African violets were the first houseplants I remember growing as a child.  Walk into any garden center or supermarket floral section these days and you are liable to see a nice display of African violets.  These traditional flowering houseplants not only make a great Holiday gift idea for the gardener, but also have a place [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_9437" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9437" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class=" wp-image-9437" src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/charlotteco/files/2024/12/20241205_134212-209x300.jpg" alt="Brightly colored African Violets" width="260" height="373" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-9437" class="wp-caption-text">A Beautiful Selection for African Violets &#8211; Gifts Sure To Please!</figcaption></figure>
African violets were the first houseplants I remember growing as a child.  Walk into any garden center or supermarket floral section these days and you are liable to see a nice display of African violets.  These traditional flowering houseplants not only make a great Holiday gift idea for the gardener, but also have a place in every home.  These plants do well in low light, (even artificial light), and come in a wide variety of flower colors and leaf style and texture.
So, you bring your African violet home and wonder where to place it so that it gets the correct amount of light.  These plants will do best with indirect light.  African violets will tell you if they are getting enough light.  Too low of a light intensity, and the African violet will not flower well.  Too much light will result in leaves that are pale or yellowish green.  To bloom, African violets need eight to twelve hours of light and eight hours of darkness per day.  Artificial light using “grow lights” – including compact fluorescent lights and LED – can supply the proper amount of light needed by African violets if no other source is available.
Hand-in-hand with light requirements is making sure your plants receive the proper temperature.  Try to keep your night to day temperatures between seventy to eighty degrees F.  Temperatures over eighty degrees F can affect growth and flowering.  Air conditioning can help provide an even temperature.  In association with temperature of course is humidity.  Humidity can be maintained by placing pots on pebble-filled trays of water.  Make sure that the pots do not touch the water directly.
Ready-to-use African violet potting soils are usually available at any retail garden center.  The soil medium is generally made up of peat and perlite (volcanic material) which provides water retention and good drainage.  Water African violets from the top or the bottom with room temperature or warm water.  Once in a while make sure to water from the top to flush excess fertilizer salts away.  Using a good liquid fertilizer at intervals recommended on the package label will ensure good growth and frequent flowering.  Good leaf color and normal flowering are signs that your feeding program is working.
Even novice gardeners will find that African violets are very easy to propagate.  In as little as six months you can grow a new plant ready to flower!  Leaf cuttings (with the petiole &#8211; leaf stem attached) are made by snapping or cutting a leave from the original plant.  Make sure that the stem is about one- and one-half inches long.  Insert the leaf stem into a sterile potting medium.  Insert this leaf into a pre-dug hole made with a pencil and firm the medium gently around the cutting.  Expect roots in three to four weeks and leaves in about another month.
Pest control will include monitoring your plants for pests and always quarantining new plants to prevent introducing infestations.  Cold water can cause spotting on leaves &#8211; use warm water as mentioned earlier.
African violets are real gems of the houseplant world – give one as a gift this season!  For more information on all types of houseplants, or to ask a question, you can also call the Master Gardener Volunteer Helpdesk on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Ralph E. Mitchell is the Director/Horticulture Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County. He can be reached at 941-764-4344 or <a href="mailto:ralph.mitchell@charlottecountyfl.gov">ralph.mitchell@charlottecountyfl.gov</a>. Connect with us on social media. Like us on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteCountyExtension">@CharlotteCountyExtension</a> and follow us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ifascharco/">@ifascharco</a>.
Resource:  Park Brown S. (2024) African Violets, The University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS.

A Beautiful Selection for African Violets – Gifts Sure To Please!
African violets were the first houseplants I remember growing as a child.  Walk into any garden center or supermarket floral section these days and you are liable to see a nice display of African violets.  These traditional flowering houseplants not only make a great Holiday gift idea for the gardener, but also have a place in every home.  These plants do well in low light, (even artificial light), and come in a wide variety of flower colors and leaf style and texture.
So, you bring your African violet home and wonder where to place it so that it gets the correct amount of light.  These plants will do best with indirect light.  African violets will tell you if they are getting enough light.  Too low of a light intensity, and the African violet will not flower well.  Too much light will result in leaves that are pale or yellowish green.  To bloom, African violets need eight to twelve hours of light and eight hours of darkness per day.  Artificial light using “grow lights” – including compact fluorescent lights and LED – can supply the proper amount of light needed by African violets if no other source is available.
Hand-in-hand with light requirements is making sure your plants receive the proper temperature.  Try to keep your night to day temperatures between seventy to eighty degrees F.  Temperatures over eighty degrees F can affect growth and flowering.  Air conditioning can help provide an even temperature.  In association with temperature of course is humidity.  Humidity can be maintained by placing pots on pebble-filled trays of water.  Make sure that the pots do not touch the water directly.
Ready-to-use African violet potting soils are usually available at any retail garden center.  The soil medium is generally made up of peat and perlite (volcanic material) which provides water retention and good drainage.  Water African violets from the top or the bottom with room temperature or warm water.  Once in a while make sure to water from the top to flush excess fertilizer salts away.  Using a good liquid fertilizer at intervals recommended on the package label will ensure good growth and frequent flowering.  Good leaf color and normal flowering are signs that your feeding program is working.
Even novice gardeners will find that African violets are very easy to propagate.  In as little as six months you can grow a new plant ready to flower!  Leaf cuttings (with the petiole – leaf stem attached) are made by snapping or cutting a leave from the original plant.  Make sure that the stem is about one- and one-half inches long.  Insert the leaf stem into a sterile potting medium.  Insert this leaf into a pre-dug hole made with a pencil and firm the medium gently around the cutting.  Expect roots in three to four weeks and leaves in about another month.
Pest control will include monitoring your plants for pests and always quarantining new plants to prevent introducing infestations.  Cold water can cause spotting on leaves – use warm water as mentioned earlier.
African violets are real gems of the houseplant world – give one as a gift this season!  For more information on all types of houseplants, or to ask a question, you can also call the Master Gardener Volunteer Helpdesk on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Ralph E. Mitchell is the Director/Horticulture Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County. He can be reached at 941-764-4344 or ralph.mitchell@charlottecountyfl.gov. Connect with us on social media. Like us on Facebook @CharlotteCountyExtension and follow us on Instagram @ifascharco.
Resource:  Park Brown S. (2024) African Violets, The University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS.

African violets were the first houseplants I remember growing as a child.  Walk into any garden center or supermarket floral section these days and you are liable to see a nice display of African violets.  These traditional flowering houseplants not only make a great Holiday gift idea for the gardener, but also have a place […]

The African violet – a gift for the holidays

A: Several things might be the cause of no blooming. My first concern would be the amount of light the plant may be receiving. Although these plants are grown indoors they do require quite a bit of light exposure. However, do not assume that means direct light as they should never be placed in full [&#8230;]

A: Several things might be the cause of no blooming. My first concern would be the amount of light the plant may be receiving. Although these plants are grown indoors they do require quite a bit of light exposure. However, do not assume that means direct light as they should never be placed in full sun. African violets should receive high indirect light. They also need to be fertilized on a regular basis but the nitrogen level should be small. Consider them as you would a baby which has to fed often but only with small amounts of food. Over watering could also cause the plant to not produce blooms. I have included a publication from the University of Florida on growing violets. <a href="http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg028">http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg028</a>

A: Several things might be the cause of no blooming. My first concern would be the amount of light the plant may be receiving. Although these plants are grown indoors they do require quite a bit of light exposure. However, do not assume that means direct light as they should never be placed in full sun. African violets should receive high indirect light. They also need to be fertilized on a regular basis but the nitrogen level should be small. Consider them as you would a baby which has to fed often but only with small amounts of food. Over watering could also cause the plant to not produce blooms. I have included a publication from the University of Florida on growing violets. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg028

A: Several things might be the cause of no blooming. My first concern would be the amount of light the plant may be receiving. Although these plants are grown indoors they do require quite a bit of light exposure. However, do not assume that means direct light as they should never be placed in full […]

Q:   When I bought my African violet it was blooming beautifully but it has never bloomed again.  What could be wrong?

The African violet (Saintpaulia species) is a popular houseplant that grows and flowers under light conditions found in the average home or under artificial light. Many different varieties, types, and flower colors exist. For best growth and flowering, African violets require bright light (~1000 foot candles), but no direct sunlight (Figure 2). This is the [&#8230;]

The African violet (Saintpaulia species) is a popular houseplant that grows and flowers under light conditions found in the average home or under artificial light. Many different varieties, types, and flower colors exist.
For best growth and flowering, African violets require bright light (~1000 foot candles), but no direct sunlight (Figure 2). This is the amount of light within 3 feet of a southeast- or west-facing window. Lower light levels for longer periods of time are also adequate. The appearance of a plant will indicate whether light levels are too high, too low, or just right. If light is too low, leaves are usually thin and deep green, and appear to reach up for light. The plants may grow, but will flower poorly or not at all. In such instances, supplemental artificial light will help promote flowering.
Excessive light causes leaves to be pale or greenish-yellow. Some leaves may show dark green areas where they have been shaded by upper leaves. Growth slows when light is too high and plants become very compact. Flowering will also begin to decrease.
Fact sheet: <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg028">African Violets</a>
Sold at Nassau County Master Gardener Plant Sale

The African violet (Saintpaulia species) is a popular houseplant that grows and flowers under light conditions found in the average home or under artificial light. Many different varieties, types, and flower colors exist.
For best growth and flowering, African violets require bright light (~1000 foot candles), but no direct sunlight (Figure 2). This is the amount of light within 3 feet of a southeast- or west-facing window. Lower light levels for longer periods of time are also adequate. The appearance of a plant will indicate whether light levels are too high, too low, or just right. If light is too low, leaves are usually thin and deep green, and appear to reach up for light. The plants may grow, but will flower poorly or not at all. In such instances, supplemental artificial light will help promote flowering.
Excessive light causes leaves to be pale or greenish-yellow. Some leaves may show dark green areas where they have been shaded by upper leaves. Growth slows when light is too high and plants become very compact. Flowering will also begin to decrease.
Fact sheet: African Violets
Sold at Nassau County Master Gardener Plant Sale

The African violet (Saintpaulia species) is a popular houseplant that grows and flowers under light conditions found in the average home or under artificial light. Many different varieties, types, and flower colors exist. For best growth and flowering, African violets require bright light (~1000 foot candles), but no direct sunlight (Figure 2). This is the […]

African Violets

Publications

Cultural Guidelines for Commercial Production of African Violets (Saintpaulia ionantha)

African Violets

The African violet – a gift for the holidays

Q: When I bought my African violet it was blooming beautifully but it has never bloomed again. What could be wrong?

Fact sheet: African Violets