And miles to go before I sleep - or - "How far should my plants be from my florescent lights?"

You know what I love about African Violets? They're great communicators! Do something they like and you'll see it. Do something they don't like - and you'll see that too...much to your dismay!

Proper light is so important to your violets' overall health and happiness. Give them too much and they'll quickly display their dissatisfaction. Give them too little and they will also pout. Give them just the right amount of light and they'll reward you with a flurry of blossoms.

Your plants will tell you exactly how far they want to be from their artificial light source. However, a good general rule is to suspend your light fixtures 8 to 12 inches over the foliage. How can you tell if you have the correct distance?

Too Much Light:

Tight Centers (crowns) - if your violets are too close to the lights or the lights are on too long the center leaves with begin to get very tight and brittle. The foliage may also grow downward in an attempt to move away from the light.

Too Little Light:

Reaching for the Stars - if the foliage on your plants is growing upward (reaching) and there are lots of gaps (openings) in the foliage, chances are you're growing them too far away from the light source. Sparse bloom is another obvious sign the plants are not receiving sufficient light.