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Home & Garden readers might also want to read Keep it Green, a gardening column by Michael Womack.

Saturday, October 20, 2001
Bloomin’ easy
African violets: Growers teach simple rules at society sale
By Leanne Libby
Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

The Corpus Christi African Violet Society will have plants on sale today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Padre Staples Mall. There’s a size and color for almost every taste, and society members will be on hand to answer questions about raising the cheerful-looking houseplants, like this Deoas African violet available at Turner’s Gardenland.

Marjorie Bullard just loves African violets. What started as a trip to the store has taken over the house. She’s the proud caretaker of 500 to 600 plants these days, and she’s constantly selling or giving away new African violets she has grown from the leaves of other plants.
   "You feel like this mother, you know, with all these plants," Bullard said with a laugh. "They are just so cute and they bloom like crazy."
   Bullard and her fellow members of the Corpus Christi African Violet Society will have Padre Staples Mall blooming today during their annual fall sale and clinic. They will be selling plants grown from their personal gardens and answering questions about growing the cheerful-looking houseplant.
   Viva violets

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Caring for African violets may take some practice, but when they receive the proper amount of light and water, they bloom year-around. Shown here: Pink Deoas African violets (top), and purple Kentucky African violets at Turner’s Gardenland.

   Bullard said she bought her first African violets at a nursery about nine years ago and joined the society soon after. Over the years, she’s learned that "African violet" doesn’t just mean one plant.
   "The first African violets came from Africa in the ‘40s," she said. "Now there are around 20,000 varieties. Some days I feel like I have half of them."
   There are differences in leaves. Do you like them plain green or multi-colored? There are a variety of sizes. Would you prefer miniature plants, about an inch and a half in diameter, semi"miniature plants or standard ones, which can grow as large as 24 inches in diameter? And, of course, there are the blossoms: various reds, pinks, blue, purple, peach'even a few yellow ones. The list goes on.

Tips for growing African violets

Adequate light is important for abundant bloom. Pick windows that have strong light. (Shield from hot mid-day sun with sheer curtains.)
You may use fluorescent lights 12 to 14 hours a day. Place lights 8 to 12 inches from top of plant.
Rotate pots 1/4 turn each day.
Water only when top of the soil is dry to the touch. Water from top to bottom. Tap water usually has a pH level that is too high for violets. Use bottled water or reverse osmosis water instead. Never allow plants to stand in water.
Use a fine soil especially prepared for African violets.
Ideal temperature ranges between 65 and 70 degrees at night, 70 to 80 degrees during the day. Temperatures below 60 degrees for an extended period will slow growth. Source: Marjorie Bullard, Corpus Christi African Violet Society

   Beginners will want to follow some basic guidelines like turning the pots so plants gets enough 'but not too much'light. After that, however, Bullard said the name of the game is learning about each plant.
   "It’s almost like they have personalities," she said. "If you find the right spot, it will do anything."
   Tony Turner, landscape designer at Turner’s Gardenland on South Padre Island Drive, said shopping for the right African violets is as easy as picking out the prettiest one.
   "You want them to look clean and healthy," Turner said. "Older African violets will look shop-worn and they won’t be perky looking."
   Healthy plant leaves should be slightly stiff, not limp or jelly"like, Turner said, and they should be in bud and in bloom.
   Since African violets are particularly sensitive when it comes to watering, Turner suggested a self-watering pot.
   Gardeners on a budget can make a self-watering pot at home using a butter tub, Turner said. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of African violet fertilizer to a gallon of water. Fill the clean tub with the mix. Poke a hole in the lid and put one end of a wick through the hole. Place the other end in the pot holding the plant.
   Should your plants fall prey to insects or fungus, Turner added, it’s best just to throw them away and start over. Clean the area with Lysol to prevent fungus from spreading to other plants.
   Don’t be intimidated
   The African violet sometimes has a reputation for being difficult to grow. According to Elizabeth Riggle, a member of the Corpus Christi African Violet Society, however, the plant has gotten a bum rap.
   "I have children; I don’t have much time," Riggle, 43, said. "I spend maybe 30 minutes taking care of basic watering once a week. My big effort is to repot them a couple times a year. That takes about three to four hours for 15 violets."
   Riggle has been growing African violets for more than 17 years, and she has had her share of disasters.
   "I’ve burned them in the sun when I thought putting them in the sun would make them bloom more quickly," she said. "I’ve had toddlers take them apart and turn them upside down. I’ve had cats sit on them."
   Tip sheets
   The burned plants were lost causes, but she rescued the others. The key, she said, is a little persistence.
   "It takes a couple tries," Riggle said. "But since you’re buying these plants for just a couple of dollars, if you kill it, you can try again. If you buy something expensive like a rose or an orchid and you kill that, it’s a lot of money."
   During today’s sale, each plant sold comes with a tip sheet that includes a phone number for African violet growers in distress. The annual event is just the thing for people wanting to learn more about the plants or just have a place to ask questions, Bullard said. While African violets take some practice, Bullard said, they are suitable for beginning gardeners and anyone else who wants to brighten up the house.
   "This is something that will look perky and happy all winter," she said.

Contact Leanne Libby at 886-3615 or libbyl@caller.com

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