienced gardeners recommend cutting the bottom row, leaving 2-3 rows in the shrub to form a beautiful bush.

Gardeners recommend using violet fertilizer only in spring and summer. You can use complex or phosphate fertilizers. Experts advise diluting fertilizer for violets twice as much as for other flowering plants. Therefore, the violet will bloom better.

You need to pay special attention to lighting. If you want violets to bloom all year round, you should use both natural and artificial lighting. LED or fluorescent lamps can act as light sources. You can also use a photo lamp or a light tape.

You should better use a special primer for Saintpaulia. However, if you want to make the soil yourself, you will need leafy soil, sand, and peat in a 4:1:1 ratio.

Propagation of violets is a fairly simple process. To do this, you can use one of the parts of the plant. It can be a leaf, sprout, or peduncle. You just need to put them in the ground and prevent hypothermia. You can also germinate violet from seeds.

Violet is a thermophilic plant. For a violet to germinate, the temperature must not fall below 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius). Even during the winter months, for the plant to feel comfortable, you need to maintain a constant indoor temperature of about 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celsius).

You should better choose a container that won't be too deep. The width of the container depends on the size of your violet. You should also choose a ceramic container for this plant because it retains moisture better.

The commandant of the German colony Saint Paul accidentally opened an African violet. In his honor, scientists named the genus of these plants — Saintpaulia.