What are the cultivation methods and precautions of African violets?

African violet growth habits

African violets prefer warm, humid and semi-shady environment. They are afraid of strong light and high temperature in summer. The suitable temperature for growth is 16~24℃, 18~24℃ from April to October, and 12~16℃ from October to April of the following year.

African violets need shade in the summer to keep their leaves lush and green, and plenty of sunlight in the winter to keep blooming. Adding auxiliary light on rainy and snowy days is very beneficial to the growth and flowering of African violets.

How to grow African violets

Soil selection: African violets are very suitable for growing in slightly acidic soil. The pH value of the soil is best between 6.4 and 6.9. It is best if it contains more organic humus. Self-prepared soil generally uses perlite + vermiculite + peat soil, mixed in a ratio of 2:3:5.

Temperature requirements: The environment for African violets needs to be kept warm all year round, and the minimum maintenance temperature must be maintained above 5 degrees, otherwise it is easy to frostbite, and it is easy to freeze to death if the temperature is below 2 degrees. The growth temperature is between 15 and 30 degrees.

Humidity requirements: African violets also require high air humidity, which should be kept between 40% and 60%.

Maintenance location: Keep in an environment with appropriate scattered light or bright light. It is best to keep it on a south-facing or east-facing windowsill. Also pay attention to rotating the pot regularly to allow the plant to obtain more light from all directions.

Planting container: It is best to use a shallow pot to care for African violets. Using a container that is too large will easily cause water accumulation and root rot. Maintaining good drainage and air permeability of the root system is more important.

Watering method: It is best to use soft water at room temperature to water African violets. It is best to place tap water in a container for three days before use. The roots should not be too dry each time you water them, and avoid getting the leaves or flowers wet.

Fertilization method: Fertilization should be light. During the growth and development period, apply a thin, decomposed liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus once every 10 days. However, be careful not to use too much nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the leaves will grow lushly but the flowers will rarely bloom. For this reason, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be 1:1:1.

African violets breeding precautions

Repotting regularly: African violets require regular repotting. If you find that there are constantly withered leaves at the bottom of the rhizomes of African violets, you can repot them after the spring warms up, remove the dry leaves at the bottom, and replace them with new pots and new soil.

Pruning: Once you find dry or rotten leaves on the African violet plant, you should cut them off immediately. Withered flowers should also be removed in time, and yellow leaves at the bottom should also be cut off in time.