How To Repot African Violets With Necks

African violets should be repotted about twice a year, or every 5-6 months. A mature plant, this simply means repotting the plant with some fresh soil, into the same sized pot. Never use a pot larger than your plant’s root system standard, this usually means a 4″ pot, for minis and semiminis no larger than 2 1/2″. Over time, your purple will lose (or be cut off) the older, lower leaves, forming the “neck”. Repotting is necessary to eliminate this.Step 1: African purple with “neck”. The “neck” is the palm-like stem that emerges over time as the lower rows of leaves are removed. A well-developed violet should have the lowest row of leaves growing from the stem at soil level. When there is a neck, the lowest leaf row is higher than the ground and the rim of the pot. By repotting, this unsightly neck can be removed. This method is easiest to do when done regularly, about every 5-6 months.Step 2: Cut off the bottom of the ball roots. Remove the plant from the pot and remove the bottom of the root ball an amount equal to the size of the root neck – ie if the neck is 1/2 ″ long, remove 1/2 ″ from the bottom of the root ball. This is why repotting is best done regularly, before the neck becomes too long. For example, in extreme cases, when the plant has a 2 inch neck, we will need to remove 2 ″ from the bottom of the root ball. If the pot is only 2 1/4 deep, then almost all of the roots need to be cut off! By repotting when the plant is young, very little of the root system needs to be removed and the tree will only experience some adverse effects, if any, from the repotting.Step 3: Push the plant back into the pot of the same size. If this is an adult plant, no larger pot is needed. Since the bottom part of the root ball has been removed, the purple can now be pushed lower into the pot. The goal is to lower the plant so that the lowest row of leaves is level with the rim of the pot (i.e. the neck is not visible).Step 4: Add fresh soil. Purple should now be lower in its pot, so that its lowest row of leaves is level with the rim of the pot. Add fresh soil, to the rim of the pot, fill the neck of the plant. The root collar will create new roots into the added soil.Step 5: Purple repotting. After repotting, the neck should not be visible, and the ground and lower leaves should be even with the rim of the pot. Label the pot and water the plant lightly. This is very important – until the plant begins to grow new roots into the added soil, it will need a little less water than before (it has a smaller root set). The more drastic the repotting, the more true this is. Inappropriate pot sizes, nutrient-poor soil, and too frequent repotting are probably the most common causes of unhealthy violets in inexperienced growers. Although a small purple color was used in this illustration, the same process was used for the standard-sized varieties. By most standards (unless grown for show), being fairly comfortable in a 4-inch repot doesn’t mean constantly placing violets in growing pots! Using only a large pot of root system supplement soil only benefits the plant if it can grow a large enough root system to use that soil! If buying a commercially available mix, judge the soil by its feel, not its label! “African Purple Soil” is often the worst soil mix for violets! Look for a blend that’s high in vermiculite and/or perlite (1/3 to 1/2 mix), with a smooth, creamy, light consistency. Avoid thick, dark, heavy soil mixes. While an experienced grower can grow beautiful plants in almost anything, a light, soilless mix will make it easier for you to over-water/under-water and infrequently repot and discard. calf.