While these are symptoms of broad mites, it might also be something else. Light: How many hours per day are your violets getting? Are they about 10-12 inches from the light bulb? How much fertilizer are you giving? Other symptoms of mite are excessively hairy leaves, stunting or curling of leaf stems. Do you have these symptoms. You could take a plant or two to your botanical garden or agricultural station to be verified. You could purchase a 30 Power jeweler's loupe and see these insects if they are there. Good luck on finding the correct solution. Nancy

Having lived through over-fertilizing my Av's (and it taking 2 years to come back from that disaster) I don't think I will forget that more is not better. What happened to me was accidental - I ran out of the fertilizer brand I had used successfully for years and bought a different brand that was highly recommended. It however did not come in a lovely little bottle with the squeeze bulb dropper, so I refilled my old bottle. And the dosage of the new fert was not the same as the old one. Somewhere down the line I had a senior moment (all right, longer than a moment - more like senior months) and I reverted to the old dosage with the new fertilizer. First symptom was the tight centers, the brittle leaves. I couldn't figure it out. Blooms started looking odd. Then I began seeing the orange crystals on a few of the plants' leaves - (but not all had that symptom and I missed it for a long while.) Then it finally dawned on me! Yikes!! Let me tell you, to bring an AV back from that level of over-fertilization takes a long, long time. There were even some that after a year of babying would not grow right and I had to pitch them. Some I saved the best leaves and restarted - and they turned out OK, luckily, but it was a long time starting over. Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but I wanted to make my point that too much fertilizer can be really bad for your plants. "Fertilize weakly, weekly" is sometimes quoted - and I've taken it to heart. I now use less than half the recommended dose in my watering, and at least once a month I water with plain water and now my violets are thriving and blooming. YMMV - but Sue when I read that you sometimes use a bit more than the bottle recommends, I was worried for you! Please do measure carefully as I'd hate for you to ever experience something like I went through! Every expert I've heard and read recommends using only a portion of the manufacturer's recommended dosage. All these successful growers can't be blowing smoke. And Karin, you're going to make me go dig out my old Master Gardener manual and look up the numbers in fertilizer. My recollection is foggy, but I do not think that it is correct that 7-7-7 is less than half the strength of 15-15-15. I'll check on that and get back to you.

I think it is Dollar Tree. I found some deep plastic pots that had removable plastic inserts in the bottom with a lot of small holes like a water strainer. The inserts sit about 1/2" from the bottom to allow about that much water. It is not a lot, but better than nothing. Plastic pots that are about 3 1/2"or 4" fit neatly inside. The plastic cache pots are fairly good looking, for a $1! They came in muted colors. The Dollar Tree has also had other types of plastic pots, 3 for $1. They have also had the thin Optimara type pots in 3" size and squatty in packets of about 6 or 8 for $1. They are very thin, but for a temporary home for a starter plant or to give a plant away or put inside a fancier pot, they are fine. They are the same as what Optmara uses, with the large holes in the bottom. So I cover the inside bottom with a layer of paper towel before putting in the perlite and potting mix. They have also had decorative painted clay pots that are good for covering the thin Optimara type pots for display. But they are not wicking pots. As for Selective Gardener. their Water Maid saucers are great. I have used them only on mature Optimara plants, I don't know if they would work with non-O type plants. They seem to work best when the plant is in bloom and needs extra water. They keep the soil lightly, evenly moist for about 4 or 5 days. So if they should dry out, you can still allow the soil to dry a bit, which gives you about 6 days. While they are a tad expensive, they are one-time expense. It is hard to describe them, they use a matting system. You would have to look at the photo to get the idea. Joanne

I am a designer and also work with Abbey Carpet and Flooring in Petaluma CA. The basics about carpet: * There are many different fibers, but the common ones you'll see are polyester, nylon, smartstrand and wool. Both polyester and nylon come beck dyed or solution dyed. Smartstrand, a sturdy fiber, is solution dyed. Post dyed fibers mean that there are open dye sites for stains to latch to. Solution dyed means that the color goes through and through, like a carrot is orange all the way through, so there are no open dye sites to latch onto. Soiling happens to every surface because it's caused by the dirt that comes in on your shoes and feet. That needs to be vacuumed away or the cutting facets on the particles will begin to abrade the fibers and make the carpet looks worn and dirty. * Nylon and Smartstrand are resilient and will stand back up when vacuuming. While polyester fibers have become much cleaner during processing, they will lay down in traffic patterns over time and not pop back up with vacuuming. * If stain resistance is what you are looking for, then choose a solution dyed product. I recommend solution dyed nylon or Smartstrand. Liquids generally bead on the top of the carpet for quick removal - always dab - never rub because you'll abrade the fibers. * The argument about allergies is unfounded and the perception has changed through vigorous research. For a time, carpet was ripped out of schools for that reason, but is now being reinstalled. Carpet acts like a filter in the home. Particulates rest on the top of the carpet to be vacuumed away. Hard surface floors don't hold dust etc. so every time you walk through a room, those things get recirculated with every footstep or gust of breeze. * There are certain things to consider when choosing your carpet: where is it going and how are the rooms being used - A low, dense fiber on stairs is best; a rarely used guest bedroom might be a good place to save money and use a polyester. * Vacuums: The longer and softer the fiber, the more compression space when walking, so if lots of footprints bothers you then go with something denser. A soft carpet requires an adjustable vacuum and the ability to disengage the beater bar. There is no carpet manufacturer that will warrant their carpet if you use a Dyson - it's not on any manufacturer's list of recommended vacuums. Be sure to get the right vacuum for your material. An IRobot type vacuum has a different type of bristle movement that can unwind fibers. Disengage the beater bar when running it over a loop construction. * Generally speaking, carpet will be the least expensive installation and with basic care will easily last 15-20 years. Carpet generally uglies out long before it wears out. Warranties demand a professional cleaning every 18 months and it's a good idea... it keeps the carpet tight and clean. Think of your jeans stretching out between washes: carpet is fiber/material and it gets walked on every day, so keep it clean. *Always take carpet/flooring samples home to look at in your light. Color changes with light. A computer screen can't replicate what anything will look like in your space. *Shaw, Mohawk, Karastan, Phenix, Stanton, Engineered Floors are just some of the manufacturers producing solution dyed products. Please feel free to contact me if you'd like more information! Good luck!!!