How do I get my African violet to bloom again?

Give it more light (bright, indirect light or 12 to 14 hours under a grow light), feed with a balanced or bloom fertiliser at low strength regularly, keep it slightly pot-bound in a small pot, and remove suckers so energy goes into one crown.

How often should I water an African violet?

Water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, typically once a week. Use room-temperature water and water from below or at the soil, keeping water off the leaves.

Why do African violet leaves get spots?

Cold water on the leaves causes pale or brown ring spots. Use room-temperature water and avoid wetting the leaves. Brown, mushy spots can also be fungal and need drier leaves and better air flow.

Is African violet safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists African violet (Saintpaulia) as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

What size pot does an African violet need?

A pot about one third of the diameter of the leaf spread, usually 10 to 12 cm for a standard plant and 5 to 6 cm for a miniature. African violets bloom best when slightly root-bound.

African Violet Care: How to Get Them to Bloom Again

African violet care has a reputation for being fussy, but most problems come from a few habits: too little light, cold water on the leaves, and pots that are too big. Get those right and Saintpaulia (now classified as Streptocarpus section Saintpaulia by botanists) will flower on and off almost all year. These compact plants from Tanzania and Kenya have fuzzy leaves in tidy rosettes and come in purple, blue, pink, white and bicolour flowers.

African violet care at a glance

Need	What works	Avoid
Light	Bright, indirect; or 12–14 h under a grow light	Direct hot sun, dim rooms
Water	When the top feels dry; room-temperature water	Cold water on leaves, soggy soil
Soil	Light African violet mix with perlite	Heavy compost
Pot	Small: about ⅓ of the leaf spread	Oversized pots
Humidity	40–60%	Very dry air
Temperature	18–24°C	Below 15°C, cold windows
Feeding	Dilute feed regularly in growth	Strong doses
Pets	Non-toxic to cats and dogs	—

Light: the key to flowers

Lack of light is the most common reason African violets stop flowering. They need bright, indirect light: an east window is ideal, or a north window in bright climates. A south or west window works with a sheer curtain. Leaves that reach upwards and long, thin leaf stalks mean too little light; pale, bleached or yellow leaves mean too much.

African violets are one of the best plants for grow lights. University of Missouri Extension says they grow and flower well between 500 and 1,000 foot-candles under lights. Many growers keep them on shelves under LED or fluorescent lights for 12 to 14 hours a day, about 20 to 30 cm above the plants. Check your light with the plant light meter converter, and see what a shelf light costs to run with the grow light cost calculator.

Watering

Water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, usually about once a week. Always use room-temperature water; cold water causes pale ring spots on leaves.

The safest methods:

Bottom watering: stand the pot in a saucer of water for 15 to 30 minutes, then let it drain. See bottom watering plants.
Watering at the soil with a narrow-spout can, keeping water off leaves and the crown.
Wick watering: a nylon cord runs from the pot into a water reservoir below, keeping the soil evenly moist. Popular with keen growers; use a very light mix.

Bottom watering doesn't flush salts, so pour water through from the top once a month, keeping it off the leaves.

Symptom	Likely cause
Limp leaves, wet soil, mushy crown	Overwatering, crown rot
Limp leaves, dry soil	Underwatering
Pale rings or spots on leaves	Cold water on leaves
Brown, crispy leaf edges	Salt build-up, dry air

Soil and pot size

Use a light, porous African violet mix, or make one with peat-free compost, perlite and a little vermiculite. African violets flower best when slightly root-bound. A pot about one third the diameter of the leaf spread is right: 10 to 12 cm for standard plants, 5 to 6 cm for miniatures. Shallow pots suit their shallow roots. Use the soil mix calculator for mix quantities.

Repotting and "necks"

African violets should be repotted into fresh mix every 6 to 12 months, often into the same size pot. Over time, lower leaves die and are removed, leaving a bare stem, or "neck", above the soil. To fix it:

Remove the plant and knock off old mix.
Scrape the neck gently to remove dry tissue.
Trim some roots from the bottom so the neck can sit lower.
Repot so the lowest leaves sit just above the soil.
Keep it humid for a week or two while it settles (a clear bag works).

Very long necks can be cut off and the crown re-rooted like a cutting.

Feeding

Feed regularly but gently. Many growers use a balanced or African violet fertiliser at a quarter strength with every watering, or at half strength every two weeks. Stop or reduce if growth slows in winter. Use the fertilizer dilution calculator.

Humidity and temperature

African violets like 40 to 60 percent humidity and steady temperatures of 18 to 24°C. Cold windows in winter cause leaf damage, so pull plants back at night. Group them, use a pebble tray, or check with the plant humidity checker. Don't mist the fuzzy leaves.

Grooming and suckers

Remove spent flowers and stalks to keep the plant tidy and encourage new buds.
Remove the oldest outer leaves when they yellow or get damaged.
Remove suckers: small extra crowns growing between leaves. They split the plant's energy and reduce flowering. Pinch them out with tweezers, or root them as new plants.
Turn the pot a quarter turn each week for an even rosette.

Propagation from leaves

African violets propagate easily from leaf cuttings:

Take a healthy, mature leaf from the middle row, with 2 to 3 cm of stalk.
Trim the stalk at a 45° angle.
Insert it 1 cm deep into moist, light mix, or stand it in water.
Cover loosely with a clear bag or container and keep warm and bright, out of direct sun.
Wait 6 to 8 weeks for tiny plantlets, then separate them when leaves are about 2 to 3 cm.

Flowers on new plants appear after six to twelve months. More techniques in how to propagate houseplants.

Common problems

Problem	Cause	What to do
No flowers	Low light, oversized pot, no feed, suckers	More light, smaller pot, feed, remove suckers
Leggy, upright leaves	Low light	Brighter spot or grow light
Crown rot (mushy centre)	Overwatering, water in the crown	Take a leaf cutting; start again
Powdery white coating	Powdery mildew	Better air flow; remove affected parts
Grey fuzzy mould on flowers	Botrytis	Remove spent flowers; keep dry
White cottony bits at leaf bases	Mealybugs	See mealybugs on plants
Distorted, tightly bunched centre leaves	Cyclamen mites or cold	Isolate; check carefully

African violet bloom checklist

If your plant hasn't flowered in months, go through this list:

Is it getting bright light for at least 8 hours a day, or 12 to 14 hours under a grow light?
Is the pot no more than a third of the leaf spread?
Have you fed it in the last month?
Are there suckers splitting the crown?
Has it been repotted into fresh mix in the last year?
Is it kept between 18 and 24°C, away from cold glass?

Fix the first "no" you find, wait six to eight weeks, and buds usually follow.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists African violet as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. It's a good flowering plant for pet homes, though curious cats may still chew it. See pet-safe houseplants.

Types and sizes

Type	Leaf spread	Pot size
Micro-miniature	Under 8 cm	4–5 cm
Miniature	8–15 cm	5–6 cm
Semi-miniature	15–20 cm	6–8 cm
Standard	20–40 cm	10–12 cm
Large standard	Over 40 cm	12–15 cm
Trailing	Spreading stems	Shallow, wide

Bottom line

African violets need bright, indirect light (or a grow light), room-temperature water kept off the leaves, a light mix in a small pot, and gentle, regular feeding. Remove suckers and spent flowers, repot every six to twelve months, and they'll reward you with flowers for much of the year.

Sources: University of Missouri Extension, Lighting indoor houseplants; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Saintpaulia ionantha; ASPCA, African violet.