A Detailed Guide to Growing African Violets from Seed
Sowing time
Either spring or autumn works; for greenhouse cultivation, autumn sowing in September to October gives a higher germination rate.
Soil
African violet seeds are very small, so the potting soil for sowing must also be fine; after sowing, do not cover with soil, just press flat.
Temperature
The optimal growing temperature for African violets is about 18-26°C, and they generally germinate about 15-20 days after sowing.
Humidity
During the seedling stage, the soil should not be too dry or too wet; it is best to keep the potting soil consistently moist.
After reading the above, I believe that even if you did not know how to grow African violets before, you now know how to care for them! Go buy a pot and give it a try!
The Complete Process of Growing African Violets from Seed: How to Care for African Violets
Flower and Bonsai Network introduction: Today Flower and Bonsai Network shares with you an article on the complete process of growing African violets from seed and how to care for African violets. Let's take a look.
African violets are commonly used in homes to beautify living spaces, and they are also a relatively easy species to keep alive. Below is an introduction to the process of growing African violets from seed.
Preparation before sowing African violets:
Sowing season: spring and autumn are more suitable, at 20-25 degrees.
1. Container: a relatively small plastic box can be used, such as a single mooncake packaging box or a translucent fast-food container.
2. Medium: unused small-grained vermiculite can be used.
3. Prepare plastic wrap for sealing the container.
Steps for sowing African violets
Seed soaking:
Put the seeds in a paper packet and soak them in room-temperature water (about 20-25°C) for 8-12 hours. Do not open the paper packet while soaking; directly soak the paper packet in water, then squeeze the packet to expel air so the seeds become thoroughly soaked.
The sowing container does not need drainage holes; wet the medium in the sowing container thoroughly with tap water or purified water.
Sowing method:
Use a paper towel to blot away the water from the soaked seed paper packet, open the packet, and use a toothpick to move the seeds into the sowing container. Finish sowing before the paper packet dries completely. After sowing, do not cover with soil or water; the distance between seeds should preferably be more than one centimeter.
Maintenance after sowing African violets (temperature, humidity, light)
After sowing, seal the sowing box with plastic wrap, then place it in a larger, light-transmitting container with a lid or that can be sealed. Water can be added to the container to maintain humidity, and the container should be placed somewhere without direct sunlight. At an ambient temperature of 20-25, the seeds generally begin to germinate in 10-20 days.
Sprouting, seedling separation and transplanting of African violets
1. After germination, keep the seedlings moist. Once most seedlings have produced 2 leaves, gradually open the plastic wrap sealing the sowing box for ventilation until it is completely open, but the sowing box still needs to be placed inside the larger container.
2. The seedlings are very delicate and can only be placed somewhere without direct sunlight.
3. When there are too many seedlings in the sowing box, promptly use a toothpick to separate the seedlings in densely sprouted areas.
4. Once the seedlings are a bit larger, apply diluted fertilizer to promote growth.
5. After the seedlings grow 4-6 leaves, consider using a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 medium to separate and temporarily plant the seedlings at the appropriate time.
How to Care for African Violets
Not long ago I had the idea to write about how to care for African violets, but I kept putting it off, feeling it was not mature or certain enough. Below I will briefly talk about my journey of growing African violets, for fellow flower lovers' reference.
I. Growing section
1. In the first few years, I kept some colorful African violets on and off. The most memorable time was when I foolishly went to Fangcun in Guangzhou alone and bought nine African violets back, then desperately did leaf cuttings according to books, and surprisingly succeeded. At that time, two words: excited. At the 2007 Spring Festival flower market, I bought a box of colorful African violets again. At that time, the colorful varieties were truly abundant, and I continued to propagate like crazy. Then, after one summer, most of them died, leaving only a few large plants.
2. By chance, I joined a local flower lovers' group. After joining, I found that the African violets I had were really not presentable. The big growers, the experts, the varieties, all amazed me, so I actively participated in group activities and did not miss any chance to grab leaves or seedlings. After a year of effort, the varieties I had became much richer, and I also gained recognition from the big growers. Although I borrowed many methods and precautions, many still died in summer.
3. After some more time, something strange happened: the local big growers all gave up growing African violets and said they were willing to pass theirs on to me. At the time, I really did not dare take them all at once, because I truly was not confident I could make them settle in at my home, so I only took a small portion. After one summer, I found that the African violets in my hands were still okay, so only then did I dare take over the African violets from the big growers around me. Thus, I suddenly became one of the few big African violet growers locally
4. The trust and support of fellow flower lovers made me put more care into growing African violets. I kept thinking about how to let them spend summer safely at my home without an air-conditioning budget. Then I thought of this saying: a skinny camel is bigger than a horse! With more plants, there would always be some left after the die-off, so I vigorously did leaf cuttings and propagation, busy and happy. After that summer, something strange happened again: most of these densely leaf-propagated seedlings actually spent the summer safely on the balcony; only some older mother plants and some variegated varieties still died. In this process, I found that on the issue of summer survival, seedlings have stronger resistance than old plants, group living works better than living alone, and new soil is better than old soil. Because of this small success, the number of African violets went up all at once.
5. With last year's experience, one month before summer the next year, I cut the heads off all the large plants and replanted them with new medium, and continued leaf cuttings as backups for certain varieties. Because there were really enough medium and small plants at home, cutting all the heads and grouping them would be too much work, so I changed the method and stacked them on a plate with perlite as the base, letting their roots extend from the bottom of the pots to the perlite layer, creating a virtual group-living environment to keep them grounded. That year, not many died, but later I found that plants in the late summer generally suffered from root mealybugs, so there was another round of beheading and replanting. Tiring! This method is still relatively feasible for people with not too many plants.
6. Leaf cutting propagation: orderly dense insertion in a larger shallow basin works better than single leaf cuttings in small pots. I guess African violets are also afraid of loneliness, and they deeply understand that unity is strength. It is better to do leaf cuttings when the temperature can remain at 15-30°C for a relatively long time, especially in the early stage. If air humidity is low during leaf cutting, cover with film to retain moisture, and the moisture-retaining space should not be too small.
7. Watering: water early in spring; water at noon in winter; in summer, if you cannot guarantee getting up early enough, watering in the evening is better; in autumn, replenish water more. African violets are relatively moisture-tolerant plants, so try to keep the soil moist. It is best to water heavily once a month to dilute salt accumulation in the pot. Everything has a limit: too wet easily breeds bacteria, too dry easily attracts pests.
8. Fertilizing: apply more during the growing period, do not apply when too cold or too hot, apply less during the flowering period, and apply diluted fertilizer frequently.
9. Sterilizing: what cannot be seen with the naked eye is often the most destructive. By the time bacterial infection in plants is discovered, it is generally already too late. During plum rain weather, increase the frequency of sterilization. For African violets splashed by rainwater, rinsing with water once can achieve a cleaning effect.
10. Pests: it is hard to grow flowers without dealing with pests. Prevention is better than treatment, especially preventing root mealybugs in high summer temperatures and mite damage in dry autumn and winter. If root mealybugs occur in home or office cultivation, it is recommended to behead and replant with new soil (do not use pesticides unless necessary). When beheading, be careful not to leave the stem too long or too many leaves. Remove flower stalks and buds, keep only the top three layers of leaves, and keep the stem 0.5 cm long. If conditions allow, it is best to place it in a transparent moisture-retaining box (that is, a transparent storage box), observe the seedling condition, and after half a month normal management can resume.
11. Soil: it is recommended to use imported peat soil with finer fibers. Domestic soil is really relatively poor. There is a place near me that makes humus soil, and the formula is frightening. Peat soil and perlite at a 1:1 ratio is basically universal. Too much perlite and too little peat will result in fewer nutrients, and seedlings will grow relatively weakly.
12. Soil changing: it is best to do it one month to one and a half months before summer, and it is recommended to do it again at Mid-Autumn Festival. It is best to ensure soil is changed once a year to increase the nutrients needed for plant growth.
13. Light: light is a necessary factor for plant growth. Generally speaking, sufficient scattered light allows African violets to grow normally. The main factor affecting flowering is light. Direct sunlight before nine in the morning is nutrient-rich and generally does not burn leaves. When the plant grows to a certain stage, it will naturally produce flowers. Do not rush flowering. The light conditions in the early flowering stage have an obvious impact on the quality of later flowering. This autumn I found that autumn sunlight is very harsh, possibly related to low air humidity. What does not get burned in summer becomes severely burned in autumn. This must be paid special attention to!!
14. Flower pots: generally plastic pots are sufficient. Choose pot size according to plant size; too large or too small is not good. If you want earlier flowering, you can appropriately use a smaller pot for final planting. If you want overall aesthetics, you can put a suitable ceramic pot outside the plastic pot. Red clay pots have good air permeability but watering must keep up, and they easily accumulate salt. After a long time, it is best to soak and wash them thoroughly multiple times before use.
II. Insights section
1. Create a good small growing environment, and the path of growing African violets will be smooth. For example, adding some medium to large green plants around the African violets blocks light and increases humidity, and can also ease the loneliness of the African violets.
2. Other people's methods are always only reference answers; combine them with your own reality (time, space, varieties).
3. Observe carefully, summarize, compare, practice, and communicate; your flower-growing level will improve quickly.
4. Learn from nature, understand the plant's native ecological environment, and simulate and recreate its native growing environment.
III. Choosing seedlings
1. Be sure to choose varieties you truly like. Only what you truly like will you care about, and only then will you put thought into growing it well.
2. When choosing seedlings in physical stores, choose sturdy ones with spreading, emerald-green leaves. When buying from Taobao stores, do not rush; it is best to first ask the store about the seedling condition. Bigger is not always better, and of course not too small either. 8-12 true leaves is about right. Seedlings that are too large or too old are easily damaged during packaging, and accidents are also likely during the acclimation process. Large and old seedlings do not have vitality as good as small seedlings. It is not recommended to pursue large seedlings or flowering plants. Think about how many hours our children at home can cry and you will know how strong vitality is; we cannot cry for half an hour.
IV. Acclimation
1. When dividing leaf-cutting seedlings, remove the old small leaves, plant them in prepared fresh moist soil, press lightly, and maintain appropriate humidity. Pay attention to replenishing water during this period, keeping the soil consistently moist. Generally, normal management can resume after half a month.
2. For seedlings bought online (non-chimera varieties), regardless of seedling condition, it is recommended to first remove a few leaves for cutting propagation to guard against any mishap during acclimation. Tidy and clean up the root ball, then plant it in prepared fresh moist soil, pressing lightly. Use a relatively large space with appropriate humidity, pay attention to replenishing water during this period, and keep the soil consistently moist. Generally, normal management can resume after half a month. 3. Fertilizing is not recommended during the acclimation period (a weak body cannot absorb tonics); haste makes waste!
V. Flowering
1. When the appropriate temperature conditions and maturity are reached, African violets will naturally produce flower buds. Do not rush. When flowers bloom and can be picked, pick them; do not wait until there are no flowers and break off empty branches.
2. When the seedling is mature and environmental conditions are mature, you can appropriately increase the frequency of flower-promoting fertilizer, but also remember not to be impatient or use too high a concentration.
3. Before flowering, more side shoots generally appear (some say suckers). These buds are either side buds or will really become large side shoots. The appearance of these buds more or less affects flowering quality. If not for propagation, they can be removed to let the plant grow symmetrically and beautifully.
4. When temperature and humidity are not ideal, broken flowers often appear. This is also a normal phenomenon. Do not doubt your skills or think the variety is wrong. African violets are changeable. It does not mean they always change beautifully; they also have an ugly side, and we must learn to accept it. Flowers that bloom under these abnormal conditions at normal times can be removed; when growth conditions are not ideal, they will also produce strange flowers.
5. From seeing a flower bud to the flower opening, the time is very, very long. You must be patient. In my impression it takes about a month, and you must learn to enjoy this process of anticipation. If you want flowering to speed up, I think a good method is to grow several plants and several varieties, so the time is spread out, and some may bloom without you even noticing
6. If you want overall grace and beauty, you still need to manually handle the African violets. Those grown with unilateral light need to be rotated 180 degrees from time to time; generally once every two adjustments is enough. Also, when flower buds are crowded under the leaves and cannot rise above them, you can gently help support them by hand, so the flowers will be more concentrated. With a little more, you will have a flower ball, and it will not be too messy.
I said I would write it well, but as I wrote, it seems to have become messy again. Everyone please make do with it! I will update, revise, and improve it from time to time. I hope it helps everyone grow African violets. If you succeed, count me in for part of the credit; if you fail, do not give up easily! Finally, I send a few especially beloved African violets to encourage us together
The Complete Process of Growing African Violets from Seed
Preparation before sowing African violets:
Sowing season: spring and autumn are more suitable, at 20-25 degrees.
1. Container: a relatively small plastic box can be used, such as a single mooncake packaging box or a translucent fast-food container.
2. Medium: unused small-grained vermiculite can be used.
3. Prepare plastic wrap for sealing the container.
Steps for sowing African violets
Seed soaking:
Put the seeds in a paper packet and soak them in room-temperature water (about 20-25°C) for 8-12 hours. Do not open the paper packet while soaking; directly soak the paper packet in water, then squeeze the packet to expel air so the seeds become thoroughly soaked.
The sowing container does not need drainage holes; wet the medium in the sowing container thoroughly with tap water or purified water.
Sowing method:
Use a paper towel to blot away the water from the soaked seed paper packet, open the packet, and use a toothpick to move the seeds into the sowing container. Finish sowing before the paper packet dries completely. After sowing, do not cover with soil or water; the distance between seeds should preferably be more than one centimeter.
Maintenance after sowing African violets (temperature, humidity, light)
After sowing, seal the sowing box with plastic wrap, then place it in a larger, light-transmitting container with a lid or that can be sealed. Water can be added to the container to maintain humidity, and the container should be placed somewhere without direct sunlight. At an ambient temperature of 20-25, the seeds generally begin to germinate in 10-20 days.
Sprouting, seedling separation and transplanting of African violets
1. After germination, keep the seedlings moist. Once most seedlings have produced 2 leaves, gradually open the plastic wrap sealing the sowing box for ventilation until it is completely open, but the sowing box still needs to be placed inside the larger container.
2. The seedlings are very delicate and can only be placed somewhere without direct sunlight.
3. When there are too many seedlings in the sowing box, promptly use a toothpick to separate the seedlings in densely sprouted areas.
4. Once the seedlings are a bit larger, apply diluted fertilizer to promote growth.
5. After the seedlings grow 4-6 leaves, consider using a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 medium to separate and temporarily plant the seedlings at the appropriate time.