African violet is known as a houseplant that produces beautiful flowers. This plant gives you eye-catching flowers in a variety of colors. It is a flowering plant that will make a beauty statement in your home and garden. The African violet is an easy plant to grow, but not everyone can easily flower it. Learn about the 9 African Violet mistakes that prevent flowering.
1. Not providing proper light
Flowering plants like African violets needs lots of light to bloom. This plant love bright, indirect light constantly between 10 to 12 hours of bright light a day. You can place it in a southern-facing window for year-round inflorescence. African violets will not bloom if there’s insufficient light.
2. Lack of humidity
African violet need ideal humidity for flowering. You can stabilize air humidity by placing pebble trays filled with water or install a cool-mist humidifier near the plant (if your house feel too dry). A sunny bathroom can be a great place to make African violets bloom happily.
3. Improper feeding time
Proper fertilization will boost African violet flowering. If you don’t give African violet fertilizer, they will grow small and stop flowering. Even so, you shouldn’t feed African violet too often. The best time is during spring and summer, once every 14 days.
4. Not removing the leaves
As it grows, the African violet will produce new leaves. If you want this plant to flower more frequently, prune the leaves! This will prevent unnecessary growth. Just 3-5 rows of leaves from the center to making this plant flower. Prune the outermost leaves once a month to encourage inflorescence.
5. Not repotting
It’s a good idea to repot plant twice a year in pots of the same size. This will keep the plant’s root healthy and the stalk less clustered. It also maintains the quality of soil to match the ideal condition for them. Keeping the African violet nice and healthy will encourage more flowers.
6. Ignore pest attacks and diseases
Take time to check on the health of your African violets. Plants that look discolored and wilting with small bugs around them are signs that your African violet is being tormented by pests or disease. This will cause them to stop blooming, suffer, or eventually die off. If you see the sign, treat your African violet immediately.
7. Avoid cold-watering
African violet don’t like being overwatered or underwatered. These plants prefer slightly moist soil, so watering them regularly, let the water drain from the drainage hole.Avoid using cold water during watering, as the plant is not frost-tolerant. It is preferable to use room temperature water for spur flowering.
8. Put it in direct light
African violet like lots of bright light, but not direct light. To flower, it doesn’t need direct sunlight. Long exposure to sunlight will sunburn the leaves and interfere with the flowering process of the plant. So, avoid put it in direct sunlight.
9. Place it near a windy place
Don’t put African violets in a spot with strong airflow. This will make the soil dry quickly and damage the leaves. Strong wind currents will also knock down the buds, preventing you from enjoying the beautiful blooms.
Source: https://www.homiful.com