BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Houseplants African Violets...

I used to have African Violets around the house, but I gave up on them because they did not last long. Do you have any tips for growing really nice ones? I think they are so pretty.

I love African Violets I have 7 of them. 6 of which i started from leaves years ago. they don't flower like the ones in the store because i don't grow them under the right conditions but i get to enjoy two flowerings a year.

they don't like to get their leaves wet so if you can't water them from the bottom then lift the leaves up at one end and water the top of the soil, avoiding the leaves. i fertilize and top off the soil about once a year depending on how much it's compacted. i use soil specifically for african violets. i tried an african violet fertilizer one year and nearly lost them all so the only nutrients they get comes from the soil. i only water once a week and just enough to dampen the soil (not until it runs through. i find the more water they have the least they like it.

Often times you will find them sitting in a dish or tray that has rocks in it and the water is sitting just in the rocks, so that the violets have increased humidity as the water evaporates, without the added worries of root rot.

The African Violets I bought for my office a year ago have rewarded me with re-blooming this year! Not as "bloomy" as they were when I bought them, but hey, a bloom is a bloom. Now I have a gloxinia that someone sent me when my mother-in-law passed away, and I'm struggling to keep it alive...

Thanks, Moe, for the tips. I love African Violets. When I get settled in my new home I am going to get some to put in my kitchen window where they will get morning sun.