Winter is closing in, so it’s time for gardeners to start seeking more visual pleasure from indoor plants, and one steady pretty is the African violet.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
Winter is closing in, so it’s time for gardeners to start seeking more visual pleasure from indoor plants, and one steady pretty is the African violet. While African violets can be dependable performers, they are not without their problems. Listed below are some of their common bugaboos and how to solve them.
Few or No Blooms. In addition to proper fertilization (which, by the way, should be held back during the winter), adequate sunlight, warmth and humidity are the keys to bountiful bloom displays. Sunlight should be indirect, so situate African violets in a bright room but away from the direct shine of Ol’ Sol’s rays. As far as warmth, set them in a spot away from drafts with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees. Humidity requirements indoors can generally be met by placing the pots in a shallow tray of pebbles partially filled with water—the tops of the rocks should be dry.
Curled Leaves. This is usually the result of fertilizer salts building up on the rim of the pot, chemically burning leaves that come into contact with the residue and creating the curled condition. To curb the curl, don’t over-fertilize the plants, and occasionally wipe the rim and sides of the pot.
Spotted Leaves. Either cold water or chlorine is the probable cause. Let the water warm up to room temperature overnight first and then apply water directly to the soil, not on the leaves. Having the water sit for a spell also allows chlorine—common in city water—to dissipate. Irrigating with room-temperature rainwater will also solve this problem.
Scraggly Growth. S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out leaves means not enough light. Shoot the shine to them, but don’t get carried away because it could lead to …
Yellow Leaves. Way too much light, and the culprit is usually direct, strong summer sunlight.
Root Rot. The result of irrigating too frequently, or plant roots being constantly submerged in water. Only water when the top of the soil feels dry and don’t use pots that can trap liquid. Also, be sure the African violets are grown in loose, well-draining soil.
Lopsided Plant. This odd look is the result of one side of the plant facing its primary light source too long. Rotating the pot a quarter turn once every week or two will take care of this out-of-kilter condition.
December in the Garden
• You will be wrapping lots of Christmas presents this holiday season, right? Save those wrapping paper tubes. Snipped into four-inch-long pieces, they can be useful as collars around newly planted annuals next spring to protect them from cutworms.
• If you have any gasoline still left in motorized garden equipment, remove it before tucking such handy machinery away for the winter. Over time, gas can lose some of its “fizz” in storage and gunk up carburetors.
Tip of the Month
If the beautiful leaves of your cannas turned raggedy this growing season, you can probably blame the dastardly little caterpillars known as leaf rollers. To keep them from partying on your cannas’ foliage next year, now is the time to cut down and discard (do not compost) all spent leaves and stems, which is where immature leaf rollers like to overwinter. To help prevent any new infestations, next spring, spray an organic insecticide such as Monterey B.t., Thuricide or Dipel that contains the leaf roller-killing microbe Bacillus thuringiensis down into the joints of the developing leaves.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.