The right soil for an African violet

Use a light, porous African violet mix, not heavy garden soil. Keep the fine-rooted rosette in a shallow pot with open drainage.

Plant coveredSaintpaulia ionanthaAfrican violet · indoor container

Check how the mix holds water and air

Best soil mix

Use a light, porous, aerated mix. A commercial African violet mix is acceptable, or combine peat or coir with vermiculite and perlite. RHS also gives a peat-free option of about two parts John Innes No. 2 to one part coir.

The mix should drain quickly while retaining enough moisture for the fine roots. Use a container with drainage holes and keep the crown out of saturated medium.

Separate indoor and outdoor advice

Match the mix to the pot and setting

Pot the small indoor rosette in a shallow, well-drained container, keeping the crown at the same level rather than burying it. This houseplant advice applies to African violets formerly labeled Saintpaulia ionantha, not to every Streptocarpus species.

Use an exact target only when one is known

Soil pH

Aim for a slightly acidic substrate, approximately pH 5.8 to 6.5. UF/IFAS gives that range for Saintpaulia ionantha, while RHS describes the plant as acid or neutral.

Check the pot, watering and roots too

When soil alone is not the problem

Sources