African Violets

[Christina Wistrom]

On 16 Mar 1995, KEJADUDLEY wrote:

> I have recently repotted my African Violets.  The plants are in great
> shape but refuse to bloom.  I water from the bottom and feed each
> watering.  Does anybody have an answer?
> 
>                                                           Judy
> 
> 
Hello-
There may be two reasons why your African Violets are not blooming. 
The first is that they may be over- fertilized and concentrating on 
vegetative growth rather than blooming. The repotting, combined with 
heavy fertilizer is encouraging this. Cutting down on the feeding my 
solve your problem. 
Another factor could be light. Last year , I placed my African Violets on 
a windowsill in bright, but not direct light and they bloomed great. This 
year, they were in direct sun, and yellowed until I put them in a shadier 
spot. 
The good thing is that you have some good plants to make cuttings from. 
Cut off some leaves with some of the petiole (stem) and place in a 
separate pot filled with potting soil, and keep moist. If you keep them 
out of direct sun, and keep them moist, new little African Violet plants 
will grow...slowly, from the base ofthe leaf. 
Gook luck,
CMWistrom