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How To Use Your Emerson Creek Pottery African Violet Container
- You will plant your African violet in the semi-conical, unglazed
ceramic planter.
- You will be setting the planter inside the decorative ceramic African
violet pot once it's planted.
- When it's time to water, remove the conical planter, and fill the pot
halfway full with room temperature water.
- Set the conical planter back into the pot.
- The house plant will slowly absorb a little water at a time through
the non-glazed ceramic.
- The soil of African violets should be just slightly moist to the
touch at all times...never waterlogged or bone dry.
- If you feel your African violet has absorbed enough water, simply
empty the decorative bowl.
African Violet Care
African Violet History
African violets are not actually violets. They do not come from the
Viola species of plants. They belong to the Gesnariads
group of plants. It is believed that the western world first came in
contact with these charming specimens when they were collected from
West Africa by Baron Walter Von St. Paul in the 1800s. Baron St. Paul
sent his collection home to Germany. The African violets, with their
fuzzy emerald leaves and vibrantly hued flowers, were an immediate
success, and remain one of the most beloved and popular house plants to
this day.
Modern African Violets
Hybridizers have had tremendous fun with this species of plant over the
past few centuries. The original common form of the African violet featured
dark purple flowers, hence its name. Today, you will find every shade of
violet, lavender, various blues, pink, white, and bi-color African violets,
just waiting to beautify your home as few other house plants can. You will
find single, double, semi-double, and ruffled flower forms, and leaves may
be ruffled, scalloped, variegated, or a plain flat green with that signature
velvety feel.
African violet growers class these plants into four size groups, based
upon the diameter the plant ultimately reaches. There are large African violets,
exceeding 16", 8" to 16" standards, 6" to 8" semi-miniatures, and less than
6" miniature African violets. The amazing variety offers endless possibilities
for your home decor.
Soil for your African violet
We advise against using peat moss in your African violet pots. The best
gardeners we know have told us that this cheap substance can actually
harm your plant instead of helping it. Go to your local nursery and
purchase a small bag of soil meant specifically for African violets.
It should be made of up pine bark and sand to allow breathing room for the
roots of the plant. The design of our African violet pots ensures that
you do not drown your plant by watering it from above. Watering from below,
by means of our two part African violet container, is the way to go!
Proper light for African violets
Most gardeners agree that a window sill with a northeast exposure is best
for the cultivation of this plant. Too much light will produce tiny, rumpled,
yellow leaves, and too little light can result in thin, straggly leaves that
are stretching to find the light source they need. A healthy African violet
should have a rounded, compact, mounding habit, and dark green foliage.
If you do not have a window with a northeast exposure, fluorescent
lights can do the trick. The lights should be installed so that they hang
about a foot above the plants, and with an average of 14 hours of light per
day from these artificial lights, your African violets should have the
power and energy to bloom and thrive. You do not need to use expensive
grow lights for this.
Fertilizing your African violets
We recommend seeking an organic African violet fertilizer. This is
especially important if the violets are being displayed in the kitchen or
near eating areas, or anywhere that children play. Chemical fertilizers are
not meant to be ingested, so it's best to be as safe as you can when growing
plants indoors by choosing organic African violet food. Because they are
being grown in planters, your plants will require periodic fertilization to
re-enrich the soil.
Aphids on African violets
All gardeners run into aphids outside in the garden, but they can occur on
house plants, too. Aphids are tiny white and green bugs. You will likely
come across numerous pesticides manufactured for poisoning garden insects,
but let us earnestly steer you away from spraying dangerous toxic substances
in your home. Thousands of people are hospitalized each year due to
over the counter pesticide exposure, and many of these victims are small
children.
The good news is, you can get rid of unwanted aphids on your
African violets completely without nasty poisons. If a plant becomes
infested, take it outside and simply brush or blow the aphids off. You
can use a small paintbrush or cotton swab to assist you in this delicate
procedure. Be sure to check the undersides of the leaves and flowers
where the little bugs may be hiding. No doubt, these minute insects are
having a lovely time living on your lovely African violet plant, but,
if you don't want them there, the above is our solution that is gentle to
the unsuspecting aphids, and gentle on your home and the environment.
The cultivation of house plants does require practice and care, but the
above tips should get you started, and we know you will enjoy having the
guesswork taken out of watering with Emerson Creek Pottery's African violet
pots.
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