The growing instructions for African Violets intimidated me for years. Don’t water them with cold water. Always use tepid, but not softened water. If you grow more than one plant, don’t put them so close together that the leaves touch. Don’t expose them to harsh fumes from paint or solvents. Make sure they get 8 hours of darkness each night or they won’t bloom. Don’t ever splash water on the leaves or it will cause leaf damage. Make sure they get enough light, but not too much light (?). Excessive chlorine in your water could cause leaf burn. Don’t expose them to sudden cold or drafts. And NEVER, EVER feed them after midnight—wait, no, that last instruction is for Gremlins. It’s a wonder anyone even tries to grow African Violets!
I’m violating more than half of the instructions, but I haven’t lost a plant in almost a year. Technically my plants should be desperate for light because they are growing in a north-facing window, but they seem quite happy. They are stout, not scraggly, and they all have rich, dark-green leaves (that are touching other plants’ leaves I might add).
One thing I am doing is right is bottom-watering (also called wick watering). African Violets can get leaf spots if any water gets splashed on them (does this mean plants in the wild are all pock-marked and spotty and get leaf diseases? I assume they get rained on.). Once a week I set the pots in a pan of warm water and let them soak it up from bottom for about 10 or 15 minutes.
As far as the rest of the rules go, let’s just say my African Violets are very forgiving. All of them look healthy and five of the six of them are either blooming or sending up flower buds right now. I must be doing something right!