Growing African Violets

I have a small potted African Violet that I've had for over 10 years. It goes through cycles of blooming and not blooming; right now it is not blooming! But it will be again soon. I just found some helpful tips at Midwest Living that may help me keep my violet blooming longer and more often. Here are a few things I learned...


African violets bloom year-round, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. The one I have has deep purple blooms. Don't you love the way the violets are displayed in the photo above? I really like the idea of putting them on a vintage-style cake stand and potting them in teacups!


African violets also grow best in light, fluffy soil, and they like warmer conditions (about 72 degrees) and filtered sunlight. The photo above shows more violets potted in lovely sugar bowls–a great way to use your flea market finds that don't have matching lids!



It's so easy to start a new plant-just cut off a young leaf and root it in moist potting mix!

Other violet-growing tips:

  • They grow best in an east- or west-facing window about 12" from the glass.
  • They need 8 hours of darkness to be able to bloom.
  • It's best to water violets before the soil dries out out completely. 
  • Periodically snip or pinch back faded blooms to encourage new buds 
  • Prune wayward stems to help the plant keep a nice shape
You can find many more helpful violet-growing tips at Midwest Living. Do you have pots of violets growing in your home?

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