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This is a step - by - stride templet on African violet care which is really important if you want healthy - bet plant .
These gorgeous plants have a repute for being difficult to grow , but under suitable conditions they will prosper , producing retentive bloom flowers throughout the twelvemonth .
Besides , most modern African violets ( Saintpaulia spp . ) will bloom throughout the year without much drive on your part .
However , there are a bit of cultural issues that monish them from blooming or bad , obliterate them all told .
So , how do you make certain that your African violets ( Av ) bloom almost every time ?
Short answer , take skilful charge of them !
Here ’s how :
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African violet care: 7 Tips to make your African violet bloom continuously
1. Expose your African violets to enough indirect sunlight
African violets are native to the tropical zone . This means that you take to allow for them with a stack of indirect sunlight . Please do n’t bring out them to direct sun ; otherwise , their sensitive folio will get burned .
On the other hand , too lilliputian brightness can have the African violets not to bloom well .
The plant become stunted at cool temperatures and are slow to recover even when put into a warm lieu .
In addition , too petty sunlight causes them to adulterate for the light and make few or no flowers . An east - face up window is ideal , especially with a sheer drapery to block the Sunday ’s harshest ray .
endanger your African reddish blue to noontide and afternoon sunshine during summer . The sunnier , warmer window are better in the wintertime . Keep circumvolve the pots every two Clarence Day to ensure undifferentiated exposure .
The best temperatures for African reddish blue are about 60 ° F at Nox and up to 80 ° to 85 ° F during the day .
In hot weather condition ( over 85 ° F ) plants are especially susceptible to rot .
Similarly , AVs also involve a fair share of dark , rather , eight time of day of darkness every night to be exact .
permit me explicate :
Although an African violet need sufficient sparkle to produce a flowering hormone calledflorigen , florigen does not trigger blooming until it gets dark !
If yougrow African violets under grow lights , be sure not to run for them more than 16 hour a daytime .
You may also be interested inHow to Grow Bloomy African violets with Zero Hassle .
2. Water them whenever necessary
lachrymation pot plants seem like such a mere labor , however if it is not done correctly the plant wo n’t survive , leave alone flowering .
In fact , of all the care given to African violets , tearing is in all probability the one cultural praxis that have the most problem .
African violet prefer to stay evenly moist - ideally the land should sense like a well wrung - out sponge . They do not like to dry out completely in between tearing , but they do not wish to be sopping wet all the time either .
Therefore , you should water your AVs fairly from springiness until descent , allowing soil to dry out more or less between waterings .
Reduce water slightly in wintertime month . Bottom piss plants to avoid water dab on foliage , as cold weewee can damage leaves causing brown spots .
Another reason to avoid splash water system on the leave is that it swear out as a magnifying lens . This , then cause the leave of absence to burn and glow leaves is an sheer eye - sore .
Popular Read : Is your African Violet Drooping Leaves ? Here ’s Why
Here’s how to water African violets the right way
Fillsaucerswith luke - warm water , permit plants to soak up water for approximately 30 minutes , and drain off excess water once the soil is sufficiently moist .
Alternatively , apply a taper extending through the drainage kettle of fish into a saucer of water .
Another in force method is to overwhelm the pots in peat or peat moss moss held in a larger container and apply pee to this material as needed to keep the ground moist within the pots .
In either of these methods , water moves from the discus or peat by diffusion through the muddle in the bottom of the good deal and into the soil ball .
African violet are passing susceptible to crown rots , which can chop-chop pop the plant life .
To prevent crown rots , void over - watering , avoid watering directly into the cap , and avoid lacrimation at night .
To recap , too much water can chair to root rot , while roots start to give way in soil that is too juiceless much of the clock time . Either style , plants with reduced base systems often give inflorescence so as to endure .
3. Choose an appropriate pot when repotting
If you have recently repotted your African violet into a with child pot , the pot may be too bragging . African violet prefer to be root - bound to bloom well .
expend a shallow and wide dope . The African violet roots do n’t grow too deep instead they grow close to the soil surface .
It is safe practice to periodically repot houseplant because the soil should be refreshed sporadically .
you may often repot the flora into the same sight after clean it well , using fresh potting mix . As a dominion of ovolo , pot should be no larger than one - third the size of the diam of the plant .
4. Fertilize your Avs on a regular basis
Your fertilization practices can also impact how well African violets blush .
Unlike plants that grow outdoors , houseplants are totally pendant on you to use sufficient nutrient without overdoing it .
The modest pots these flora are typically grow in do not maintain a large reservation of nutrients .
If you do not fecundate them on a even basis , they may not have the necessary nutrients to pass on flowers . On the other hand , too much fertilizer with high-pitched nitrogen contentedness can result to lush foliage at the disbursal of flowers .
you’re able to purchasefertilizers formulated specifically for African violetsfrom various stores near you . instead , purchase from on-line storehouse such as Amazon which is the biggest retailer for such supplies .
You should always use a balanced plant food that hold all of the major plant nutrients : nitrogen ( N ) , phosphorus ( P ) and atomic number 19 ( K ) .
Nitrogen is important for the growth and developing of leave-taking and stems . Phosphorus is important for healthy roots and unfolding . K is want for the accretion and movement of sugar throughout the plant .
These major nutrient are represent on the fertilizer label by numbers game sleep together as the depth psychology .
Typically , fertilizers for efflorescence plant bear more phosphorus than nitrogen , perhaps an analytic thinking of 8 - 14 - 9 .
TheAfrican Violet Society of Americarecommends choosing a fertilizer that does not utilize urea as the N source because African violets are raw to it and it can burn off their root .
you’re able to specify if a plant food contains urea by look at the Guaranteed Analysis on the recording label .
It lists the rootage of the nutrients it contains . Be certain to follow label direction of the fertiliser you choose ; more is never better when it comes to fertilizing any flora .
So , what is the good plant intellectual nourishment for African violets ?
Here ’s my recommendation :
5. African violet care in winter
The Francis Scott Key to a success is to choose the good spot for your African violet during the winter .
In particular , supplementary fluorescent or full spectrum lighting may be necessary in winter months to boost year - round inflorescence .
Position light eight to 12 inches above plants , allowing 14 to 16 hour of light per daytime .
African violet favour 70 - 75 ° F day and 60 - 65 ° atomic number 9 nights . home plant in a emplacement with good breeze circulation , but keep them away from cold windowpane and coolheaded drafts as sudden change in temperature can harm the plants .
wintertime months can be too dry for these plants . You should put them on a humidity tray , a shallow beauty with pebbles in it and with water nearly up to the top of the pebbles .
This will increase the humidness around the plant and make it much well-chosen .
6. Groom your African violet by pruning
Regularly pruning African violet is also recommended to push healthy growth .
To do this , lightly murder three or more bottom leafage once every month . you could do this by bending the leaves to the side , forcing them to snap , leaving no stub toward the base of the plant .
However , long stemmed violet require a piddling extra care .
These plants can be revitalize with a piddling wise pruning and repotting .
7. How to revitalize a long stemmed African violet
cautiously take the plant from the pot and remove faded , nick or damage lower leaves . Also remove any lower leaves that are small than those above them as well as all flower .
Scrape the two edge of exposed stem turn just below the rest leaves . apply the thudding side of a knife .
Be gentle as you are only try out to get rid of the stubs of any leave of absence and remove any all in , dried material .
prune the bow about two inch below the leaves and discard the low stem .
Repot the flora in a alike sized container with fresh soil by place the shank in firm , direct contact with the soil surface .
Cover the plant with clean plastic ; a plastic grip works well , and Navy SEAL . site the container in indirect bright light .
That ’s it !
Your flora will derive back stronger and levelheaded .
8. Check for pests and control as soon as practicable
African violets are not very baffling when it comes to pestis and disease . It ’s even better if you follow all the instructions founder in this article on African violet aid .
However , if you ’ve stumbled across this article a little too recently , here ’s what to check and do .
One of the most serious fungous job of African violet is usually first notice when the jacket crown and roots of the industrial plant move around soft and mushy .
The older leaves droop , and the younger leaves in the center of the plant appear stunted , rick black and die . This happens when plants are watered excessively , have wretched drain , or are planted too deeply .
Any of these conditions can contribute to rotting of the crown and root .
What to do
Prevent disease by always using sterilized potting soil mixes and clean container when planting
Botrytis blight is triggered by the fungusBotrytis cinereaand often first appear as minuscule water - pluck lesions on the undersurface of the leaf .
Leaves , stem or flowers seem blighted and plough dark brown to gray , often with a fuzzy coating on the surface .
Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders . Cyclamen soupcon ( Steneotarsonemus pallidus ) are one of the most serious gadfly of African reddish blue .
They feed on fresh growth ( i.e. leaves in the centerfield of the plant ) . Symptoms may admit severe stunting of leaves in the inwardness of the plant , sometimes with leaf curling .
Mites feed by sucking sap from the plant . During feed , they shoot a toxic chemical that disrupt normal growth formula .
With weighed down infestations , leaf and efflorescence bud may pass . If cut , the full plant life may die as well .
What to do to save your African violets
Several variety ofmealybugsare pests on African violets . They include the citrus mealybug ( Planococcus citri ) and the Comstock mealybug ( Pseudococcus comstocki ) .
They have soft bodies and are covered with a white waxy material that makes them look cottony . They are found on foliage , stanch and in leaf - crotches . They feed by wet-nurse the plant sap .
Their eating lawsuit stunted and perverted leaves .
Heavy infestation can stimulate leaf and plant life death . As they run , they excrete honeydew ( a sugary fabric ) that can cake the leave , making them glutinous .
Read:27 Best Indoor Flowering Plants for Your dwelling
Conclusion
African violet are easy the most democratic anthesis houseplants in the world . Their popularity uprise from the fact that they are easy to maturate and can bloom for 10 to 12 calendar month of the year .
However , not so many gardeners are capable to accomplish that kind of success .
These beautiful plants have a reputation of being crabby plant , but with just a little care and the right-hand conditions , they can thrive , bloom , and heighten any home .
With this African violet upkeep guidebook , you ’ll achieve smashing results with your AVs !
Let me fuck what you think .
References
Clemson University
University of Wisconsin , Madison
Pennsylvania State University
Wisconsin Horticulture
