African Violets and Gesneriads: My roots lack vitality :oP, 1 by RainGazer

RainGazer wrote:
I'm sure some of you have picked up on my saying that I'm having trouble with growing my AVs. I've been through a massive decline over the last 2 or 3 months in many of my AVs. So much so, that I've gone from over 500 plants and leaf pots down to less than 100. So, here's the story of what has happened and what I've done. I welcome any and all suggestions to help me keep the AVs I've got left.

As I was watering my AVs one morning and noticing the extreme lack of health some of them were displaying, I got to thinking about it, how bad some of them looked, how many I've had to throw away along and along, and decided I just had to find out what was going on. I found the number to the county agricultural agent, called him up, and he said to bring in a plant or two and some leaves. He wanted to check for pests. Naturally, I was worried to pieces that he would find the dreaded cyclamen mites. I took the two worst looking plants of the bunch (one of which I can't find anywhere even if I did want to buy it again), and leaves from several more that looked really bad, and paid the $12 fee (I thought this was supposed to be free!! Evidently not anymore...)

I waited a week and finally called because I couldn't stand the suspense anymore. Good news and bad were delivered... The good news was, no cyclamen mites! Yay! Then he said, "Your roots lack vitality." What?? I was almost offended! He said the root systems were not well developed, and the roots they had were thin and spindly. He said the plants I brought in had awfully wet soil, and I am sure they did. They had just been watered (again, I was watering when I decided to call him and took the plants and leaves to him that day) and then were sealed up in a plastic bag for several days. I had to water the ones at home because they were getting dry on the day he checked the ones he had. I can only assume the plastic bags are the reason they were still so wet.

He said my potting mix seemed to be of a nice, good consistency and asked if I fertilized regularly, used sterile ingredients, kept the mix sealed up after sterilizing so nothing could get in it, sterilized the pots before repotting. I answered yes to all the above. He asked if I wick water, bottom water, or top water. I said all of the above, some are wicked, some are bottom watered, and some are top watered. I've been doing that to see if I could figure out what they liked best. He said all those are fine and it sounded like I'm doing everything right.

I spent that evening going through my AVs and threw away over 100. I threw away about 50 more a few days later. Talk about a difficult job! I was heartbroken! I had a garbage can full of plants. I don't even want to think about it...

So what's the problem? If it isn't pests, and I'm doing things like I should, what is wrong? None of my Chiritas, Streps, Sinningias, Episcias, etc are showing any signs of any problems. It's only the AVs. I have kept some that look bad, but not horrible, trying to save them (and am still having to throw away one or two or three at a time now and again), and then I have some that look just fine. Are some varieties just easier to care for and those are the ones I'm not having trouble with? I just don't understand. Anybody have any ideas for me?

Just to make me happy, here's a picture of a few that are still doing very well! :o)