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Home Plants Indoor Plants

African Violet

African violets are perfect indoor plants. For a start, they’re quite small so they can fit into the tiniest apartments. They need minimal care and actually are happier if they aren’t given too much water – perfect plants for lazy indoor gardeners.

African violets are making a comeback! As the popularity of indoor plants soars, so does the not-so- humble African violet. They’re perfect plants for growing indoors, taking up very little room and provide delightful flowers over many months.

Passionate growers have been diligently creating many stunning new varieties of African violets and they now come in a dazzling array of flower colours and forms and also gorgeous leaf variegations.

How to grow African violets in a pot

  1. Choose a spot indoors that is well lit, but away from direct sunlight, like a windowsill behind a sheer curtain or on a coffee table.
  2. Fill the pot with good quality potting mix, specifically formulated for African violets. 
  3. Remove plant from container, gently tease roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
  4. Position in pot and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Hold the pot over a sink and water in well, keeping the water away from the leaves. Allow water to completely drain before returning to the saucer. 
  5. For subsequent watering, fill saucer with water and allow it to be soaked up by the soil. Allow soil to dry before watering again.  
  6. Feed fortnightly with Yates Thrive Indoor Liquid Plant Food (check the label for African Violets) to promote strong root development, healthy foliage growth and lots of beautiful flowers.
  7.  African violet leaves can collect dust. Regularly dust the leaves with a soft paintbrush.
  8. Keep the plant looking tidy and promote flowering by removing any yellow leaves and spent flowers.
     

 

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Growing tips

  • Remove dead flowers regularly and let the plants dry out thoroughly after each spurt of flowering. 

  • Placing them inside a closed paper bag can sometimes encourage stubborn violets to flower. Leave them covered for 3-4 days before exposing them to the light again. Hopefully you’ll find that, after this treatment, the plant will be so grateful to be released that it will almost immediately burst into bloom!

  • Dust violet leaves regularly by using a small brush. Dust can clog up the pores of the leaves and make it difficult for the leaves to function.
  • Propagation tip: create more of your favourite African violets by taking leaf cuttings. Choose healthy leaves with around 3 cm of stem. Dip the end of the stem into Yates Clonex® Purple Rooting Hormone Gel, insert into potting mix, keep moist and a tiny new plant will develop in around 2 months.

 

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