The Vancouver African Violet &
Gesneriad Society
Temperature
Most Gesneriads are well-suited to life in our homes. Normal house
temperatures are usually suitable for Gesneriads. Daytime
temperatures of 70 to 80º F, with a 5 to 10 degree drop at
night, are considered ideal for most Gesneriads. Some require higher
temperatures, others will tolerate much lower ones. Avoid hot or
cold drafts, such as furnace vents or open doors. Overall, if you're
comfortable then your plants will be as well.
Water
Water your plants when the top of the soil is dry, using slightly warmed
or room temperature water. Soil or growing medium should be
constantly moist but not wet and soggy; excess water must be
permitted to drain out of the bottom of the pot. Most Gesneriads
require continual amounts of water. Inadvertently allowing tuberous
and rhizomatous Gesneriads to completely dry out will initiate
dormancy.
Light
For healthy plants and abundant blooms, Gesneriads must have good, bright
light. Most Gesneriads will tolerate or do quite well in an east or
west window as long as the temperature isn't too high and their moisture
requirements, i.e., humidity and watering, are met. If necessary,
shade the plants with a curtail or move them back from the window.
Most Gesneriads grow and bloom extremely well under artificial
lights. Fluorescent light setups and stands are commercially
available or you can construct your own. "Cool White"
types of lamps provide the most satisfactory results, although more
expensive "daylight simulant" or wide spectrum, e.g. GroLux,
tubes are available. A shop or strip fluorescent fixture holding two
40 or 34 watt lamps will provide enough light to adequately illuminate a
2' x 4' growing area. Lights should be turned on for 12-16 hours per
day and be hung an average of 8" to 16" above the tops of plants.
Humidity
Most Gesneriads originate in humid tropical areas. An average
humidity of 30 to 50% will keep your Gesneriads happy. To maintain
this level during the dry winter heating season, place the pots on trays
filled with damp aggregate. Running a humidifier or misting daily
will also help alleviate dry atmospheric conditions.
Fertilizers
A constant feeding method is recommended for Gesneriads, using any good
non-urea-based fertilizer, e.g., DynaGro. Depending on the
Gesneriads being fertilized, use 1/2 to 1/4 the strength
recommended on the label directions: generally speaking, tuberous
and rhizomatous Gesneriads require more fertilizer and at a higher
strength than non-tuberous/rhizomatous Gesneriads. Use this strength
every time you water your plants, but once every 6-8 weeks flush out
accumulated salts by watering with plain water.
Repotting/Soil
As a plant grows, a larger pot and new soil or growing medium will be
required to maintain a healthy root system. It's time to repot
upward into the next size pot when the rootball is tight and slightly
overgrown, usually 2 to 3 months from the previous transplanting.
Growing medium must be friable and porous to retain moisture, yet provide
good drainage. Any prepared African Violet mix, with some perlite
and vermiculite mixed in to lighten it up can be used. Many growers
use custom soil mixes which they prepare themselves. These mixes
have been specially adapted to meet the demands of their particular
growing environment and watering habits. A locally-tested growing
medium of 3 cups peat moss, 1 cup each of vermiculite and perlite, and 1/2
cup of charcoal will produce successful results.
Propagation
It is very easy to propagate Gesneriads. They have the unusual
capacity of vegetative reproduction by tubers, rhizomes, stolons, leaves
or tip cuttings. Leaf, stem and crown cuttings as well as tubers and
rhizomes can be placed in a covered, soil-filled pot until roots have
formed. Gesneriads can also be grown from seed, although modern
hybrids will not reproduce true from seed.
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