Wow those are beautiful NOIDS @anon-cdn!. so there is hope for T8 shoplights after all!. and here I was debating on if I should put a layer of window screening under the tubes to help dapple the light lol. but as we can see t8 does work just the way it is! thanks @anon-cdn! now I feel much better about splurging on T8 lol. I just wish T12 didn't die out they worked so well for me and everyone else on violets and u can keep those T12 shoplights lower-10 inches lol. Im doing wall shelving-where u have a shelf on the wall. above that do another shelf where u hang your shoplight from. I can do several shoplights that way and at the same time doesn't take up floor space. got the idea online lol! here is a pic of where I got the idea from, pretty good idea. this way you just take up wall space and leaves your floor space free. notice in the pic, its just a simple wooden shelf with a wall bracket. and directly above that at the proper height you do another shelf, same size and that's where u hang ur shoplight under then the chain suspends it. good idea, simple. leaves floor space totally free and same time doesn't clutter your room up with stands! not to mention this is by far the cheapest method ($3 each if that for a simple 48x12 wooden pine board cut at home depot. two bucks for shelf brackets. $20 for a t8 shoplight) where as if u use stands u got to buy a stand first (usually $40 or more...some are $119 at home depot for the edsal 48x24x74h storage shelving unit five tier) add to that shoplights. tubes. ur pushing $200. so choice is clear this is the cheapest route! :) plus I have all my floor space FREE

yep, tally is right... it all depends on so many factors. Directly on the sill with no curtain works for me, but I'm way up north in central NY. Right up against the window can be too cold in the middle of winter however! Some of my AVs are interior and at least a few feet away from a window, but I usually won't leave them with so little light for more than a few months and then I'll rearrange things. You have to judge based on the appearance of the AV and how it changes with locations. For example, - if the petioles (leaf stems) seem too long, the plant probably needs stronger light - if the crown (central) leaves are too small, the plant could be too cold, getting too much light, or could have mites or other problem - if the leaves look pale, the plant could need nutrients or more light - if the leaves are limp, the plant could need water or it could be over-watered and rotting. :p Nice purples!!! This is probably my best purple bloomer... I think I originally got this in the 80s and it was marked Optimara Sequoia. This plant is less than 6 months old... they all bloom with perfect high clusters of flowers: This isn't a great pic, but how about this nice pink baby of 'Sheer Romance' from Lyndon Lyons... I just love the green ruffled edge. :)

Hi pelen 23, welcome to African violets. So you receive bare root plants? OK you need to 1. Make sure you scrape the bare necks so the skins will be removed ( this is where the new roots will form). 2. Prepare your soil, make sure you add perlite so it's light and fluffy ( violets have fine roots so therefore like light soil) 3. Slightly moisten the soil with water. 4. Make sure you use small pots ( this will help prevent rot and your violets will grow roots more quickly) 5 add soil to fill the pots ( I normally add a bit of perlite to the bottom of the pot first) 6 make a hole in the pot using a marker or pencil or even your fingers. 7 place your plant in the hole, make sure it's not too deep, the bottom row of leaves should be just above the soil. 8. Use the back of spoon to gently shift the soil that it around the bare neck of the plant ( DON'T PRESS IN) 9. Add a bit more water, just a bit. 10. You can now place your plant in a CLEAR seal container. This will ensure it has enough humidity to grow new roots. Hope this was helpful. I am sure the experts will chip in. Happy Growing. VELLETA

After the plant is stressed, bagging or doming it is wise and will help. However, you have the plant seriously over potted. With a pot disproportionately large it is difficult to keep the soil from staying too wet. Ideally the pot size should only exceed the spread of the roots by about 1/2 inches to an inch at most, which leads us to the usual saying that the pot size should be about 1/3 the size of the plant. That is more applicable with an adult plant than a baby, however. I would suggest repotting it into a small pot that is less wide than the spread of the leaves. Also, your soil looks heavy and has little perlite in it. African Violet roots thrive best where there is tons of light airy soil. I use 1/2 potting soil mix with 1/2 perlite myself though usually 2/3 soil mix to 1/3 perlite can also suffice. If you get a lot of condensation accumulating on the inside of your bag, open it slightly or cut tiny slits to allow some evaporation. It does not need to be entirely sealed. After it's been bagged about a week you should be able to start opening the bag slightly and getting the plant re-acclimated to your normal open air growing conditions. Provide the brightest light you can that is not full sun and it should do well. As for the broken leaf? Simply stick the stem tip down into a tiny bit of soil and bag it separately. It will need to remain bagged or domed for a couple of months but if the soil is only damp and not wet, and if your light is bright enough, your odds of it growing entirely new plants are not bad at all! For more information on propagating African Violets from leaves, or potting sizes, or potting mixes, Google is your friend. Keep reading! Once you learn a few basics, they really are pretty easy to grow and enjoy. ;)