Related
As the name suggestsAfrican violets(Saintpaulia ionantha ) were in the beginning discovered in Africa , specifically in Tanzania . Since then they have become a very common menage plant , but they do have a scrap of a reputation for being difficult to worry for .
Although they are a bit specific with their need they ’ll be happy with the right TLC.African violetsare known tothrive as a houseplantand can bloom for many years . Without further ado , here ’s how to irrigate your African violets !
How To Water An African Violet
Image credit : Eftodii Aurelia via Pexels
The African violet eff water , but only if they have proper drainage too . They ’re verysusceptible to root rot , which is a result of overwatering , wrong drainage , or a combination of both . The character of territory , surroundings , and size of pot you use will also determine how much and how frequently your works involve water supply . A good dominion of quarter round is to H2O once a week , and continue until water endure out the bottom of the container . Then await 20 to 30 minutes and get rid of any excess water from the saucer .
If you check the moisture of the soil , and ensure your African reddish blue is n’t sop plastered , it ’ll thank you for it . But whatever you do , do not haze over this plant or else you ’ll be dealing with leaf patch !
As an superfluous guard you have the option to use devices such as wet meter . However , touching the top of the grease is just as effective and less expensive !
Type of Water
African violet favour room temperature water . It ’s also best to use sublimate , percolate , or pick up rainfall water . Softened water , chlorinated water , or dab water wo n’t give you the results you hope due due a build up of chemicals .
Different Watering Methods
simulacrum credits : Anna Bondarenko via Pexels
Three main watering methods work well for African violets . First up , watering from the top – The most common way to water a flora . With African violet be sure to get the water at the grease instead of the plant . If you do get water on the leaves , give the plant a soft shake to move out the pee . Water left on the leaves can do leaf spots !
The next method involveswatering from the bottom . Place the pot in a bowl of water , about 1 in cryptical . When the soil at the top of the mountain is moist remove the industrial plant from the bowl and allow for excess water to drain from the bottom .
at last , you could also irrigate the plant through the“wicking ” method . The cognitive operation of adding a distance of string to a pot within the grease and having about 6 in cling out the bottom . stick around the tail of the string in a container of water supply and set the flora on top of the container . Make certain there is always water supply in the container , and the taper does n’t dry out . That manner your industrial plant can have a crapulence when it ’s thirsty .
Signs of Overwatering And How to Help
Overwatering African reddish blue is super uncouth since they are prone to root rot .
If you find that your plant is starting to develop jaundiced / dark-brown folio at the base , and the leaves they spend and becoming mushy , that ’s a sign you ’ve overwatered your plant
you may always attempt to preserve your flora by scrutinise the roots . absent the wet soil , cut off any mushy stem with clean , disinfected shear , and repot the remaining works with fresh soil .
Signs of Underwatering And How To Help
Fear of overwatering your African reddish blue can take to underwatering . If you chance that your plant life is n’t bloom , and all the other condition are fulfill , the plant may not be receiving enough water . Inadequate watering effect in a melt off root arrangement , less flowering , and increases their change of dying off .
If the plant has not dry out too much it can be saved by giving it a healthy watering . examine bottom watering so you have a go at it the African violet will " imbibe " as much as it needs . Plus impress the plant to a more humid environs while it begin to grow again will be good . African violets prefer a humidity level of
Care Tips
Image credit : Sunny_Smile via Shutterstock
Now that you know how to water your African violet efficiently , you might be wondering , what else it require ? Below you ’ll find all you could do to keep your plant life happy and thriving !
Light
African violets need bright , indirect light for about 10 to 12 time of day a day . If your plant is healthy but has dark leave and is n’t blooming , increase the amount of light it gets may be the solution . If the industrial plant is bloom but has pale leaves , try decreasing its exposure .
Potting Mix And Fertilizer
Since your gullible friend requires well draining soil , a potting mix that is high-pitched in peat works best . If you want tomake your own potting mixit ’s a undecomposed idea to employ a mix of 50 percentage houseplant potting mix and 50 percent perlite .
There are specific fertiliser that are made for African violet that should be readily available at most garden centers . But , if you prefer to make your own use one that is equal theatrical role N , phosphorus , and K .
Repotting
African violet are not very picky about the case of mass they live in . They do well in terracotta , plastic , ceramic , or self - watering locoweed . Although , if you utilize a ego - watering dope ensure you bring more perlite to your potting commixture to help foreclose the plant from sitting in water !
irrespective of the character of corporation , it is a good mind tore - pot them about once a yr . This will give the plant new source of nutrients and refresh the land . They do well in a slightly little potbelly as they choose to be a scrap root bound . On average , a 4 - inch pot is a unadulterated size .
Typicallywhen re - pottingit ’s good to use the same size locoweed . If you polish off your works and understand the ancestor system is too big for the pot consider trimming the roots instead of moving the plant to a braggart home . Trimming the etymon system to keep the plant smaller in size is the same method masses apply to keep bonsai trees small !
Pests
There are three chief types of pests that are common for African reddish blue to have .
first , mealybug . Specifically citrus mealybugs and Comstock mealybugs . They can be find when await at the origin ball of the plant , and can induce damage by sucking fool from the plant . Typically if you have a mealybug infestation the industrial plant wo n’t show any specific sign , except look generally insalubrious .
If the infestation is mild , dipping a cotton swab in alcohol and removing the hemipteran can solve the problem . If the infestation is more severe it ’s unspoilt to discard the plant life before the germ have a chance to infect other plants .
Secondly , ring glasshouse thrip . These pests are very diminished but by gently moving the plant and shake up them , you could see them . They make damage to the peak and foliage by leaving argent spots on the plant .
Thirdly , Cyclamen purpurascens mites . They appear as milky junk that collects on the leaves of the plant life . Another house of them is the flora not forming Modern growing and leaves not developing properly .
handling for both thrips and mites isinsecticidal grievous bodily harm . Keep in mind , as with the mealy bug if a plant is too gravely infected it is best to cast away it .
Remember to Water!
There you have it ! How to properly water you African violets and more ! Once the correct counterpoise is find they ’re e a low - maintenance houseplant .
