Thesoil or potting mix in which an African Violet is planted is very important for the overall survival of the plant.
This is because the plants roots spend all of their time within this soil mixture.
Healthy soil promotes healthy root growth which in turn will lead to a healthy African Violet plant.
Healthy roots also ensure the efficient uptake of water and nutrients from the soil.Below are perlite recommendations, useful as an additive to soil or even used a thin layer at the bottom of a pot for drainage.
What Are the Three Most Important Points?
Three most important points to remember about African Violet Soil / Potting Mix:
The soil should be light, loose and airy (this can be achieved by the addition of perlite, vermiculite or sand which can create air pockets in the soil promoting healthy root growth).
Conversely, the soil should not be compacted, heavy, dense or packed hard, this will prevent root penetration through the soil, leading to poor root growth.
African Violets should be re-potted in fresh soil every 6 months and kept in the same size pot. Do not re-pot to a larger pot. African Violets like to be slightly root bound which promotes flowering. Root bound is when the roots start to grow out of the pot holes underneath the pot or when roots show on the upper surface of the soil.
Add room temperature or tepid water to the soil mix till the mix is moist but not wet.
Fill up the pots with moist soil mix using spoon or hands.
Use a pencil or tool to make a hole in the center area of the soil mix.
Take out African Violet plant from existing pot and remove any dead/ dry/ mushy/ yellow leaves.
Shake/remove excess soil sticking to roots. Can also trim roots if too long.
If plant has a long neck, clean that area by gently removing roots and dead /dry plant tissue.
Place African Violet plant , its neck and its roots inside the center area of soil mix.
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Hi there I am a South African eher in South Africa can one buy this soil for African Violets please I am desperate
Hello Sylvia, thanks for your question. Unfortunately we do not ship soil to South Africa. It would be too expensive in terms of shipping cost. It is quite easy to make your own potting soil mix. Can visit, https://www.babyviolets.com/how-to-prepare-african-violet-potting-mix-soil/, there are few recipes on how to make your own potting soil. Best of Luck!
BV
Would an organic african violet potting soil be a better choice? I’d rather just buy one bag that works and not have to supplement my purchase with additional ones.
Hello Stacey,
thank you for your question. Any mix would work as long as it has coarse perlite in the mix. Even if the mix is organic, the texture of the mix has to be loose, its better if there is no added fertilizer and it should have perlite in it for drainage. A dense compact mix wont work. The mix can be organic or non-organic, as long as it has coarse perlite or even vermiculite will work. Hope this helps,
regards,
BV
I need a recipe for water wicking potting soil for mini African violets ( I have 30 minis at this moment ). I see where I can purchase it but that is way to expensive for me with the amount I need every 6 months!
Please
and Thank you
Hello Clyde,
thank you for your question. For wicking soil, the main thing to keep in mind a lightweight soil, so that water can easily pass through the wick into the soil. I use a 50:50 mix of peat moss:perlite and a nylon twine as a wick and it works for me. Remember to use coarse perlite. More potting mix recipes can be found in my potting soil mix article, and they can all be used for wicking, as long as the perlite amount is 50%. Hope this helps,
regards,
BV
just got my baby violets soil. I can not get it moistened.
could you tell me how to do this
Hello Linda,
thank you for your question. To use this mix, make sure to wet the soil completely, mix 1 cup soil with 2 cups water and blend with fingers and mix till soil is no longer dry and is moist. Can let the water soak in the soil for an hour, it should absorb the water and become moist. If its still dry, then can add a little more water to allow the soil to absorb. Use this moist soil to re-pot your plant. Hope this helps,
regards, BV
am very disappointed in this baby violets soil. took forever to mix. once I finally got it mixed I planted my Violet. The next afternoon the soil was completely dried out. I PUT THE SOIL IN A ZIP LOCK BAG AND ADDED WATER , LET IT SET UNTIL MIXED. Should have stayed with Miracle Grow for Violets
Hello Linda,
thank you for your question. To use this mix, make sure to wet the soil completely, mix 1 cup soil with 2 cups water. Do this slowly, add half cup water, then mix, then add another cup and so on. Blend with fingers and mix till soil is no longer dry and is moist. Can let the water soak in the soil for an hour, it should absorb the water and become moist. Can also leaves soil overnight in water, it does take a while to absorb the water a the soil is peat based. If its still dry, then can add a little more water to allow the soil to absorb. Use this moist soil to re-pot your plant. Hope this helps,
regards, BV
Id like to mix 1 part rinsed miracle gro brand perlite and 1 part miracle gro brand peat moss (only products available in my little town) for my wick watered AV. They are grown indoors where it is approximately 50% humidity.
Two questions:
1.Will the pH of this mixture work for my AV?
2.Do you suggest to bake the prat moss in order to sterilize before using it?
Hello Kitty,
thank you for your question. I am not sure about the pH of these mixtures for AV’s. However, they do both contain fertilizer, which is too much for the AV’s. I would recommend using the miracle gro brand peat moss and mix it with a coarse perlite (which contains no fertilizer). That way the mix is not overloaded with fertilizer. I do not think you need to bake the peat moss before use, you can use directly from the bag.
BV
When you are referring to coarse perlite do you mean #3 like I use for my Desert Roses?
Hello Maxine, yes thats correct. Either #2 or #3 perlite, ranging from 0.132″ – 0.187″ or 3.3mm-4.74mm in size. Regards, BV
Can you use coconut coir instead of peat moss in your soil mixtures and 1/4 inch pumice instead of perlite or vermiculite?
Is coconut coir a suitable substitute for peat moss?
Hello Nancy,
thank you for your question. Yes, you are correct coconut coir can be used instead of peat moss. I personally have used this as a substitute too. regards, BV
Hello Deborah, thank you for your question. Yes, you can use coconut coir instead of peat moss, I have personally done this before. I am not so sure about the pumice. I generally use perlite or vermiculite. Hope this helps, regards, BV
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Hi there I am a South African eher in South Africa can one buy this soil for African Violets please I am desperate
Hello Sylvia, thanks for your question. Unfortunately we do not ship soil to South Africa. It would be too expensive in terms of shipping cost. It is quite easy to make your own potting soil mix. Can visit, https://www.babyviolets.com/how-to-prepare-african-violet-potting-mix-soil/, there are few recipes on how to make your own potting soil. Best of Luck!
BV
Would an organic african violet potting soil be a better choice? I’d rather just buy one bag that works and not have to supplement my purchase with additional ones.
Hello Stacey,
thank you for your question. Any mix would work as long as it has coarse perlite in the mix. Even if the mix is organic, the texture of the mix has to be loose, its better if there is no added fertilizer and it should have perlite in it for drainage. A dense compact mix wont work. The mix can be organic or non-organic, as long as it has coarse perlite or even vermiculite will work. Hope this helps,
regards,
BV
I need a recipe for water wicking potting soil for mini African violets ( I have 30 minis at this moment ). I see where I can purchase it but that is way to expensive for me with the amount I need every 6 months!
Please
and Thank you
Hello Clyde,
thank you for your question. For wicking soil, the main thing to keep in mind a lightweight soil, so that water can easily pass through the wick into the soil. I use a 50:50 mix of peat moss:perlite and a nylon twine as a wick and it works for me. Remember to use coarse perlite. More potting mix recipes can be found in my potting soil mix article, and they can all be used for wicking, as long as the perlite amount is 50%. Hope this helps,
regards,
BV
just got my baby violets soil. I can not get it moistened.
could you tell me how to do this
Hello Linda,
thank you for your question. To use this mix, make sure to wet the soil completely, mix 1 cup soil with 2 cups water and blend with fingers and mix till soil is no longer dry and is moist. Can let the water soak in the soil for an hour, it should absorb the water and become moist. If its still dry, then can add a little more water to allow the soil to absorb. Use this moist soil to re-pot your plant. Hope this helps,
regards, BV
am very disappointed in this baby violets soil. took forever to mix. once I finally got it mixed I planted my Violet. The next afternoon the soil was completely dried out. I PUT THE SOIL IN A ZIP LOCK BAG AND ADDED WATER , LET IT SET UNTIL MIXED. Should have stayed with Miracle Grow for Violets
Hello Linda,
thank you for your question. To use this mix, make sure to wet the soil completely, mix 1 cup soil with 2 cups water. Do this slowly, add half cup water, then mix, then add another cup and so on. Blend with fingers and mix till soil is no longer dry and is moist. Can let the water soak in the soil for an hour, it should absorb the water and become moist. Can also leaves soil overnight in water, it does take a while to absorb the water a the soil is peat based. If its still dry, then can add a little more water to allow the soil to absorb. Use this moist soil to re-pot your plant. Hope this helps,
regards, BV
Id like to mix 1 part rinsed miracle gro brand perlite and 1 part miracle gro brand peat moss (only products available in my little town) for my wick watered AV. They are grown indoors where it is approximately 50% humidity.
Two questions:
1.Will the pH of this mixture work for my AV?
2.Do you suggest to bake the prat moss in order to sterilize before using it?
Hello Kitty,
thank you for your question. I am not sure about the pH of these mixtures for AV’s. However, they do both contain fertilizer, which is too much for the AV’s. I would recommend using the miracle gro brand peat moss and mix it with a coarse perlite (which contains no fertilizer). That way the mix is not overloaded with fertilizer. I do not think you need to bake the peat moss before use, you can use directly from the bag.
BV
When you are referring to coarse perlite do you mean #3 like I use for my Desert Roses?
Hello Maxine, yes thats correct. Either #2 or #3 perlite, ranging from 0.132″ – 0.187″ or 3.3mm-4.74mm in size. Regards, BV
Can you use coconut coir instead of peat moss in your soil mixtures and 1/4 inch pumice instead of perlite or vermiculite?
Is coconut coir a suitable substitute for peat moss?
Hello Nancy,
thank you for your question. Yes, you are correct coconut coir can be used instead of peat moss. I personally have used this as a substitute too. regards, BV
Hello Deborah, thank you for your question. Yes, you can use coconut coir instead of peat moss, I have personally done this before. I am not so sure about the pumice. I generally use perlite or vermiculite. Hope this helps, regards, BV
How do you set up a wicking system.
Hello Dee,
More details about wicking systems, can be found here https://www.babyviolets.com/wick-watering-for-african-violet-plants/ on my blog post,
regards, BV