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!

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, 3-12-6, and 5-50-17.

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