Evening star., 1942-07-26
Do Not FORGET
House Plants
In Summer
Delightful Touch
Given to Home BY
african TioIefs
By A snes Trimbie


Now that flowers Of every descrip.
ton and color are blossomine In
abundance outdoors, 1t is easy to
forget the house plants, especially
small ones, like Saintpaulia.
This little plant, better known a.
African violet, is fascinating to grow
and adds a delightful touch to any
home with its quaint flowers. It's
foliage, when healthy. Is thick and
fuzzy. lovely pinkish-gray-sree
supported on long-stalked stems
which are even pinker than the
leaves, and forms a rich background
for the violet-shaped blooms. They
come in various shades Of blue, and
make bright and CHEEKY spot
wherever they are placed.
Your plant may need attention
now If 1t needs repotting, carefully
break the jar around 1t 50 as not
to disturb It's roots. But do not re-
pot unless 1t Is too root.bound, be.
cause it blooms better when the
roots are somewhat crowded.
1t, no doubt. has many new leaves
(if 1t has not been neglected too
long, and perhaps some bushy-ltke
offshoots. The ofYshoots clinsins to
the parent plant may be set out
alone. Slip them gently so as not
to disturb the old plant and set
them in small individual pots filled
with soil to their liking.
New plants may also be started
now from leaf-cutting. Pinch OF
q few OF the older leaves with long
stems, stick them down into glass
Of water-through q wire mesh of
some kind. The wire apparatus
placed over the top Of the glass Folds
the leaves up while the stems dangle
In the water.
A wire hairpin can be twisted in
such way as to act as q support
to the leaves. Another devise could
be fashioned from 3 tea strainer BY
cutting the wire mesh TO make
larger openings to insure plenty Of
stem room and no bruising.
Another method OF propagation,
which is used, is to stick .he leaf
cuttings down in sand. Prepare .
shallow box Of sand and make
straight rows with a sharp stick
each row about . inches apart. Then
insert the cuttings, stem down in
sand and leaving only the leaf above,
and press In firmly. Keep the sand
damp by placing the box In writer
every few days, or when The sand
starts drying out.
When cuttings have rooted and
tiny leaves have appeared At the
base Of the mother leaf, they ere
ready to be planted in containers
OF their own. Use spoon to remove
them from the sand box.
Saintpauli grows in loose,; porous
soil mixed with leaimold and . little
sand. Broken crockery or coarse
gravel in the bottom Of the cnn.
tainer provides drainage.
Since water poured on this plant
will weaken il. an excellent prac-
tice Is to place the container in Q
saucer Of water 50 that It can do Is
drinking through its roots.
? Faulty watering and too Hluch
sunlight are the only real problems
IN growing Saintpaulia, hut these
cease tn he problems when il .flic-
syncrasfes are catered to. Study,
dry furnace-heated rooms are not
harmful to this plant, nor are dark
corners-if not left too long. An
east window is, however. "a ideal
location for the African violet.
II bright yellow spots and rims
appear on the foliage it is 1 partial
sign Of too much sun. The exact
cause Is not known, but 1t has been
found that the spots develop more
rapidly In bright sunlight. IN this
case, shift the plant away from the
sun for while.
Sometimes the plant becomes
stunted and fails to bloom. the
leaves remain small and become
] quite thickened, brittle and cupped,
and lack their usual fuzziness. There
is no known remedy for this con-
dition and nothing can be done but
get rid of the plant.
But, on the other hand, II the
leaves are undersized, cupped sup.
ward or downward, and business
has greatly increased rather than
diminished, 1t Is sure case Of mites.
Then, there is the mealybug that Ii
q nuisance. spreading white cotton-
like masses on the leaves and buds.
This. however. Is easily removed,
and should be done when first
| noticed