African Violets Back to the Basics
Your Questions Answered
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Question 10 Will there ever be an African violet with vibrant yellow
blossoms?
In correspondence with Dr. Jeff Smith, columnist for the African Violet Magazine and renowned for his genetic studies of the African violet, about the possibility of having a yellow blossom I received the following information: [hybridizers} “…are pretty close to [developing] full yellow flowers. The amount of yellow is still variable and the flowers don’t last as long as other colors, but sometimes the flowers are a pure buttercup yellow.”
Question 20 Do variegated plants require special care?
Two things should be watched closely when seeing to the needs of these special plants. Give them as strong a light as possible. Do not expose them to so much natural sunlight that the leaves begin to sunburn. Feed them regularly with a fertilizer low in nitrogen; occasionally it is okay to use a fertilizer lacking nitrogen. Three examples of plant food to use on variegated plants are: 0-15-14,
Question 54 A friend warned me not to overfeed my plants with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Now I am wondering why it would hurt my plants. Can you tell me?
Yes. Nitrogen is the primary nutrient causing rapid shoot growth in plants, at the expense of the development of a healthy root system and the formation of blossoms. The rapid growth of the stems and leaves causes them to be weak and susceptible to diseases. This type of growth also distracts from the overall appearance of your African violets.
Question 94 There is a rusty orange-reddish crust forming on the edge of my clay pots and on the soil surface. What is it?
This is an accumulation of salts that has happened over a long period of time. The color is due to other impurities being present with the salt. The salt usually adheres to the rim of a clay pot so tightly it is necessary to repot the plant and toss the old one in the garbage. When this condition occurs it is the result of continually watering the plant and not allowing any of the water to drain out of the pot. As the potting mixture dries out, the salts move up to the surface of the potting mixture.
Question 115 Should the soil be wet or dry when I am removing plants from their pots?
A plant and its soil ball will slip out of the pot easier if the potting mixture is dry. A wet potting mixture is sticky and tends to grip the sides of the pot, causing some damage to occur to the roots unless you are extremely careful. Do not let the potting mixture become so dry it readily crumbles apart when it is remove from the pot. This will be damaging to the roots.
Question 132 Do I need to worry about whether I top water or bottom water my African violets?
You do not need to worry about which method you use so long as you understand the pros and cons of each of the watering techniques. Either way is okay. Once you have settled on one, set up a good watering program for healthy, vigorously flowering African violets.
Question 194 How long should the stem be when rooting cuttings?
In most cases leave approximately 1½ to 2 inches of stem for the best results. Miniature African violets often do not have a stem this long so when working with these tiny plants leave the stem as long as possible.
Question 238 I am growing my African violets under fluorescent lights and the leaves are growing straight up—sort of like they were reach
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Book Details
About the Book
Have you ever had a question on how to grow African violets but could not find the answer? Now your dilemma is solved and you will be able to quickly find the information for which you are looking. With this book in your hands you will no longer have to guess when it comes to growing beautiful African violets, crowned with dozens of gorgeous blossoms.
The primary theme of Mel Robey’s third book on African violets is: Getting Back to the Basics. The reader will find answers to 250 of the most common questions the author has been asked since the publication of his first book on these popular houseplants. He combines a unique knowledge of horticulture with an easy to understand writing style.
250 Questions and their answers are covered in ten chapters
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Getting To Know Your Plants
Chapter 3 Plant Food Essential For Healthy Plants
Chapter 4 Potting Mixtures: Key To Being Successful
Chapter 5 Containers For Growing Beautiful African Violets
Chapter 6 Proper Watering Techniques Important
Chapter 7 Those Ugly Pests: Insects, Diseases, and Other Unsightly Problems
Chapter 8 Propagation Is Easy
Chapter 9 The Environment Around Your Plants
Chapter 10 Light: Its Role In A Plant’s Life
Glossary
You will find answers to questions such as:
•What can be done to solve the problem after a white, salty crust has formed on the potting soil surface and rim of the pot?
•Does the type of fertilizer I use have any influence on how well my African violets bloom?
•Are there any simple ways to sterilize my potting mixture?
•If you could pick one problem that causes African violets the most trouble, what would it be?
•Why are the flower buds on my African violet dropping off before they open? This is very discouraging!
About the Author
The author’s first book, African Violets: Queens of the Indoor Gardening Kingdom, was hailed as a tribute to the Queen of the indoor gardening kingdom. Enthusiastic African violet fans have referred to his second book, African Violets: Gifts from Nature, as a “Masterpiece” and as “a must have for your African violet library.” Mr. Robey continues his reign as the African Queen’s devoted King with the publication of his third book on America’s most popular flowering houseplant—and promises it is not his last.
Mel Robey uses his unique knowledge of the plant world to explain to the reader the basic skills required to produce beautiful African violets. His down-to-earth, easy-to-understand approach to writing is the key to his success as an author.
The author is also a well known agronomic expert in the sports world. Through his lifelong efforts and those of many others at
Mr. Robey has a Bachelor of Science degree from
Mr. Robey divides his time between living in southern
Selected Illustrations by Terry Sheehan (T.P.S.)
Mr. Terry Sheehan studied drawing and composition, basic design and color at College of the Desert in