FIVE TIPS1. Do not overwater. This leads to root rot, which kills the whole plant.2. Make sure your pots have good drainage holes.3. In a humid area like Tennessee, extra perlite will need to be added to the soil. Try a mix of half perlite, half potting soil.4. The soil in the pot should be loose, not firmly packed.5. To guard against night-chilling, remove plants from windowsills after dark.
Rita Boring, a member of the Chattanooga African Violet Society, said growing the petite plants is not only a “very rewarding hobby,” it also has health benefits.
“It is about the only thing that you can get addicted to that doesn’t cause you to gain weight,” she wrote in an email.
Sometimes known by their botanical name, Saintpaulia, African violets are a popular flowering houseplant. According to the department of horticulture at Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in West Lafayette, Ind., African violets come in purple, blue, lavender, red, white and pink, as well as bi- and multicolored forms.
According to the school’s website: “African violets are easy to grow for the beginning gardener, yet offer a wide range of cultivars to satisfy the serious grower.”