There are some tricks to growing profusely blooming African violets. Proper amount of light, water, and food are the big three.

An east or west window is usually best for African violets, as direct rays of south sun may burn the leaves. North windows, except during the summer, do not offer adequate light. You can also grow the plants under artificial light.

Watering can be done successfully with a wick-style container, since it keeps soil uniformly moist. Contrary to a widely held belief, it does the plant no harm to be watered from above, provided that the water is of room temperature __cold water spots leaves. Many experts on African violets feel that rainwater (or melted snow) is superior to tap water for these plants.

The best soil mixture is one-third each garden loam, coarse sand, and leaf mold or peat. The ideal room temperature range is from 70 to 75. When house temperature drops below 60, growth is slowed. For this reason, in very cold weather, plants in locations next to windows may need to be relocated or given night protection.

Feed established plants every other week,but don’t fertilize newly potted or repotted plants for six to eight weeks. When you do fertilize the plants, use fertilizers that can be dissolved in water.

A frequent cause of nonflowering is a lack of humidity. A favorite location for growing African violets is in a kitchen window since cooking activities naturally produce higher humidity here than elsewhere.

You can also increase humidity by setting pots on a layer of pebbles in a tray. Keep water up to the level of the pebbles.

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