African Violet

Hi everybody, I am new to this board and new to houseplants. Today on a spur of the moment, I purchased a mini African Violet, It isn't any bigger in diameter then a fifty-cent piece. I just thought it was the cutest thing and I hadn't done any research prior to getting it. I know nothing about African Violets and would appreciate any advice you guys could give me! Thanks in advance!!

Welcome Bossyhummer (BH), nice to have you on board.

I learned how to grow these sort of by accident, picked up some discarded leaves from a demontration & tho' folks cautioned me that minis are harder to grow (& that these wouldn't propagate easily, they are fine).

I grow them in western light, few feet in from the windows in NYC (some in terrariums, some in little cups of sphagnum moss), I found they do well for me (to start out) in a mix of vermiculite, perlite & some sphagnum moss, kept moist but not soaking. Sometimes I later pot them up in this mix to which I add african violet mix. I only water them once or twice a week, allowing them to dry out btwn waterings.

Mine are on the young side to bloom I think, but yes, I too find the small plants just charming -- will be even more so if they bloom someday.

Good luck, maybe try a couple of different places & different soil mixes & see what works best for you. Hope this helps (HTH) & Enjoy!!

PS - I forgot to say I keep them potted in very small pots (mostly plastic or glass).

If the minis are like the bigger ones, don't get water on the leaves when you water them. Put the pot in an inch or two of water and allow it to soak for a couple of minutes.

JanetR,

While that's often thought to be a good caution, I always top water my AVs, sometimes splashing the leaves (tho' w/ tepid water that's sat out on counter for couple of days at least). This way I never have to worry abt water temps., who gets bottom watered vs. top watered. W/ 180+ plants in NYC apt, it's just too much to remember.

Hi everyone, I also top and bottom water all my AVs. Some are wicked, some not. I have found that if I get water on the leaves and set them back in the light they tend to spot. I have birds, ergo bird dander so I have to rinse them every couple of weeks. I do this at night in tepid water and I mean I stick them right under the faucet! I blot the leaves with a dish towel and set them out of the sunlight and out of any breeze from vents or fans. They usually end up on my computer shelf til they are dry. I have not had any problems with this at all. New to AVs last year but loving them!

I am new to African violets too...I have 5 mini's and 2 regular (the regular sized ones used to be 1 plant, now it is 2!)
I found this great site on care and such:
http://www.rachelsreflections.com/1violets.htm
(Rachel's Reflections)

Lots of good information!