ANNA TALKS ABOUT AFRICAN VIOLETS

Marilyn, being so ill ignored watering her poor African Violet plants and they became in almost as bad condition as she was.  She thought that she would have to throw those out and get new ones.  I wished she had taken pictures of them, but she felt so bad of their condition, she couldn't.

When I was at her apartment and she showed them to me, I told her they would come back.  I don't think she believed me.  I want to pass this on to you in case this happens to you or a friend.  I removed the larger dead leaves.  I did not remove them all.  I put some fertilizer in them and then watered them.  Explained to Marilyn to water them every two weeks if needed.  All three of them are coming back to life.

I know you are going to ask what kind of fertilizer I used.  She had Miracle-Gro and that is what I used.  There are no flowers yet, but they will come.  I told her to bring them to my house next time she comes because, now that they are coming to life, I want to remove some more of the dead leaves not that new ones are blooming.  I am very careful about what I remove.  Don't want to over remove.

Questions people ask me if I put African Violets in new soil twice a year?  Not unless they need it.  If they are starting to out grow the pot they are in, I change the soil when I move them into a bigger pot. Also, I change the soil, if the plant doesn't seem to be doing what I think it should.  I use regular African Violet soil that we get at Walmart.

Do I water African Violets from the bottom or the top?  I usually water them from the bottom.  In Marilyn's case, those African Violets needed water fast - so I watered from the bottom and lifted the leaves and put a little water on the top.  I didn't want to drown them.  You can go from extreme to the other if you water too much.

Do I know that I am not doing what some of the African Violet say people should do?  Yes.  I know they say to change their soil twice a year.  I also know they said you should use special fertilizer.  Most say you should always water from the bottom.  I am telling you what I do.  No way am I telling others to change their ways.

Have I ever owned African Violets with variegated leaves?  Yes, I have.  When I get them, people buy them as fast as I get them in.  What is funny is that originaly variegated African Violets were considered damaged African Violets.  Now, we are going back many, many years.  Today people can't wait to get them.

Variegated African Violets don't need as much water as regular and not as much light. African Violets variegated look beautiful and when they bloom they are stunning.  They can be shown in shows like other African Violets.

Is there a difference if you buy African Violets from the grocery store or nurseries?  I have bought both.  Sometimes grocery stories put too much water in them because who ever handles the plants doesn't realize that you only water African Violets when they need it not every week.  If fact, I went into a grocery store that was selling African Violets really low priced because the plants were dying is what they told me.  I bought them all.  Elmer thought I was wasting money.  He told me he would take me to another store and buy some in better condition.  I told him we would pay triple the price and there is nothing wrong with these.  Got them home, took them out of the plastic containers and put them in regular African Violet pots.  Fertilized them and watered them just when they needed them.  Put them in the light.  It took a month before they were really in great condition and longer before they bloomed.  When they were blooming I took them in the house and showed Elmer.  First, he couldn't believe that those were the ones we bought in the grocery store.  Then he told me to leave them in the house so he could look at them.  Some of them are still in our house.  Some of them got sold.

Elmer likes African Violets because they look pretty and don't stink as he says of other flowers.  He doesn't like the smell of flowers - they make him sneeze.  So African Violets are perfect in our house.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna