It means the soil is holding too much moisture and/or there is too much humidity inside the chamber. It is not uncommon for "potting soil" straight out of the bag to be so dense that it holds too much moisture. Normally I mix a fair percentage (at least 30%) of perlite into a packaged potting mix so it isn't as bad. Either repot with new mix or open any ventilation and hope for the best. If the lid/cover can be taken off remove it until the soil begins to dry out a bit and the fungus disappears.

Something else I did was put my alcohol in a sprayer bottle. Properly labeled of course! That can really get where no Qtip can reach sometimes. If you have an infestation that has turned your plant mostly white with mealy then toss it. But for light infestations,,,,,try alcohol first. I have saved many plants over the years. I don't get it often. Once every few years if that. BUT I will always try to "alcohol" it first and I have never had a "spread" thru my collection. Let us know what happens! Rosie

Joan, who did you order from? We on this forum know many of the sources. If you can tell us where you ordered from, we can probably tell you our experience. Some on this forum have vast experience to share. In any case, you should keep the new plants in a separate room for the first few weks or months. Even the most reputable grower can suddenly have an outbreak of thrips, which are the most common pest, and one you do not want to bring home. Maybe order some mini's for your daughter. Or if you have very, very reputable garden centers, you can buy from there. You can ask where they got their plants. Avoid hardware stores that have a handful of neglected plants they got from a commercial source. Those are highly likely to have thrips. Do abide by the advice of dbarron. It is very hard, but you must train yourself and your daughter to pass by most of the store-bought plants. We have all been there, so we know. Keep in mind, commercial stores sell plants as if they are cut flowers. They are meant to last a few weeks then tossed. Whereas, actual growers sell plants meant for the long haul. Also, go slowly, as you are an outdoor gardener. AVs are beguiling and "innocently" tend to proliferate. They must be grown indoors. However, they do grow. They also grow in the round. It does not take long for them to accumulate. Because they spend more time out of bloom than in. Therefore, the tendency is to buy more in bloom when others are resting. They are unlike orchids that remain in perfect bloom for months, looking pristine, elegant, and so perfect they look fake, as you noted. Also, cats get jealous! They tend to snuggle up to furry violets! Sometimes it is good to place the AVs in sturdy cache pots for that reason. Well, now that you are officially into Avs, you might enjoy some of the "wild and wooly" Russian or Ukrainian varieties. Joanne

Yep ... those are Thrips ... my almost constant companions during years of growing African Violets. They are almost inevitable on plants purchased from retail outlets ... because they share space with so many other plants. Thrips will spoil the look of your plants, especially your blooms, because that's what they like to eat most. I have battled Thrips for years, and have just recently found a pretty effective strategy to combat them successfully. Obtain the insecticide pictured below .... and mix about a teaspoon full in a quart of water ... and use that mixture to water your plant for about a month or so. When you water, try to make sure to wet the entire upper surface of the soil. Thrips spend part of their life-cycle pupating in the soil, so treating the soil breaks the life-cycle and eventually will eliminate the pests. Be sure to pour off any excess water from the plant after you water like normal. If the infestation is bad, remove the blooms and buds, and that will also help to eliminate the Thrips. In a few months, when your plant blooms again, inspect for any remaining Thrip presence. If you still catch sight of them (or evidence of their presence) ... repeat the same process. They will, eventually, die out. Finally, if you have multiple plants, they will need to undergo the same treatment, as mature Thrips can fly from plant to plant.