African Violet

[Java Guy]

I bought this African Violet today from Meijer which is a big chain grocery store in Michigan and parts of Ohio. In my opinion, they have no business selling plants because it's a place where plants go to die. I generally avoid that section of the store because everything is dying and I feel compelled to try and rescue everything.

There were 4 of these each for $2.99. This was the best looking of the bunch so I bought it, a small African Violet pot for $5.00, and a bag of African Violet potting mix for $4.95. So less than $14 and I will give it to my mom who will enjoy it. I'm wondering, since I have all this soil left, should I go try and save the other three?

 

[Chuck]

As they say, "no guts, no glory"

 

[marlingardener]

If you put some of your excess soil in a pot, and take one of the leaves off the violet and pin it into the soil (I used to use hairpins, the U shaped ones, but now I'm down to using florist wire bent into a U shape) and keep it moist, you'll soon have another African violet plant that is a clone of the mother plant.
If you want to rescue the others, and they bloom in different colors than the one you have, you'll have a violet collection within a few months.
And that is a beautiful shade of blue--good choice!

 

[Java Guy]

As they say, "no guts, no glory"

LOL you know it Chuck. I will go tomorrow morning and pick up the other 3.

marlingardener, it's really that easy to propagate African Violets? I'm not sure that is something I can take on right now. The other 3 are different colors. One is pink and another looks white. The third is in bad shape and I am not sure what color it is. I will post them tomorrow.

I am concerned about the pot I bought. I looked online and read about African Violets and their care and what kind of pots are normally used. Since I am giving this to my mom, I wanted something simple. So there is the 2 pot system where the outside pot holds the water and the inside pot sits inside and absorbs the water through the porous pot walls. There is no drainage hole and no way to tell if the pot is actually absorbing the water. I have had the pot in the water all day now and have not noticed any reduction of water. Any advice? Should I keep it in this kind of pot or go with what I know, a regular pot with drainage holes?

 

[claudine]

Rescuing plants is a beautiful thing to do!
This African Violet is really lovely
I think the pot is okay, just ask your mom not to water the plant too often. I water my African Violets maybe once a week.

 

[Java Guy]

Rescuing plants is a beautiful thing to do!
This African Violet is really lovely
I think the pot is okay, just ask your mom not to water the plant too often. I water my African Violets maybe once a week.

Do I just leave the water in the outside pot? I'm not sure if it is actually absorbing into the inner pot. The soil on top is still fairly dry.

 

[IcyBC]

I have the same impulse to try to save the half dead flowers in Kroger and Meijer I used to have African Violet on my kitchen window sill and I love it. This is my favorite color and if you can afford it, go save the others, lol..

 

[amelia88]

I don't know much (if anything) about African Violets as I haven't grown them before, but I was chuckling at your comment about supermarkets being the place where plants go to die. That's very much my thoughts on the matter - every time I've seen plants at my local supermarket I've felt so sorry for them - and been tempted to buy out the store of all their stock!

 

[Java Guy]

I have the same impulse to try to save the half dead flowers in Kroger and Meijer I used to have African Violet on my kitchen window sill and I love it. This is my favorite color and if you can afford it, go save the others, lol..

I will!!! The Meijer here in Adrian is terrible when it comes to the plants they sell. They are by the door, which of course is terrible place in the winter. They have no light except the store lights which are 20 feet in the air. They don't water anything at all. Basically, plants sit there until they die, then I think they just throw them away. Honestly, I don't know why they bother.

 

[Java Guy]

I don't know much (if anything) about African Violets as I haven't grown them before, but I was chuckling at your comment about supermarkets being the place where plants go to die. That's very much my thoughts on the matter - every time I've seen plants at my local supermarket I've felt so sorry for them - and been tempted to buy out the store of all their stock!

amelia88, you and me see eye to eye on this matter. I notice it's even worse come Christmas time. Even our local nursery that sells only plants is terrible. Everything is tossed aside for the sake of Christmas trees and Christmas accessories. I went in there today after my nap (getting old ) to drink some coffee and wake up. All of the regular plants / flowers/ succulents...things you would regularly buy throughout the year were tossed aside to one small area of the store. Some where actually out of their pots...dried up, wilting. Really sad. 99% of the store was now lights, Christmas trees, wreathes, blow up Santa Claus's and snow men...I was pretty disgusted. Now I know why after Christmas, for a couple months, there is nothing worth buying or even looking at in that store...all of it was killed off for a quick Christmas profit (please don't lecture me on how stores are in it for profits...i get it). I would run it differently.

 

[marlingardener]

Java, I"d put the violets in regular pots with drainage holes, and a catchtray underneath. If your mama wants something more decorative, put the regular pot and the catch tray in a pretty pot, and tell her to lift the violet's pot and see if there is water in the catch tray before adding more water. African violets aren't nearly as picky as some other house plants, and bloom and propagate and give joy!
I always ask at the grocery or nursery if the sad plants can be had for 50% off, or more. Sometimes it works!

 

[Java Guy]

Well, it's done. I gave her the African Violet in the pot in question and she will have to deal with it now. If I buy the other 3 tomorrow I will use regular pots that I am familiar with.

I might say something at the grocery store tomorrow about the plants. I wouldn't even think about it at our nursery. They are pretty terrible when it comes to prices and I am convinced they would rather see something die than discount it. I have never seen a discount at that nursery. I think it's because it is the only one within a 30 mile radius of our town. They have a monopoly and they know it. I usually only buy gardening supplies there and steer clear of the plants.

 

[IcyBC]

I will!!! The Meijer here in Adrian is terrible when it comes to the plants they sell. They are by the door, which of course is terrible place in the winter. They have no light except the store lights which are 20 feet in the air. They don't water anything at all. Basically, plants sit there until they die, then I think they just throw them away. Honestly, I don't know why they bother.

The Meijer here has their own area for flowers and plants on display right by the entrance in the winter, but they are outside in the summer. I have seen half dead flowers being stuffed into garbage can at Meijer before. They can't give them away, but they throw them away without mercy

 

[Java Guy]

Well, I was at Meijer bright and early this morning. The African Violets and some of the other house plants were gone. What was in their place you ask? Blue and silver spray painted Poinsettia's...yuck!! Really? Spray paint? So people buy these plants for a couple weeks for the holidays and then toss them out I guess.

At the time when I saw these spray painted Poinsettia's, I wasn't sure how they had the strange colors. Later this morning I went to the local nursery and saw first hand. There were workers in the back taking Poinsettias and spray painting them and sprinkling glitter on them. Unbelievable.