This year for Nurse’s Week I was given the choice between chocolate and an African Violet. I did not anticipate the possibility of ending up with chocolate and luckily received the last violet!
Another thing I did not anticipate was just how well I would take care of it. It was time for a new pot. Off to Aman’s Farm & Market, I went for a new pot and supplies.
Aman’s Farm & Market is a mom and pop shop here in Rochester that is my local, “Jack of all trades” market. They have a modest amount of annual flowers and veggies, few perennials, some trees/shrubs, and a surprisingly fantastic selection of craft beers which includes a walk in cooler. They also have a good selection of gardening accessories.
This glazed 5″ pot I thought would make the violet blooms, “pop!”
I mentioned earlier how it surprises me how well my violet is doing. That’s because there is a surprising amount of depth to African Violet care. Gardening Know How is a site I frequent to learn how to care for new flowers I acquire.
My basic advice:
- Click on the link above or this one!
- It’s a house plant
- It doesn’t need direct sunlight. Eastern, Western, or Northern exposure will do the trick.
- Don’t get the leaves wet with cold water, it damages them. Water at via the reservoir and discard any excess water after 20 minutes of soaking. If there’s no reservoir, water when the top soil is dry to touch.
- Per the above link, there are fancier watering techniques for the intermediate and advanced horticulturist.
- It comes with its own specific soil blend (see pic below).
- This soil also adheres itself to the African Violet’s fuzzy leaves!
When I first saw this I thought, “Oh my violet story isn’t having a happy ending…”
Save the old pots and liners. We’ll find a use for them sooner or later.
I, wrongly, decided to transplant my violet on the kitchen counter. The soil is very airy as it contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, and limestone (for pH balance). Watering and misting don’t get it into manageable clumps to handle easily; the soil gets everywhere.
There’s totally water on those leaves 🙁
Did I transplant this violet perfectly? No. Will it survive? Probably. Did I have fun and learn? Definitely. Hopefully, I’ll improve and potentially help some people from making my mistakes.
Get digging in the dirt, have some fun, and support your local nurseries/farm markets for gardening needs.
-Nurse David