When and How to Repot African Violets

African violets, Streptocarpus subg. Streptocarpella sect. Saintpaulia, are tender tropical perennials with blue, orange, pink, purple, purple, or yellow frilly blossoms clustered atop a mound of thick, fuzzy foliage.

Mature dimensions are as much as 9 inches tall with an expansion of as much as three toes.

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Native to Japanese Africa, they’re grown as enticing low-profile out of doors specimens in USDA Hardiness Zones 11 to 12 and ornamental houseplants elsewhere.

Our information to rising African violets explains every part you could know to get pleasure from these compact, clumping crops at your home.

This text discusses one side of care: repotting.

Right here’s what we’ll cowl:

Let’s get began!

Cultural Necessities

Open air, African violets thrive in filtered daylight that mimics their native rainforests.

Indoor specimens require vibrant, oblique daylight and do finest on north- or east-facing windowsills. As a result of they’re liable to rotting, it’s finest to keep away from very low gentle placements.

The soil must be gentle, with a barely acidic pH of 6.0 to six.5.

Organically-rich matter, like sphagnum peat moss, offers vitamins, whereas inorganic elements, like perlite and vermiculite, maintain vitamins and water, inhibiting soil compaction and oversaturation.

With their cultural necessities met, African violets can stay fairly contentedly indoors.

Nonetheless, if the crops stay in the identical pot for a very long time, chemical adjustments can happen, quickly turning an excellent rising surroundings right into a detrimental one.

This may be because of a construct up of fertilizer salt deposits and breakdown of vitamins within the potting medium. Repotting each six to 12 months ensures an optimum rising surroundings.

If you happen to’re new to African violet rising, repotting yearly or twice a 12 months most likely appears extreme. Like me, you’re possible used to ready till you see plant roots coming by way of the drainage holes to sign the necessity for a brand new container.

Not solely are the roots unlikely to ever attain the drainage gap, however you’ll most likely repot in the identical vessel at the least as soon as earlier than needing to go up a measurement.

You might also have to repot in case you are transferring your plant from a plastic nursery container to a extra everlasting, eye-catching house. Or relocating an African violet propagated from leaf cuttings or a divided pup.

Selecting a Container and Rising Medium

Let’s discuss containers.

An unglazed, porous container with a number of drainage holes is right. It permits air and extra moisture to cross by way of, serving to to forestall oversaturation.

Terra cotta is a superb alternative for African violets.

Relying on the scale, in case you discover a decorative vessel with out a drainage gap, you might be able to insert a plain, well-draining container inside it.

While you water, take the internal vessel to the sink and let it end dripping earlier than returning it to its ornamental caddy.

The diameter of the container you select must be a few third of the width of the leaf cover. The usual pot depth is appropriate, because the roots are shallow and unfold laterally.

It might appear that the container is simply too small, however belief me, you’ll threat rotting in case you go too giant. Been there, finished that.

As talked about, African violets thrive in well-draining, organically wealthy potting medium. You will discover merchandise particularly formulated for these crops or make your individual.

If you happen to select to make your individual, you may amend customary potting soil with an equal a part of perlite, pumice, or rice hulls.

Preparation

With many tropical houseplants, it’s really useful to water them earlier than transplanting, however within the case of African violets, they’re higher off being a bit thirsty as a result of the leaf stems or petioles are extra pliable and fewer prone to snap throughout dealing with.

To arrange, sanitize a pair of backyard scissors, a scoop or spoon, a small trowel or butter knife, and your new vessel (if utilizing) with a ten % bleach resolution (9 elements water to 1 half bleach), rinse, and permit them to air dry.

Accumulate your rising medium, backyard gloves, newspaper or a plastic tablecloth, a paper towel, a watering can, and a clear artist’s brush or make-up brush.

You might need to put on a masks when pouring the brand new soil. Alternatively, you may moisten the rising medium earlier than pouring. Nonetheless, in case you moisten greater than you want, you’ll should let it dry solely earlier than putting it again within the bag to forestall fungal points.

Unfold out the newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to work on.

Place a chunk of paper towel over the drainage gap on the backside of the container. It doesn’t should cowl the entire backside – simply the outlet with some overlap so it doesn’t fall in.

Keep away from putting stones or different bits within the backside of the pot to forestall a phenomenon known as a perched water desk.

After doing so for a few years, I’ve discovered that when water reaches a stony layer, it swimming pools horizontally as an alternative of draining downwards and may contribute to waterlogged soil and rotting roots.

Put on your masks and use the clear scoop or spoon to fill the brand new vessel a few third of the way in which with recent potting soil.

If you happen to’re planning to reuse the present container, you’ll have to sanitize it after unpotting your plant.

Unpot Your Plant

Earlier than you unpot your African violet, use your scissors to do a fast clean-up.

Snip off spent flowers and any broken or unpleasant leaves as near the stems’ factors of origin as potential with out nicking close by foliage.

Take away any giant, previous backside leaves as desired for a better-balanced, rejuvenated look and to stimulate new development.

Detach child crops or pups which have grown beside the mother or father plant for division.

Notice that it’s finest to not take away greater than one-third of a plant at a time to keep away from extreme shock.

Subsequent it’s time to unpot. It’s your decision your backyard gloves for this half.

Loosen the soil across the edges of the container with the trowel or knife. Use a lifting movement to dislodge the contents gently.

This half is commonly difficult due to the overhang of the bottom leaves. Take your time and be as light as potential.

If you happen to break a leaf or stem, reduce the leaf petiole or stem again as near its level of origin as potential earlier than persevering with.

Use your gloved fingers and brush to take away a lot of the previous soil from across the root ball and attempt to keep away from injuring the roots. After eradicating a lot of the soil, you might be prepared for the subsequent step.

Sodden roots are a symptom of overwatering. If any are mushy or malodorous, snip them off, discard them, and rinse the remaining roots with water earlier than continuing.

Work at an excellent tempo to keep away from retaining your plant out of the soil for any longer than needed.

If you happen to’re reusing the present container, you’ll want to clear and sanitize it earlier than including your potting soil as described above.

Repotting

While you’re able to set the plant within the new pot, maintain the plant by its root mass.

Middle and elevate it above the soil so the bottom leaves are barely greater than the pot rim.

Backfill utilizing the clear scoop or spoon so as to add recent rising medium, mounding it within the heart to keep up the specified elevation.

Across the periphery, there must be about half an inch to an inch of area between the soil floor and the pot rim to allow watering with out soil overflow.

Tamp the soil gently to safe the plant in an upright place.

Use your brush to brush the leaves calmly to take away any soil adhering to them.

Backside Watering

One of the best ways to water an African violet is from the underside, which it is best to do as quickly as your transplant is full.

To backside water, place the pot in a pan or saucer containing about an inch of tepid faucet water. Let it drink for 20 to half-hour.

Drain the surplus, and place it outside in filtered daylight or indoors in vibrant, oblique daylight. Keep away from splashing the foliage with water to inhibit the expansion of fungal pathogens.

Fertilization is just not needed at repotting time.

A Contented Violet

After we carry a plant indoors, we should do our greatest to imitate its pure habitat.

For African violets, this implies vibrant, oblique daylight and moisture-retentive potting soil that resists compaction and drains effectively.

As well as, we have to use a pot with a diameter measuring a 3rd of the width of the leaf cover. Whereas it might appear too small, that is the proper measurement to forestall the surplus soil from turning into oversaturated and drowning the shallow roots.

And eventually, repot a few times a 12 months to replenish the nutrient-rich soil African violets crave.

With their cultural necessities met, contented violets reward growers with clusters of blossoms and plump foliage for a cheerful indoor show.

Is it time for repotting? Add it to your backyard planner at the moment!

Have you ever repotted an African violet? Please share your expertise within the feedback beneath.

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