Must Be a Vanda

African violets are very easy to grow. However, if not well tended, they will not flower. If watering is not controlled most especially under unhealthy condition, they will just rot easily.

African violets are flowering houseplants. They belong to the herb type, soft bodied and succulent looking. They are commonly called African violets for the reason that they originated from the East African jungles and that the first species discovered bore violet flowers.

Scientifically named Saintpaulia ionantha, it belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. This humid-loving tropical plant was discovered by Baron Walter von Saint Paul, a German soldier and colonial administrator in Eastern Africa before 1910.

African violets, like begonias, ferns, philodendrons, aglaonemas, bromeliads and dracaenas, are considered houseplants because they can be cultured easily indoors. They do not need too much direct sunlight. However, you have to provide high humidity.

In other countries, African violets are one of the most popular houseplants. There are now thousands of varieties and new hybrids of Saintpaulias that are constantly developed, producing different colors ranging from white, pink, purple, blue, red and bicolors. As to sizes, there are the regulars, semi-minis , minis and micro-minis.

Flowers come in five petaled single forms and many-petaled double forms. Some have smooth petal edges while others are ruffled or frilled.

Plants usually grow four-to-six inches tall, bearing flowers above rosettes of hairy, two-to-four inch leaves that range from green to bronze, with some varieties mottled pink or white. Plants having yellowish or whitish splashes on stems and leaves are called variegated forms.

Saintpaulias do best in bright indirect or curtain-filtered sunlight. In underground apartments where practically no sunlight is available, they can be cultured with artificial light–14 to 16 hours a day at least. The plants have to be placed on shelves with Growlux fluorescent bulbs about 1 and 1/2 feet above the leaves. Special light bulbs with ultra-violet rays used for aquariums can be used. They are available in electrical departments of big department stores.

Night temperatures of 65 to 70 degree centigrade and day temperatures of 75 degree centigrade or higher are ideal. In air conditioned rooms, where temperature is dry and humidity low, it is advisable to place your potted plants on a tray with water and coarse pebbles. See to it that the bottom of the pot rests over the pebbles and not on the water. The water will evaporate and while suspended in air, it provides high humidity.

Being shallow-rooted, they should be underpotted. The large variety should be planted in size #2 pot (3.5 inches in diameter); standard variety in #1 pot (3 inches in diameter); semi-minis and minis in #00 (2.5 inches in diameter) and micro-minis in #000 (1.5 inches in diameter).

There are two cultural methods–the standard and the wick method. The standard is the regular way of planting and watering on top while the wick is done with the use of an old stocking or any absorbent cotton cloth. The cloth is cut one inch wide and rolled with the other end inserted through the pothole all the way to the top of the rim. The advantage of the wick method is that watering need not be done everyday and that water on the plant’s crown, which usually causes rotting, can be avoided. Through the wick, water goes up to the roots by the osmosis process. In this way, the pots should be placed on a shallow tray with clean water.

Propagate good varieties from leaf cuttings that are not too old and not too young, without blemishes. Insert the petioles in a propagating medium–one part perlite, one part river sand and one part compost. Sterilize first the medium by pouring boiling water or by heating over fire on a pan for bout 20 minutes. Let the medium cool first on a propagating box before insertin