African Violet 'Optimara'

Saintpaulia

How to grow African Violet 'Optimara'

  • Dappled Sun

  • Medium

Avoid getting water on the leaves as this can cause spotting damage. Pinch off spent flowers and stems to encourage more blooms. Plants should be placed away from floor vents, fans and entrance doors in order to avoid air drafts and bursts of cold. Remember that African violets need eight hours of darkness each day in order to bloom.2

Try to plant in a location that enjoys dappled sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Optimara is thought of as tender, so remember to ensure that temperatures are mild before moving outdoors. Ideally plant in potting mix, sandy and loamy soil and try to keep the ph of your soil between the range of 6.1 and 6.5 as Optimara likes to be in weakly acidic soil.

Growing Optimara from seed

Soil temperature should be kept higher than 22°C / 72°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Optimara

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Optimara is a tender plant.

Harvesting Optimara

African Violet Optimara Etymology

The company came up with the brand name “Optimara” in 1977 after they opened a greenhouse in Nashville, Tennessee.1

Optimara folklore & trivia

This company was founded in 1904 under the name Dorrenbach-Holtkamp Greenhouses.1

Misspellings of African Violet 'Optimara'

Optamara,

Other Names for African Violet 'Optimara'

NOID, Optimara NOID

Footnotes

fn1 Optimara.com

2 www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare1.html