Early Morn African Violet Group Inc.
African Violets and other Gesneriads
 
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Questions and Answers - Page 1       
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Questions and Answers

 

What conditions do African Violets prefer?

African violets prefer temperatures between 15OC – 25OC. They like a drop of about 5OC during approximately 8 dark hours. Humidity of 40% - 60% keeps them lush and flowering. They do adapt to conditions which are not quite ideal however and survive a few short periods of colder or hotter weather.  

 

When you go on holidays, how do your plants get watered?

Put your plants on wick watering, or get someone to call in and give them a little drink now and then. If you are going away for a long holiday you could put your plants on wicks and use large reservoirs, like ice cream containers.

 

What do you do when your violet is dry and limp?

Don’t swamp your plants with water especially not cold water as this could cause marked leaves. Don’t leave saucers full of water for long periods of time. Water gradually (give a little water at a time). A good idea is to give a mist of spray (with hot water) over the foliage as well as a little watering.

 

What will you do if you have saturated your African violet’s potting mix?

If you have inadvertently swamped your plant, stand the pot on the newspaper till the excess water has drained. Allow the potting mix to almost dry out before re-watering. If your plant develops root or crown rot from sitting in swampy potting mix, you will need to take a crown cutting to save your plant.

 

How long does it take for a separate baby plant to be produced from a leaf?

It takes 6 weeks to several months depending on the variety and your conditions. Warmth and light promote faster growth.

 

How long does it take for a mature plant to grow from a baby plant?

It takes about 8 months for a mature plant to develop from a baby plant. However, a show plant will have a larger head of flowers if it is over one year old. 

 

  

Why won’t my plant flower?

An African violet will flower if it has enough light, enough fertiliser and is not too cold or hot. Place your plant in a bright window (but not directly in the sun rays). Fertilise with dilute fertiliser solution and repot once a year.

 

My plant doesn’t produce many flowers. What is wrong with it?

The problem is cultural- re pot it in fresh potting mix. Feed with balanced fertiliser and provide sufficient light.

 

My African violet seems to be sprouting plantlets at the base of the stem. What are they? Should I leave them or remove them?

The sprouting plants are suckers. You should remove them. If you do this carefully, you may have a new small plantlet which you can plant into a separate pot and let it grow into another plant.

 

Why do you use small squat pots?

African violets have a shallow root system and do not like being surrounded by a large quantity of soggy potting mix. A shallow pot creates similar conditions to those enjoyed by the original species!

 

 

How should we fertilise in hot and cold weather?

In cold temperatures, because our plants grow more slowly, they need less fertiliser. At high temperatures, they tend to lose more water you should dilute the fertiliser solution.

 

What is the white powdery stuff on my flower stalks and some leaves?

It is powdery mildew which is a fungus which can actually penetrate the leaf surface. The spores are present in the atmosphere all around us and only need the right conditions for them to develop into a full blown case of Powdery Mildew/ These conditions include large differences in temperatures during the days and nights and also poor ventilation.

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