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African Violets

Having a few problems!! Please Help!!

18 years ago

Hi, I am fairly new to AVs. I got my first from my M-I-L 2 years ago, and became addicted, very quickly. The Wal-Mart nearby had them on sale for 97 cents and my hubby went crazy. We bought 7. I had a perfect window in my kitchen for the violets (it was a north window). They would put off new growth (or suckers...not sure which) and I would take them off and repot those and they would bloom quickly. We have since moved and I had to bring the AVs to my classroom. They bloomed out and haven't bloomed since. They are now in a west window (That is all I have) and are shaded with the other wing of the building. I have lots of reproduction of plants (all of the suckers have crowns) and repot. Most look very healthy, just no blooms for over a year now. I am not sure about fertilizing or soil. Most are in regular potting soil, but that is what my M-I-L had them in and they have always bloomed for her. I also read on this board last night that some can be overpotted. Could this keep them from blooming?? I really need help to revitalize my Lovelies. Any help from all of these wonderful experts is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Lori

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Comments (3)

irina_co
18 years ago
Lori,

there 3 things for you to do:

1. get a shoplight and hang it 10 inches above your Lovelies.
Shoplight in Walmart is $6.97, 2 48 inch growlights $11 the same place, couple plant chains, hooks - to hang it, timer the same place - $5, extension cord.

2. You need to repot them - 2 times a year is perfect - once a year is a must. You can use the same type of soil - just add some perlite to it to make it more breathable- at least 1/3. Yes - you are right - stick to 3 to 4 inch pots. (1/3 of the leaf diameter.

3. Get an African Violet fertilizer - and use it half dose.

It what you should do to keep them blooming.

Another thing from a fellow addict - do not reproduce same MIL or WM violets over and over again - give the babies to your friends. There are 15000 registered violets of shapes and hues to die for - and you need to try at least some of them.

Irina
musikisme
Original Author
18 years ago
Irina, Thank you so much for the advice. I will get started on that ASAP. Do you just always use the same size pot if it hasn't grown to measure out to a new size, or just refresh the soil each time???

Thanks,Lori
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korina
18 years ago
Lori, you definitely need more light, just like Irina said.

The pot diameter should equal 1/3 the plant diameter, so if the plant has the same diameter, it can go back into the same pot.

FYI, a popular recipe for AV soil is 1 part peat (or coconut coir, my favorite), 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, with a little horticultural charcoal; makes it hard to overwater.

Also, AVs like to be fed a dilute balanced fertilizer with every watering. Like Irina said, dilute it to 1/2 or 1/3 strength.

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