When my granny passed, we all got one of her African violets-and this is what’s left of it😭 This is my first African violet. I’ve downloaded an app, researched the correct soil, fertilizer and pot. She was thriving at granny’s but has slowly started dying no matter where I place her or what I do. It’s a 50 year old plant and when I brought it home, it was thriving with these gorgeous purple blooms but in a nasty molded terracotta pot and the soil and pot had this rust color funky smelling buildup and the terracotta was starting to crumble. I didn’t really have a choice of repotting. And it’s been dying for the last year. I took it to a local nursery and they helped me repot it and I spent $60 in supplies 💀 And yes that’s spaghetti because I can’t figure out how to water it without getting the leaves wet. It’s in a ceramic African violet pot, I used the African violet potting mix and an African violet fertilizer every other week as instructed. I water it every 9 days like my plants app tells me to. I added a grow light because my house has awnings and is facing north and I get hardly any natural light less. I’m in menopause so our house is pretty cool at 68 degrees because of my hot flashes and my husband has asthma so we have to keep the humidity at 35% or he can’t breathe. I still like him so imma try to keep him alive too😂🤷🏼♀️ Is it too cold in here, is it the lack of natural light? Is it just too old?
by Shefallsalot
8 Comments
First, the pot is way, way to big. the pot should be 1/3 the width of the AV’s diameter.
Second, that was planted too deep. The potting mix should not touch the bottom of the leaves.
Third, the potting mix needs a lot more perlite added to it.
Finally, I think the plant is a goner. Sorry to say that.
Also, I water based on if the plant needs water, not every XX number of days. This past summer I was watering twice a week.
I would suggest since the plant I’m sorry to say is a goner maybe ask your different relatives that got other plants of hers for leaf cuttings and try to root the various leaf cuttings. Hopefully this will bring you some relief knowing that the different leaves came from her and you will possibly end up with a variety of different colored Violets
I didn’t see your whole post at first .. Just the picture.
Not sure why the nursery thought this was an ok pot. Yes they like small pots but they can do ok in pots that are technically too big. But this is wildly too big.
My guess was this was over watered. And having too much soil to plant ratio can make over watering really easy.
If this was my plant I’d give it fresh soil and zero fertilizer. It’s also a chance you were over fertilizing. Most people say to do 1/4 strength but I haven’t use any yet because the soil I have had food in it too. If your soil did as well this is def too much fertilizer.
As the other person said, planted too deep. That nursery doesn’t seem to know anything about AVs.
Sorry this plant has such meaning to you but it’s a good chance it’s gone.
If you want to try… like I said, fresh soil. Not nearly as deep and use a tea spoon of water maybe every day near the stem. Maybe even every other day. I usually feel the leaves. If they are firm they are ok. If they are flimsy or wilty they need water. Unless it had been over watered recently.
Sorry 🙁 wish you luck!
First, I can appreciate your desire to keep your late grandmother’s 50-yo AV alive, and I bet it was difficult to see it deteriorate as you kept putting more time and $ into it.
You could (maybe) save it by adding humidity. Re-pot this last leaf into a 1-2 inch plastic pot and put it in a plastic sandwich bag or clear dessert cup with a dome lid. Water it a drop if it isn’t already moist. Blow into the bag and place near the light where you had it before. Propping the leaf up is good because you are/were trying to keep the leaf from getting wet.
AVs like it cool. The low humidity may be an issue, and those in this group living in dryer conditions would have better advice on that. I’d say a humidifier, but I’m not sure if it is worth it for 1 plant or risking your husband’s life. You could keep it under a larger dome if it makes it out of its current state. Good luck!
PS: If that doesn’t work, you could ask others who got one of her AVs for a leaf and propagate it.
i appreciate your tenacity, but most plant apps are just AI-powered nonsense. don’t listen to them!!
Update cause it won’t let me edit the post 😒
https://preview.redd.it/oazglzr05rvf1.jpeg?width=506&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=157fb667e04d95c5ab8de5956b0f0796b0de0395
I got a tiny starter pot, tried to replant it and the roots just disintegrated. There were those two leaves and nothing 🥴 Gertrude was hangin on for dear life! I put the leaves in propagating jars and maybe they’ll grow something. Figured it was worth one last effort then I’m ceremoniously going to take her to the compost pile where she will probably thrive, the hussy
She gone
You dehydrated this little guy to death in a gigantic pot of bone dry soil. I have a few AVs, and I don’t ever let the soil fully dry out. Maybe the top layer gets dry to the touch, that’s it. No full sun, but near a window where it can get lots of bright light.