How to Care for Violets

Tips on how to take care of violets so you can enjoy year-round blooms!

We have several violets on our kitchen window sill which bloom year round. I always have people asking me how I get them to bloom so well. Today I will let you in on my secrets and share everything you need to know about how to care for violets.

How to water violets

Violet leaves do not like to get wet so the plant should be watered from the bottom. Once a week, fill a dish with a couple inches of water and 10 drops of Miracle Grow Liquid African Violet Food. You can buy the plastic dishes shown below at Lowes or any home improvement store. Sit the violet in the water for 2-3 hours.

This post contains affiliate links. As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases linked from my site.

How much sun do violets need?

Violets like lots of indirect sunlight. As violets age their stem tends to twist to one side, typically trying to grow in the direction of the sun. To minimize this, turn your violets weekly so the same side is not always facing the sun. I normally just place them back in the window in a slightly different position after I water them.

How to repot violets

You should repot violets about every six months. Step one in the process is to occupy your child so you can repot without interruption! The TV in my husband’s shed / man cave comes in handy here!

Use a small shovel to gently remove the violet from the pot, trying not to break too many roots, and leaving most of the roots covered in dirt.

Next gently break off the bottom layer of leaves by snapping the leaves off at the violet’s stem. I often strip my violets down to only a few leaves and within weeks they’ll come back looking much healthier. Don’t be afraid to do this. I took this many leaves off for only 4 plants:

Sometimes — especially if you’ve waited too long to repot — you will notice a little baby violet growing on the stem. You can break these new plants off and pot them. They’ll grow into a full size violet in a few months.

The soil I use is Miracle Grow African Violet Potting Mix. It’s best to dump the old dirt out of the pot and completely refresh it with new soil each time you repot because the nutrients in the soil will only last for 6 months.

Plant the violet in the soil, making sure that the stem is covered with dirt all the way up to where the leaves start.

The leaves will usually get dirt on them during this process so use a small paint brush to brush it off when you’re finished.

If you water weekly, repot every 6 months and make sure your violets have a sunny window to sit in, you’ll also be able to enjoy blooms year round! And that’s all you need to know about how to care for violets!