My first thought was sunburn, too, but since it's not likely, it probably got too much of a chill. "I just moved this from a green house at the store...." - could have happened on the way home. It's a tough time of year, weather wise, for us in Northern states to be acquiring plants. Any chance you brought it home in a plastic bag? Plastic doesn't insulate well or at all. And get the leaf right up against it, the condensation from warm to cold, could make the situation worse. I often keep paper bags in the car just in case I see a plant I have to have at this time of year, but even they're risky. It only takes a few minutes in extreme cold to do the damage. It doesn't look like the plant is drying out although at the time of the photo the mix looks like it could use some water. I don't know much about AVs, but you'll want to get it out of that peat based medium this spring (or sooner). In the meantime, be careful about your watering. You probably know this - those leaves won't turn around. A fresh potting with good soil, plus good care will help it rebound, put out new leaves and bloom.

First- Take a deep breath and RELAX!!! Growing AV's is supposed to be fun! The first thing you should do is re-pot. Since you dropped your violet, (and we've all done that), the pot is too big. Use a pot that is 1/3 the size of your plant which will probably be tiny. Most of us use solo bathroom cups for our babies. I have also used medicine cups. Use a light soil; most AV's come in a soil that is too heavy because they ship better in a heavy soil. Good for shipping, not good for violets. After you have re-potted, put your violet in a spot with good light and practice patience. The flowers died off because that's what they do. Flowers bloom, hang around for a while hoping for a pollinator and then die off. The plant goes into resting mode and then will bloom again if grown properly. And- the water on the leaves issue---I wish that would die a quick death because it is not true. Those who show plants or are avid, experienced growers routinely wash their violets. The trick is not to use cold water. Plants have pores (stomata) on their leaves with which they perform a gas exchange. If the leaves are dirty, the plant can't breathe. I washed my violets a few nights ago. If you need more help, come back here and I can go into more detail when it's not so late in the day! Happy growing, Linda P.S. Did you put the broken leaves down to root? Here is a link that might be useful: Washing African Violets

Hi Judy, From Lyndon Lyon's, or LLG, I get consistently large plants, often in bloom, in 2 1/2 in square pots in a good potting mix that does not have to be changed for at least six months. They come with plastic stakes that have the plant name printed on them so I can move them when I repot. The plants grow rapidly and do not sucker. The company has excellent customer service and ships promptly. For me, it is worth it to pay slightly more to get consistently larger, premium quality plants. For all the trouble of ordering live plant material across country, I want to get the best I can for my money. They have good quality control and accurately label the plants. They are my first choice. I only go elsewhere if there is something I want that they don't carry. They also keep their web catalogue updated, so if they are out of stock, they won't list the item. So, no surprises and no substitutions. They usually have enough of a particular type to choose from. For example, they will offer five different reds or five different whites or more. Their own hybrids are exceptional, vigorous and strong. I primarily raise Lyon 's own hybrids. They also have a wide selection of many other hybridizers. They are a large enough company to be able to introduce new hybridizers. They first opened up the Russian market and offer a wide range. They seem to pick the best choices of other hybridizers, so if they offer a plant , I feel it has been preselected for good performance. If something is new in the plant world, chances are they developed it. They are consistent in what they offer, it is usually possible to find the same plant year after year, plus new ones. I like to be a loyal customer and give them my business. They have been at this for sixty years, I appreciate they are still in this business. I feel they are excellent, so why not do business with them? When I place an order with them, I already know what to expect, so I can safely order a dozen. But they will accept an order of any size. When I want to try out a new grower, I place a small order. Usually, about four. Joanne This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 10:56

Hello LadyRose, I think you have a very special touch - to keep the same plant going for so many years. The oldest AV plant is over 50 years old - the name is Superman - and it is passed as a legacy - and yours is certainly a runner up. Can you post a pic of yours sometimes? It is quite an achievement! Does it bloom? Do the new starts of it grow normal? o Usually the plants tend to loose vigour when they are over several years old - and to keep them going - people cut off the crown and reroot it again to give it a jump start. But usually it is better to restart from a leaf. That's why Superman is so exceptional - that it just doesn't slow down, grows and blooms. Otherwise - if you keep it fertilized, repotted regularly and in a good light - it should behave. Some plants have longer leaf stalks - petioles, some - shorter - and in the low light they usually become longer when plant reaches to light and tries to spread so nothing gets lost. I just read a wonderful article in a brand new AV magazine - that you can raise the light up to 1000 foot candles - if you want to have AVs blooming non stop - and it means 2 shoplights with 4 tubes all together with 18 inches above the shelf. But in your case it is hard to say - your violet is so unusually old - it can be "senile" ;-)) What is the color of the bloom? Wow - I am impressed. Irina