African Violets (Saintpaulia) is a house plant that can flower throughout the year. These plants can flower in low light and be in bloom for 365 days a year.

African Violets are very easy to take care of but they do need some proper care.

African Violets are beautiful houseplants that you can count on to bloom.  These plants don't take up alot of space and they are the most common houseplants in the world.

African Violets come in many sizes and colors such as pink, white, violet, lavender, magenta and many other.  Some african violets bloom in many colors and others just bloom in one color pink and white, violet and white.
 

Care:

• Water:    Don't overwater because the potting soil that most plants are potted in, contains peat moss which retains the moisture which could drown the plant
• Soil mix. The standard soil mix for these plants are 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 perlite. The reason that this mix is like this is that these plants like to have good drainage.
• Proper pot size: For a standard rossette shape plant the pot needs to be 1/3 of the plant size.
• the reason that the pot has to be smaller is that plant must be pot-bound for it to bloom.
• another reason is the plant will try to grow roots towards the outer pot wall in which the soil is to wet so the roots will start to rot.
• Light : The plants must be in the light 8-10 hours a day. Violets need bright cool light. Fertilizer: the fertilizer must 20-20-20 at half the recommended dosage used everytime you water.
• pH of water: African Violets like the water to be at a pH around 6.5-6.7. There can't be any salt in the water or the plant will lose the ability of taking water from the soil. Repotting:

• the reasons to repot are to remove any fertilizer salts that have accumulated in soil.
• to add new nutrients with fresh soil.
• pot the neck of the growing plant into soil so that the neck is not above the level of the soil so it can grow new roots.

For more information on Care for African Violets please visit this website Growing African Violets  and  African Violets at University of Florida

Common diseases that can kill African violets are:

• Crown rot:  Which is when the crown starts to rot.  To tell if the plant is suffering from rotting is that the older leaves will droop and younger leaves would show stunting.
• Botrytis Blight:  The leaves, flowers and petioles developed water soaked spots that would eventually become larger.
• Root Knot: Galls on the roots causes the roots not to absorb the water and nutrients from the soil.

• there are two ways of propagating new plants:
•  leaf cuttings:
• Root the leaf cutting in perlite and vermiculite so it won't rot.
• Warm temps would stimuate the leaf to grow roots and start a new shoot.  The ideal temp is 70 degrees. Do not place the cutting in a bright place.
• Try not to drown the plant.
• Propagating violets takes a couple weeks.  When you see new plants with small leaves you can remove the parent leaf and move the plants to a brighter location.
• Apply Liquid Fertilizer
• crown divisions:
• use a sharp knife to separate the young plants from the mother plant.
• Each plant should have developed roots.
• Plant the young plants into soil composed of 1 part sand, 2 to 3 parts loam, and 2 parts organic matter.
• You also can use commercially prepared soil for african violets.

Sources:

African Violets at University of Florida
African violet Online
NDSU Extension Service

To get more info on African Violets please visit these websites.
African Violets
African violets from Aggie Horticulture
African Violets...garden centre
African violet society america
African Violets at University of Florida
Garden Bed.com African Violets help at hand
GLP African Violets
Green Thumb
NDSU Extension Service
Optimara
Optimara Caring for African Violets