Three steps to happy African Violets

Most homes in South Africa contain at least one African violet pot plant. These popular indoor plants are very easy to care for, provided you take care of three basic elements: light, water and food.

Light is the most important element when it comes to caring for African violets. They need lots of light, but no direct sunlight. An ideal spot is a windowsill which doesn’t receive any direct sunlight. If your African violet does not receive enough light, the leaves will curl over and it will not produce any flowers.

Water African violets once a week with lukewarm tap water. They can be watered from below (into the saucer) or above. If you water from above, take care not to mess any water on the leaves. Water droplets on the leaves can act as a magnifying glass in the sunlight, which results in large burn marks on the leaves.

Feed African violets with a general liquid fertiliser like Nitrosol every 4-6 weeks. African violets need a humidity level of 40-60% to flourish. If the air is very dry (typically during the summer months), try placing the plant on a tray filled with wet river sand.