African Violets Single in kitchen (Close up) 2010 09 30 001

Nice view when washing up Balcony;0)

It is! Just that being very small plants you tend to overlook them - literally! I sometimes would like to put in a shelf & put more in the window but I've never mentioned it to my wife, not sure what she would say - probably it would look ugly! There's only room for 5 or 6 & they jostle each other for space. But on the other hand it's the place where they do best!

Just beautiful ... looks so healthy and happy. I wish mine would look this good ... I guess I just haven't got the touch with the AVs.

Glad you liked it, Bernieth! :-))

Shame you have trouble growing them. I find them very easy to grow & propagate. They are very troublefree plants.

It's not so much the growing of them, Balcony, it's the flowering. I'm obviously not feeding them right because they will only show a measly little couple of blooms at any one time and then nothing for ages. I've been using the AV fertiliser sold in the nursery, as recommended, but it's not doing the job.

That seems strange then. Mine are never regularly fertilized & when they are they get whatever I may be using at that moment. In the early part of the summer I use a general fertilizer as it contains more Nitrogen, ideal for plant growth as the growing season gets going. From midsummer I use a tomato fertilizer as it contains more Potash, ideal for promoting flowers & preparing the plants for winter.

One thing to keep in mind about AVs is that they are long day plants. Flowering will only take place if the daylight hours are long enough! That's why a lot of people grow them under growlights.

As I've mentioned on other occasions mine grow all year round on a West facing window in our kitchen. They get no extra light & frost protection is non-existent. Except that the windows are double glazed. I bring them into the kitchen only when severe frost is forecast.

They do tend to flower best after mid summer but I think I have a few flowers most of the year. They also stay in the same small, 3", pots from birth till death. An individual plant, even with this "lax" treatment, will live for several years.

Can't think of any reason yours don't flower. According to the AV sites my plants should have died off years ago! I do everything wrong it seems, yet ...