Question: I’ve been growing my African violets under lights. I’m expanding my growing space and am wondering if I can simply double the number of florescent lights if I double the width of my shelves–i.e. if I have one tube for 20″ wide shelf, can I use 2 for a wider shelf. Answer: Assuming you don’t change […]
Question: I grow some of my violets in a window and they do well there, except for the winter when they don’t seem to bloom very much. I’ve added florescent light above the plants and really like how they look with the extra light, especially at night or when the days are dark. Would there be […]
Question: Which window should I use? Answer: Whichever window works. Since every window is unique, there’s no simple answer. It’s not the window, but the environment in the window area. What you want is plenty of bright light, but not direct, hot, sun. Which window provides this depends upon the season, climate, type and cleanliness of glass, […]
Question: All of my violets are producing flowers on stems well above the foliage. The leaves are growing upwards at a 45 degree angle, not like the pictures I’ve seen. I use a GE incandescent grow-bulb at the recommended 24 inches above the plants. Answer: The leaves are reaching upwards in search of more light. In addition, […]
Question: If I grow under florescent lights, how long should they be left on? How far should the plants be from the tubes? Answer: Usually 12-13 hours each day, though the time depends somewhat upon how close the plants are kept to the lights, there being a trade-off. Personally, we keep lights on 13 hours a day, […]
Question: I see all kinds of advice about growing under lights, but no one has committed themselves as to what type of florescent to use, “warm”, “cool”, or “grow-lights”. Would you help? Answer: This is a subject which requires more than a paragraph or two to adequately address. We’ll keep the discussion simple for this reason (and […]
Question: I have florescent lights in my office. Can I grow African violets there? Answer: Yes, but if your office is like most, a violet probably won’t bloom very well, or often, there. Violets grown in these conditions will rarely bloom, leaves will be less firm and succulent, and growth will be more sparse and upright in […]
Question: Can you plant African violets in a strawberry pot and have them grow well? Answer: Yes. For the fun of it, we’ve done this before, with some success. Because of their naturally spreading nature, the trailing varieties are the best choice for this use. For smaller containers, use the miniature or semiminiature varieties. Be sure that […]
Question: I would appreciate your answering a question about the use of mason’s twine in wicking. Should the twine be unwound so that only one thread is used for wicking, or should the twin be used whole, as manufactured, for miniature violets? Answer: Since miniature violets are grown in smaller pots, and have smaller root systems, than […]
Question: I notice that you water by placing your plants on an acrylic material. What is this and how can I get this? Answer: Most of our mature plants are watered by “capillary mats”. Plants sit atop acrylic matting (or blankets). When plants are dry enough to require watering, we wet these mats (our shelves are waterproof) […]
