African Violet Pots
Its just not true that only old ladies can grow African violets. Women of all ages, and men, too, can grow a flourishing garden of these tropical beauties. As long as they know the secret.
That secret is to plant these delightful plants only in specially designed African violet pots.
Gardening success comes with building an environment that best suits the needs of an individual plant species, no matter what the species. Desert plants wont grow in a rain forest and plants native to mountain meadows will never survive an oceanfront garden.
Once the native habitat of an African violet is understood, its easy to select the correct African violet pots, or even improvise one of your own making.
African violets are perennial flowering plants native to Tanzania and Kenya where they grow in the cloud forests in the mountains. A cloud forest is the constantly damp environment that hovers like a cloud at a certain elevation in a mountain range. From a distance, these forests look like they are covered in clouds, as they actually are.
Light in a cloud forest is bright but without direct sunshine. The air is moist but without much actual rainfall. The soil is always moist and is made from rich organic materials. The temperature stays about the same, all the time.
The perfect African violet pots will bring that environment into your home and your flowers will delight all who see them.
Choose a pot that is wider than it is tall. Make sure it has a wide, deep saucer underneath that will hold water. Dont use the saucer left over after the coffee or tea cup that matched it is broken. It just wont hold enough water to create a cloud forest around the plant.
Plant your African violet plant in specialized African violet soil formulated to retain moisture while it drains well at the same time. Or make your own using equal parts potting soil, peat moss, and vermiculite or perlite. Make sure youve got some pebbles in the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage.
Place your garden of African violet pots in an east window where the light is bright but not harsh. No east window? A bright north window will do. Maintain the room temperature between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the same way you like it.
Watering is a trick and its where youll be happy you took the time to assemble or acquire the correct African violet pots. Never, ever water your African violets from above or let water touch the leaves. Not even once. Not even by accident. They will turn brown and jeopardize the health of your entire plant. Instead, water the deep, wide saucer only. Make sure it dries out between waterings but dont let it get too dry. Keep water in the saucer so the soil stays cloud-forest moist at all times.
When your flowers start blooming, you wont feel like an old lady. Youll feel like an accomplished gardener instead.
