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Little by little, African violets have invaded Brigitte McKnight's Cupertino home. It started 10 years ago with a small plant for decoration. Then came two plant stands equipped with florescent lights—to make room for those she pushed some of her furniture out of her family room. She also emptied one of her children's rooms for two more stands of African violets.
"I like African violets," says McKnight, who has been a member of the South Bay chapter of the African Violet Society of America since 1995. "If you treat them right, they bloom year-round for you."
African violets are the best-known members of the gesneria family, a family of chiefly tropical and subtropical perennial herbs and shrubs. They have showy blossoms in a variety of colors.
Every third Tuesday, McKnight and other members of the African Violet Society of the South Bay meet at Sunnyview Lutheran Home, 22449 Cupertino Road in Cupertino, to share their experience with growing African violets.
In their latest meeting, on Jan. 21, the 18 members of the club discussed how to prepare plants for the club's annual show May 34 at Westgate Mall, 1600 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose.
"Even though the show is three months away, you have to decide right now which competition categories you want to enter and which plants you want to show," says club member Anne Jantzan. Jantzan handed out a 14-week plan offering suggestions about grooming, potting, lighting and fertilizing.
Dorothy Gawienowski, who has won the best plant category almost every year since she joined the club in 1975, is a walking encyclopedia of information about African violets. The Sunnyvale resident shared her expertise at the meeting.
Nancy Funnell, president of the African Violet Society of the South Bay, says the plan may scare novice growers but explains that African violets are actually easy to take care of.
"The ladies are perfectionists," Funnelli says. "They want to show their best plants."
Funnelli says there are four elements African violet growers should pay attention to: water, grooming, light and fertilizer.
African violets need just enough water to keep the soil moist. Too much water can cause root rot and crown rot. Over-watering also prevents the plants from getting the nitrogen they need. The temperature of the water also matters. Water should be about room temperature. If the water is too cold, it chills the roots of the violets and causes the leaves to curl down. Wicking the plants is also a good watering method. But only acrylic, nylon or synthetic wicks should be used.
A regular grooming routine is important. Growers should remove dust, dirt and other debris that has accumulated on the leaves with a soft-bristled brush. Damaged leaves and flowers should be removed because they leave the plants vulnerable to bacterial diseases, virus and some microorganisms. A thorough grooming routine also includes an inspection for insects and pests.
The amount of light an African violet receives also affects its health. Too little light causes the plants to stop flowering and the leaves to turn yellow. But the violets don't need much sun to thrive. "You can just grow them at the window with filtered light. They will be quite happy," Funnelli says.
A "grow light" can be used as well. It should emit light in both red and blue spectrums—the red light helps the violets bloom, while blue light is essential for photosynthesis, which causes the development of green leaves.
The violets do need some time away from the light as well.
"Just like human beings, African violets need to sleep," Jantzan says. "They need at least eight hours of darkness to rest."
Violet food is a fertilizer specifically for African violets. A good violet fertilizer should have equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers should be totally water-soluble so that plants can absorb all the elements.
Ruth Wasserman says African violets appeal to everyone.
"When you go to a show, you can see both teenagers and old people, and about the same number of men and women," Wasserman says. "African violets appeal to everyone."
The membership of the African Violet Society of the South Bay shows the flower's wide appeal. The oldest member, Celine Chase, is 91, while the youngest member, Shelley Goodman, is 42.
Wasserman, who had about 200 pots of African violets before moving to a retirement home in Portola Valley, says growing African violets has become a habit. Now she keeps 20 pots of African violets in her small apartment.
"I gave up a lot of things when I moved to the retirement home, but not African violets," Wasserman says. "They give me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction."
For more information about the African Violet Society of the South Bay, call Nancy Funnelli at 408.376.0808.
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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer