Introduction

African violet scientific name is Saintpaulia ionantha and belongs to the family Gesneriaceae. This plant is small with round and hairy leaves and has beautiful flowers with shades of blue, violet, burgundy, white, and pink. Nowadays there are so many beautiful varieties of these plants available in the market. This plant has been hybridized to have yellow flowers, chimera flowers, and leaves with striking cream or pink variegation and so on. This plant is both difficult and easy to handle. If you understand all the criteria of this plant that is how to take care of the African violet plant and what it requires you can handle this plant very well and easily. This article is all about how to take care of the African violet plant.

Botanical description

Growth pattern: A perennial ornamental herbaceous plant with a compact structure.

Flowers: Short, tubular, violet-blue, or white.

Leaves: Succulent leaves, round, oval, and dark green covered with whitish hair (1).

Take care of the Saintpaulia ionantha (African violet)

By keeping fooling points in mind we can take care of the African violet plant.

1. Light

Bright, medium, and indirect light is best preferred. Rotate the plant regularly for even growth.

2. Water

The plant is succulent in nature therefore avoid watering the leaves as they are more prone to rotting. Water only when the topsoil becomes dry.

Wick watering is a popular way to keep this plant moist and humid all the time.

3. Soil type to take care of African violet plant

A preferable potting mixture is peat moss or coco coir with perlite. This mixture helps to maintain the moisture level of the plant. Normally those potting medium which is light in nature and has a good drainage system is mostly used.

4. Temperature

Room temperatures of 60-80 degrees F (16-30 degrees Celcius) are suitable for the plant. Cold temperature is not very helpful as it can stunt their growth.

5. Propagation

The main mode of propagation is stem cutting. Place the cut end into the moist potting medium and cover with a plastic or glass.

Leave with a one-inch stem part is inserted at a 45-degree angle into the potting medium. In 6-8 weeks baby plants come out. Remove the plants and plant them separately in other new pots.

6. Pests and bugs

Mealybugs and gray molds are the common problems associated with this plant. Also, remove the dead leaves regularly to avoid any mold and bug problems.

Important notes to take care of the African violet plant

• The plant best survives under good humidity. therefore to bloom the plant place a plate with water and pebble under the pot.
• Small pots are preferable as they have a shallow root system.