SOIL MIXES FOR AFRICAN VIOLETS

By Nancy Robitaille

African violets need a light fluffy soil mix. Most of the soil violets are sold with is much too heavy and it will absorb and keep water in the plant which produces root rot. 

It is advisable to change the soil of plants you have purchased to the soil less mix recipe below.

Roots should be white, not dark brown. This is why the plant should be repotted about 3 times a year. Miniatures and Semi-miniatures should be repotted more often since their pots contain so little soil.

A good recipe for soil for your violets is 1:1:1. That means one part peat moss, one part vermiculite, one part perlite. Once mixed together, the soil less mix should be dampened. The peat moss in the mix is difficult to keep wet so add water, stir and wait before using it until the mix is truly dampened.

If you wick your plants you need an even lighter soil, something like one part peat moss, two parts vermiculite and two parts perlite.

Additives

Many growers use additives such as:

Horticultural charcoal to sweeten the soil

Bone meal or blood meal. 

It is thought that when charcoal is placed at the bottom of a pot the chemical fumes draw the roots to it. Charcoal also aids with the odor of wet soil.

If bone meal or blood meal is used, remember that these are natural fertilizers and that your artificial fertilizer regime should be adjusted. Using them together may burn roots or foliage.