Texas-Style Potting Method for African Violets

Spread newspaper or plastic sheeting over your work area. Gather the plants, pots, potting soil and gravel or vermiculite, gloves, and saucers or tray. Fill the bottom of each pot about 25 percent full of vermiculite or gravel. Add potting soil to the level appropriate for setting each violet into its pot. Place each violet into its pot and fill with potting soil around each plant using your fingers or a trowel. Tamp soil down lightly, but avoid compressing it tightly. Set each pot into a saucer or several pots into a tray.

Pour water into the pot saucers or tray. Remove any remaining water from the pot saucers or tray when the surface soil in each pot becomes moist. Allow the top inch of soil in each pot to become dry before watering again. Water your violets from the top about once a month to redistribute soil salts that may accumulate on the soil surface. Avoid overwatering, as this will kill your violets. Mist your violets with warm water to provide humidity, or install a humidifier near your violets.

Maintain soil pH at 6.0 to 6.5 for optimum growth. Check the pH with a testing device or small sticks designed for this purpose. Fertilize your violets with water-soluble fertilizer suitable for violets or flowering houseplants; an NPK rating of 14-12-14 is appropriate for African violets. Locate your violets where they receive bright sun most of the day. Keep your violets warm; they prefer nighttime temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures of 80 to 85 F. Rotate violet pots a quarter turn each time you water your violets; this keeps the plants from tilting toward the sunlight.