Introduction
One of the most famous myths about African Violets is that they are difficult to grow.
Nay Nay we Say!
With just a few simple tips you'll be rewarded with a variety of foliage and breath-taking blossoms unseen in any other houseplant.
And the good news is that there is a broad spectrum of plant sizes that are suitable for any living environment from the smallest apartment to the largest of homes.
Miniatures: For judging purposes, these little darlings are kept to a six inch diameter .
Semi-Miniatures: Semi are kept at about 8" and they are a great choice if your gowing space is limted ... they are the perfect size for apartment and condo living.
Standard: These are probably the most common size and it isn't unusual for them to grow into a 14" diameter or more.
Large: Seeing your first large sized African Violet in bloom leaves you awestruck at its beauty and symmetry. You can see them as large as 24" across. WOW!
Trailers: Trailers are lots of fun to grow. They grow more compact and have multiple crowns. Pinch out the center of a crown and it grows even more.
Tip of the Month for September
As we are expecting coolet weather soon, it is a good time to repot. In a perfect world we should repot our plants about every 3 months. Why repot every three months you ask... my plant hasn't grown that big.
This may be true but fresh soil around your roots can provide an energy boost to your plants. Soil is more than just dirt. It contains trace elements of many minerals which are also needed for healthy plant growth.
Light soil is a necessity in Florida. Violet roots need air and heavy soil can hold too much water and cause root rot. Especially in our humid Florida environment. Take the plant out of the pot, remove lower old leaves, remove some of the old soil. Place the plant back into the pot and make sure to give it a turtleneck of fresh soil. Fill the soil to just below the bottom row of leaves.
TAVS sells our own special Florida 'lite' soil mix to our members and to guests who come to our meetings. Click on the meeting tab above to learn when and where our meetings are each month. Happy Growing
Click on a page to bring it forward.
General Growing Tips
Click through the page for topic information.
Overall, African Violets grow best in the same type of environment that we humans enjoy.
Starting from a Leaf
African Violets are very easy to propogate. Pull a leaf from an existing plant. Cut the leaf stem at a 45
Correct Pot Size
H
Fertilizing & Feeding
Temperature and Lighting
African Violet Plant
This illustration shows the entire African Violet Plant.
The pages that follow will
disect the different parts
of the plant.
Click on the page number - upper right to see remainder
of tutorial.
Bloom Stalk
The Bloom Stalk is a grouping of blossoms on a stem. As it grows it will sometimes hide between the leaves and you may have to lift the leaf and gently coax out the stalk with buds so the blooms can fully open.
4. The pedicel is the stem that supports a single blossom.
5. The peduncle is the stem that supports the entire bloom cluster.
a. sepals
Bloom Stalk Front View
1. This bloom stalk shows several blossoms fully open.
2. Peeking out below you can see some fresh buds waiting to open and show off.
Blossom Parts
b. petals
d. ovary
e. style
f. stigma
h. pollen
i. pistil
Plant Fertilization System
c. ovary
g. anthers
8. Seed pods - These occur as a result of eggs in the ovary being fertilized with pollen from the same
or a different plant.
Taking the pollen from one plant
and brushing it across the anthers
and ovaries of another is how
create something new.
Leafy Growth
6. The Petiole is the stem that connects the blade of the leaf to the stem of the plant.
7. A sucker is the beginning of a new crown. African Violets are grown as single crown plants so suckers should be removed as soon as they are detected.
8. The leaf blade can take several shapes. Be sure and check out the Foliage section.
Roll your cursor over the picture for description.
Click the picture to make it larger and enjoy a slide show.
Simply click on the upper corner of the book to turn to the next page.
Books & Resources
There is a wide variety of resources for helping you learn how to grow African Violets. The very best resource is to join a local club.
If you are not in the Tampa area you can click on the AV LINKS button at the top of your screen and it will provide information on other African Violet Clubs.
Other resources are shown below with a brief description and hyperlinks to them when available.
Simply look for an underline to find a live link to a resouce we mention.
The African Violet Society of America is the umbrella organization for all the local, state and regional violet clubs.
AVSA membership extends not only throughout North America but also across the world.
The annual show and sale is open to the public. It is in a different area each year.
The AVM is the African Violet Magazine that has a wealth of AV info and is included with AVSA membership.
Each year all of the affiliates of the African Violet Society of America send their top 25 favorites to AVSA. AVSA tallies these and publishes a list of the top 25 from across the world. Here are the top picks for Tampa African Violet Society - Check back later to learn how are local picks did on the world-wide list. Click on the violet name to see a picture of that favorite variety.
TAVS Top Picks
1. Irish Flirt
2. Frosted Whisper
3. Fisherman's Paradise
4. Jungle Print
5. Looking Glass
6. Anna Kreeck
7. Ness' Crinkle Blue
8. Gold Coins
9. Therese
10. Christine
11 Lemon Whip
12. Lemon Kisses
13. Kandy Kitchen
14. Heaven's A Calling
15. Christening Gown
16. Cool Lady
17. Spring Kiss
18. Candlelight Romance
19. Rob's Funny Bunny
20. Honey Pink Jewel
21. Cabbage Patch
22. Ness' Cool Breeze
