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African Violets - Help At Hand This article was provided by 
Let's look at the average African Violet sold at a retail outlet- a nursery, Florist or supermarket. It is grown in a good nursery as one of hundreds of similar plants. It will be a proven, heavy-blooming, sturdy variety, and it will be grown in excellent controlled conditions which are designed to make it grow quickly and bloom early. It will have light, warmth, fertiliser, pest-control sprays- anything that is needed to produce a strong, healthy plant for the market.
Then its problems start - it suffers severe changes in conditions when it is transported, at the sales outlet, and when it is sold. Given that it is already in a state of shock, it will be further distressed it its new abode is too hot or too cold, draughty or dark. Almost certainly, as soon as it reaches its new home, it will be watered. If it looks a little limp it will be watered again, and if it fails to perk up it will get more water still - in a short time it will probably be dead - literally killed by kindness! The greatest factor contributing to its passing will be the mix in which it is potted. Commercially used mixes are usually much heavier than the soiless mixes used by hobby growers, often containing sand or soil, or a great deal peat. They are ideal for nursery culture, but under less than perfect conditions tend to retain too much moisture, leading to rotting of roots and a trip to plant heaven. Also African Violets like to be repotted at least once a year, and by the time a plant reaches the market, it is nearly due for a change of mix anyway. So - what to do? Firstly, be sparing with the water - apply only when the mix is quite dry - African Violets will survive amazingly long periods without water - so err on the arid side. Give the plant the best position you can in a warm, light spot, and enjoy its blooms until it ceases flowering. Then repot it using a light, soiless mix for preference. Specialist growers use a 3:2:1 combination of peat, vermiculite and perlite, with some charcoal, but for the person with just a few plants, it is best to buy a mix from a specialist African Violet nursery or from a society, or to lighten commercially available mixes (which tend to be too heavy) by the addition of vermiculite and perlite, which are available at most general nurseries. |
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