Using hydroponics to grow African violets.
African violets are colorful and lush little houseplants and are a favorite around the world. Most people love these little potted flowers because they are beautiful, abundant flowering plants that take up little space and can grow in almost any corner or on a window sill.
Did you know that you can grow beautiful African violets using hydroponic gardening? It is without soil, using nutrients that feed the root system. Flowers are twice as healthy and much more lush if grown hydroponically. They need good lighting and uniform temperatures.
They need room to develop a root system, but it can’t be too big or the plants won’t thrive. With hydroponic gardening, the plant would not have to waste its energy developing extensive root networks because the hydroponic system with special nutrient supplies would take care of that. Therefore, they grow more lush and faster.
Using soil and normal pot, it is a slow-growing plant. Especially when they start from a single sheet. You will find that African violets are easy to grow indoors and very inexpensive. They are even grown commercially using glass casings and hydroponics.
The hydroponic system for growing African violets for commercial use has also proven very successful. In fact, hydroponic gardening for African violets has proven to be a very lucrative business. It’s cheaper, more effective, cleaner than outdoor gardening, and you have no bugs, no inclement weather, no weeds, no bug control.
The hydroponic system lends itself to easy use of proper lighting for this flower. Using a suitable HID or high intensity charging fluorescent light (called LED grow lights) indoors will easily meet the light requirements of plants. African violet flowers need a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees for optimal growth. This is very easy to maintain for the indoor gardener. In the winter, make sure that the room does not get cold from the flowers.
A very small hydroponic system is ideal for African violets, as well as other flowers and vegetables. There is a super efficient flood and drain pump irrigation system that ensures optimal moisture control for healthy roots. The system works by pumping nutrient solution from a reservoir into a water pan where water levels are precisely controlled. Plants are watered evenly on a timed cycle for optimal moisture control and healthier roots. In this way, when the plants are watered from below, the leaves and flowers are not damaged when the water touches them. They can’t let the water touch the leaf or it will die.
African violets are easy to propagate. Just cut a leaf leaving a little stem to put in water. To keep the leaf from touching the water while waiting for the roots to grow, use aluminum foil and make a hole in it and then place the stem through the hole in the water. This will keep the leaf from touching the water while the stem develops roots.
When it has enough roots you can put it in its own pot. Many African violet lovers will swap leaves for a variety of different plants. You can even cross African violets.
Most people don’t know that African violets have male and female parts. They have flaky yellow pollen. The female parts consist of the stigma, style, and ovary and are mature when they become sticky, preparing them to accept pollen. Simply look into the center of a flower on one of your African violets to see the male and female parts. So, you can have different colors, single, double, ruffled borders, and just about any combination you can think of.
It is best to have several different African violet plants in your home because if the plants are only male or female, they will not be very happy and will not flower very well, if at all. You will be richly rewarded for your cost and effort for the beauty these lovely plants will bring to your home for years to come.