how to water African violets
One of the most well-known houseplants is the African violet. As its name suggests, this plant is native to warm regions and grows on the banks of rivers in the forest and in the shady forest. Properties of sunflower seeds
Even though these beautiful plants grow well in apartment environments, they need special care. Water is one of the most important and influential factors in growing African violets. In this article, we talk about the time and methods of watering African violets and we answer some frequently asked questions about these plants.
African violet watering time at home
Although African violets require simple care, they require special attention. For example, it is very important to know how often to water these plants to keep them healthy.
In general, African violets should be watered once a week, which of course depends on the storage environment and soil composition of this plant. If you live in hot areas, you should water your plant more, and if you live in cooler areas, you should water your plant every other week.
There is a rule of thumb for watering African violets. According to this rule, African violet soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings, but not for too long. Determining soil moisture can help determine irrigation intervals. Finger test is a simple method to determine the moisture level in the soil.
To perform this finger test, you need to dip your finger in the soil of the pot. If the potting mix was dry, that means it’s time to water your African violets, but if the potting mix is still moist, that means you should wait a few more days to water your plant.
Time to water African violets outdoors
In outdoor environments, weather conditions are very important. To adjust the irrigation times, the humidity and temperature of the environment should be taken into account. If you live in an environment with high humidity, you should water your plant frequently. But if you live in an environment with low humidity, the frequency of watering African violets should be less.
Here are some general recommendations for watering this plant:
Dry climates: Water your African violets every three to five days
Humid climates: Water your African violets every five to seven days.
Hot weather: Water your African violets every two to three days.
Cold weather: Water your African violets every seven to ten days. gardening
Note: Keep in mind that these are only general guidelines, and depending on the climate in your area, your African violet may need more or less watering.
Watering African violets in summer
During the summer, these plants should be watered more. The soil may lose its moisture and dry faster due to the heat and dryness of the air. In general, you should water your African violet every five to seven days during the summer. But if you live in hot areas, you should do this every two or three days.
Watering African violets in winter
During the winter, African violets need less watering. Soil retains moisture for a longer time due to low temperature and high humidity level. In general, in winter, you should water your plant every five to seven days. If you live in cool areas, water every two weeks.
Water quality for African violets
1) The water must be at or close to the ambient temperature. African violet roots are frozen by very cold water. In such a case, when the plant absorbs the cold water through the roots, the leaves bend down. If irrigation is done from above, cold water will cause spots on the leaves. Such spots are called necrosis and do not disappear easily.
Note: Regardless of whether the water is at the right temperature or not, always avoid watering African violet leaves. You can spray water on it only if needed to raise the humidity of the plant or to feed the plant quickly.
2) Do not use soft water (water with very low levels of magnesium and calcium) for irrigation because it increases soil salt. This type of water changes the pH value of the soil and its electrical conductivity. As a result, the capacity of the African violet It will decrease to absorb water and nutrients.
3) Do not use chlorinated water either. Although some chlorine is needed to carry out photosynthesis, African violets require small amounts of chlorine, about 70 to 100 ppm. This small amount of chlorine in water cannot be detected by smell.
If you smell chlorine in the water, it means that there is too much chlorine in the water. Using water that has a lot of chlorine will burn the leaves and reduce the flowering of African violets. If you could not use other water, pour the water into a container and let it sit overnight for the chlorine gas to evaporate.
The best methods of watering African violets
There is no reason to be afraid of watering African violets. There are methods for watering that are even easier than regular watering. In the following, we will introduce four methods of watering African violets.
1- Self-watering pots
This method is one of the most common ways to water these plants because it allows the plant to take care of itself. The method of operation of religion’s self-watering pots is as follows:
Self-watering pots consist of two parts. The first chamber contains the soil and the plant itself, and the second chamber is filled with water, which is placed in the lower part of the first chamber.
The plant absorbs water from the lower part of the first chamber, and this prevents overwatering the plant. When the water runs out, you need to refill the second chamber (usually every two or three weeks).
2- Watering from the bottom of the pot
This method involves placing the plant in a container of water so that moisture can be absorbed by the plant through the holes at the bottom of the pot. For this, you need to put the African violet plant in a container of water for 25 to 50 minutes.
If you check the container and see that there is still some water left in the container, this means that your plant has absorbed all the water it needs. If all the water in the container has been absorbed, pour another amount of water in the container and allow the plant to absorb the water for 10 to 15 minutes.