African violets probably are the easiest plants that you can grow in your house. But you have to start with a good growing mix, lightweight and with good aeration.
Fill the quarter or the third of a pot with the growing mix. Make sure your pot has holes for better drainage. The idea is not to transplant into a way bigger pot. Slightly bigger than the original pot will work.
African violets will grow better in small pots. Small plantlets can be potted into 2’’ pots. When they bloom, you should transplant them into 3’’ pots until your plant gets bigger, 8 to 10‘’ in diameter.
Transplanting African violets
Since the new pot is not much bigger, you won’t have to add too much growing mix. You should then loosen the root ball of your African violet, fill the remaining space and press lightly around the plant.
Then you have to water, but make sure not to water on top of the leaves. If they are wet and you place your plant into sunlight, the leaves might burn. It’s really important with African violet to water from below.
It’s also better not to put them in direct sunlight, so not on a window shelf facing south, particularly during hotter times of day. The heat will be detrimental to your plant.
Hints and tips
- Water from the bottom of the pot to avoid leaf spots.
- Mature plants will need a phosphorus-rich fertilizer to flower
- For a green foliage, use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
- Best temperature for African violets is between 65 °F (18 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C).
