I've had sevearl of my leaf pots start doing this. You'll notice the mother leaf has a dark spot near the base and tips of some of the babies leaves have turned brown. I've had to divided out a few pots prematurely because some of the babies turned completely black and I didn't want it to spread to the healthier ones. I hooked up my heat mat yesterday and put the tray on it thinking maybe they were staying a bit to damp and cool.
P
Hi Bigred, I am not sure. I usually just take off leaves that look like that, but that may be bad advice.
I've been doing that too.
P
I'm not sure but maybe - Nitrogen Overload which also may also inhibit the absorption of magnesium, then causing a deficiency in magnesium too.
Too much Nitrogen can change PH of soil.
Nitrogen Overload can cause stress to African Violets which will leave them susceptible to disease
It's hard to tell without send them to a laboratory .
Their not burnt right ?
Best thing to do drench the soil with luke warm water. If your me I like hot :)) Let it drain and make sure at least an 8 oz. cup of water drains threw pot. Do not feed for at least a week.
Then when you do go back to fertilize watch the nitrogen and use 1/8 what is recommended .
If this does not work it may be your water sourse.
Some cases it can be environmental conditions .
For more about fertilizers and their effect on African Violets, see "Caring for African Violets."
http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare1.html
Hmm. I've had that happen sometimes to the mother leaves (I just trim or even remove them), but I don't think I've seen it on the babies... Are the damaged areas crispy-brown (maybe fertilizer burn, or too close to the lights) or mushy-brown (possible rot from excess humidity or places where the leaves have gotten wet while watering)?
I'm trying to remember the last time I fertilized them and with what. I alternate between weak Peter's Fert 20-20-20 and fish emulsion.
Could be the new lights.
Some of the bigger leaves get crispy edges. Some of the smaller ones close to the rooting medium turn black and mushy so that could be caused by close contact to the rooting med. staying damp and cold. That was one possibilty I thought of,got out the heat matt ,hooked it up and sat the tray on it.
I don't think it's overly humid in here.
I did switch to wamer water when watering so it could be culture shock.
P
Most likley a fertilizer overdose which is so easy to do along with watering too much or not enough and maybe lights but I don't think so.
I would do above drench the soil with luke warm water. If your me I like hot :)) Let it drain and make sure at least an 8 oz. cup of water drains threw pot. Do not feed for at least a week.
Then go back to only using 1/8 fertilzer of what is recommend on bottle. Does the food have Urea in it if so stop. Also babies and miniatures need food with lower numbers
Violet Food is a fertilizer specifically labeled for African Violets. A good Violet Food should have approximately equal amounts of the primary nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). These elements are normally found on the front label and will appear, for instance, as 14-12-14. This formula, 14-12-14, is the recommended formula for standard African Violets, such as those grown in 3-inch pots or larger. Miniature and super miniature African Violets, such as those grown in 2-inch pots or less, will typically need a slightly different formula. For those growing Optimara miniatures, a Violet Food or Miniature Plant Food with a 7-9-5 NPK is recommended
Knowing the sourse of elements is important like what type of nitrogen..
read more here
http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare2.html
When feeding less is better.
From same great link above sorry I am quated it but great value to read whole page. Over fertiliangcan cause leaf tip burns. and more problems..
One final consideration in regard to fertilizers is the issue of overfertilizing. While African Violets need a certain amount of essential elements to grow and reproduce, too much can be harmful. Among other problems, overfertilizing can cause leaves to become cracked or brittle. It may also produce lesions on the leaves and stems. In addition, an overload of certain elements will actually stifle an African Violet's ability to absorb certain other elements. For instance, an excess of magnesium may prevent an African Violet from absorbing enough calcium. Likewise, an excess of either phosphorus or zinc may prevent an African Violet from absorbing enough copper or iron, while an excess of either calcium or magnesium may prevent an African Violet from absorbing enough potassium. Such imbalances in the elements that are absorbed by African Violets can cause a number of additional problems, such as droopy or chlorotic leaves, leaf tip burn and diminished flowering.
well, whatever the cause, I hope the problem won't return!
I'm going to say I've been watering the babies w/ too much of the wrong fertilizer...will start flushing.
critter,
you and me both.
P
Hi bigred- I was reading a book about African Violets when my kiddo came along and started playing with the pages. Well, I don't usually let him play with my books, but it had colorful pictures he could enjoy so I just watched him very carefully with it. lol Anyways...one page he turned to said that if you have leaves turning brown, then very likely the water it's getting is too cold. But I'm not sure I could find that page again. lol I know it's something you said it might've been the cause before so I just wanted to throw this in so you don't toss that idea out.
Good luck!
Cheryl
I'm taking all my leaves/babies out of the vermuiclite and replanting into potting mix because I really believe it maybe I'm over fertilizing AND the vermucilite is staying too wet and cold . We'll see what happens now that I've re-potted.
I'm going to be awfully upset if I loose my babies.
P
As long as their healthy , no pest, no viruses , kept warm , not over watered or over fed, use warm, or warmer water they should be fine.
I've never seen babies like this before ?
Less food is always better . Even on adult plants good diea to use 1/8 what the recommended does is. I do use VF-11 one oz per gallon no problem. Good Luck !
Vermiculite seems to hold too much water to make my AVs happy (possibly some brands are more water-retaining than others)... I pot everybody (leaf pots, babies, mature plants) in a mixture that's half (or a little more than half) perlite and half Pro-Mix. (I also use a dash of moisture crystals and a bit of charcoal, but for me it's mostly the perlite that does the trick I think.)
I don't think you're losing your baby AVs... you'll figure out how to keep them happier, and they will recover from losing a leaf or two.
oops posted wrong spot
This message was edited Jan 16, 2007 10:25 AM
I've got them all out of the vermucilite and in ICU.
P
I hope they get out of ICU really quickly!!!!
Question about baby plants and fertilizer. I remember reading somewhere that fertilizer is not needed until the babies are seperated from mom and starting to grow own their own. Also, that fertilizer where a plant is too young can cause damage to the roots.
Any experts out there?
lol about the ICU...hold on...I think babies go to the NICU. hahaha I can just see them hooked up to baby violet-sized heart monitors and respirators. ; ) You guys crack me up!
Picturing this with a Big smile on my face.You are all just too much : ) LOL The image you described just won't go away CJ ! Hee Hee!!
Rob says feed them
I can't find av food in my one horse,flyspeck town. All I have one hand is 20-20-20 and fish emulsion until I can make a trip to bigger city 20 miles over.
I'm glad to say most all of the ones I had I was afraid might have had mites have started growing out nicely now that I've shortened hours I had them on down to about 8 hrs. The ones that looked the worst,I snipped the best looking leaves off of each,scrubbed them good w/ Safer Soap in very warm water(twice) and struck them so I'd have babies and chunked the original plants in the compost.
P
Do you have a Lowes ? They sell Peters Av food in seasonal deparment. It can also be bought on line a few different sellers links in Sticky.
Selective Gardners sell Av food and Special Miniature food both good.
It's Optimara food.
Dyna-Gro is good and cheap from their own web sight
http://www.dyna-gro.com/
Liquid Grow 7-9-5
good for Av's
http://www.dyna-gro.com/
Less food is always best. And no uera
Glad your plants are doing better. a month without food won't hurt anyone. You can also use 1/8 th. the recommended amount on your food package.
Lowe's in next town over. Forty-fifty mile round trip so I only go over when I have several errrands to run.
I'm putting togther a wholesale order to Optimara for Valentine and have their AV food on the list.
P
That will be good ! I have used their minature food too and liked it also both their other ones !
I had emailed them asking the names of the Epsicas they are selling.
I also was asking if they had certain name Optimaras I was looking for.
1/8 level teaspoon (20-20-20) per gallon of water should do the trick.
They have episcias? Where? I missed that but I'm also having trouble with their webpage having errors and can't see all the picture....daggum lil red x's
snow,
I make my fertilizer like they say to make a dry martini....just wave the vermouth cap over the glass...wave the fertilizer dipper over the water can...LOL
P
Hey Bigred....I like your style!
That matches what I've seen with my plants... the upstairs plants (which had been isolated from all new plants for at least 8 months) that had tight crowns at the beginning of summer started recovering when I reduced the lights... those where the crown actually got burnt or damaged suckered rather than growing a single new crown, so I can't say they all look good now, but they do all look better.
critters,
the ones I was having trouble with were from you so it was probably due to cultural changes and too much light . I've only lost two from you...Smitten Kitten and I think the other was Irish Flirt. Two or three,I tore down,cleaned up the leaves w/ Safer and struck them because the center were pretty much gone. All the others are looking good ,putting on new growth.
P
1/8 of recomendation 1/8 tsp. what I always and recomend above too.
Fertilzer overdose not good.
Selective gardner has 4 inch pots Espsica pot specials so I wrote to find out names. They said they could find out names for me.
I would have a couple plants tested for safe measures with all the Mites hanging around better safe then sorry .I had a lot of plants last Spring/Summer in Isolation that never grew they were like stunted I re-potted them , gave them love but what ever new growth they had was poor or centers went bad so I just threw them out.
I think cultural changes are often the culprit... When I get plants from somebody (trade or commercial purchase), they usually arrive looking wonderful, but at least some of them (while isolated) will take a dislike to their new surroundings and look poorly for a while... Once in a while I have to tear a new plant down for leaves or suckers and start again, but often they come around after a period of adjustment.
I think all of us should probably try to get testing done over the winter, just to make sure about things before spring trading starts up. Allison, have you ever had your plants tested? I know you don't bring outside plants in, but Precious does go in and out, and you get trades and purchases... I'm not saying that there's any issue at all with your plants, but I know how cautious you are and am just making the same point that you've made before -- that even the most careful of us aren't immune to pests. I pretty much assume that any new plant I get could be carrying something, so I isolate plants and watch the new ones closely.
Yes I had mine tested when I was growing once a year. When I fisrt started buying I bought from one person. Then I use to buy just leaves and dip each leaf. And always isolated. I opened plants in other room and if it look bad it was trashed. Most times they were open on porch or outside screen room.
All bargain plants had crowns taken off washed in the hottest water with neem oil and safe soap mixture . No soil, pots or insulation ever re-used thrown away ASP. We washed stands bleach down belach and tide once a month , trays onces every two weeks and plastic boxes., tools sterilized .
Nothing from outside allowed in. Clothes, hands, nails all scrubbed from oitsude and new plants ... Using the Bayer 3- in one now we always use plastic throw away gloves and wash real good. Precious is not even allowed, not touched during this as the soil is .
Now precious she gets a bath pften and has exspensive drops that kill all stages of mites, and ticks, and reples them, and more does heart worm everything Resolution I think the name is aboit $35.00 for her weight each month but we don't want her getting her or bit . I don't do any plant work anymore. Her and I are in bed all the time. Me I'm in bed 99.9 percent of the time and 3/4 she is right with me. Even her feet are washed and cleaned each time she comes in and she gets new closes each day :))
I always was crazy about keeping my plants bug free and in the few years I grew them did well ! Or it was luck. Other than a gnat , mealies from plant in isolation exspensive one got trashed container isolation box everything. Yuk/
Isolated plants I don't try to save if it is not healthy it goes.
Now I only have maybe 3 to 4 clean sparkling plants, One large plant in isolation Lin sent me and 6 ioslated plants I got from Bluebirds for Christmas from Eunice. ALL plants went into new bleach pots, new soil, washed in hottest water with blue dawn and neem oil , some had all their roots and soil removed and lots of times I do this is for any reason they don't look healthy fresh. I also examine each one and roots with 3 X power.
Oh another thing HEHE before I sold me stand /lights got rid of ALL plants WE were never even allowed to open windows. NEVER. A/C or heat ran but I wanted no chance for pest to come in threw the screen.
I also top watered with hot water with neem , or Murphy's oil soap, or Garden Alive Gnat away or this other stuff they had I liked .
I like using real hot water for watering crazy maybe but my plants have alway like it !
I've done more pre-cautions than this above , this is just some.
Now I'm not growing , do have some Begonias, and gesneriads all still geting same healthy treatments except some are growing the Chiritas and others that are large mone out on the screen porch happy as can be.
Leaves down from Chiritas I have about ten C>S>Hisasko babies in home from washed treated leaves !
