Need help!! something wrong with my african violet! (Beginner in AV)
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6 years ago
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Think my African Violets are History!!!
Comments (15)Irina, I responded to your last post, accidently hit a button, and lost the entire page. Sheesh. I keep saying vinegar when I mean Rubbing Alcohol. Vinegar was stated numerous times. AGE!!! I've sprayed and swiped with alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol. 91%. Last night, we went to Walgreen's...remember RA was about .79 a bottle? The least expensive, Walgreen's brand is now 2.99.. Anyway, I did NOT use vinegar for mealy..lol. I'll have to check HD for Bayer's Tree & Lawn. 'no nearby Lowes.' What's the difference between concentrate and ??? Irina, we don't use chemicals, so when it comes to none-organic products, I'm clueless. What exactly is Bayer's Tree & Lawn used for? What does it do? Before purchasing, I'll have to read all ingredients. With birds, dogs and an iguana, we must be extra careful. A loud noise startles birds, next thing they're off and flying, sometimes landing on plants..Our little dog, Coco, finds everything interesting, and iguanas LOVE plants. Especially munching leaves. How do you determine dossage using Bayer's on indoor plants? Also, this spring I'm repotting or refreshing soils/mediums in all plants. I started this project about a month ago. If I decide to use Bayer's, it's best I wait until plants are potted in their new homes. Irina, I have Peat Pellets/Pots, and a little seedling green house with dome and vents..Includes heating pad. Four of the violet leaves rooted. They're small, too tiny to set in pots. Do you think my violets had soil or foliar Mealy? When violets were unpotted, I didn't see pests. However, violets that once had a healthy root were gone, like something devoured them. Mealy was on foliage. It was this forum I learned of soil mealy. Before reading threads here on African Violet Forum, I didn't know soil mealy existed. Irina, I soak plants in winter out of love. lol. It's a lot of work, but afterwards, tropicals look like they just came from Fl. Succulents are only soaked once during winter. It's relaxing, and IMO, plants enjoy it. It might not be something that needs to be done, but I feel better after their bath and shower. Thanks for the prayers..We can all use them. You'll be in mine, too.. Thanks again for all your help, Irina. I swear, you're a Saintpaulia encyclopedia..lol. hugs, Toni...See MoreNeed help growing African violets.
Comments (3)How about you tell us what you are doing, and we can give you tips to improve? there are 1001 ways to grow these plants, all depend on your environment. I, myself, cannot keep a store bought plant alive if i keep it in their potting soil. probably, i just water too much, but knowing that, i (radically) chop off the plant at soil level and re-root it in my preferred medium (50% perlite, 50% AV mix). - the added benefit of this is that it lowers the risk of bringing bugs home, BUT it takes much longer for them to re-bloom.... there is no need to do that to keep plants happy though. Joanne successfully keeps hers intact and brings them to bloom again. maybe she'll chime in with less drastic advice :-) Karin...See MoreCan't tell if something is wrong with my violet
Comments (19)I based leaf removal on the last pix she posted. Your advice made me look again. She could remove the 3 largest leaves and in a week or so remove a couple more. There are so many ways to do this. I guess it boils down to how serious a person is to make a "show plant". But I hope it works out for her if she does this! It kinda is fun just to see what you can accomplish with a living plant. Below is a photo and the information of Optimara Little Comanche Girl, the violet you are grooming. Variety Number: 512Series: Little IndianPot Size: 2-inch miniatureBloom Type: SingleBloom Color: PurpleLeaf Type: Heart-shaped serratedLeaf Color: Dark green (red reverse)Year Introduced: 1991Year Revised: NAAVSA Registration Number: 7917Patent Number: 8190 Just for comparision,,,This is a photo of Optimara Little Comanche Both are photos from the Optimara site. Thought you would like to see. Good luck 4blossoms! Let us see pixs when yours blooms!!!!!! Rosie PS Now here is a plant we should all hope not to have!!!! No,,,not one of mine,,,,,got the pix off the internet....See MoreWhat is wrong with my african violet?
Comments (13)It just hasn't received the best care in the store ... is what I think. It probably does have thrips, ... but that is because it was purchased from a retail outlet/store. You should disbud the plant ... those bloomstalks won't bloom anyway ... they are too far gone. Others will offer guidance in what sprays to use to begin your battle against thrips. You should be able to remove the bloomstalks by gripping each one individually between a thumb and finger and bending the stalk down until it "snaps" off from the center )crown) of the plant. After a few attempts you should really get good at this. Once the plant is disbudded, make sure that you have a good light setup for your plant. Your African Violet will need bright light either through a window ... or from a fluorescent/LED light setup for 8-12 hours per day. This could be as simple as a CFL bulb in a student lamp fixture. This would be plenty of light for one plant. Standard CFL Bulb Using a Student's Desk lamp for AV Lighting Also, be careful not to water your plant too much. The easiest way to kill an African VIolet is to overwater it. Just water the soil enough to keep the soil damp ... and never let the soil get soggy. African Violet roots need to breathe ... and they can't breathe in wet, soggy soil. Also, keep your plant(s) in comfortable temperatures ... 60-80 degrees. Not too hot, ... not too cold. Once you get the hang of watering and lighting, ... your plant(s) should grow for you, ... and ultimately bloom. At that point, you may turn your attention to fertilizing, repotting, soil mix, etc for even better results ......See MoreUser
6 years agoUser
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6 years agoJeff Zenner
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