African Violet Experience

Afre years of dipping in and out I bought 2 Saintapaulia better known as African Violets (AV) in December 2016 and managed to kill one within months. This  12 month survivor has been in flower continuously ever since. The plant is happy in a 4″ globular ceramic pot which has a sump to water from underneath. Through my unconscious neglect the plant has to wait until the leaves start to flop before I remember to water. They quickly plump up after a drink but after the first death I have made sure the Violet does not stand in water ‘damping off’ the roots.

After a year I have discovered some old special African Violet (AV) fertiliser and as a birthday treat the survivor has been given a weak solution in the last watering. The quick draining compost contained enough goodness to last until now. I don’t think they are heavy feeders. Too much feed would make the leaves soft and prone to rot.

As you can see the AV is kept on a windowsill facing east and except on one exceptionally hot sunny day there has been no scorching or burning.

Dead and dying flowers should be pinched off to make room for new growth. There is one ready to go on this plant and an untidy old stem in the background. I prefer the finger and thumb pinching method rather than ‘pulling’ the offending item to keep the plant roots firmly in the compost.

This AV has soft hairy leaves and you can see the hairs on the edge of the petals below.

African Violets were discovered in German East Africa by Walter von St Paul- Illaire  after whom the six  species (and numerous sub-species) were named. They were first brought to Europe  in the 1880’s and subsequently the USA where as a subtropical species they were cultivated for indoor or greenhouse use.

Adequate light and a