I’ve been thinking about African Violets a lot lately because they remind me so much of my grandma. She had one the last handful of years she was alive before she passed from early Alzheimer’s and it had gotten so big and beautiful. I browsed the Walmart greenhouse on a whim this morning where I found one single solitary neglected AV, white with purple edged flowers. So I rescued it and now I’m ingesting as much info as possible to perk this little baby up and keep it happy. This will be my first true plant challenge and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this helpful video of yours! 💟
Oh my goodness. This touched my heart so much because african violets are reminiscent of my grandmother too. She had a window box full of them and I remember her giving me responsibility to care for them when I stayed with her. I hope yours flourish! Keep them close to your heart 😊
This reminded me of my grandma as well. Her AV was beautiful until my cat "Big Boy" ate its leaves and flowers. Gave it a good go at it. I was in big trouble. Much to our surprise it grew back bigger and more beautiful.
I'm so glad I found your channel. I have a friend who trusts me about plants so she gave me her African violet to pot up from the nursery pot to a slightly larger terra cotta. You have given me all I need to know and more. Thanks for the information. 😊
Your tutorial was VERY VERY helpful. I am trying to grow an African violet in St. Louis, MO and they do not do well here. My housekeeper gave me one for Mother's Day and so far it is doing OK. Lost a lot of blooms at first, but I expected that because she bought my plant at a florist, and it was probably forced. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP
my plants usually say,hmm,this looks like a good place to die, but i got my violet on mothers day and im amazed its still alive,maybe you're video will help me keep it that way.
Good info! I have a large AV with white flowers and these videos help me know what to keep an eye out for. I know violets have a pretty short lifespan compared to some house plants and it's better to propagate new ones, but this large beauty I have I sure want to take care of and keep healthy for as long as possible.❤
Hi there have only been collecting African Violet's for 3 years I live in Scotland but found a company in England that specialise in Violet's it's called Dibleys they send out their catalogue in April they have hundreds of varieties i started out with standards but I live in a 1 bed flat so don't have much space for them so I now buy semi miniature and miniature ihave hundreds i propagate many for local plant sales and many go to friends am truly smitten with these plants hope you have a fantastic year with your plants 💖
Good informative video. Thank you. The only thing I would desagree with is keeping AV on north side windows. They do need light. They like a lot of bright light but not direct sunlight. If they don't get wnought light (12 hours) it might affect their blooming.
That's true, I've just had good results from my north windows. 🤷🏻♀️ . I also kept them in south windows and no flowers ☹. I'm sure it depends a lot on where you live and the amount of exposure. I'm in Los Angeles so it's always sunny here. 😊
I got my first african violet-- get this-- from a drug store in seedling form. I KNOW. The plant was very accommodating to me as a new plant owner, it really just wanted to thrive and flower. I think I never repotted it, which worked out well for me as it created more flowers. Sadly, I had an injury that prevented me from being a good parent for a few months, and the plant died (thankfully my kid did not die lol). I just got my new one in the mail and want to ensure I treat it right. I never thought of the plant as finicky, and it might help others to know that my plant actually did best in a window sill and flowered all year long. I have my new one in an east facing window sill right now. If it burns, I will eat my words and edit this comment.
Haha, the wonderful thing about caring for plants is there really isn't a perfect way. If the plant thrives, then you definitely did something right. I hope the second one does just as well 🙏 🙂
Returns to floral department to put 2 AV’s back on the shelf after watching this. I’m a newbie and I will give it a shot once I’m more acclimated to Plant Mom life, because sheesh.
You are very informative. I just got a African Violet for Valentine's Day this your video came in handy. I just subscribed to your channel so looking forward to your channel and how to take care of your plants. Your plants look awesome behind you.
I just rescued an African violet plant! And I couldn't be happier with that! How do you get them to rebloom? After they go threw drought? Because my friend didn't care for hers at all 😞😢💔!
I am growing some now from leaves of my wife mother AV that are being treated horribly; so I took some leaves and planted in some fresh soil and put about two pots in my green house and they took off no new sprouts yet but they took root
I love my violets but have not seen anyone talking about an issue on one of mine. Maybe it’s this species, but when it blooms, the flowers are pretty small and very close together so to me they don’t look healthy. This is mainly happening to one of my violets and not all. Any ideas?
I inherited my love of African Violets from my mom. She would look for tha plants that were sold at a discount because they were no longer blooming. Finding out what color they were, was always a surprise. I started doing the same and wicked them. At one point i had over 100 of them. Then i was gifted a plant that was infected with tiny black flies. In about a month, all of my plants died. I'm starting over with four non blooming plants i paid $2-3 for them. One has light mauve blooms. The verdict is still out on the other three although they are all sending up buds. I thought that the one with the lightest colored leaves would be white. But, i think it may have a purple edge. Because as the first bud is opening, i see purple.
Yeah mine were in too big a pot and i wasnt able to gauge properly when it was right to water them. Most likely have root rot but I got them in much smaller pots and im just crossing my fingers
Happy to find your channel. I have two little AV growing from leaf cuttings. I'm so proud of them. I have a history of AV failure. At what point do I remove the mother leaf and how? Thank you
Thank you! I appreciate that. I don't know that I can give you an exact answer on when to remove the mother leaf, but the wonderful thing about plants is that they either will show you, or just do their thing themselves. Once the plant looks independent, I'm sure it will be safe to remove it. Or it may even shed it on its own. I think the mother leaf will show some visual decline. But it may be safe to remove sooner when roots are established.
@@mandyhutch12 I always use self wicking pots and water from the bottom. If I notice gnats, I will water the soil from the top, but never water or spray the leaves. My plants are in a bright bathroom where the shower gets used, but also has AC air circulation. Where I live this is a must because I am in the subtropics. I also only do this maybe once a month or every two months so I don’t damage the soil and allow the good bacteria to grow. So, I use 1/4 (or 1/8):1. Good luck and happy gardening.
When I lived at home in Michigan I grew & propagated African violets. They were beautiful. Now I live in Southern California & have trouble keeping them alive. I don’t know if it is that the heating vents are near the ceiling instead of the floor or because I don’t have a plant grow light set up. I’m so very sad. I hope this helps me. I watered them from the bottom. And used fish fertilizer. When I repot it kills them. I propagated them with leaf cuttings in water. It doesn’t seem to work now. Any answers will be appreciated.
SoCal can be tricky with humidity because sometimes the humidity is high and others, crazy dry. A lot of plant parents use a humidifier to create some consistency. Because that's the trick I found with these, the flourish with consistency. Consistent light, water, fertilizer. Not knowing your lighting conditions, a Grow light won't hurt, although it may need a slightly stronger one to flower. Also try propagating in sphagnum or perlite. I've had very good success in sphagnum moss. Hope it works out for you!
African violets are synonymous with Thelma Barnhart! She must have had 20 or more sitting around her home. She was great at growing them. And the blooms that she used to have on hers. All different colors including pink purple and even white ones! You'll have to ask her about them one day she loves plants too!
Interesting video. I particularly took note about specific African Violet fertiliser and as I recently started growing these gorgeous plants I bought what I thought was the appropriate food for them. The NPK is 18:3:13 and I’m just thinking now that the Phosphorus component is a little low. Do you have any suggestions about how I can increase the phosphorus without having to buy a whole new lot of fertiliser?
Hmm, without a phosphorus additive you could look into more composted organic martial to add. I know manures add a lot. Bone meal too. If you want to increase it in small increments I might suggest worm castings. But I'm sure other people may have better ideas 🤷🏻♀️
Hi, please tell me what grow light for my violets to bloom again, I live in Michigan and it’s winter here now. All summer they bloomed on my north window
I'm not very knowledgeable about grow lights, I bought mine on Amazon. I do know a full spectrum grow light should work. If its a weaker power, just move your plant closer accordingly. I'm sure someone can chime in on any features to look for. 😊
I potted mine too big of a pot and miss girl got so large, now I repotted her back in the 4 inch and hopefully she will flower, she hates my fans and all the buds blasted last time bc I didn’t keep it hot/humid at night
you dont even need a grow light now adays..they sell lightbulbs that fit any standard lamp..that are outdoor light..my african violets love it, so does anything else! I turn it on in the morning and off before bed..they flower and grow very well with just that one light bulb in a lamp that they are near!
Eeek. Hard to know exactly without seeing what kind of state it is in. How is the color? Does it have any leaves at all? Can you describe it's condition?
Hi! Thank you for this video! I just got a pot as a gift from my sister after the birth of my nephew. I would really love to understand how much water it needs. One video I saw (but I'm not sure about) recommended putting the pot in water (not the leaves, just the pot) for 5 minutes once a week. Is that right or not? Also, the flowers seem to be wilting and I'm not sure why? Thank you in advance for any help!
Hi! What you're describing is bottom watering and is a very acceptable method of watering plants. I might recommend leaving it in water more than 5 minutes. 15-20 should do it. And periodically top water to flush out any salts or minerals than can build up. Flower wilting could be from lack of light, nutrients, or water. Or even a combination of the 3. Try adding some african violet fertilizer to your watering (follow the directions of the manufacturer), place in consistent light but not direct sun. Hope that helps! 🙏
@@plantposey 15-20 minutes once a week, got it. Thank you! Regarding consistent light, obviously I won't be putting the pot outside, in direct sun, but when it's inside behind the window's glass, should it still be in the shade next to the window, or should it be in the light behind the glass, as the glass makes the sunlight 'indirect'? Sorry, you can tell I'm very new to this, I'm sure, but the flowers are gorgeous and meaningful, and I'd really like to get this right and for them to flourish!
@@ychmbadychmbad4910 no worries! So indirect light basically means that it is near the light source without the light source directly shinning on it. So you would want it as close to the sunlight as possible without the sun shinning directly down on it. A little sunlight in early morning or late evening is probably safe, but midday when the sun is the strongest can be too much. When I say consistent, I mean the same amount of light everyday. Whether it be 8,10, 12 hours...they don't like change. They're kinda finicky that way.
Do you have any suggestions for leaves growing straight up:? I have 4 African Violets, they are all on the same table and 1 of the 4 the leaves grow straight up. The others are fine. Ideas?
Usually it's the direction of the light source. Is the light source to the side? On angle? Above the plant? Is there enough light? Is it searching for more light? Also are the leaves juvenile? They may flatten out as they mature. That's all I can think of 🤷🏻♀️
Personally, I cut them because I don't want them to hover over the soil medium and potentially rot. But that is a personal preference. If excessive drooping is an issue, my first step is to investigate my watering needs, or feeding schedule to ensure its getting enough nutrients. After that, I'd check for drainage and humidity levels too
Awesome! Whatever works for you. My tap water isn't as pure or pH balanced as rain water and it can leave spots on the leaves 🤷🏻♀️ and without a lot of ventilation some leaves have had mold or rotted. Since I don't wet the leaves, my experience have given me better results. Just my experience 😊
Loving African Violets but just learning about them. Did I miss how to prevent mites? I know some plants can be sprayed with hydrogen peroxide/water mix…can this one?
I'm not 100% sure, as far as I know it is safe. Prevention is the best practice imo. Neem oil is good for prevention but not everyone is a fan of the smell.
@@mandyhutch12 you could mix with a little water and put in a spray bottle and spray them down. Or dab on with some cotton or with a brush. Whatever you feel works best for you 😊
Not sure what your fertilizing routine is. I may suggest giving it an African violet fertilizer. It will help to boost some blooms. Usually they are shy to bloom when they aren't receiving consistent light or the temperature could be a little cold for them. Try troubleshooting one thing at a time to see if it is nutrition, light or temperature. I hope it helps!
Hey I have an African Violet my 8 year old son brought me home one day with his own chore money. So she means alot to me, I named her ursala (lol) , all the flowers have died off, not sure if this is normal and now all my leaves are looking very sad . I'm so worried it's goinnto die. It deff doesn't look good at all. Plz help me figure out what I'm doing wrng ! I have only ever bottom fed it the water when soil is completely dry and kept her in my kitchen table which is not directly in sun. I'm obviously doing something wrng but I just DnT knw what. Any ideas ??
How are the leaves? Wilting? Browning? Falling off?.... you may need to bump up humidity for it a little. And maybe ensure the ambient temperature is on the warmer side. It could also be nutrient deficiency. Hard to say without more information. Do you use a African violet plant food?
@@plantposey no I do not use AF food ... Should I be ?? And yes the leaves are all whilting alot have fallen off, and the tips curl under. It doesn't seem to be Rot to me, but I Dnt knw why this would happen if not. I checked it all out last night to see if maybe I need to pull some leaves off, and there's actually new growth. New little baby leaves !!! So it makes me even more confused. I'm wondering should I change the soil check the roots (not that I knw what to exactly check for ), but the soil is very dry and also when I do water frm bottom takes a whileeee to get moist all the way to top. I placed it in a more brighter room, livingroom under my house lamp, not sure if this does anything. Humidity would prob make sence if I DnT see rott maybe 🤔
Hmm. I'm thinking it may be a little underwatered. I let mine dry out a little but not to the point that the soil gets brittle. Keep it more damp. And humidity helps, but isn't crucial. It will help keep it from losing the moisture so quickly. Try adjusting the watering first, and then slowly introduce a AV plant food for a nutritional boost. That will help it bloom again. Since it's putting out new growth, that's a good sign 😊
@@plantposey ahhhhhh ok , that must be where im going wrng. I thought I was supose to let it fully dry out like my cactus 🤦, thank you sooo much for helping me , really appreciate ur feedback.. I'm going to give her some fresh soil today n keep up better with the watering. When do u think I should I introduce some African Violet food , and how often ??
I had fungus mites last summer. Almost wiped out my whole tomato crop that I started indoors. I treated them with mosquito bits that I soaked in water. Then watered my tomatoes with the water . I had some of that water left and watered each av with it as I added them to my collection. They are all thriving
Although there are a lot of products out there, organic routes may be to add diatomaceous earth to the soil, maybe bottom watering, or using beneficial insects. I would shy away from any sprays or pesticides, even need oil on these guys since the leaves are very sensitive to moisture on them.
I’ve been thinking about African Violets a lot lately because they remind me so much of my grandma. She had one the last handful of years she was alive before she passed from early Alzheimer’s and it had gotten so big and beautiful. I browsed the Walmart greenhouse on a whim this morning where I found one single solitary neglected AV, white with purple edged flowers. So I rescued it and now I’m ingesting as much info as possible to perk this little baby up and keep it happy. This will be my first true plant challenge and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this helpful video of yours! 💟
Oh my goodness. This touched my heart so much because african violets are reminiscent of my grandmother too. She had a window box full of them and I remember her giving me responsibility to care for them when I stayed with her.
I hope yours flourish! Keep them close to your heart 😊
This reminded me of my grandma as well. Her AV was beautiful until my cat "Big Boy" ate its leaves and flowers. Gave it a good go at it. I was in big trouble. Much to our surprise it grew back bigger and more beautiful.
In the late 1950's my mom spent two years of her life in a tuberculosis sanitorium. The nurses would bring her av's to brighten her room.
Reminds me of mom who just passed
Thanks for your video I'll be getting a new African violet today I couldn't be happier and your video helps me out!
I'm so glad I found your channel. I have a friend who trusts me about plants so she gave me her African violet to pot up from the nursery pot to a slightly larger terra cotta. You have given me all I need to know and more. Thanks for the information. 😊
Thank you! My pleasure!
Your tutorial was VERY VERY helpful. I am trying to grow an African violet in St. Louis, MO and they do not do well here. My housekeeper gave me one for Mother's Day and so far it is doing OK. Lost a lot of blooms at first, but I expected that because she bought my plant at a florist, and it was probably forced. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP
My pleasure! 💙
my plants usually say,hmm,this looks like a good place to die, but i got my violet on mothers day and im amazed its still alive,maybe you're video will help me keep it that way.
Aww. I hope it helps! 🙏
Great information . Than you you answered my problems 😊
Good info! I have a large AV with white flowers and these videos help me know what to keep an eye out for. I know violets have a pretty short lifespan compared to some house plants and it's better to propagate new ones, but this large beauty I have I sure want to take care of and keep healthy for as long as possible.❤
Hi there have only been collecting African Violet's for 3 years I live in Scotland but found a company in England that specialise in Violet's it's called Dibleys they send out their catalogue in April they have hundreds of varieties i started out with standards but I live in a 1 bed flat so don't have much space for them so I now buy semi miniature and miniature ihave hundreds i propagate many for local plant sales and many go to friends am truly smitten with these plants hope you have a fantastic year with your plants 💖
Thank you! That's so awesome! I have a fondness for them because they remind me of my grandmother 💙 . They are quite special aren't they?
Very helpful and to the point. I'm sharing this information with my sisters. Thank you...
Good informative video. Thank you.
The only thing I would desagree with is keeping AV on north side windows.
They do need light. They like a lot of bright light but not direct sunlight. If they don't get wnought light (12 hours) it might affect their blooming.
That's true, I've just had good results from my north windows. 🤷🏻♀️ . I also kept them in south windows and no flowers ☹. I'm sure it depends a lot on where you live and the amount of exposure. I'm in Los Angeles so it's always sunny here. 😊
Thank you for a very informative video, you are quick to the point and your care advice is spot on. I just found you but I'm definitely subscribing
Why thank you so much!!! I appreciate that :)
Youre amazing!! I trust your information because everything you say makes sense! Thank you for this🙏🏾
Aw, thank you. I'm no expert and do my best to learn as much as possible. I'm glad it all made sense 🙂
I got my first african violet-- get this-- from a drug store in seedling form. I KNOW. The plant was very accommodating to me as a new plant owner, it really just wanted to thrive and flower. I think I never repotted it, which worked out well for me as it created more flowers. Sadly, I had an injury that prevented me from being a good parent for a few months, and the plant died (thankfully my kid did not die lol). I just got my new one in the mail and want to ensure I treat it right. I never thought of the plant as finicky, and it might help others to know that my plant actually did best in a window sill and flowered all year long. I have my new one in an east facing window sill right now. If it burns, I will eat my words and edit this comment.
Haha, the wonderful thing about caring for plants is there really isn't a perfect way. If the plant thrives, then you definitely did something right. I hope the second one does just as well 🙏 🙂
Wow nice beautiful job Watching from California I got new knowledge and I love your videos
Thank you so much!
Returns to floral department to put 2 AV’s back on the shelf after watching this. I’m a newbie and I will give it a shot once I’m more acclimated to Plant Mom life, because sheesh.
Aww, they seem finicky, but they do flourish with consistency. Wishing you the best on your plant mom journey!
You are very informative. I just got a African Violet for Valentine's Day this your video came in handy. I just subscribed to your channel so looking forward to your channel and how to take care of your plants. Your plants look awesome behind you.
Thank you so much. I appreciate that 😊
I’ve always heard they need an East window. Mine haven’t bloomed until I had to move them. I have a window unit so I can move them back.
You have some beautiful plants behind you.
Thank you!
I love these plants am looking for the variegated ones. Very good information. thank you
My pleasure 😊. Thank you for watching!
Love African violets, I own 23 and one of them is a trellis not sur if I’m saying right it’s like a vine and also propagating more.❤
I just rescued an African violet plant! And I couldn't be happier with that! How do you get them to rebloom? After they go threw drought? Because my friend didn't care for hers at all 😞😢💔!
I am growing some now from leaves of my wife mother AV that are being treated horribly; so I took some leaves and planted in some fresh soil and put about two pots in my green house and they took off no new sprouts yet but they took root
Very helpful thank you!
I love my violets but have not seen anyone talking about an issue on one of mine. Maybe it’s this species, but when it blooms, the flowers are pretty small and very close together so to me they don’t look healthy. This is mainly happening to one of my violets and not all. Any ideas?
I inherited my love of African Violets from my mom. She would look for tha plants that were sold at a discount because they were no longer blooming. Finding out what color they were, was always a surprise.
I started doing the same and wicked them. At one point i had over 100 of them. Then i was gifted a plant that was infected with tiny black flies. In about a month, all of my plants died.
I'm starting over with four non blooming plants i paid $2-3 for them. One has light mauve blooms. The verdict is still out on the other three although they are all sending up buds.
I thought that the one with the lightest colored leaves would be white. But, i think it may have a purple edge. Because as the first bud is opening, i see purple.
Thank u for your advice. My violets are so healthy but rarely ever blooms. What's going wrong?
Usually, lack of blooms is one of 2 things.... lower light or maybe you need to add a higher phosphorus ration violet food.
Yeah mine were in too big a pot and i wasnt able to gauge properly when it was right to water them. Most likely have root rot but I got them in much smaller pots and im just crossing my fingers
Happy to find your channel. I have two little AV growing from leaf cuttings. I'm so proud of them. I have a history of AV failure. At what point do I remove the mother leaf and how? Thank you
Thank you! I appreciate that. I don't know that I can give you an exact answer on when to remove the mother leaf, but the wonderful thing about plants is that they either will show you, or just do their thing themselves. Once the plant looks independent, I'm sure it will be safe to remove it. Or it may even shed it on its own. I think the mother leaf will show some visual decline. But it may be safe to remove sooner when roots are established.
Suzanne here, my lord i have tired for 50 years and i have never had any luck proprogating from leafs, never not once, ugh, i quit trying.
You can not devide a violet unless it has Suckers that you can carefully remove a sucker if it has its own roots.
I love AV and simply use hydrogen peroxide mixed in my water. This also helps with bugs in the soil.
Great tip! Thanks!
How much??
Thanks for the tip! Would it be possible to explain a little more? You just put it in the sauce with water? What dilution/ percentage? Thank you :)
@@mandyhutch12 I always use self wicking pots and water from the bottom. If I notice gnats, I will water the soil from the top, but never water or spray the leaves. My plants are in a bright bathroom where the shower gets used, but also has AC air circulation. Where I live this is a must because I am in the subtropics. I also only do this maybe once a month or every two months so I don’t damage the soil and allow the good bacteria to grow. So, I use 1/4 (or 1/8):1. Good luck and happy gardening.
When I lived at home in Michigan I grew & propagated African violets. They were beautiful. Now I live in Southern California & have trouble keeping them alive. I don’t know if it is that the heating vents are near the ceiling instead of the floor or because I don’t have a plant grow light set up. I’m so very sad. I hope this helps me. I watered them from the bottom. And used fish fertilizer. When I repot it kills them. I propagated them with leaf cuttings in water. It doesn’t seem to work now. Any answers will be appreciated.
SoCal can be tricky with humidity because sometimes the humidity is high and others, crazy dry. A lot of plant parents use a humidifier to create some consistency. Because that's the trick I found with these, the flourish with consistency. Consistent light, water, fertilizer.
Not knowing your lighting conditions, a Grow light won't hurt, although it may need a slightly stronger one to flower.
Also try propagating in sphagnum or perlite. I've had very good success in sphagnum moss. Hope it works out for you!
African violets are synonymous with Thelma Barnhart! She must have had 20 or more sitting around her home. She was great at growing them. And the blooms that she used to have on hers. All different colors including pink purple and even white ones! You'll have to ask her about them one day she loves plants too!
I always remember grammy's. She had a bunch of them too
@@plantposey she still does 😍
I spray them with water like my other plants there's no difference but I am careful over watering
Interesting video. I particularly took note about specific African Violet fertiliser and as I recently started growing these gorgeous plants I bought what I thought was the appropriate food for them. The NPK is 18:3:13 and I’m just thinking now that the Phosphorus component is a little low. Do you have any suggestions about how I can increase the phosphorus without having to buy a whole new lot of fertiliser?
Hmm, without a phosphorus additive you could look into more composted organic martial to add. I know manures add a lot. Bone meal too. If you want to increase it in small increments I might suggest worm castings. But I'm sure other people may have better ideas 🤷🏻♀️
Hi, please tell me what grow light for my violets to bloom again, I live in Michigan and it’s winter here now. All summer they bloomed on my north window
I'm not very knowledgeable about grow lights, I bought mine on Amazon. I do know a full spectrum grow light should work. If its a weaker power, just move your plant closer accordingly. I'm sure someone can chime in on any features to look for. 😊
Good video.
Thank you so much!
I potted mine too big of a pot and miss girl got so large, now I repotted her back in the 4 inch and hopefully she will flower, she hates my fans and all the buds blasted last time bc I didn’t keep it hot/humid at night
But she’s been getting very fat leaves and the growth is amazing, just no flowers :(
Flowers are tricky. I hope you get some buds soon!
you dont even need a grow light now adays..they sell lightbulbs that fit any standard lamp..that are outdoor light..my african violets love it, so does anything else! I turn it on in the morning and off before bed..they flower and grow very well with just that one light bulb in a lamp that they are near!
I found it outside after a freeze. What can I do to help it grow back it leafs and flowers?
Eeek. Hard to know exactly without seeing what kind of state it is in. How is the color? Does it have any leaves at all? Can you describe it's condition?
Hi! Thank you for this video! I just got a pot as a gift from my sister after the birth of my nephew. I would really love to understand how much water it needs. One video I saw (but I'm not sure about) recommended putting the pot in water (not the leaves, just the pot) for 5 minutes once a week. Is that right or not? Also, the flowers seem to be wilting and I'm not sure why? Thank you in advance for any help!
Hi! What you're describing is bottom watering and is a very acceptable method of watering plants. I might recommend leaving it in water more than 5 minutes. 15-20 should do it. And periodically top water to flush out any salts or minerals than can build up.
Flower wilting could be from lack of light, nutrients, or water. Or even a combination of the 3. Try adding some african violet fertilizer to your watering (follow the directions of the manufacturer), place in consistent light but not direct sun.
Hope that helps! 🙏
@@plantposey 15-20 minutes once a week, got it. Thank you! Regarding consistent light, obviously I won't be putting the pot outside, in direct sun, but when it's inside behind the window's glass, should it still be in the shade next to the window, or should it be in the light behind the glass, as the glass makes the sunlight 'indirect'? Sorry, you can tell I'm very new to this, I'm sure, but the flowers are gorgeous and meaningful, and I'd really like to get this right and for them to flourish!
@@ychmbadychmbad4910 no worries! So indirect light basically means that it is near the light source without the light source directly shinning on it. So you would want it as close to the sunlight as possible without the sun shinning directly down on it. A little sunlight in early morning or late evening is probably safe, but midday when the sun is the strongest can be too much. When I say consistent, I mean the same amount of light everyday. Whether it be 8,10, 12 hours...they don't like change. They're kinda finicky that way.
@@plantposey Thank you so much, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help and kindness! xox
Do you have any suggestions for leaves growing straight up:? I have 4 African Violets, they are all on the same table and 1 of the 4 the leaves grow straight up. The others are fine. Ideas?
Usually it's the direction of the light source. Is the light source to the side? On angle? Above the plant? Is there enough light? Is it searching for more light?
Also are the leaves juvenile? They may flatten out as they mature.
That's all I can think of 🤷🏻♀️
@@plantposey Good ideas, thanks!
What to do about leaves that droop over the side of the pot
Personally, I cut them because I don't want them to hover over the soil medium and potentially rot. But that is a personal preference. If excessive drooping is an issue, my first step is to investigate my watering needs, or feeding schedule to ensure its getting enough nutrients. After that, I'd check for drainage and humidity levels too
👍❤👍
Don't get the leaves wet? Doesn't it rain in Africa? I mist my African Violet, and loves it.
Awesome! Whatever works for you. My tap water isn't as pure or pH balanced as rain water and it can leave spots on the leaves 🤷🏻♀️ and without a lot of ventilation some leaves have had mold or rotted. Since I don't wet the leaves, my experience have given me better results. Just my experience 😊
Cold water leaves spots on the leaves. Make sure the water is warm if you ever clean the leaves with water.
@@easyfeats oh! Thanks for the tip!
I put my violets in warm water for 30 min
Does that beautiful AV variety you keep showing have a name? I love the flower color against those variegated leaves!!
I honestly don't know. I tried to Google it, but since it's a hybrid I can't be sure. I'm sorry 😞
@@plantposey No worries! Just asking because its so beautiful!
Thank you 🥰
Loving African Violets but just learning about them. Did I miss how to prevent mites? I know some plants can be sprayed with hydrogen peroxide/water mix…can this one?
I'm not 100% sure, as far as I know it is safe. Prevention is the best practice imo. Neem oil is good for prevention but not everyone is a fan of the smell.
@@plantposey where and how would you apply the neem oil? Thanks for your time and great video!
@@mandyhutch12 you could mix with a little water and put in a spray bottle and spray them down. Or dab on with some cotton or with a brush. Whatever you feel works best for you 😊
@@plantposey thanks! Only the stems right? Not the leaves.
You may need to do the leaves too. Dry them after. Dab with a soft cloth.
Hey! I've been having issues with my violet's flowers browning and I can't figure out why! Any ideas?
Have you ruled out any pests or drafts?
Not sure what your fertilizing routine is. I may suggest giving it an African violet fertilizer. It will help to boost some blooms. Usually they are shy to bloom when they aren't receiving consistent light or the temperature could be a little cold for them. Try troubleshooting one thing at a time to see if it is nutrition, light or temperature. I hope it helps!
Hey I have an African Violet my 8 year old son brought me home one day with his own chore money. So she means alot to me, I named her ursala (lol) , all the flowers have died off, not sure if this is normal and now all my leaves are looking very sad . I'm so worried it's goinnto die. It deff doesn't look good at all. Plz help me figure out what I'm doing wrng ! I have only ever bottom fed it the water when soil is completely dry and kept her in my kitchen table which is not directly in sun. I'm obviously doing something wrng but I just DnT knw what. Any ideas ??
How are the leaves? Wilting? Browning? Falling off?.... you may need to bump up humidity for it a little. And maybe ensure the ambient temperature is on the warmer side.
It could also be nutrient deficiency. Hard to say without more information.
Do you use a African violet plant food?
@@plantposey no I do not use AF food ... Should I be ?? And yes the leaves are all whilting alot have fallen off, and the tips curl under. It doesn't seem to be Rot to me, but I Dnt knw why this would happen if not. I checked it all out last night to see if maybe I need to pull some leaves off, and there's actually new growth. New little baby leaves !!! So it makes me even more confused. I'm wondering should I change the soil check the roots (not that I knw what to exactly check for ), but the soil is very dry and also when I do water frm bottom takes a whileeee to get moist all the way to top. I placed it in a more brighter room, livingroom under my house lamp, not sure if this does anything. Humidity would prob make sence if I DnT see rott maybe 🤔
Hmm. I'm thinking it may be a little underwatered. I let mine dry out a little but not to the point that the soil gets brittle. Keep it more damp. And humidity helps, but isn't crucial. It will help keep it from losing the moisture so quickly. Try adjusting the watering first, and then slowly introduce a AV plant food for a nutritional boost. That will help it bloom again. Since it's putting out new growth, that's a good sign 😊
I just hope that's helpful!
@@plantposey ahhhhhh ok , that must be where im going wrng. I thought I was supose to let it fully dry out like my cactus 🤦, thank you sooo much for helping me , really appreciate ur feedback.. I'm going to give her some fresh soil today n keep up better with the watering. When do u think I should I introduce some African Violet food , and how often ??
What are the prevention methods for mites?
I had fungus mites last summer. Almost wiped out my whole tomato crop that I started indoors. I treated them with mosquito bits that I soaked in water. Then watered my tomatoes with the water . I had some of that water left and watered each av with it as I added them to my collection. They are all thriving
How can you prevent mites? Also should you remove the blooms when bringing home a new african violet?
Although there are a lot of products out there, organic routes may be to add diatomaceous earth to the soil, maybe bottom watering, or using beneficial insects. I would shy away from any sprays or pesticides, even need oil on these guys since the leaves are very sensitive to moisture on them.
@@plantposey Thanks for the advice !
one thing i have learned for thse plants, DO NOT TOUCH THE LEAVES, THEY DO NOT LIKE IT AT ALL.
Love the info....but why is your head smoking?.....
It's probably my humidifier in the background 😂
I just watered it with cold water today.. oops 🫠
I've done it before too. 🤷🏻♀️😉
A very fussy plant
"They are globally called african violets" African violet is an english name
Your head is smoking.
LOL😂 I know! I forgot about the humidifier
I like you 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Hard to hear her