Why doesnt my African Violet bloom?

in 2002 i bought an African Violet for my desk at work. it was blooming when i bought it and it has never bloomed since. the leaves are beautiful and green, i get many compliments on it still but i never get blooms.

Why doesnt my African Violet bloom?
I have NO idea if this really works, but my mother, years and years ago, told me that the ends need to be pinched off routinely so that an African Violet can bloom How this is done, I can't begin to tell you. Maybe a question on pinching off ends on plants would be in order. I always heard my Grandmother talking about pinching off the ends of plants too and she had gorgeous flowering plants.
Reply:You should also try to feed it.


http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcar...





water may not be enough. especially if you have not given it any nutrients since 2002.
Reply:An African violet needs a southern Exposure window for the sunshine. Also it is best to water it from the bottom up, like have the flower pot sitting on a saucer or dish and pour the water in there for it soak up. Perhaps even some fertilizer made especially for African violets would help as well. Some people are just naturally lucky with those plants, I know I have a hard time keeping them alive and blooming too. good luck
Reply:My violets get a lot of direct/indirect sunlight in my kitchen. My kitchen also faces south, but I'm sure if they were in a west facing window they'd do just as well. I don't pay attention to how many times they bloom a year, but it has to be at least twice. I forget to water them sometimes, but on average I water them once every 2 weeks. I use whatever water is available..water I've left sitting out, direct from the tap water and water from bottles of water that I haven't finished. I've fertilized them with a dilute mix of miracle grow once or twice in the past 5+ years... I think the biggest key is sunlight, and the amount they recieve each day. In an office, they (I'm assuming you're in an office like mine where you might get lots of light, but not bright or direct light) probably aren't getting enough...





I've read that people have success by allowing them to soak up their water from the bottom, but I haven't noticed any difference in the growth of mine... I just dump water on top of them.