The distinctive African violet has made a name for itself as a tireless bloomer. There is hardly a hobby gardener who does not develop a particular weakness for the delicate houseplant from the tropical regions of East Africa. In general, the pretty Saintpaulia is declared easy to care for and pleases the eye with a densely packed abundance of flowers. The more confusion and annoyance is caused when the African violet does not bloom. Stop puzzling over the causes, but familiarize yourself with the following hints. How to make it bloom!
Choose location
Unsuitable light and temperature conditions are often the root of all evil. If there is a shortcoming here, all other efforts to achieve a lush bloom will come to nothing. Therefore, in the first step, subject the site conditions to a precise control. The African violet feels at home here:
- bright to partially shaded location without direct sun rays
- ideally on the west or north window without cold drafts
- continuous pleasant warmth from 20 to 25 ° C
The blossom remains a pious wish if the Saintpaulia is exposed to a cold bridge on the windowsill. This problem arises when there is a continuous connection from the inner to the outer window sill on site. The result is a constantly cold foot that no room temperature, no matter how pleasant, is able to compensate for. If in doubt, place the plant on an insulating surface that does not allow the cold on the root ball.
Tip: The willingness of an African violet to flower tends to zero as soon as the room temperature drops below 18 ° C. Any maintenance measure should therefore be combined with a close look at the thermometer.
Maintain humidity
In addition to the temperatures, the optimal location conditions focus on a sufficiently high level of humidity. A place in the warm, humid bathroom is warmly welcomed by the cute flowering plants and is thanked with a splendid flow of flowers. If you assign them a place in the living room, you can use simple measures to ensure tropical humidity:
- Place bowls filled with water
- operate an indoor fountain
- Install the evaporator from the specialist shop
- fill the coaster with pebbles and water
On the other hand, spraying the velvety leaves beckons
no flower emerged. On the contrary, in this case you force the formation of rot, which ultimately causes the entire plant to die.Substrate with an acidic component
In the overall context, the pH of the substrate appears to be of secondary importance. If, however, all other framework conditions are met, the bottleneck that sabotages the longed-for bloom of your African violet may lie precisely at this point. The ideal substrate is therefore more of a soulful composition than a simple mixture of ingredients:
- humus, loose potting soil, enriched with a third of peat and some perlite
- optionally TKS1 (peat culture substrate) with a handful of rhododendron soil
- ideally, a portion of sifted compost increases the nutrient content
Anyone who, for the sake of simplicity, decides to use loamy garden soil as a substrate In the worst case, it is calcareous, shouldn't be surprised if an African violet is not blooms. In this case, repot the flowering plant in one of the recommended mixtures and look forward to a long flowering period.
Pour well dosed
African violets don't like rashes one way or the other when it comes to water balance. They make the tropical plant bloom when the substrate is constantly moist. Make sure that the root ball does not dry out and then soak it completely with water in panic. In addition, the Saintpaulia will consistently refuse to flower if it is permanently bothered with cold, chalky tap water. Collect rainwater and pour it on the plant at a temperature around 20 ° C. Alternatively, fill the watering can with tap water and hang a cotton bag with peat in it for 1-2 days. The result is wonderfully soft irrigation water that has at least absorbed the warmth of the environment and does not give the plant any cold shock.
Fertilize properly with a sense of proportion
If an African violet does not bloom, it sometimes simply lacks the energy for this show of strength. A high-quality substrate does contribute to the supply of nutrients, but it cannot, of course, cope with it on its own. Give the plant the opportunity to recharge its botanical batteries and make it bloom this way.
- give a liquid complete fertilizer for flowering plants from March to September
- a 14-day cycle is usually sufficient for the nutrient supply
- If a particularly lush foliage has developed, weekly application is recommended
- Alternatively, you can use fertilizer sticks according to the manufacturer's dosage instructions
Tip: The application of fertilizer is not interrupted if an African violet is to bloom under artificial lighting all year round. In this case, the energy consumption remains at a constant level.
Treat yourself to a winter break
Every African violet has the potential to bloom continuously. If it has fulfilled this task reliably in the past few years and out of the blue refuses a renewed flow of flowers, hibernation can work wonders. To do this, change the site conditions from December to February so that the tropical plant can recover.
- A bright location with cooler temperatures of around 15 ° C is ideal
- a place by the bedroom window is perfect
- Pour reduced when the substrate surface is dry
- do not give fertilizer
As an evergreen Gesneriengewächs the Saintpaulia gathers fresh energy, whereby the leaves are preserved. In March, the potted plant moves to its traditional place, where the recommended care protocol is implemented. Recovered so well, the chances are good that the flower will present itself soon afterwards.
Repotting skillfully
If an African violet feels cramped in its pot, this noticeably limits its ability to flower. If root strands grow out of the soil opening while the substrate surface is already bulging, the time is ripe for repotting. The stress of this action runs at its lowest level in early spring, shortly before the new budding.
- the new flower pot is only slightly larger than the previous one
- A drain in the floor is essential
- Place a pottery shard on top or pebbles as drainage
- Fill in some substrate and plant the potted Saintpaulia in the middle
- ideally, the leaf rosette rests on the edge of the pot
- A small pouring margin of 1-2 cm makes sense
Experienced hobby gardeners take this opportunity to carefully inspect the root ball. If dried up or rotten roots prevent the plant from blooming, they are simply cut out. At the same time, defective leaves that could suppress a flower are removed. Leaves that appear unhealthy are torn off with a jerk to the side so that no residue remains on the stem, which gradually decays.
Diseases & pests
It cannot be ruled out that an African violet will not bloom because it is affected by a disease or pests. The following health problems are more common:
- Small leaves
- Aphids, mealybugs, mealybugs
- Spider mites
- Fungal infections
A widespread disease of Saintpaulia occurs as a result of a lack of care. Mosaic disease causes light green to yellow discolouration on the foliage when the plant is poured over the foliage with cold water under sunlight. This chlorophyll damage weakens the leaves so massively that they cannot supply a flower so that it does not appear in the first place.
The editors' conclusion
If an African violet does not bloom, this fact has in
usually solid reasons. Instead of throwing the gun in the grain straight away, the busy flowering plant deserves a detailed analysis of the causes in order to remedy the bottleneck. How to make it bloom:- choose the right location
- Maintain humidity
- Use a substrate with an acidic component
- Pour well-dosed
- fertilize properly with a sense of proportion
- treat yourself to a winter break
- skillfully repot
If the Saintpaulia does not bloom despite optimal cultivation conditions, the plant is examined for diseases and pests.
Worth knowing about the African violet in brief
The African violets are named after their homeland, the African Mountains in Tanzania. There they grow in the shade of the large trees in the rainforests, where the humidity is particularly high. Since she was there in the 19th Discovered in the 19th century, gardeners have continued to breed them, so that there are now hundreds of different varieties of these plants in many flower colors. With good care and sufficient light, African violets bloom all year round.
Tips for a beautiful bloom
- African violets should be in a light place, but not directly exposed to the sun and, above all, not to the midday sun. A window sill on a north, east or west window, where it is protected from drafts, is best. Because these plants love high humidity, the kitchen and bathroom are particularly recommended.
- Varieties with multicolored leaves need a place that is as bright as possible so that they keep their leaf markings. In places that are too dark it can happen that their leaves turn green.
- African violets require little water. The ball of the pot should always be kept slightly moist and the top layer of the substrate should be dry before the next watering.
- They should never be poured onto the leaves or sprayed with water, otherwise the leaves rot easily or get unsightly stains. The easiest way to prevent the leaves from getting wet is to put the irrigation water in a coaster.
- African violets do not tolerate lime well, so it is best to only use rainwater for watering. It should be room temperature because the leaves will discolour if the water is too cold.
- They thrive best at a temperature of around 20 ° C and high humidity. In winter they can be a little cooler, but the room temperature should be at least 15 ° C.
- The plant does not need to be repotted until the root ball is completely rooted. Conventional potting soil can be used for this. The new pot should only be a little bigger than the old one so that the plant does not invest all of its energy in root growth and thus produce fewer flowers.
- In the growing season from spring to autumn, regular fertilization ensures abundant flowering. A liquid fertilizer that is added to the irrigation water or fertilizer sticks with a long-term effect are suitable for this. In the winter months, however, should not be fertilized.
- Wilted leaves and flowers should not be cut off, but pulled off by hand, otherwise the cut stems can easily rot.
Multiplication
African violets are easy to reproduce. A single leaf is sufficient for this, which is placed in a container with water or directly in moist potting soil. It quickly forms new roots, creating a new plant. Alternatively, an African violet can also be divided when repotting.
