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Repotting: Soak pot in 10% bleach solution.
African Violet: All Purpose potting mix: 12 quart box. The same mix that we use for nearly all of our plants. A sterile, soilless, mix that we make ourselves. Contains 40% sphagnum peat, 50% vermiculite (coarse and extra coarse) and 10% perlite, with wetting agent. One box contains enough soil to repot approximately: 20 plants in 4″ pots, 80 in 2.5″-3″ pots, and 100 in 2.25″ pots. We suggest adding 1 part water to 4 parts soil the night before using–this will provide the proper moisture and consistency for easy potting.
Repotting African violets, including the Saintpaulia diplotrica Punter7 should be repotted every 6–12 months to ensure they stay healthy and thrive.
Some signs that it’s time to repot include:
- Root crowding: The roots are escaping through the drainage holes or the plant has doubled or tripled in size
- Reduced blooming: The plant has stopped producing flowers
- Water issues: Water is draining too quickly or not draining well enough
- Yellowing leaves: The leaves are turning yellow
- Long neck: The stem of the plant is unusually long.
Note: AV Oct 2024 – Repot every year. Remove 1/2 the root ball and wash off as much old soil as possible. Old soil will slowly turn acidic and keep the plant from absorbing nutrients. Remove extra old leaves and only keep one or two rows of healthy leaves.
If you lose a plant, take healthy leave cutting, swish them in 10% bleach solution before planting.
Mini African Violet: Such as Irish Flirt, Mac’s Mesmerizing Meteor, Rob’s Pewter Bells.
Care is no different than for other African violets. When mature, miniature African violets grow to less than 6″ in diameter, semi-miniatures to less than 8″. With proper care, actual plant size are usually smaller. Never use a pot larger than 2 1/2″. These plants are meant to be grown small, and the plant you receive, even when mature, will be small as well–though you can repot them, they are comfortable growing in the small pot we ship them in. View Mini AV info.
Microminiature African Violet: Such as Cajun’s Lil Forever Blue.
These are miniature varieties that happen to grow very small, typically a maximum diameter less than 3″. Under our conditions, with proper care and grooming, most barely will exceed the diameter of a 2″ pot. Though you can sometimes find plants that have been forced to grow small, these hybrids are genetically tiny. Because of their size, these smallest of miniatures can be a good choice for terrariums, dish gardens, or other miniature plantings where small size is important.
Mini Sinningia: Such as Pirate’s Devil Sweet.
Commonly (and improperly) known as “gloxinia”, these tuberous gesneriads are both easy to grow and easy to flower. The larger, and larger and showier bloomed, S. speciosa hybrids are most familiar, but sizes and colors vary widely–from the very small (less than 1″) to the very large. All require generally the same care as African violets. To keep them low and compact, provide them a bit more light, though they will bloom and grow with less. If neglected, plants can die back–but once tuber has formed, will soon sprout again. Sinningias will mature, and generally will have produced a tuber once they’ve begun to bloom. Once the plant has formed a tuber it can always resprout, so long as the “eye” of the tuber (much like a potato) remains healthy and undamaged.
S. speciosa hybrids: Miniature sinningias will grow to a diameter of 6″ or less when mature, some much less. With care and sufficient light, most varieties will grow fairly low and compact, with a height under 4″.
Actual size will vary depending upon culture and how you choose to grow them. Though the size of the plant (foliage) will not change, the tubers can grow substantially over time. Larger, more mature, tubers can produce multiple shoots (plants) above the soil.
Streptocarpus: Mini-Streps such as Dale’s Smurf Party and Bristol’s Jimmies
Streptocarpus are often called ‘Cape primrose’ but are, in fact, related to African violets. Streptocarpus will bloom heavily year-round, and are quite spectacular.
Most streptocarpus grow best in 5″ when mature, perhaps a 6″ pot if very large. “Compact” varieties can be kept in a 3 or 4″ pot, and “small” and miniature varieties in a 3″ pot or smaller. The exact size of the plant can be controlled by the grower–if leaves become too long just trim with scissors! Pot into 3″ pot at first bloom.
Streps don’t like soggy feet, you MUST use a soil containing at least 50% perlite. Don’t force a small plant into a larger pot before its time. A well-established plant, with a developed root system, will more readily tolerate being kept wet.
 Cajuns Lil Forever Blue mini AV, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. Semidouble blue flowers over excellent, medium green and white, pointed foliage. |
 Cajuns Lil Forever Blue. Micro-mini AV 12 09 2024. About 4-inch leave spread. |
 Irish Flirt. Semi-mini African Violet. |
 Irish Flirt, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. The greenest of the greens! Lots of long-lasting, frilly white and green doubles above wavy, glossy foliage. Excellent grower. |
 Semi-Mini AV, Irish Flirt 12 09 2024. Leaf spread 3-inches. Many blooms. |
 violet and streps received 9 26 2024. Purchased Sept 15, 2024. Mac’s Mesmerizing Meteor. Semi-mini AV. Deep coral red semidouble pansies. Green and white TL variegated foliage. |
 Pretty, slight variegated leaves are showing up. mini AV, Mac Mesmerizing Meteor 10 08 2024 |
 mini AV, Mac Mesmerizing Meteor. 11 22 2024. Lots of blooms forming. Four-inch spread of leaves. Three row of leaves, outer two rows have slight variegated leaves. Still in 2-inch original pot. |
 mini AV Mac Mesmerizing Meteor 12 09 2024. 12+ blooms with lots of buds. |
 Robs Pewter Bells. Mini African Violets, semi double. silver to light blue bells. Medium green, pointed, TL variegated foliage. AVSA #7740 |
 Rob Pewter Bell Semi mini AV, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. |
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 Mini-Sin. Pirate’s Devil Sweet. |
 Gloxinia. Mini Sinningia. Pirate s Devil Sweet, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. Medium lilac blooms with lighter lower lobes and dark purple throat. Medium dark foliage. Very striking miniature from Taiwan. |
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violet and streps received 9 26 2024. Purchased Sept 15, 2024. Streptocarpus, Dale’s Smurf Party. A small, compact, hybrid with oversized blooms for plant size. Orchid-lavender blooms with yellow throat and darker veining. Nice, flat, quilted leaves with excellent growth habit. Easy and early bloomer, is highly recommended. |
 Dale’s Smurf Party 10 08 2024. First flowers. |
 Smurf Oct 31 2024 |
 Smurf Nov 16 2024. |
 Bristol’s Show Off, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. Large size Streptocarpus. Large white, lightly ruffled, blooms with purplish-red steaking from throat. Good bloomer, easy grower. Showy! |
 Show Off Nov 16 2024. Very interesting inner set of petals within each flower. |
 Bristol’s Cotton Candy. Large Streptocarpus. Creamy white blooms frosted pink, with thin purple-red speckled stripes from throat fading to finer netting on face. |
 Bristol’s Cotton Candy, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. |
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 Bristol’s Zesty Lemon. Large Streptocarpus. Lots of bright lemon-yellow blooms that hold their color well with thin purple pencilling in throat that keeps its color well. Easy and constant bloomer and easy grower. |
 Bristol’s Zesty Lemon, 10 17 2024. Purchased Oct 09, 2024. |
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 Bristol Jimmies Streptocarpus 10 08 2024. Purchased Sept 15, 2024. |
 Bristol Jimmies Streptocarpus 11 01 2024 |
 Jimmy Nov 16 2024. Grown at bedroom window and under regular table lamp. |
| S diplotricha punter #7. Standard African Violets, Saintpaulia Species. Bright silvery-lavender blue pansies over very dark, glossy, quilted, round foliage. Small grower, heavy bloomer. AV species that can be found growing in their native habitat in Africa, and from which all of our “modern” hybrids are distantly related. Most Saintpaulia species are very easy to grow and good bloomers. Are very tolerant of neglect, even needing less light than hybrids to grow and bloom.This species was first collected in the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania in 1895 . It lived in a gorge where the rocks were covered in moss. This is a deeply shaded place under evergreen vegetation.Paled blue gray flowers and are smaller with more pointed lobes than those of the other two forms within this species. It leaves are pointed in the shape of a heart and on the underside are pale red. They are much larger serrated than the leaves of the other two forms and have a tendency to grow downward as if they want to attach themselves to the container. Its leaves are also bristly to the touch . This little plant seems to be more tolerant to cold conditions.Very easy to grow and propagate, and hard to kill. It starts to bloom very young, and it seems to be almost always in bloom. |
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 S diplotricha punter #7 |
 Punter #7 received Oct 31 2024. Purchased 22, 2024. |
 Punter closeup received Oct 31 2024 002 |
 Punter Nov 16 2024. Great response to a deep soak with light application of diluted fertilizer 20-20-20. Grown at bedroom window and under regular table lamp. Trimmed out suckers. |
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 Ma’s Toxic Spill |
 Ma’s Toxic Spill. Large Standard AV received Oct 31 2024. Purchased Oct 22, 2024. Sdbl. blue stars wtih puffs, sworls, and rays of white and pink, and darker blue-purple rays. Very dark, red-backed foliage. AVSA #9701 |
 Ma’s Toxic Spill Standard African Violets received Oct 31 2024 |
 TSF Zhizel Streptocarpus large frilly blooms with purple upper lobes and rays in throat and white lower lobes. Very showy. |
 TSF Zhizel received Oct 31 2024. Purchased Oct 22, 2024. |
 Fernwood’s Silhouette |
 Fernwood’s Silhouette received Oct 31 2024. Purchased Oct 22, 2024. Mini-Streptocarpus. Light lavender-blue blooms with dark purple veining in throat. Good blooming miniature.. |
Streptocarpus will bloom heavily year-round, and are quite spectacular. Very easy to grow and bloom, and are great for windows. Trumpet-shaped blooms with flat faces are borne over strap-like leaves.
Unlike violets, each streptocarpus leaf will produce 8-10 or more bloom stalks, sequentially, so that plants tend to stay in heavy bloom for long periods of time. Culture and care is the same as for violets.
Most large size streptocarpus grow best in 5″ when mature, perhaps a 6″ pot if very large. “Compact” varieties can be kept in a 3 or 4″ pot, and “small” and miniature varieties in a 3″ pot or smaller. The exact size of the plant can be controlled by the grower–if leaves become too long just trim with scissors! Pot into 3″ pot at first bloom, but don’t force a small plant into a larger pot before its time. A well-established plant, with a developed root system, will more readily tolerate being kept wet.
Streps generally prefer a light mix, containing plenty of perlite and/or coarse ingredients. Ideally, you want the soil to be moist, but avoid keeping it soggy since streps don’t like to be overwatered.
Any balanced houseplant food will work. Streps prefer a very light, coarse, soil. We like to use a soil with added perlite, much like a “wicking” soil. Any ordinary, balanced, houseplant fertilizer is sufficient.
How many leaves are too many? Depends upon the appearance you want. You do want to remove very old leaves, though. They have already done their job and you want to give younger growth an opportunity to develop. Personally, we like to repot, and divide if necessary, every 6-9 months.
Repotting Streptocarpus: how to divide and repot a mature plant. More so than some other gesneriads, streps like to have fresh, light, soil into which they can produce new root growth–they need “happy feet”. Timely potting and repotting ensures that they will continue to grow and bloom.
Step 1: Potting-up into a 3″ pot. When the first bloom appears on a young plantlet in its original 2″ pot, it is ready to be potted-up into a larger, 3″ pot. It’s best if both the new soil (in the 3″ pot) and the plantlet’s soil are moist (not dry, not soggy). Make a “mold” in the 3″ pot by making a hole in the center about the size of the plantlet’s pot. Having done this, the plantlet can then be easily dropped into the molded hole.
Step 2: The just potted plant. Firm the plantlet in, and be sure to label the pot. For the next 2-3 weeks after any repotting, water more sparingly! The recently repotted plant needs time to establish new root growth into the additional soil.
Strep 3: Potting-up into a 4″ or 5″ pot. Once in a 3″ pot, most streps will grow very quickly! For compact growers this means a 4″, and for most other varieties, a 5″ pot. Shallow “azalea” pots are best. Basically you just repeat step #1. Make a mold in the larger pot by making a hole the approximate size of the smaller 3″ pot, then drop the plant into the hole and firm-in. Again, water carefully for the next couple of weeks, until the plant develops new roots in the larger pot.
Step 4: Dividing streps by separating crowns. After about 6 months in its final, larger, pot, your strep will need to be repotted again into fresh soil. By then, the plant may be thick with foliage and you may notice more than one plant, or “crown”, growing in the pot. First, cut away some of the older growth. These leaves have likely already produced a number of bloom stalks and have served their purpose. Next, you’ll want to divide and separate the multiple plants that appear in the pot. Begin to do this by making a shallow cut through the surface growth that usually joins the multiple crowns. Sometimes this growth is quite tough. You needn’t cut through the entire rootball, just the tough growth at the surface.
Step 5: Separate into two or more plants. Once you’ve made the initial cut described above, firmly grasp the two plants and carefully pull apart. You should be able to separate the original potted plant into two or more smaller plants, each with its own rootball. At this point, these separate plants can each be potted into their own pots (repeat step 3). Again, be careful in your watering immediately after potting.
In another 6 months or so, this will need to be repeated again. Streps will go much longer without repotting, but will be healthiest, and perform and bloom best when repotting is done in a regular, timely, manner. Gesneriads are “survivors”–they will do their best to live under even the worst of conditions, and streps are better at this than most. But for them to look and perform their best, they need to be cared for when they require it, not when its “convenient” for us (though admittedly, we all procrastinate a bit….).
Comments:
This year my streps have grown many smaller leaves instead of the large ones they usually produce. They also don’t flower like they used to. Do you know why that may be? Reply: They may simply need dividing and/or repotting. Environment, particularly light, might also play a role.
Crowns: They can be grown multicrowned. Much depends upon the look you want. We like to divide and repot every 6-9 months.
Comment: I have several of your streps and they are all doing great. Should I cut the stalk off after blooms fall off or do I leave the empty bloom stalk. Reply: Remove the entire bloom stem down to the leaf. Each leaf will produce 6-8 bloom stalks over time.
Comment: How will I know when the roots have filled it’s current pot? Would I have to remove the strep or AV and look at it? I don’t want to hurt them. Reply: You won’t know for certain, but the plant will look overgrown and will consume water faster than it had before (because of the larger root system).
Comment: Steps are looong overdue for potting. They have developed a long horizontal “neck” where many leaves and bloom stems have come and gone. If it were an African violet “neck,” I would bury it when I repotted it. Does this also work for streps? Or will it just rot? Reply: When repotting, remove the old, woody, growth to give it a fresh start. That old growth won’t produce blooms anyway.
Comment: My strep has a white coating on the leaves. Mostly towards the ends. I have had It only a few weeks. It’s covering half of the leaf. The new little leaf in the center is okay. Reply: Sounds like powdery mildew. Not lethal, mostly a nuisance, and not uncommon. Search this term on our homepage to be directed to more information from our plant care pages.
Comment: my streps, as are drooping and I have lost one totally. Reply: “Drooping” leaves on streps can often be a sign of soil being too wet, soil being too dense/heavy, and/or being overpotted. Basically, the roots are not happy. Of course, they can wilt like any plant. If the soil is VERY dry and you water, sometimes the water merely “runs around” the dry root ball and out the pot bottom, not really watering the roots at all. In any event, if the center/new growth is still healthy, the plants should recover and grow. Streps are VERY tough plants
Comment: There are several branch lets with small leaf clusters. They look like little plants. There are no roots at all just creeping along these branches. Reply: You can (re)root a Streptocarpus crown as you would an African violet. See the page in our “lessons” section: https://www.violetbarn.com/plant_care/lessons/restoringrestarting-african-violets/
Comment: I have a streptocarpus that blooms very nicely but the ends of the large leaves always turn brown and dry. It’s done this almost the whole time I’ve had it. The plant overall seems quite healthy since it blooms so frequently but I’m wondering if there is anyway tip keep the foliage more attractive? Reply: It’s normal for very old leaves to look unsightly at some point, so if this is the case wouldn’t worry. If you see this on the new, younger, growth then would be concerned. Besides age, any kind of stress can cause this. May be rootbound and need dividing–in any case, repot and give it some fresh soil (don’t use a pot more than one size up from size of root ball). May be symptom of dryness/wilting, too much light, too much heat, too much fertilizer, etc. All are possibilities. Don’t hesitate to remove older leaves and “thin” the plant out. Each leaf will bloom a number of times, but after this, there’s no need to keep it, especially if not attractive.
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