A thrill is owning an African violet. It consistently has beautiful blooms and rich foliage. Your African violet rapidly becomes your favorite tabletop centerpiece after you select the ideal decorative planter for it. Everyone who comes to your house comments on how lovely it is, and you love seeing its buds open each morning.
When your favorite plant begins to act a little unwell, it can be really upsetting. You make an effort to alter your care regimen, but you’re unsure if you’re doing it correctly. When your plant doesn’t revive itself in a few days, you start to worry: Is my African violet dying?
We have fantastic news to share. African violets can communicate well. A few telltale indicators will indicate if your plant is wilting, and if you know what to look for, you can adjust your care regimen and provide your plant with what it requires.
What Are the Signs My African Violet is Wilting?
1. Flower Loss or Limp Blooms
Blooms that are generally in good health show how well your plant is doing. The contrary is also true: blossoms that are faded, limp, or damaged frequently indicate that your plant is in distress. If the blossoms on your African violet are past their prime, your plant requires more attention.
Lack of water, excessive light, or a nutrient-poor growing medium are the three main causes of flower loss. Make sure your African violet isn’t sitting in direct sunlight, give it a healthy drink, and start fertilizing regularly to feed your plant.
2. Crown and Stem Rot
It is simple to identify crown and stem rot. Your plant is probably suffering from decay and fungus, which causes it to decompose, if it appears sickly in the middle or along the stems. Since rot typically begins beneath the growing medium and affects roots first, if you see crown rot, your plant has already suffered severe harm.
The most frequent method rookie growers mistakenly destroy their African violets is by over-watering, which results in crown and stem rot. Use a coarse, well-draining potting mix to overcome your propensity for overwatering. This will lessen the likelihood that your plant will be growing in damp growing media, which is the main cause of plant rot.
3. Burnt or Dry Leaf Tips
The tips of your African violet’s leaves should not be burned, dried, or crumbly. Act quickly if you see your African violet plant’s leaves becoming brown because necrosis, an irreversible kind of cell damage, can readily occur on African violet leaves.
Lack of moisture is typically brought on by general under-watering, dry air, or excessive sunlight. African violets are found in mossy woodlands with heavy canopies in the wild. They do well in bright, humid environments (though be sure not to put your plant in direct sunlight).
4. Drooping Leaves
Typically, drooping leaves mean that your plant is either thirsty or suffering from cold weather.
Give your African violet a healthy drink if you haven’t watered it in a while; the leaves should regenerate in 24 hours.
Check to discover if your African violet plant is near an air vent if, on the other hand, it is well-watered and still droopy. African violets don’t thrive when placed directly in front of heating or air conditioning vents, despite the fact that some air circulation is beneficial for the plant.
5. White Leaves and Flowers
Because African violet leaves are distinct, your plant’s leaves will have a natural gloss. However, something is awry if you see your plant starting to produce white, powdered leaves.
Typically, mildew, a type of fungal development, is all over African violets with powdery leaves. Repotting your plant, cutting back on watering, and using a secure fungicide are your best options.
What Are the Reasons Why My African Violet is Wilting?
1. Lack of Heat
African violet leaves may droop and contract in very cold weather. Avoid places with cold winter windows or with sudden temperature changes (like drafty entryways). Water should be at a comfortable temperature for your plant as well! To avoid shocking your plant’s sensitive roots, always take baths with room temperature water rather than cold.
2. Overfertilization
Your African violet might be having trouble if you notice white crystals accumulating in the soil along with droopy leaves. To get rid of extra salts, properly flush the soil (taking careful to keep the leaves dry). Restart fertilizing at half power as soon as your plant starts to grow once more.
3. Overwatering
One of the most frequent reasons of droopy African violet leaves is overwatering. They can’t handle soil that is saturated with water because of their sensitive root systems. Long-term overwatering can choke your plant, leading to the potentially fatal condition known as root rot.
How Can I Detect Root Rot in My African Violet?
Is your African violet wilting? Are you scared that your African violet is experiencing root rot? Are you wondering how you could detect root rot in your African violet?
To detect Root Rot, look at your soil and root structure. White and swollen roots indicate health. Brown and squishy roots indicate the presence of root rot. It’s crucial to remove the unhealthy roots, clean the soil, and repot in a fresh container.
What window exposure is best for African violets?
Are you growing an African violet for the first time? Are you wondering the best window spot to place your African violet indoors?
African violets should thrive in any window that receives plenty of bright light and is not blocked by a porch or trees. Use translucent drapes or blinds to shade south-facing windows in the summer to shield violets from the sweltering heat. Wintertime southern windows are ideal for growing African violets.
Make sure plants don’t become too heated in front of east and west windows when the sun is there. The majority of the year, light from north windows will be enough for plants to bloom. For the most light, keep plants close to the window. Even while an African violet on a table in the midst of a room could be attractive, it might not get enough light to continue flowering.
Do African Violets Need Direct Sunlight?
The amount of sunlight is highly important to African Violets. My mother always had gorgeous flowers covering her African violets when she had them. I maintained the plants for a long time, although they rarely flowered. Evidently, the incorrect type of sunshine is to blame for this. So, do African violets need direct sunlight?
It depends. African violets prefer the sun in the morning. If sunshine from the east is not possible, they prefer sunlight from the north. Ensure that they are close to a window.
You can also use a grow light if it is not possible to place your violets close to a window. If they don’t receive enough light, they won’t blossom.
How Often Should African Violets be Watered?
Have you been wondering how often you need to water your African violet to avoid overwatering and underwatering?
It’s crucial to water your African Violets correctly and regularly. The biggest surprise to me was this. African violets shouldn’t ever, ever be watered from above. They enjoy pulling water up from the plant’s base.
For African Violets, unique pots are made. These self-watering pots are available for purchase on Amazon.
One pot is nestled inside the other in the planter’s two pots. The smaller pot containing the violet is placed into the larger pot after adding water to the larger pot.
To water the violet, water gently seeps through the smaller container. When the larger container is dry, add water.
Evidently, you shouldn’t ever use cold tap water to water your violets. Before you water your plants, set aside a container of tap water for a day or two.
The water will be at normal temperature and no longer contain any chlorine.
How Much Water Do African Violets Need?
You might be wondering how much water your plant requires now that you are aware of the symptoms of an under- or overwatered African violet.
The size of the pot, the kind of potting soil, and the environment all have an impact on how much water your violet needs. About 1-2 inches of water per week are required for African violets.
It’s preferable to start on the low end of the recommended watering range for your plant and increase as necessary. Using a cup or watering can to sprinkle water onto the soil until it is properly hydrated is one simple technique to water African violets.
Make sure to keep water off of the leaves to prevent rotting. African violets can also be bottom-watered. Place the pot in a sink or water tray to bottom water, and let the water seep up from the bottom. Once the soil has become wet, be sure to remove the pot from the water.
African violets with delicate leaves or those prone to rot are perfect candidates for this procedure. Regardless of the technique you use, let the excess water evaporate before re-potting the plant. To aid with drainage, you may also add a layer of pebbles to the bottom of the pot holding the African violets.
Best Self Watering Pot
1. Mkono 3 Pack Self Watering Planter
You don’t need to water your plants frequently because this self-watering planter makes sure they get all the water they need for days. per fill, up to ten days’ worth of watering. When you go away for a few days or go on business, these ingenious wick pots can assist you take care of your plants.
The double-layer construction of this planter pot enables excess water to be kept in the bottom and supplied to your plant with wick rope. When watering, please do not fill the inner basket above the 0.4-inch mark; doing so will result in waterlogging and plant mortality.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Durable for both indoor and outdoor use
- Beautiful design
Cons:
- The inner part where the plant goes is pretty shallow compared to the depth of the white container.
Conclusion
African violets are stunning indoor plants with flowers that are native to that continent. Because they bloom frequently and require little maintenance, they are common houseplants. Although it requires some basic plant care skills, growing African violet plants may be gratifying.