January 2014 "Hort Minute" by Susan Stone

    The Latin name for African Violets is Saintpaulia after the founder Baron Walter Von Saint Paul-lllare in 1892 and native to Tanzania, southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa. The African Violet is in the family of Gesneriaceae which also includes such plants as Gloxinia, Streptocarpus, Aeshynanthus, and Episcia.
    African Violets are quite easy to take care of and just need a bit of love and care for it to bloom. If it is in just the right sunny/humid location they have been known to flower almost continuously. Just keep the soil moist to dry, and allow the soil around the roots to dry out before watering to encourage blooming. It is best to water from the bottom with room temperature water. I keep a gallon jug of water full at all times. This ensures room temp water. When feeding, use 100% water soluble African Violet fertilizer, keeping in mind there is a specific food for the miniature varieties. Basically they need equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Read the container labels as some companies use cheaper ingredients with impurities.
    African Violets thrive in moderate to bright, indirect, indoor light. Rotate your plant every time you water them or once a week to ensure even sunlight. They do best with temperatures around 70 degrees, trying not to allow temps to fall below 60 or rise above 80 degrees. African Violets thrive with humidity. In the Usambara Mountains of East Africa the humidity is generally 70-80 percent. In most homes they do best with at least 50-60 percent humidity. Without this the buds will fail to open and overall your plant will not be happy. An easy way to increase humidity levels is to place open jars of water around your plants, or have their pots sitting a top of moistened pebbles. They also like to be placed in the bathroom while someone is in the shower.
    African Violets are susceptible to powdery mildew. The leaves will look white/powdery. I spray common Lysol above the plant from a high vantage point so a fine mist lands on the plant. They are also susceptible to crown rot which occurs when there is poor air circulation and when they have been over watered.
    Lastly, the best potting soil for African Violets is one with no dirt or soil, and keeping the ph between 5.8 and 6.2. They grow best being slightly root bound in small plastic or ceramic pots. A good soilless mixture to make yourself is (using a lb. coffee can as a unit of measure):
3 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat
2 parts Vermiculite
1 part Perlite
1/4 part Ground Charcoal
2 TB Dolomite Lime
1 TB Superphosphate
    If this is too much, you can purchase commercially bagged African Violet soil and put a couple handfuls of perlite or vermiculite in it. To avoid any micro organisms that can be in the soil, I pasteurize the soil before potting. It can be baked on a tin foil lined and covered baking sheet at 180 degrees, and checking to make sure the internal temp is also 180 degrees for 30 minutes. This also kills weed seeds and fungi. Last fall after repotting most of my houseplants before bringing them inside for the winter, I noticed that all the plants that were repotted grew mushrooms. So now I bake my soil, or, just inquire with a reputable greenhouse about soils.
    There are many websites, but a couple of good ones are: www.avsa.org and www.optimara.com African Violets look pretty any time, but especially when they are flowering during the cold winter months.