Hi, Margaret,

I looked at the pictures, and have some thoughts for your plant. It appears to be way too dry. When wick watered plants go dry, just refilling the reservoir usually won't re-hydrate the potting soil. The wick itself needs to be 'primed'. You can do this by taking the pot off the reservoir and setting it in a bowl. Then, pour nice warm water into the bowl, and let the pot soak until the soil is wet all the way through. This may take up to an hour. Then dump out the excess water and put the pot back in the bowl. Remove those dead leaves on the outside, they are not going to magically spring back to health.

After a couple of days, you should re-pot this plant. It is way too small for the size of the pot, and I can see a lot of fertilizer buildup on the sides of the pot above the soil. To determine the correct size of pot to use, measure the diameter of the plant (after you remove the dead leaves), divide by 3, and that is the number of inches in diameter for the correct pot.

When wicking, watch for limp plants, and check the soil. If it is dry, and there is water in the reservoir, you know the wick has stopped working, and you will need to 'prime' it or repot if that fails to get it to work again.

That is the most obvious thing I see. I don't think it has root rot or critters.

Barbara

Thank you so much! My violet is enjoying its warm bath right now... I'm looking for a smaller pot. I sort of thought it would just "grow into it," but now I see that could take years! Thanks again for your advice.

Best of luck. After repotting, I would put a plastic bag (sandwich or bigger if needed) over it for a bit. I like the lightweight ones rather than the ziplock type and usually put them on loosely.

(Violets rarely "grow into" over-sized pots. They pass away in them.)

Diana in PA

I had this same thing going on with my violets. I contacted a professional grower/show lady from our garden club (she's the president of the annual garden show) and she said this happens when violets get too cold. I opened the vent in the violet room and now they seem to not be doing this.

Dear Kay -

Lady who is the president of your garden club made the valid suggestion in your case. But IMHO the recommendations by Barbara and Diana relay to the visible problem better - (we do not see the thermometer of course).

I looked at the pics finally - for whatever reason they didn't want to load - and I would do exactly what the ladies suggest. And if the room is colder than 65F - I would open the vent wider too.

If it is cold - it is probably better to transfer the plant to the bottom watering - and do it very sparingly. They do not use as much water when it is cold- and the roots can rot when they are cold and too wet.

Cheers

irina

Thanks for all your suggestions. It's looking better already, but I also think it might be too cool. We are normally pretty warm here, but we've actually been having winter weather, so I'm going to either move the plant or bag it to keep it warmer. I think I have seen one of those AV mini pots at a thrift store near my house! I couldn't figure out what it was... I thought maybe an incense burner? Or a scented oil thingy... So, see, I'm learning more already! Thanks so much. The photo link works from my computer, but what can I say... I'm adding a new link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: My

Desert -

I just posted your pic with my scribbles in the gallery

i

Here is a link that might be useful: pic in a gallery

How cold is cold? My front windows get chilly so I have some experience with how certain plants look when they get a bit chilly.

Of course, I expect a rapid transit from a high temp to a much lower one might create a different result.

For temperature alone to produce those results, I think I would have had to leave one out in the garage for a couple of days in cold weather. We are in some funky place that is coded zone 4b.

What I do notice is plants that "look cold." Some will not tolerate it but others show with leaves that curl down a little at the edges. Another old AVSA article mentioned something about a hybridizer whose plants were cold tolerant but they had decided to ignore this factor. I wish they hadn't done that. I think such information could be useful to us, especially if we are faced with choosing between similar looking plants.

Navy Girl, Candy Fountain (trailer) and Taffeta Petticoats have all been excellent in the chill, although Candy Fountain's leaves show the difference. It is grown in a spot where nothing else would tolerate it and it blooms constantly. Fredette's Risen Star has never seemed to mind the window either. (I do have some blue ones that I grow in the window.)

I am glad yours is looking better, no matter what the cause was.

Diana in PA