African Violets (other than trailers) will bloom better as single-crowned plants. That has certainly been my experience.

Think of it this way ... flowering is an effort by a plant to reproduce. If a plant already has multiple crowns, ... it has already reproduced, so there is no reproductive pressure to flower.

Also, multiple crowns typically result from suckers on an original crown ... which have grown into nearly full-sized plants. So, all of these crowns ... are existing on the original one root system. So resources meant for one crown ... is now supporting multiple crowns, ... and there simply isn't enough root resource to support blooming.

Fortunately, it is typically relatively easy to divide up your multiple crowned plants. Detangle the plant's stem and leaves to separate the crowns ... and then cut the base of each additional crown from the main crown.

Typically, each crown can then be planted in its own pot ... to grow into a flowering plant on its own ...

https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2009/11/african-violets-divide-de-sucker-for-better-flowering/

Aegis that is one of the most well written, basic, understandable explanations I have ever read ! This is so perfect for a person who is a beginner or someone who has just never had to address this problem ! Well done !!!! Rosie

That does make sense! I'm not much for fussing with these plants though. I would rather give the multi-crowners away and get new plants. Plus I really don't want several extra plants. Those would have to be given away, anyhow!

Or composted.

Callirhoe, I just can't bring myself to kill perfectly good plants. Even if they aren't what I want.

Just take off what you don't want, leaving the main crown of course and give away the rest? Rosie

Hi Rosie. Too much work to be left with a very weird looking plant at the end I would think. These crowns are evenly spaced over the whole plant, maybe four or five of them for each plant.

If you have good healthy plants try increasing the light they get in small integrals and feeding a little heavier to see if you can get them to pop. Also in general too much nitrogen produces foliage at the expense of flowers in a lot of plants. You might be able to cut that back a bit to see if that helps. Personally I get a great deal of satisfaction when I successfully divide plants. AV flower better as single stem, but multiple stems should produce some flowers anyway.

Hi Old Dutch. Light levels are at the max the plants can tolerate before the leaves burn. I have to keep an eye on them to make sure spring sunlight hasn't brightened enough to burn leaves. I'm using Sultz liquid plant food at 10-15-10 ratio. As to satisfaction on dividing AV plants, I'm just too tired these days. I'll care for plants but that's about it. If the multiple crowns will flower, all to the good. If they won't, I would rather gift them on and buy new plants.

Hi everyone. Here's a picture of main grouping of African Violets in my home. Second from left end is one of the multi-crowned plants. This is a south east exposure window. Thought this might help you to visualize what I am talking about. The other two multi-crown violets are on another window sill with even more light, a south west exposure.

Here's our light this morning at 9:46 am. You can clearly see the multi-crown African Violet on left of picture.

From the photos, it's clear that you know what you're doing.

The multi-crowned plant doesn't look too bad, though there are clearly, at least two plants in the pot.

Unfortunately, the crowding will only get worse ... as the plants fight for resources. But still, not as bad as it could be.

I just separated a plant with, at least, 5-6 crowns/suckers. Believe it or not, it was a purchase from an, otherwise, fairly dependable online AV vendor of Buckeye Seductress.

The plant was delivered with multiple crowns. I have made at least a dozen purchases from this vendor over the years, and this is the first time I had received such a clearly unmaintained plant. I was tempted to send it back, but the rest of the order was great, so I just decided to separate the crowns myself. By the time I got around to it, there was one fading bloom (obviously, it had never bloomed great), but I got a few), surrounded by lush variegated green foliage. I pretty much despaired of even getting one viable plant out of the bunch, but I think that I got a few.

It got me to wondering about the tendency of this variety to sucker. If I find that an AV variety has a tendency to sucker, ... I'd really rather not deal with it. I'm going to give the separated plantlets another shot. Maybe at least one will grow pretty clean.

Along with the Buckeye Seductress, I also separated a plantlet or two from a couple of other plants. I should be set for a time, now.

Anyhow, that's my story ...

P.S. Your setting is very nice. Seems quite peaceful. Is that a Witch Hazel outside the patio, blooming this early ?

Hi Aegis. Yes it is! Believe it or not, that Witch Hazel started blooming early January and has continued right up to now in March. I've never seen it bloom so long before! The multi-crown has at least four offsets on it. So do the other two multi-crown violets here. I'm thinking I might just give them away if I can find a taker. Thank you for the lovely comment regarding my home setting. With pandemic lockdown, it is more important than ever to have a peaceful and beautiful personal space. By the way, I've noticed pictures of dividing African Violets often use a variegated foliage variety to demonstrate with. Could the variegated types be more prone to suckering, I wonder?

From the rest of your pots, you are doing alright, in fact very good. The ones who do not fit your regime, those you are probably right to give away, rather than try to adjust what is working well and maybe mess up for the rest. Thanks for the images; they clarify your query. And that witch hazel is amazing.

I've had lots of suckering from plain leaf types, as well ...

Thanks for that encouragement OldDutch. I am fairly new to growing African Violets, but not plants in general.

What a fun discussion and lovely home photos!

Aegis, I agree with Rosie, truly the best description I have read of multiple crowns. Years ago, I was trying to grasp what was the reason behind separating multiple crowns when they looked fine, or how they differed from trailers. Or why some AVs suckered like crazy. If I had read your description back then, it would have helped. I eventually figured it out by growing and grooming and reading. Joanne

I agree fortyseven. It made complete sense to me, too. Still haven't separated the multi-crowned violets though. They are sitting there healthy and doing nothing, flower wise.

Many people grow violets like that. Personal preference.

Hello everyone! Weather has become a bit brighter. When light levels increased to the point of almost burning plant leaves, all the multi-crowned violets set bud and are now in flower. Very strange.

Taken this morning. All the multi-crowned violet plants are flowering!

They look very nice. I see nothing wrong with such nice multi-headed plants. You obviously keep them turned. They are so nice and full.

More light ... more energy to bloom ...

Hi OldDutch. Until you mentioned turning the plants, it had never occured to me! So I can't take credit for that. Somehow this is how the plants are growing all by themselves. But pretty soon this windowsill will receive too much sun and leaves will start to burn. Aegis1000 it certainly seems that more light is the key. But we are really on the border of burning leaves very soon.

You might want to check into those window films that cut solar energy into the house. They are also said to cut air conditioning costs...

I have new really good double pane windows now, OldDutch. Don't want to mess with them.

The shade films go up and stay up on the inside by static without glue or tape. In fact at night the one way passage is reversed and while nobody can see in during the day, they can see into lighted rooms at night and you can't see out. Interesting stuff and IMO can be used without any kind of damage to the windows.