Gardens burst with all form of colors can be a marvellous sight , particularly in the summer , but if you lack space , then an outdoor garden may not be executable . Indoor garden can sometimes have picayune color , because of a lack of sun indoors , and some of the most beautifulindoor plants , like orchids , are dodgy to care for . Luckily , there are plant like African violet . African reddish blue are easy to care for and beautiful .
With their fuzzy leaves and lovely little flowers , they are a swell way to brighten up small-scale or shady rooms and bring a small cheer to your family . Here ’s what you require to know about African violet care for the indoors .
Varieties of African violets
African reddish blue , despite their name , are not in reality connect to violets . They are a relatively small segment of theStreptocarpusgenus , but they do carry a spectacular resemblance to the genusViola(true violet ) . Although the classic African violet is purple with dark leaves , there are some play variations you’re able to opt if you want to didder things up a bit .
Persian Prince is a blue variety with scalloped leave-taking . First Kiss Blush is a sweet nuance of pink , speckled with purple . For something a little more unusual , render Summer Twilight , a blue and white African violet with kink up petals , or Zephyr , a pink and white rippled variety .
If you ’d like something even more rippled , strain Julia , a pale mixture with several layers of crimped , curly petal . If darker flowers appeal to you more , then you should wait at VaT Pavlin or LE Vega , as both variety have deeper , richer colors .
Planting African violets
jump with a low flower pot that has plenty of drain holes in the bottom . There are some specific soil mixes for African violets uncommitted online , but you’re able to also habituate steady potting territory . It should be a well - draining grime with a electroneutral pH and contain organic issue . An prosperous way to ameliorate inadequate - quality potting soil is by bring a small amount of compost to it .
you may grow African violets from seeds , cutting , offshoots , or nursery get-go , and you may even be able-bodied to find matured plant . If you have a ripe plant or a nursery start , mildly remove it from the container it came in . Do n’t rip on the shank to get it out ! Instead , lightly weigh on the sides of the Mary Jane and joggle the plant from side to side . Brush any sluttish soil off of the roots and then repot it in your heyday pot . Make certain to plant it at roughly the same astuteness as it was previously , so the stalk is n’t buried .
Growing African violetsfrom seed or cuttingstakes longer . Some salmagundi can take most a year to bloom after plant . Offshoots are a trivial faster . They develop from some grownup plants and you may carefully separate them from the main plant .
African violet care
African violet care indoors is well-fixed , as these plants thrive in bright , indirect light . The fond or filtered sunlight they receive from nearby window is enough to keep them well-chosen . Place your potted African violet in front of or beside window , where they can get 6 to 8 hour of collateral brightness . Direct sunlightcan result in sunburned leavesand leggy flowers . If you surmise the illumination in your window is too strong , a light , gauzy curtain can diffuse it .
irrigate your African reddish blue below the leaves . Like most industrial plant with hazy leaves , African violets can develop foliage rot if their leaves are soaked . right drainage is important for African violets . Keep the filth moist , but not soaking wet , and never permit them sit down in water . These plants can develop root or stem bunkum when overwatered .
to boot , African violets are sensitive to the cold . Water them with lukewarm or room temperature water instead of cold water . Keep them off from draughty window , especially during wintertime .
Common problems and solutions
The most vulgar problems when grow African violet come from overwatering or exposure to the coldness . They seldom have an issue with large pests , but modest mites , such as cyclamen mitesand wanderer mites , can become a problem . retain their leaves free of debris can slim the probability of plague . The bristles on African reddish blue leaves can get and hold dust and dirt , which you may softly sweep aside .
An interesting quirk of African violets is that they incline to fly high when the container they ’re in is slimly too small . As a consequence , repotting them too oftentimes can make them to lose some of their splendor , which guide to pocket-sized or few heyday . repot too oft also increases the likeliness of interrupt or damaging their roots .
or else of repotting them on a schedule , only repot your African violets when necessary . Some signboard that it ’s time to repot your African violets let in folio loss and rootage that are visible above the airfoil of the soil or through the drainage cakehole .
African violet companion plants
Since African violets are typically maturate in containers , there are two tactics you could take when project your companion plant . If your comrade flora are in different containers , then any plant that enjoys like lighting can farm and fly high beside your African violets . Bromeliads , succulent , croton , and Flamingo flowers are a few pop option , but any plant that enjoy bright , indirect light will work out . If you want your fellow traveler plants to share a container , then you ’ll have to be a petty more deliberate with your selection .
Keep in judgment that African violet enjoy small spaces and dampish stain . plant that prefer juiceless conditions or a lot of space likely wo n’t make a good companion . Consider pairing multiple African violets together or found them with intimately related industrial plant such as cape primrose , gloxinia , and episcia .
African violets are stunning and prosperous to take care of in the summer and all year ! Now that you cognise how to keep them felicitous and goodish , you could fill your dwelling with these beautiful flush . Just remember to keep them ardent , give them great deal of indirect sun , and occasionally brush the dust off their leaf with a newspaper towel or cloth . savour your delightful new increase to your indoor garden !
