Early this year I was so excited to get a hold of African Violet seeds, I wanted to start growing them right away! However, African Violets need warm temperatures (20°C or higher) for germination, so I needed to wait patiently until the summer when the temperatures would be suitable.
I decided to grow all three varieties of African Violets: Zanzibar, Variegated, and Fantasy. In late May, I filled my Growlight Garden container with Promix Started Mix in preparation for seeding. The seeds are like dust particles, so I sprinkled them on the moistened soil surface and covered them with plastic. I gave them a little water each day so that they wouldn’t dry out. The germination can take up to 14 days, so one needs to be patient. I checked every day in hope that I would see some growth.
On June 11th the plants finally started to grow. They were small but there were many little plants popping up. Since June was looking like a cooler month, I kept them covered for a few more weeks to ensure they would keep growing. It was exciting to watch them get bigger even though the temperatures were lower.
On July 4th I transplanted them into trays of Promix African Violet soil. Some of them were so tiny that you could barely see the leaves, so it was a long and arduous task of transplanting. But it was a great success and the plants continued to thrive. The Fantasy variety germinated the fastest, with 34 plants, followed by the Zanzibar (27 plants) and then the Variegated (23 plants).
By August 16th the plants had doubled in size. This time I transplanted all three varieties into one bigger pot so that there would be a variety of colour when they bloomed. In three weeks since then, they have again doubled in size. I am looking forward to the next stage when they bloom and hope that I don’t have to wait too long. To continue taking care of my African Violets, I will keep the soil moist between watering, being careful not to water the leaves. and locate them near a window for brightness.
If you are looking to start some seeds next summer, then look no further than African Violets.
Happy planting!