Growing African Violets Under Lights
Growing under fluorescent lights is a good way to provide proper light conditions for optimum growth. The various types of African violets need to be placed at different distances from the tubes and at different locations on the shelves.
Distance From Light Tubes
The table below shows the suggested distances from the top of the leaves to the bottom of the fluorescent tubes.
Type of African Violet
|
Distance from Light Tubes
|
Standards
|
12 to 15 inches
|
Semi-miniatures
|
8 to 10 inches
|
Miniatures
|
6 to 8 inches
|
Plantlets/Seedlings/Leaves
|
4 to 6 inches
|
Keep the lights on for at least 10 to 12 hours a day. Use an automatic timer. If it is hot during the day and cold at night in your growing area, you may want to run your lights at night. Just remember, plants need at least 8 hours of darkness as part of their growth cycle.
Placement on Shelves for Optimum Development
The color of the blossoms and the leaves will determine where to place the plants on the shelves.
Center of the Shelf
- Dark green leaves
- Dark colored blossoms (reds, blues, purples)
- Double blossoms
- Young plants and seedlings
- Flowering plants
Perimeter of Shelf
- Variegated leaves (bottom shelf)
- Light green leaves
- Light colored blossoms (whites, pinks)
- Older, mature plants
Use this information as a guide. Monitor your own growing conditions. If a plant has long petioles which are reaching up, move the plant closer to the light. If the leaves looked bleached or the leaves in the crown are tight, move further away from the lights.
Resource: Bill Daniels