Velleta,

I was thinking of you the other day and wondering how you and your plants are doing. The first thing that comes to my mind is a root problem. Are your plants in pots that are too big? Are they getting too dry and then staying wet for a long time when you water? Send pictures when you can.

Linda

Hi linda, they are in the same pots I showed you at the beginning and they dry out within 5-6 days but I will post the pics as soon as I get home. Thanks for responding. VELLETA

I'll be watching for them.

Linda

Hi Velleta,

i've looked at two of your older threads - in the first one the pots looked a bit big, but then you potted them down after the 'sunburn'-episode...
have you tried a mix with more perlite yet?

Karin

Here is a link that might be useful: 'sunburn' thread...

Hi linda and Karin so these are my babies a lot of them has lost some leaves but I think the pot and soil is ok I also think they could maybe do with a bit more sun(som of them are reaching) but I honestly don't know what else to think. I will post another pic after this one. The pics were taken at night I get home late and leave early so I hope you can see them properly. Thanks for your imput again VELLETA.

Other pic I have all of them on pebbles with water in the bottom and these are the same pots I potted down to. Originally this is just a section of them couldn't take all in the pic. But the others are mostly suckers. VELLETA

Velleta,

I think you have three things that you can look at: some of your violets are in pots that are too big. The ones I can see on the picture that appear to be struggling are in over-sized pots.Try for a pot size one-third the size of your plant.

Your soil may be too heavy. Do you have them in air-conditioning or are they exposed to the weather and humidity? If they are subject to the weather in Jamaica, I would say you need a very porous soil otherwise your soil would stay too wet for too long.

You mentioned that you let them dry before you water. Don't let them get too dry before you water. I think there is a root problem going on and desert to swamp conditions may be causing it.

Also, some plants are just not hardy and will die slowly. As long as this is just a small percentage of your collection it is a fact that you deal with as a grower.

They do look like they could use more light. Do you have anywhere to put a light set-up?

I know this is frustrating. Hang in there and we will all help you to be successful!

Linda

Hi linda, so the ones that look weak are the ones that lost the leaves. I don't have smaller pots so I guess I would have to pot down to solo cups. They are on a patio so they only get watered when I water them. They get plenty of air because the patio has very big windows on two sides. As for a light set up as I already mention my hubby thinks all plants are bush ( this upsets me VERY BAD!!!!) So it would be a big argument if I tried to do a light set up for them so I think my only option would be to try and see if I can move them to another location which to be honest I have no idea where. Anyways I will start with the potting down to solo cups and see if I can fugure something out. My green room space is full of orchids which bloom wonderfully and my violets are in the same room so I don't know I am having such difficulty with them. But I will not give up even if I have to purchase new ones to figure them out. I love them too much. Thanks again. VELLETA.

I know this won't do you a lick of good, but I had lots better violets before I knew all the rules. ha

Flowergirl I believe you I had one plant a few years ago and it did wonderful and bloom in ordinary potting soil, I watered when it was dry. Then I moved and gave it away and now it seems I can hardly keep one alive. Go figure. Hahaha.

Hi Velleta,
I do know the feeling, of DH, (and other family members,) not appreciating this hobby. Some people are just not into growing plants indoors or semi-indoors.
So that causes me to limit my collection. That is one reason this Forum was so helpful for me. Well, I feel the same way about football as DH feels about growing indoor plants.

Also, to you and Flowergirl, my plants had been doing great for the longest time, thanks to this Forum. I traveled and left them several times, they did great. Then in the past week or two, I have lost four ... Having to have the heat on has been part of the problem. It is a good thing I check them each day, or it could have been worse.

Reading older threads when I have a little extra time also helps me be prepared. So when a problem comes up, I know where to look.

Nice to see you posting again, V.

Joanne

Velleta,

Since it sounds as though your plants have to deal with the outside temps and humidity, I would do a couple things. As I mentioned, I think there is a root problem. Pot down-solo cups are fine. Some people use condiment cups and have success with them. I have seen them on E-Bay if you can't find them locally.

Make your soil mix very porous-lots of perlite and vermiculite.

Water more often. When you water, saturate the soil and then let them get just moist before you water again.

You may want to try this with just a few plants at first to see how they respond before you do a large number of plants. Don't experiment with plants that are struggling badly, they may be too weak to give you a true reading of your changes.

How hot is it there now? I am wondering if they are stressed by the heat. Also, what kind of orchids are thriving on your patio? This might be another clue as to your growing conditions that could help me figure out what's going on.

Linda

Hi linda and joanne ok so my phalaenopsis do wonderful there on the northside, and I have dendrobiums and cattleyas on the westside I have dens in spike now but to be honest I have yet to see the catts spike. I made a few adjustments yesterday by placing the violets in between the phals I read somewhere they require the same light so I am hoping that will inprove the healthy ones. The small suckers I place on a table with a daytime floresence light they are all in solo cups. I will also be potting down the rest as soon as I can. The table with the suckers are right under the light so I did not make a fixture so no argument frm the husband. I also notice that the ones I had on the table wiith the phals before now did a bit better in terms of growth so I place as much as the table would allow in that position. I am just praying that will help to inprove them otherwise I just don't know. VELLETA

oh I almost forgot linda the weather is much cooler now and we have rain often sometimes everyday. VELLETA

Velleta,

I am wondering if they are showing the effects of hot weather. If so, potting down and cooler weather should help. What have the temps. been until recently?

Linda

Linda before now the time was so hot it felt as if we were being cooked that's when I got the heat stroke with them. Then I moved them to the other sided of the room and that's when I realized most of them had scortched leaves and I lost a few also. But now the time is lots cooler so I am wondering if the heat and then cold caused the leaves to behave this way. But the location I had them in provided little light so they started to lean. So now as I mention before I place them between my phals which get a bit of evening sun and inderect light. Boy this is really confusing. VELLETA

Linda this is the new location I now have them they are on the north side behind my phals right next to the big windom. But they are still leaning. :( I will post another pic too. VELLETA

I should have added these are the ones that are not doing too badly yea me. :). Velleta

Velleta,

A couple of thoughts: I think your plants may be having problems with the heat. You may have to resort to the 'just keep them alive until' practice. Here in Ohio we have very cold winters-last night it was -9 (F). So with many of our plants we just endeavor to keep them alive until better growing conditions occur. You may have to do this in reverse with your hot weather-put them where they will least suffer and keep them alive until better blooming conditions occur.

Your plants pictured look good. You should probably concentrate on those that do well and weed out the ones that do not. Some varieties do better in the heat and some do not. The only way you can discern this is to grow a variety and see how it does. Get rid of the ones that don't thrive.

With cooler weather, move them around until you find a spot that they like.

Your conditions will be ever-changing. Last year we had a mild winter and my violets just sulked. Barely any blooms and very little growth. This year, they are blooming their heads off and have so much growth I can't keep up with them. It goes against everything we have been taught about violets, but as my college professor once said, "Plants don't read gardening books". The game is always changing and if it didn't we'd get bored and move on to another hobby.

Let me know if you have any more questions! I hope this helps!

Linda

Linda thanks as usual for your advise and support, I potted down the others to solo cups last night so I guess its now a game of wait and see. Hopefully they will adjust and be ok I suppose as growers we al get use to the frase 'you win some you loose some' and as you would say put it to a learning process. Thanks to everyone for your help and imput hopefully one day I will be able to post a pic of a happy, healthy blooming violet. But until then I will definetly not give up or give in. Thanks guys. VELLETA

Velleta,

Good for you! I can see by your pictures that you can grow good plants. We just need to tweak it a little for some of your violets. Hang in there!

Linda

Thanks linda that means a whole lot coming from you. VELLETA