I've had my african violet for almost a year now, and I'm not too sure why she is doing this? I tried looking it up but I haven't seen much about it online. The outer leaves have been getting progressively more purple since last may, they they still retain their stiffness. She also hasn't flowered since last spring. For context, I water every 2ish weeks and have it about 2 feet under a par38 ge grow bulb, which gives it ~150 ppfd. Is there anything I should do to fix this?
by Significant-Dare2068
3 Comments
Just my opinion but … I would repot into something no larger than 2/3 the size of what it’s in. I’d improve drainage by adding up to 50% perlite to your mix. The leaves look hard, as if there’s too much light. Are they brittle?
This is what I’ve learned so far now that I’ve joined the African violet Society of America. Pot should be 1/3 to 1/2 the width of your plant. Older leaves change color so you should probably remove those outer leaves when you repot. Perlite is actually a necessity to add to your African violet Potting mix. Ratio of 50/50 or if you are water wick watering that should be 70% perlite/ 30% African violet potting mix. Fertilized lightly every time you water. 1/4 dosing amt. The soil mix should be moist not wet. African violets should never be allowed to completely dry out. It might be too much light as well. Try cutting down on the amount of time your light is on since the plant seems like it’s fairly far away from the actual light. Standard African violets should be repotted every six months to a year. The older potting mix will get compacted and acidic affecting the pH and the amount of air that can get to the roots. Perlite helps keep the potting mix aerated. I hope this helps.
Leaves change color when the plant is overfertiliezed. This video is very good https://youtu.be/YbAROKrhDW0?feature=shared Hope it helps