Does water always have to be in the bottom of the dish? Or let is drink all the water and then add more?
African violets won't tolerate being wet all the time, otherwise they will rot. I let mine dry out between waterings for a week, or more, spilling out any excess water in the saucer.
i use self-watering african violet pots - which always have water in them - and they do much better in those containers rather than the usualy types. for me anyhoo. the av pots are two pieces - the insert (where you put the soil and plant) is not glazed and the outer pot is glazed. the water leaches in through the unglazed clay and moistens the soil...you just refill the container as needed every couple of weeks.
No plant that isn't aquatic or a cutting you're trying to root should be in standing water! Watering from the bottom up is a good idea: don't let water sit on leaves, and make sure the water is tepid---not cold!
So African Violets don't like cold water? Or is that just a general rule for all plants, cos I water mine straight from the tap:S
I water from the top also, using only tepid water. Cold water might shock the roots. Just think how you'ed feel getting cold water thrown on your feet, lol.
Yes I see what you mean - note to self:let water reach room temperature before watering! Thanks for the tip - could explain why my cordy's leaves refuse to uncurl lol
always use water that is the same temperature as the room the plant is in...or as close to it as possible (which can be an issue in the summer when watering plants that are outside when it's very hot). i always keep jugs of water on hand...letting them sit allows excess chlorine to dissipate and then i always have room temp stuff ready to use.