I have been fascinated by African Violets for quite a while but I have a strange reluctance to keep indoor plants. Last year a friend persuaded me to get one and I learned how to care for it outdoors. Come April I had to bring it in so crossed my fingers and put it indoors opp a bright southwest-facing window. the light there was filtered through the curtains and lo and behold! the plant survived and when I brought it out in October began to bloom again.
I then made a rookie mistake and moved it to a ledge where it got a lot more direct sunlight and the leaves burned in a day. So it was back to the original place with lessons learned and here are some of the things I learned about them.
African Violets are actually easy houseplants to care for. Just give them enough filtered light, a temperature comfortable to humans, and water only when dry and you will have a healthy plant. I put the African violets out in the shade and they have been blooming beautifully. Indoor I did not have good enough light so even though they were healthy they did not flower. I fertilize them regularly, every two weeks around with a mix of organic and chemical fertilizers. They do not like their leaves being sprayed and are liable to get downy mildew if the leaves are wet. So when you are doing the regular fertilizing in the garden make sure to spray only the soil and not the leaves.
They also need to be repotted once or twice a year but remember not to upsize the pot too much. This is because African Violets bloom better when they are root-bound.
African Violets can be pruned on a regular basis. In fact, the removal of drying leaves and flowers are a must. This allows the new foliage to get the air and nourishment. Just pinch off the drying basal leaves and the dead flowers with your fingers. The bonus of regular pruning is that you can make new plants from any of the healthy basal leaves you have removed by mistake. Just make a slanting cut at the end and place it in a well-draining, slightly acidic potting soil medium. Try creating a greenhouse environment by putting in a clear plastic box with a lid or covering the pot in plastic, occasionally opening up to give some air. They should root within 4 weeks and new leaves should show up within 6-8 weeks. You must then separate them carefully from the mother. African violets can also be rooted in water. Follow the steps in the link below and it is super easy. One little tip while repotting the baby plants, add some cinnamon or rooting hormone to the soil which should be well-draining and a little acidic. This helps the roots to develop faster.
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