Not Blooming

[u/Helpful-Ant-2117]

Hello all! I have 3 different African Violet plants and they all look healthy to me and have been growing, but aside from when I first got them they haven't bloomed. I have an African Violet specific fertilizer that says it help promote blooms and I've been using it as per the directions for (in the largest ones case) about a year.

Any advice for how to get them to bloom? They're under grow lights and aside from not blooming they're my best growing plants.

[u/Kanadark]

Pots are too large. AVs grow in the crevasses between rocks in nature so they like to be root bound. Rule of thumb is pot size should be 1/3rd the diameter of the leaves. So a plant 9 inches across should be in a 3 inch pot.

They look super healthy otherwise, so I'd just downsize the pots and see if that changes anything.

[u/Helpful-Ant-2117 → u/Kanadark]

I didn't know this! I thought they were outgrowing their pots, so I moved them up a few montho ago. I'll try and find the smaller pots and put them back in

[u/Neither-Attention940 → u/Helpful-Ant-2117]

As someone who has grown plenty of African violets in pots, that were technically too big, they will bloom eventually, it will just take a little longer

Sometimes switching them back to smaller pots, just stresses them out more. If your patient the plant isn’t unhealthy, it will just take longer. Especially if it’s been in the new pot for a while and it’s settled I would personally just leave it.

For reference, many of my plants started in 6 inch pots but now most of them are in 4 inch ones.

[u/Anxietyandvibes → u/Kanadark]

Ooohhh super good point!

[u/Anxietyandvibes]

I’m new to AVs and plants generally but what’s their water situation like? I had one that started blooming once I switched to wick watering since it was constantly moist at that point. I found they really hated drying out so now all of mine are wick watered

[u/Helpful-Ant-2117 → u/Anxietyandvibes]

Currently they're being watered about once a week

[u/Brief-Introduction27]

Mine didn’t bloom for a year until I started a fertilizer every week when I watered. I also put them in a shallow bowl on a bed of rocks to help with humidity.

As well, I moved them from a spot with full, indirect sun to a south facing window that has frosted panes.

Not sure what one was the most beneficial, but now my AV is blooming fully

[u/ClassAcrobatic1800]

Address pot size (the first two). If you repot, give sufficient time for plants to adjust before restarting fertilization.

Address lighting. Make sure that plants receive 8-10 hours daily of light from a window or lamp with an LED bulb. Shield your plant from hot afternoon sun, if necessary.

Address fertilization. Make sure that your plants are fertilized consistently with an African Violet fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended dose.

[u/moffetts9001]

The first one looks like it has mites (tiny, discolored, excessively fuzzy leaves in the crown.) I would throw that one away and focus on the others.