Knowledgebase

What is ailing my African violet? #823787

Asked March 28, 2023, 10:17 PM EDT

I was gifted the plant two years ago. It has been repotted a year in good quality African violet potting soil. To encourage blooming I feed it with Jack's classic African violet water soluble plant food. it has just bloomed beautifully for the past month, and as the three bloom stems fade, two more are alrready up and budded! I water it once a week sitting in water until topsoil feels moist. However, it has always had a problem with the outer leaves. They continually drop until they touch the rim of the clay pot and then proceed to rot off at that point so that I must clip the leaf off. I at first thought it was the plastic container in which it came and switched to a clay pot. It made no difference. The plant is firm, but doesn't look "happy" somehow as the leaves turn downward. I don't know what else I can do to make it happy. It receives good light, a short amount of morning sun from an east window. Thank you!.

Dakota County Minnesota

Expert Response

Good afternoon Marlys.  Thank you for reaching out to ask2.extension.

Here an address for a site on the UMN extension website.  Check it out.

I wonder if your pot isn’t draining thoroughly.  To check turn your pot over and gently pull the violet out of the soil to look at the roots.  Are they healthy or mushy?  All the different points on the website say don’t let the plant sit in water.  Don’t use chlorinated water either.  Most plants don’t like tap water because of the softener salt and chlorine.  
Also check out the fertilizer tab.

Check out the website and see if you can narrow down what’s happening.  Thanks!

extension.umn.edu>house-plants>African violets.

Deb Kroon Replied March 29, 2023, 5:16 PM EDT

Thank you!  I removed the violet from its pot.  The soil was damp, but not soggy anywhere.  The roots were small, black, firm.  Three leaves had to be removed because of the problem – they rotted at the point they touched the rim of the pot!  They were firm before that point and after that point, but of course they were ready to fall off eventually because they were constricted at the point they laid on the pot rim!  These are the largest, outer leaves.  Very disconcerting.  The three stems completing their blooming are there plus three more coming up with buds to bloom!  It looks like an exhausting challenge for the plant.  It has an odd stem down the center, this from the outer leaves continually being cut off.  I plan not to water it until the soil feels quite dry on top.  It never sits IN WATER, I just put it in water as directed when watering it to soak up from bottom and not, as directed, pour it on top of soil.  Appreciate your assistance!  Marlys

 

From: ask=<personal data hidden> [mailto:ask=<personal data hidden>] On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 4:16 PM
To: Marlys A. SHIRLEY <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: What is ailing my African violet? (#0093714)

 

The Question Asker Replied March 30, 2023, 8:48 PM EDT

Good morning Marlys.  I did some deeper searching and read that they don’t like clay pots.  The clay gathers salt and the violets don’t like that turning the touching leaves brown.  Try a ceramic or plastic pot .  Sorry this is such a pain for you.

 

Deb Kroon Replied March 31, 2023, 9:32 AM EDT

Amazing!  Perhaps that’s why it came to me originally in a plastic pot.  And I always thought it inferior to clay!  I will get a new pot!  Thank you so much for researching this further – very thoughtful and much appreciated.  Marlys

 

From: ask=<personal data hidden> [mailto:ask=<personal data hidden>] On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2023 8:33 AM
To: Marlys A. SHIRLEY <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: What is ailing my African violet? (#0093714)

 

The Question Asker Replied March 31, 2023, 6:57 PM EDT

Marlys,

Because the leaves started browning in your initial plastic pot, it's likely that the soil in that pot had enough mineral salt buildup on the surface that adversely affected the lowest leaves like what you're seeing with the clay pot. I recommend evaluating the water you use as suggested in the earlier post. Your city water (if you have that) could be a problem depending on the chemicals they use which is sometimes difficult to determine so most people avoid using it for sensitive plants. And if you have a spigot that by passes the water softener, use that for watering your plants.

Good-luck!

eGardener Replied April 08, 2023, 11:43 AM EDT

Thank you again.  We live in the country, so well water.   I was using the softened tap water.  I am using now the filtered water in case anything in that  bothering the plant (Kinetico filtering system. It is back in a plastic pot now.  I hope two moves hasn’t made it mad!  It is blooming now with the blooms that were coming up when the last batch was blooming!  So it seems intent on blooming.  I use a fertilizer for violets, forgot name, and am upstairs on computer.  Think I am doing all I know how to help it get healthy.  The leaves need to grow straight out, and not curve down.  We’ll see what time will do now.  Marlys

 

From: ask=<personal data hidden> [mailto:ask=<personal data hidden>] On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Saturday, April 8, 2023 10:44 AM
To: Marlys A. SHIRLEY <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: What is ailing my African violet? (#0093714)

 

The Question Asker Replied April 11, 2023, 10:56 PM EDT

Thank you for reaching out and good luck!

Deb Kroon Replied April 12, 2023, 9:54 AM EDT

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