Despite February trying to fool us, it's not quite time for spring flowers. But, there is one plant that doesn't let us down. African violets can bloom all year long indoors!
Our favorite gardening expert Ciscoe Morris joined New Day NW to talk all about them.
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) make exceptional houseplants that will bloom year-round if you give them what they need.
If your African violet isn't blooming well, move it into as bright indirect sunlight as possible (direct sunlight could fry the leaves.) At the same time, raise humidity by grouping plants together.
Water whenever the soil surface feels dry and the pot feels a bit light. It’s best to water from the bottom and avoid misting the leaves because if the foliage gets wet it can lead to nasty fungus problems.
I find what works best is to place the pots the plants come in into decorative, non-draining pots. Fill the decorative pot with about a half-inch of warm water and let the plant sit in the water for about 30 minutes, before removing the excess water.
Don't be in a hurry to repot. African violets bloom best if they're fairly rootbound. At the same time, they won't bloom if the top growth gets crowded, so make a habit of removing any suckers that come up in the pot.
If your African violet begins to look crowded, transplant in March into a one-inch bigger pot. Always remove spent flowers as soon as they begin to fade and turn the plants slightly every day to promote even growth.
Between the beginning of March and the end of September, feed with a half-strength dilution of African violet fertilizer by adding it to the water. In winter feed with a quarter-strength dilution once per month.
Finally, keep them warm. African violets like the same room temperatures we do. They'll stop blooming if night temperatures dip below 50 degrees.
Follow these simple guidelines and your African violets will reward you with glorious, cheerful blooms all year long.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.