bloom and blooming

Question:  How long do African violets bloom? Answer:  This all depends upon environment, the variety being grown, and your care.  Individual blooms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  Varieties producing thicker petals and those with green in the bloom tend to last longer.  Blooms will last longer under moderate to high humidity […]

Question:  About a year ago at a show, I bought a beautiful chimera, ‘The Alps’.  It has bloomed profusely since then, but now seems to be reverting to solid blue flowers.  What can I do now? Answer:  As a commercial grower, this is the type of question we get frequently from growers.  Often times a chimera, fantasy, […]

Question:  All I am getting are new leaves.  How often do violets bloom? Answer:  Given the proper care and conditions, African violets can bloom nearly constantly.  If your plant is producing new, healthy, leaves, but no blooms, the likely causes are either insufficient light and/or excess crowns or suckeres.  Properly grown, unless this is a species or […]

Question:  The blooms on a few of my varieties, ‘Irish Flirt’ and ‘Rob’s Denim Demon’, to name two, don’t want to open fully.  Any reason why? Answer:  This was a phone call that we received from a customer.  Since the plants were being grown during the summer months, we asked whether she considered her growing conditions to […]

Question:  I recently purchased a young Streptocarpus from you in a 2″ pot.  It started blooming for me almost immediately in this small pot.  The problem is, the plant itself hasn’t seemed to grow very much since I got it.  Even though it’s blooming, am I doing something wrong? Answer:  Streptocarpus are one of the easiest to grow and most […]