With their elegant flowers and strong silhouette, it’s easy to see the allure of orchids. But if you’ve been frustrated by the fussy care needs of orchids in the past, you may want to try growing African violets.
While these plants may not look alike at first glance, African violets and orchids are both prized for their tropical vibe and long-lasting flowers; however, African violets are generally easier to keep and they’re less demanding about soil type or humidity. On top of that, orchids usually bloom just once a year, but a well-maintained African violet can flower nearly continuously year-round.
Learn more about these two blooming beauties below and how to grow African violets to get more houseplant flowers the hassle-free way.
Why African Violets are Better
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Some growers shy away from keeping African violets due to their unique watering needs. However, African violets are easier to grow than you may think—and they’re less demanding than orchids.
As epiphytes, orchids have sensitive root systems and they need to be potted in a well-draining, bark-based substrate to prevent root rot. Orchids also love extra humidity and they commonly develop split leaves and other issues if they’re not placed near a humidifier.
Although African violets love high humidity too, they’re less picky about humidity and often thrive at standard indoor humidity levels. African violets also grow happily in basic potting soil, and they don’t necessarily need any specialized potting mixes or substrates. Plus, violet roots are less sensitive to overwatering and, unlike orchids, they often grow best in low maintenance, self-watering planters.
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Care Tips for African Violets
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Orchids generally flower about once a year—usually between fall and early spring. However, African violets can bloom year-round, and they’ll often rebloom just 6 weeks after their old flowers fade. If you want to enjoy more indoor flowers, growing African violets with these simple care tips is the way to go.
Light
When it comes to lighting, orchids and African violets both prefer to grow in bright, indirect light; direct sun is sure to scorch their delicate leaves. However, if you don’t have a sunny windowsill for houseplants, African violets also grow well under grow lights.
Water
The hardest thing about keeping African violets is getting watering right. These plants don’t like to get their fuzzy leaves wet and they don’t do well with overhead watering. Instead, African violets usually grow best with the bottom watering method and they should be watered just enough to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
Humidity
Managing houseplant humidity can be a challenge, but this is where African violets really shine. Although African violets prefer humidity levels around 80%, they thrive at standard indoor humidity levels, too. Orchids, on the other hand, usually require a pebble tray or humidifier for proper growth.
Seasonal Care
For most of the year, orchids are flower-free and they can look rather drab in houseplant collections. But African violets bloom in any season, and their care needs generally don’t fluctuate much throughout the year. Just reduce watering and skip fertilizing in winter, deadhead old flowers when they fade, and increase watering and add fertilizer during the warmer months.
Pro Tips
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Like other epiphytes, orchids have aerial roots that are sensitive to moisture and prone to root rot in soggy soils. As a result, these plants usually need specialized substrate and well-draining pots, and they often struggle in self-watering planters.
By comparison, African violets are more flexible about their growing conditions, and they can be kept in standard potting mixes and terracotta or plastic pots. You can also make your own African violet potting mix with 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, and 2 parts coco coir and grow violets in self-watering planters to make plant maintenance even easier. If you want to boost flowering and take your African violets to the next level, here are a few more tips to keep in mind:
- African violets flower best when their roots are snug in their pots. To boost flowering, avoid repotting violets too often, and only repot them into containers that are slightly larger than their existing pot.
- To maximize blooming, fertilize African violets with a liquid organic fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength in spring and summer only.
- Never mist African violet leaves to increase humidity. If your plants need a humidity boost, place them on top of a pebble tray or cluster a few plants together to conserve humidity levels.
- Keep African violet plants looking trim by pinching away faded foliage and dusting their fuzzy leaves, as needed, with a soft bristled paintbrush.
