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| Saintpaulia | Common name; African Violet |
An evergreen perennial that is generally grown indoors or in an alpine house.
They grow to around 150m (6") high with a spread of around 250mm (10").
Depending on growing conditions, most varieties flower at any time between July and December.
Always water plants from the bottom of the pot to avoid the top of the corm getting wet, more plants die as a result of over-watering than any other cause.
Maintain a minimum winter temperature of 13°C (55°F)
Grow plants on in light position, but shaded from direct sunlight.
Week 12; Plants that have outgrown their containers will require re-potting.
Pot up small plants into 100mm (4”) pots, and larger plants into 125mm (5”) pots filled with lime free loam/peat/sharp sand compost mix
alternatively; use a proprietary soiless compost
Water the re-potted plants by sitting in a container of clean water until the surface of the compost appears damp, remove, and allow surplus water to drain off.
Week 24; Take leaf-stalk cuttings.
Trim the leaf bud of a mature healthy leaf down to about 30-50mm (1½”- 2”) and insert one or more cuttings into containers filled with well-drained compost.
Root in propagator (or sealed plastic bag) at a temperature of 18°- 21°C (65°-70°F)
alternatively; insert singly into peat pots.
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