My violet bloomed so beutifully all winter and early spring. But now the blooms are gone and the leaves are still dark green. But the leaves are all curling upward and eventually they turn limp and die . I have had this happen to other violets and it seems like they all end up dying . Is there anything I can do to prevent it from dying????
leaves curling on my african violet
Hi,
I'm not sure of your growing conditions,but leaves turning up could be from too little light and limp leaves from too much water.If you could post a picture,maybe one of us can help you save them.
All my african violets are facing 2 south windows. I just get frustrated with them when they do this . I am using pots that have the plant and dirt in one pot that fits into the bottom pot that holds water and violet miracle grow mixed together.
It does look like too much water,because of the rotting outer leaves.Maybe they need a little lighter mix and to dry out a little now and then.I'm sure more members will have other ideas too.
The potting mix looks kinda dry to me. It could be that the bottom of the top pot is not absorbing enough moisture. I stopped using those pots because I kept forgetting to check the bottom for water. I have most on mats and wicks. This way I can see if the mat is drying. The older leaves may be just dying from not enough water. You could lighten your mix with some perlite and see what happens. I would take one or two good leaves and try to root them. This way if the plant doesn't make it, you will have little babes to start over.
The potting mix appears dry in the photo,but I would check it down and inch or so to see if it is. Usually,when I underwater,the older leaves turn yellow or pale.But I have never used the type of pot you have.
I am by no means an expert, but I do see where the soil is separating from the pot wall. It may be a good idea to take the plant out of that pot, and let it soak in a bit of water to soften the soil. Once it's soaked up some water, I would remove as much of the soil as you could, and repot with new soil-less mix. Also, I see some dust on the leaves - taking a barely damp sponge or towel and wiping off the leaves every few weeks could do wonders, since the AV's do absorb oxygen & nutrients thru the leaves, too.
i also have violets in the same pot as yours,here is a picture of mine.,i think your soil is to dry. Mine are also in a south window,Make sure your soil is real light for wicking, & of course try & remember to water, lol i forget sometime, they get pretty low.
here is another violet, yukako
Bonnie,
Such pretty violets!!
Syru just gave you some great advice.New soiless mixture and cleaning the leaves could make a world of difference!
Somewhere I have a great AV checklist that shows what leaves generally look like if they have any type of problem. I will have to try and find it for you.
It seems the consenus is that the soil is too dry,but please be sure before you apply more water and especially food! Most any plant will survive a little dry spell,although you may lose a few leaves,but if they are too wet they can turn to mush or 'little furballs' overnight and they cannot survive that.
I also am curious about the light.Two South windows can produce a lot of sun and heat if they are anywhere near the glass.
Lynn
Pretty violerts Bonnie! Fspecially Yukako.
Lynn--Is the sight you are referring to Dr. Optimara? It may be helpful.
I also wonder about using South windows--especially in summer. I hope the plants are set well back, or there is a sheer curtain shielding direct sun exposure. That could be a contributing factor.
Jan,
That's not it,but it's a great site!! It should help iowamom figure out the problem.
Most newcomers don't know what we are talking about when we say "soil less"........that just means go buy some african violet mix at Walmart and mix a lot of perlite in it........to make it lighter..........so the roots can get the water and also dry out more quickly..............
It looks like you might be using something like Miracle Grow soil........which won't work..............for gessies. (Unless you added a ton of perlite to it)
To me, your plant with ruffled/wavy leaves looks okay other than grooming (removing the bad leaves). It is over-potted for the size of the plant. The pot size should be 1/3rd the diameter of the plant. Your soil mix is wrong for a self watering pot also. Mix what you have...the MG violet mix with half perlite should be fine.
Thank you, GL...........I didn't even realize she had a self watering pot..........and it is a very large pot.......didn't notice.........
Thanks for everyones advise, the soil that I am using is by Schultz and is called premium potting soil plus. For african violets and flowering plants. It claims to have a "rich mix of Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, perlite, composted organic material and a wetting agent provides excellent drainage and aeration. Is there something else I should be using??? I am up for any suggestions. Thanks again for everyones help. Kim
If you are using an african violet potting mix, then you will need to add about half perlite to the mix. The perlite you can get a places like Walmart is better than nothing, but the best perlite you can buy at nurseries in 4 cubic feet. I couldn't grow without my perlite.
I agree with Gail. I ran out of a homemade mix for AV's and went to the store for AV soil. The lack of perlite really surprises me. I bought a same size bag of perlite and used almost half of it just to lighten up a third of the bag of potting mix. I also hate that you can't find potting soil w/o fertilizer in it these days. I'd really prefer to mix my own for the types of plants I grow.
I have been told that you shouldn't use your own mix as you won't get the necessary trace elements in the mix as a prepared one has. If you do use your own mix with peat, there is a fertilizer on Cape Cod catalog just for a peat mix you make yourself with extra trace elements in the fertilizer.
Gail, I didn't make my mix, I am not that industrious! I bought it at a AV club sale, and when I asked what was in it, was told perlite, vermiculite, peat, and a healthy dose of those necessary trace elements. Mixing the peat with the perlite and vermic. is something I could handle, but the trace elements I don't know a dang thing about. Hopefully I will be able to buy more of this mix when the club meetings resume in the fall, because I like it alot more than the storebought AV soil/perlite mix. It just has a nicer texture.
Thanks for the Cape Cod catalog tip, if I can't buy the mix from someone in the club, that is worth looking into.
I am like you, jmp.......I even ordered the trace elements called STEM (a powder) but I am afraid I don't know what I am doing so I use a ready made Volmann's mix. (I still have to add perlite)