Well obviously there are no mountains in MN, so I can't comment on the high altitude issue. However my house gets really dry in the winter and my violets are fine even without humidity trays--by that I mean my average household humidity ranges from 30-40% 7 months out of the year. Are you fertilizing often? Is it getting bright light but not direct sun? We'll need more clues to give you advice. :)

I'd say repot it into a lighter mix. Also, if that doesn't work, you might try another african violet and repot it quicker. I let mine dry out in between watering too. Drafts from a heating or cooling source won't be good for it, so try to put it in a window without a vent nearby. Good luck.

-Mo (WV)

Hi Transplant,

Well, it is a little tougher to grow violets in Colorado than it is in a moist climate. However, even in moist climates people have forced air furnaces and have indoor climates comparable to the Sonoran Desert as far as moisture is concerned and people are able to grow African violets under those conditions. So, I would not blame it entirely on humidity or lack thereof. I have grown violets in Colorado for over 20 years under various conditions with success.

The thing that's the toughest about growing violets in Colorado isn't so much the humidity but getting it the right type of light. To do well an African violet really needs to have a little bit of direct sunlight every day. In Colorado that equates to anything before 10 o'clock and after four o'clock. Any direct sun in between is too intense for a violet. Because of the high-altitude the sun is more intense because it doesn't have as much atmosphere to shine through and the plants get sunburnt. One can get around that by putting sheer curtains on the windows.

I agree with Mo. Your violet probably needs to be transplanted. The original soils that violets come in are usually too dense. I would pick up a commercial African violet soil and then go to someplace like Home Depot and buy a small bag of perlite. Mix the two half-and-half. If it's been a year and a half since you last got the violet it probably has a long neck on it now. On the first page of the violet forum underneath " African Violets" there is a FAQ for dealing with longneck violets. It talks about rooting compound but if you don't have that don't worry about it. Your violet will root just fine. Make sure that you put your newly potted violets in a plastic bag as the directions say. And, never put any plant in a plastic bag where it will get direct sunlight. It will cook the plant. Also, when you reroot your violet try to get as much of the old soil out of the roots without tearing up the roots too badly.

That should do it. If you have any more questions be sure to ask.

Larry

My favorite method for removing most of the soil from the roots without damaging them is to stick them under the sink faucet. Low pressure, tepid temp, it works great.

Korina

I live in Kansas, and the air gets very dry here in the winters (usually--since it's Kansas, you can never tell what's in store for us). Last winter I started running a small humidifier for part of the day in my plant room and it really seemed to help.

~Brambles