The Garden At Rock Cottage by Lance Brilliantine

What's New with African Violets

The African Violet is one of the easiest and most popular of house plants. It has received bad publicity over the years. People sometimes refer to these plants as "granny plants," and it is true that many grandmothers enjoy it. Perhaps Granny is right in this instance!

African Violets are a tropical plant that acclimates well to the internal home environment. When properly cared for, which means good light, growing medium, and moisture, some of the newer varieties bloom continuously (deadheading spent flowers sparks additional bloom). They provide welcome color and "life" to dreary winter days.

This is one plant that prefers plastic pots. Terracotta pots tend to rot the leaves. It is also important to make sure pots will provide limited space for the roots, as plants bloom more profusely when the roots are constrained. A three-inch pot is the best choice.

Fill pots with loose, friable soil consisting of a mixture of one third each of garden soil, sand and peat moss, or use a combination of soil-less medium mixed with peat moss. Add a teaspoonful of bone meal to each quart of soil mix and wet the mixture before using.

Place pebbles over the pot's drainage hole, then fill the pot with the soil mix and place the plant so the crown is about a half-inch below the rim of the pot. Be very careful when planting because roots tend to be delicate.

Pots should be placed in southern, eastern or western windows where they can receive a lot of light. In southern windows, the light should not be direct. The violets do best in a range of temperatures from about 65 F during the night to 72 F during the day. Above or below these temperatures, the plants become dormant. Below 60 F, the plants will not do too well. Because the plants are succulent, too much light tends to burn the leaves and too little light stunts growth.

Water the violets from the bottom using saucers filled with tepid or room temperature water. Pour enough water into the saucer to permit the plant to "drink" for about twenty minutes, and pour off any excess after that. Be careful not to wet the leaves, as this tends to spot them, especially if the water is cold. Be aware that these plants do best with slight moisture - never wet. Letting plants yearn for water stimulates growth and blooms when they receive it. But don't let plants dry out completely. Complete drying renders the root hairs incapable of absorbing water and will cause a setback in growth.

African Violets do not require much fertilizer. Once every four or five months seems sufficient - with a one-fourth strength organic plant food.

Plants should be propagated in the spring and summer. To propagate, cut a few leaves from the plant's center. Trim the leaf stalk to about two inches in length and insert in water through a hole in a glass covered with aluminum foil. Keep in a warm location, changing the water to keep it fresh. The leaves typically sprout roots in about three months and can be potted.

There are more than 30,000 listed varieties of African Violet. Colors come in blue, pink, violet and white. Flowers may be single, double, star-shaped, fringed or ruffled, and can be small to quite large. The leaves can be plain, ruffled, fringed, scalloped, pointed or variegated.

Some of the newer varieties include Eileen, a variety particularly distinguished by its year-round blooms of a clear white with a distinct violet-blue edge; Aca's Puff Ball provides clusters of very full, double red blossoms with frilled edges over dark, green, serrated foliage with a red reverse - just beautiful; Allison's Laughter offers very large double stars of purple with a thick white outline and frilled edges; Austin Smile is a striking semi-double white with yellow fringed petals that provides fluted flowers that also have darker coral spots; Blue Dragon is a magnificent variety with semi-double and double stars of light blue that are accented by a darker blue center - spectacular; and, Christmas Dream is a dark burgundy-red single flower that is a prolific bloomer.

While most people will never be "mad" over African Violets, they have a strong appeal as a house plant that is easy and rewarding to grow. Every house ought to have at least one example.

You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.

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