Hello ...

First, thanks to those who have responded to my questions about
whether or not to cover my newly rooting African violet leat with
plastic. I am reading the responses with much interest.

This message is in follow-up to something Phisherman mentioned ... I'm
putting it in a separate thread, which I hope is okay.

Phisherman said a north window is ideal for the rooting leaf, and an
east window is ideal for adult African violets.

I don't have a lot of windows -- and the ones I have are either mostly
east or mostly west. I have my two adult African violets in a mostly
west window at present, and they seem to be doing okay. In fact, they
are flowering right now. The window does have a tree in front of it,
so while sun does come in, I think it is at least somewhat filtered by
the tree.

Do you think it's okay to keep the plants in that window? The
windowsill in the kitchen with the mostly eastern exposure is in the
kitchen, and it is not as "easy" a place to have the adult African
violets because it also holds other things.

I had put the rooting leaf in that window that faces mostly east. It
gets early-morning sun. Would this be okay? Would early-morning sun
be all right for the rooting leaf?

Many thanks again for any information/advice! And I do appreciate the
kindness of those who are helping me with this. :-)

Linda W.

Many years ago, (30-45) my grandmother raised some rather large African
Violets. their favorite spots happened to be an EAST facing window ( in
her sitting/ironing room), with was shared by some impressive blooming
orchids and christmas cacti, and the WEST facing kitchen window. The
kitchen window was over the sink , which contributed greatly to the
moist atmosphere that the AV's like. Remember back then, people spent
alot of time preparing 3 meals a day from scratch. TV dinners were
considered a lazy womans way of feeding her family, and microwaves were
only being developed, and not for heating food.

When she wanted to start a new plant, all she did was cut a healthy leaf
off the plant (WITH A SHARP KNIFE, She stressed this for so never
explained reason) and poked a hole in the soil (sand and composted
garden soil) with a pencil and stuck the leaf in,(till the base of the
leaf contacted the soil) and very lightly packed the soil down around it.

Moisture in the air, and moist well-drained soil were her biggest factors.

= Chagoi =

Linda W. wrote:
Snip

I don't have a lot of windows -- and the ones I have are either mostly
east or mostly west. I have my two adult African violets in a mostly
west window at present, and they seem to be doing okay. In fact, they
are flowering right now. The window does have a tree in front of it,
so while sun does come in, I think it is at least somewhat filtered by
the tree.

Do you think it's okay to keep the plants in that window? The
windowsill in the kitchen with the mostly eastern exposure is in the
kitchen, and it is not as "easy" a place to have the adult African
violets because it also holds other things.

I had put the rooting leaf in that window that faces mostly east. It
gets early-morning sun. Would this be okay? Would early-morning sun
be all right for the rooting leaf?

Many thanks again for any information/advice! And I do appreciate the
kindness of those who are helping me with this. :-)

Linda W.

On 18 Aug 2003 04:41:40 -0700, (Linda W.) wrote:

Hello ...

First, thanks to those who have responded to my questions about
whether or not to cover my newly rooting African violet leat with
plastic. I am reading the responses with much interest.

This message is in follow-up to something Phisherman mentioned ... I'm
putting it in a separate thread, which I hope is okay.

Phisherman said a north window is ideal for the rooting leaf, and an
east window is ideal for adult African violets.

I don't have a lot of windows -- and the ones I have are either mostly
east or mostly west. I have my two adult African violets in a mostly
west window at present, and they seem to be doing okay. In fact, they
are flowering right now. The window does have a tree in front of it,
so while sun does come in, I think it is at least somewhat filtered by
the tree.

If they are flowering the light just right. Too much sun will bleach
the leaves, giving them a copper color. With too little light,
flowering will be diminished or stop and the leaves will point upward
(rather than horizontal). African violets will do well in a south
window if protected with sheer draperies. If your hand casts a fuzzy
shadow (rather than a sharp shadow) the light is about right. A sharp
shadow is okay an hour after sunrise or and hour before sunset. The
trick is giving as much light as possible (to get the most blooms)
without burning the plant. Keep in mind (in the northern hemisphere)
that winter sunlight is less harsh than summer sunlight. You could
buy a light meter to eliminate the guess work if you are still not
sure.

Do you think it's okay to keep the plants in that window? The
windowsill in the kitchen with the mostly eastern exposure is in the
kitchen, and it is not as "easy" a place to have the adult African
violets because it also holds other things.

I had put the rooting leaf in that window that faces mostly east. It
gets early-morning sun. Would this be okay? Would early-morning sun
be all right for the rooting leaf?

A brief period of early morning sun ( hour) should be fine. I have
used wax paper taped to the window to help soften too much sunlight.

Many thanks again for any information/advice! And I do appreciate the
kindness of those who are helping me with this. :-)

Linda W.

I have always had mine in the west window and they do fine.





On 18 Aug 2003 04:41:40 -0700, (Linda W.) wrote:

Hello ...

First, thanks to those who have responded to my questions about
whether or not to cover my newly rooting African violet leat with
plastic. I am reading the responses with much interest.

This message is in follow-up to something Phisherman mentioned ... I'm
putting it in a separate thread, which I hope is okay.

Phisherman said a north window is ideal for the rooting leaf, and an
east window is ideal for adult African violets.

I don't have a lot of windows -- and the ones I have are either mostly
east or mostly west. I have my two adult African violets in a mostly
west window at present, and they seem to be doing okay. In fact, they
are flowering right now. The window does have a tree in front of it,
so while sun does come in, I think it is at least somewhat filtered by
the tree.

Do you think it's okay to keep the plants in that window? The
windowsill in the kitchen with the mostly eastern exposure is in the
kitchen, and it is not as "easy" a place to have the adult African
violets because it also holds other things.

I had put the rooting leaf in that window that faces mostly east. It
gets early-morning sun. Would this be okay? Would early-morning sun
be all right for the rooting leaf?

Many thanks again for any information/advice! And I do appreciate the
kindness of those who are helping me with this. :-)

Linda W.

Linda W. wrote:
Snip

I don't have a lot of windows -- and the ones I have are either mostly
east or mostly west. I have my two adult African violets in a mostly
west window at present, and they seem to be doing okay. In fact, they
are flowering right now. The window does have a tree in front of it,
so while sun does come in, I think it is at least somewhat filtered by
the tree.

Do you think it's okay to keep the plants in that window? The
windowsill in the kitchen with the mostly eastern exposure is in the
kitchen, and it is not as "easy" a place to have the adult African
violets because it also holds other things.

If they're growing and blooming, they're obviously pretty happy. *My*
over-the-kitchen-sink window is mostly north-facing, and my perpetual
AV plant generator grows nicely. However, when I prune the Camellia
that Wants to Take Over the World outside, the AV goes *nuts* with the
extra light --- blooming and preening and making new plants and
generally delirious with joy. This is pretty much "bright indirect"
light. Last time this happened, I repotted a bunch of the offshoots on
the porch in the summer and left the pots on the railings -- N & E
facing. Nearly all were blooming when I gave them away before fall
weather. They got a *little* direct morning sun.