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How to Revive an African Violet That Is Not Growing

Growing African violets can be a very rewarding endeavor. They will give you a lush plant with beautiful and colorful little flowers that can really spruce up your home. However, they can be a challenge to grow properly because of the specific conditions that they require.

If your African violet is not growing, you need to make sure you are providing the correct environment. You need to give it appropriate lighting; plant it in the right soil; repot it twice a year; give it the right amounts of food, water, and fertilizer; and not allow it to overgrow in the pot.

If you are having problems with your African violet not growing, there are several things that you can try. Read on to learn about the conditions that you need to try to create to make your African violet grow.

Make Sure It Is in the Right Place

If you live in North America, an African violet is definitely an indoor plant. This is because it’s important for the leaves to stay dry. You need to grow the plant under bright, indirect light if you want it to truly thrive.

The optimal temperature for these plants is between 65 and 75°F (18.3 and 24°C). You should not let them sit in a location that is below 50°F (10°C), since they will likely die here.

If you can place the plant about three feet away from a south- or west-facing window, this would be optimal. Alternatively, if you can’t put it by a window, you can grow the violets under 40-watt fluorescent lights that are placed 12 to 15 inches (30 and 38 cm) above the pot.

If you are trying to grow an African violet outside, this can ruin the leaves by causing spots to form on them. If you have your plant under inadequate lighting, the leaves are likely to be thin and spindly, and your plant is less likely to flower.

Plant and Pot It Correctly

African violets will thrive when they are in soil that is moist, but not saturated. The soil should also be slightly acidic.

If you can get an indoor potting mix that is specially formulated for African violets, this would be ideal. Alternatively, you can mix your own soil, combining brown sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite in equal parts. The best soil for this plant would be a mix that is not too dense so that air is able to circulate around the roots.

You should plant African violets in appropriate pots. Typically, these will be small ceramic or plastic self-watering containers that are about four to five inches in diameter. If you use a self-watering container, it will give the plant continuous moisture without excessive moisture.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 10, 2020.

You should also plan to repot your African violets every six months. After some time, the lower leaves on the plant will start to die, and the lower part of the stem will become bare. This exposed part of the stem is often referred to as a “neck.”

In this situation, what you will need to do is take the plant out of the pot and cut off the bottom of the root ball (usually about the bottom four inches).

This may seem extreme, but you will have to do it because if you are using a pot that is the same size (which you should, as bigger pots can also be bad for growth), it simply won’t be deep enough to accommodate the entire plant without still leaving a neck.

Then, you will want to put the plant back into the same pot with new soil or potting mix. This time, however, you will want to bury the stem, so that the lower ring of leaves is at the same level as the edge of the pot.

Put the base of the plant into the new soil. Externally, it will actually look normal, but you will know that it doesn’t have any roots.

You should keep in mind that it will easily wilt without the roots, so you will need to take measures to prevent this. You can either put it in a very humid location, a covered container, or a large plastic bag. Do this for about a month, until the crown is able to form a strong set of roots, and then you can go back to normal conditions.

Water It the Right Amount

It’s very common to not give your African violet the right amount of water. The easiest way to ensure that you are doing this correctly is to grow them in self-watering containers. These have a top part where the plant will grow, in addition to a reservoir on the bottom that holds water.

If you have this kind of container, you can fill the reservoir with water, allow the plant to absorb it for about 10 minutes, and then pour the excess out.

If you don’t have access to one of these, water it just enough to keep the soil about as moist as a sponge that you have wrung out really well. Make sure that you use water that is at room temperature. Also, don’t get water on the leaves, as this can lead to spots on the leaves.

Give It Enough Food and Fertilizer

Approximately a month after you plant your African violet, start feeding it appropriate plant food. This will help it to flower more, and the blooms will likely be brighter as well. You will just need to add the appropriate amount of plant food to the water reservoir or into the soil, according to the directions on the package.

Fertilizer is also very important to keep your plant healthy. You should check to make sure that your potting mix does not already contain some, however, because you do not want to use too much. If you are still in need of fertilizer, you can find a standard balanced fertilizer or one that is made especially for African violets. Add it according to the specified instructions.

Don’t Let the Plant Get Too Crowded

Over time, African violets might become too crowded within their pots. This means that there might be too many leaves and flowers to manage. This could cause the plant to stop growing since there simply aren’t enough resources available to maintain the entire plant as it is.

What’s really great in this situation is that you can actually create more African violet plants. What you can do is snip off a leaf at the point where it meets the stem of the plant and use it to create a new potted plant. You can coat the cut end with a rooting hormone powder, and then put it into a container that is filled with the right soil or potting mix.

Make sure to keep the soil moist, but not saturated, just as you would with any African violet plant. You will start to see new leaves within a few weeks. Once the plant has around four to five leaves (at this point, it will have roots as well), you can put it into a slightly bigger African violet pot.

Final Thoughts

If you’re having trouble getting your African violet to grow, it’s usually a matter of changing the conditions. These plants are somewhat fussy, but they are also resilient, as long as too much damage hasn’t been done. If you are worried that your African violet may be beyond repair, you should try creating the optimal conditions before you give up on it.

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 10, 2020.

Growing African violets can be very rewarding. The lush greenery and brilliantly colored flowers can really brighten up your home. Even though it may be a challenge, it is one that will likely be well worth it.