African Violets: Lighting

Africa, which has given us many things, ranging from beautiful diamonds to fascinating wild animals, also is the home of one of our most popular house plants- the African violet! Usually, these attractive specimens easily adapt to the environmental conditions found in the average home. So, they make excellent indoor subjects. And, fortunately, there are many varieties, types, and colors from which to choose.

Like all plants, African violets need the proper environment to grow and flower normally. You must consider light and humidity for leaf growth; soil moisture content and drainage for root growth, and temperature and plant nutrients for growth of the entire plant.

Too much light can be just as bad as too little. Fortunately, if you know what to look for, you can spot the effects of improper lighting before serious consequences result. When African Violets don't get enough light, the leaves may be thinner and a darker than normal shade of green. Under low light, your plants may grow quite well, with one important exception- they will provide few (if any) flowers. Insufficient light is the most common cause of failure to bloom in African violets. On the other hand, excess light affects growth, as well as, leaf color and blooming. If your African violet gets too much light, plant growth will slow down, the leaves will turn a pale yellowish- green, and flowering will eventually decrease.

Proper lighting for African violets depends on two factors: light intensity, and the length of time the plants are exposed to light each day. If your plants receive about one thousand foot-candles of light for eight to twelve hours per day, they should stay healthy and flower freely. Of course, you would need a light meter to measure exact intensity. But, if the light is strong enough to cast a shadow, it should be sufficient.

Try setting your African violets near north or east windows. But, heed a few words of caution. Don't expose your plants to direct sunlight, which could cause the leaf to burn. need to be rotated periodically to maintain even growth pattern.

You may want to grow African violets where adequate natural light is not available. In such cases, artificial light is the answer. You can use either fluorescent or incandescent lamps. Flourescent lights are cheaper to operate, generate less heat, and give better results than the incandescent bulbs. In fact, African violets grown under properly regulated fluorescent light have better color, grow faster, and produce more flowers than plants grown under natural light.

To have healthy plants under artificial light, you should provide about 600 foot-candles of light for twelve hours each day. You can do this with two forty watt, cool white, and fluorescent tubes suspended eight to twelve inches above the plants.