The optimal period for planting African violets
Every lover of African violets, from my own experience, establishes a period for planting African violets. Depending on the size of the plant, watering method, the conditions in which violets grow and develop, it is recommended to plant African violets in an interval of 6 months - 1 year.
Saintpaulia is one of the decorative plants that does not require a period of vegetative rest and can bloom without problems throughout the year, if it would grow and develop under ideal conditions. Still, winter and summer, the growth and flowering of African violets stops, and in autumn and spring the plant actively begins to grow and give flower buds and logically in these two seasons African violets will be planted in a soil fresher.
The months of September and March are the most indicated.
Fall, African violets recover after the hot period in summer. Younger leaves catch strength, do not tend to bend their edges inwards, on the contrary, they have an oblique position – they form an angle of 450 with the soil surface. The coloring of the leaves is more vivid, fresher, and the brushes on the surface of the leaf breathe easily, inspiring the moist and cool air in the room.
Fall, just like spring, African violets on the windowsill have enough sunlight: not as strong as in summer and not so weak as in winter. In these two seasons, violets give buds and bloom to the fullest.
In summer, because of the heat, oxidative processes that take place in the soil are accelerating, soil acidity increases, plants are watered more often, as a result the soil in the pot is more exposed to salts in the water. The humus in the soil component can also rot.
The planting period will not be taken into account in the following cases:
| 1. African violets watered by wicks will be planted more often, because of the salinity of the soil. |
| 2. An emergency planting is recommended in case of damage to the roots, execessive fertilization of the soil, excessive loss of leaves. |
| 3. Chickens of African violets and younger plants will plant as they grow. Use containers or pots slightly larger than the previous ones. The diameter of the new recipent should be 1-2 cm larger than the old one. |
| 4. If the African violet has reached the dimensions of a mature plant (from 60-80 to 4-5 cm the diameter of the rosette, depending on the assortment), the dimensions of the pots in which mature violets will be planted remain unchanged. Saintpaulia will continue to be planted in pots of the same size as the previous ones. |
Planting African violets is necessary, because the soil in which they are planted is poor in nutrients. Over time, the soil becomes denser and accumulates salts, and African violets, as we well know, are sensitive to soil salinity and soil quality in general. In addition, as the bottom leaves die, the bottom of the stem is emptied, giving an unsightly appearance to the plant.