How to Grow African Violets From a Single Leaf

Enjoy beautiful African Violets blooming year round. Easy tips and pictures for creating happy plants.

Pictures of Original Mother Plants

In October I was visiting my family in WV. I noticed two huge African Violets in my sister's kitchen.

I asked her "Where did you get those beautiful flowers?"

"Mom, gave them to me. She said she was tired of fooling with them", was her reply.

I remembered when we were younger, that Mom had quite a few African violets growing. As a matter of fact they grew so well, she started selling them.

I was never so lucky. The few times I tried my hand at growing these plants ended in failure till I learned these secrets to growing african violets.

5 Secrets to Growing Healthy African Violets

Follow these guidelines and you will be taking your own beautiful African Violet pictures in just a couple of months. These plants like:

1. Dry Soil
2. Dry Leaves
3. African Violet Food
4. Morning Sun
5. Small Pot

Pictures of African Violets Started From a Leaf

I left my sister's house with two leaves pushed into a pot with another plant. I know this is not a professional way to root plants. But I had to drive 700 miles and my main concern was getting them home without killing them.

Allow Soil to Dry Completely Between Watering

I have to admit that the first couple of weeks didn't look very promising. The two leaves looked like they were not going to make it.

I patiently watered these seemingly lifeless leaves every week. I made sure the soil was completely dry before each watering.

After about three weeks I noticed something at the base of each leaf. They were growing!

African violets are prone to root rot. This is why it is so important to let the soil dry before you water. This can be good for people who forget to water their plants.

African Violets Like Their Leaves Dry

One look at this african violet picture tells a story. I know that violets do not like water on their leaves.

Accidents do happen though. I marked the water spots in this picture so you can see what will happen.

African Violet Food is a Must Have

Right away I had really healthy leaves on both plants. But there were no blooms. After about three months I went shopping for plant food.

I found Miracle-Gro in the 8 oz size to be the best. You can pick it up in almost any department store. It is a liquid and only requires 7 to 10 drops in a quart of water.

Pictures of African Violets Crowded in Their Pots

Remember I said that these plants like the early morning sun and small pots? Well after only a few months it seems these pots were looking a little overcrowded.

Pictures of African Violets After Transplanted

Spring is the best time of year to transplant flowers. So in April I took the african violets from their pots and prepared to repot them.

I was surprised to find that I had two plants in each pot. I gently pulled the plants apart and placed them in their new home.

A special note about the smaller of the four plants. The two violets that are not blooming are the pink ones.

This is an example what happens when you overwater and under feed. Hopefully they will recover. But if they don't, I can always start new plants.

Northern Blue and White Violet Pictures

Spring is also the time for wild violets to be in full bloom. These Northern Blue Violets and Northern White Violets bloom from late March to around mid May here in Illinois