jonmcdade ... African violets only properly grow from the top center (crown) of the plant. As leaves are broken off ... or fade and die, they will leave a neck at the base of your plant ... which is just starting for you. Usually, repotting the plant, after having scraped the neck, so that the soil covers the neck, will solve this issue. As long you have a healthy crown, the plant can grow. The white fuzz on the neck does look like mealy bug. If you don't remove all traces of the mealy bugs from your plant (which can be difficult) ... your plant will eventually be overwhelmed and will die. Hopefully you've isolated this plant from your other (2). I would suggest that you carefully discard this plant (so as not to spread the mealybug) ... and find yourself a new healthy plant. I'd suggest that you NOT buy any more plants at the usual retail outlets (which spread pests to their plants through sloppy handling), but rather buy directly from AV growers. AV growers do a much better job of keeping their plants free from AV pests, which can wipe out your collection. A few years back I decided that I would rather spend my time enjoying the beauty of my plants, rather than spending my time battling AV pests. You should be able to find a violet with similar blooms by browsing the literally hundreds of offerings at www.lyndonlyon.com or www.bloomlovers.com. I've ordered plants (you can get plugs from Bloomlovers) from both vendors and have never received a diseased plant from either of them. The photograph is of Ozio from Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses ... Here is a link that might be useful: Ozio at Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses

Hope I'm not stepping on toes, I want to go one step further, cut of the the bottom stem, and set the top into an empty pot and wait until you see roots growing then set in slightly damp mix and wait until you see a new leaf then water again, thoroughly, wait a momth until you water again, these grow during oiur winter months and will flower in Demembe if taken care of properly. then I water and fertilize again, and water again. Do not use bark or moss on top of the mix. They grow on rocky hillsides in Africa and live on little rain fall and what ever fell between the rock, and on is their to water them, the live off the damp fog, that trickles down been the rocks. Do not grow the in pots that are too large they like to crowded. I live in a very hot region in So. Calif.I have had Crassula ovate 'Baby Jade' in one pot for the past 20 + years no fuss no bother, no top dressing, no moss and they flower for me every year. They get water when in rains and comes down from the roof. I live in Zone 10 So. Cal. Med. climate. Norma Lewis

Gnats are always a sign of a very poor mix and decay.. Now whether your tree lost root to desciation or to too much moisture is hard to determin exactly..But by your decription, I am going to assume with Jean that you are underwatering it and then the roots dry out. Then once you water it, you have roots dead that are not taking up moisture, rotting and decaying bringing gnats. Have you checked the roots to see if they are healthy? You would know that) Some parts of your mix are probably staying wet while other parts not getting wet at all? You would know that) Why are you watering in just cups? Are you giving your tree sips every time you water? If you are, watch for salt toxitity and uneven moisture..You would know that if the bottom saucer has white in it, or if the soil looks discolored and roots are dead brown and if areas in your mix are dry while other areas damp..) Almost always when branches turn brown your roots are gone that support that part of the tree.. Leaves falling don't concern me as much as branches turning brown. Either your condition is something that has built up over time, or just a quick response to a simple solution. I would check the roots and make sure the roots look nice and biege or white and don't smell. I would make sure the mix is moist throughout after watering. I would make sure the mix is porous. I would be sure it's getting at least 8-10 hours of sunlight or a very bright light is use if you keep it at room temps. I would change the mix as a 911 if the roots are ok. I would not fertilize it until you can put it outside again or give it bright light. I would make sure to flush it if the mix is ok. I would water until the water runs out of the bottom every time I water. I would use a wooden dowel or kabob stick until I make sure my watering practices are ok and I can judge on my own, usually by nudging the pot or picking it up after wet and then when dry. If you need more help, let us know..) Mike This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Mon, Oct 20, 14 at 13:01

Hello, angela. It sounds like the plants are getting the Texas treatment. We too have had daily 100s for several weeks and this can make the hydrangeas suffer. Some wilt. Other can get browned out blooms. Leaves brown out from the edges. Keep them well muclhed (about 3-4" of any type of mulch). Maintain the soil moist as best as you can to reduce browning of leaves as this indicates insufficient moisture. In other words, try to prevent period of moist soil followed by periods of dry soil. I am not sure just how much afternoon sun they get or just how hot it is. So try to reduce the exposure to hot afternoon suns if you can. Some people add shade cloth for example. How do you know if they are getting too much sun? Look for leaves in dicrect contact with the sun that turn all yellowish or whiteish, including the leaf veins. You can use the finger method to determine when to water. Insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4" and water only if it feels dry or almost dry. Flower buds for Spring 2012 will develop starting around July so it is important to treat the plants well starting from July and all the way until blooming time (Spring 2012). That includes watering during dry winters. Hydrangeas are not heavy feeders so a fertilizer application in May and July should be all they need for the year. If stressed though, it may be best not to fertilize. If you have to skip fertilizing, do not worry. Unless your soil is deficient in minerals, the shrubs should be able to get what they need from your garden soil. Recommended fertilizers for hydrangeas include compost, composted manure or cottonseed meal (1/2 to 1 cup for newly planted hydrangeas). You can also use a slow-release general-purpose chemical fertilizer like Osmocote; apply it according to label directions in May and July only. On top of all this, your plants are suffering from transplant shock. They should be established in 1-2 years and will be able to overcome summer's temperatures better then. For now, let them concentrate all energies in building a good root system. Luis