Hello fellow plant lovers! I’ve had this beauty for about a year now and while her leaves grow regularly, I haven’t gotten a single bloom in all that time. I make sure to keep her soil damp/wet and give her steam baths almost daily for extra moisture/ humidity but im not sure where im going wrong.
Her newer leaves are a deep green and he crown has been spreading well during growth. The plant food I’ve been using once a month is nitrogen-.5, phosphorus- 1, and potassium-.5.
During the late spring to early fall I had her off to side of a west facing window to get bright indirect light and from late fall to early spring I have her sitting directly in the window, no leaf burn for a while now.
Any help greatly appreciated!
by QveenOfTheDamned
2 Comments
Not an expert, but that sounds under fertilized to me. I use a 3-4-5 or a 4-5-4 depending on what else I’m watering. Usually half strength every 1-2 weeks.
So, the plant looks well cared for … so lets try to optimize the details a bit.
The pot looks to be a little large. It could be that your plant is busy managing the extra soil/water it deals with, rather than blooming. African Violets will bloom better with their roots constricted a bit. The roots touch the sides of the pot, and signals the plant to start a reproductive cycle.
Also, can you add supplemental light for 8-10 hours/day ? My plants bloom on window light supplemented by lamp light. No need to get fancy plant lights. Just put an LED bulb in a the lamp of your choice (i.e. desklamp, floor-lamp, etc.) and shine it on the plant from about a foot away.
Maybe … let her dry out a bit (for a day or so) from time to time.
Go ahead and spring for an African Violet fertilizer. I’ve used Optimara and/or Jack’s Classic to good effect.
My guess ,,, is that getting her in a somewhat smaller pot (no more than a 4″ diameter plastic pot), adding extra light, letting her dry out periodically, and updating her fertilizer will get blooms for you. Here’s hoping it does …