Growing African Violets (Saintpaulia ioanantha) is a breeze once you know their requirements. They are one of the most popular "gift" plants in the US and most of us have killed at least one. Never again! Follow these guidelines and you will be the envy of your violet killing friends!

SOIL & FERTILIZING: Bottom line, unless you are adept at mixing specialty soils, use the commercially prepared potting soil formulated for African Violets. Most garden centers and nurseries carry this and it is not overly expensive. The same goes for fertilizer. Liquid African Violet food is widely available and the instructions provided are simple.

LIGHT: African Violets require lots of bright, indirect light. Except for the very early morning or late afternoon in most places, direct sunlight will kill them. An East or North window usually is best. One easy test is to place your hand over the plant when it is getting its average light. If you can barely see the shadow on the leaves, the light is about right.

This is one houseplant that will absolutely flourish under fluorescent or grow lights, making them ideal for that dark corner where area lighting and showpiece blooms would be pure eye candy. They need at least 10 hours, but no more than 16 hours, of light and at least 8 hours of darkness a day to bloom. A timer makes this easy. Artificial lighting requires attention to placement, which will vary somewhat with the lights and fixtures used. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. A general rule of thumb is 18" to 20" for standard varieties and 10" to 12" for the miniatures. I have grown miniatures on glass shelves above the larger varieties with good luck.

If you see browning edges or spots, they are probably getting too much or sunlight that is too direct. For those under lights it can mean they are too close to the source. Paling, usually with a pink cast, of the leaves is only seen in a few varieties and always with artificial lighting. The only cure is to find a window with natural light for those plants.

The biggest drawback to having beautiful African Violets is that too often, the windows they do best in are the ones few visitors see! The best cure for that is to have several plants and rotate one to the coffee table every couple of days. Speaking of rotating, you should rotate your plants on a regular basis. They are quick to reach for the light and regular turning will encourage full, even growth.

WATER: These plants will Not tolerate water that

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