Hi There!

So, you have had it for three months? Are you following the directions on the fertilizer bottle? If so, you are giving hime WAY too much "food".

As for light, the best way to tell if the light is good for them is to hold your hand above where it is sitting. If you can see a shadow, but it is not clearly defined, the light is good.

They do not like direct sun, ever.

How are you watering him? From the bottom, or the top? Can you tell me what size pot he's in? Measure in inches across the top, and measure the plant.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but all of them affect how happy an african violet is.

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We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.

my african violets are potted in a pot that cradles in another pot that attaches and theres a watering hole to it so aborbes water thru the top pot's base I've always been told not to water From the top and not to over fertilize especially in the winter months' and I've not had a problem.. I'm thinking maybe too much fertilizer,, what do the leave look like now???

Barleychown never heard of the light, hand shadow technique > makes sense!

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Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up!
http://photobucket.com/albums/e374/2thtek/

Greenleaf, was the clay pot much larger than the original? And how does the size of the plastic one you eventually repotted to compare to the first two? The problem might have been less the material than the size. Did you make other changes in light or watering regime after repotting?

AV's prefer to be potbound. My AV is thriving in the same SMALL clay pot it was potted in as a cutting 2-1/2 years ago. It receives moderately bright indirect light, top watering (taking care not to wet the leaves) and is fertilized with a diluted balanced fertilized only two or three times during very active growths periods in the summer. Now that it is finally very potbound this was the first year the AV has bloomed prolifically beginning in early summer and condinues to bloom even now at the end of December, although not quite as prolifically.

Cricket

Green Leaf, my AV dries out well between waterings as well. My experience with them is limited but one of the other forum members, Barleychown, grows them by the hundreds. I'm sure she (or someone else with AV expertise) will be along soon with great advice. I'm interested, too, in what others' experiences are with clay vs. plastic pots.

Cricket

I personally don't and will never use a clay pot on any of my violets.

My reasoning for this is the natural habitat of african violets, and their root structure. First, they live in the "V" of tree trunks, where there is not much compost material to root in, so they have shallow, wide roots. Second, they never like to dry out. I wish I had a picture of the roots of my violets. They are rather small, and coming off of the small roots are even smaller "hairs". When the violet is allowed to dry out, the "hairs" die, and it stresses the violet.

I'll see if I can get some good pictures today while I re-pot some of the babies.

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We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.

Do downsize the pot. Ideally, the pot should be 1/3 the size of the plant. So, if the plant measures 12" across, the pot should be around 4" across.

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We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.

i use an 'african violet' pot. it's an unglazed clay pot that fits inside another clay pot that is glazed. the water goes in the outer pot and the plant will absorb what it needs.

i was given a plant...in a big plastic pot. i decided to split it - found that it was 5 plants in the one big planter.

they DO like to be kind of root-bound so they should not be in a lot of soil (which is why she had so many in the pot).

i have the african violet food - i put a few drops in the water on occassion. actually it's been quite a while since i've properly cared for them (was very sick for a while and i'm always too busy with work). they're still doing well tho - even if they've totally dried out a few times. i keep them under a full-spectrum gro-lamp which is on a timer so that it goes on at sunrise and off at sunset (i don't have proper natural light due to the porches and the house next door).

if i can successfully root some leaves, i'll be a happy camper, oops! gardener!

*sigh* I am afraid that my plant is pretty much dead. I repotted it in a smaller pot, and changed the soil, but it's still dying...well it's pretty much dead. The outside leaves just keep dying, and at the moment it just a bit at the main stalk part that's even a bit green. I guess I'll have to buy a new one. I'm blaming it on overfertilizing. Until I started fertilizing, the plants (although not in bloom) were healthy...that's the last time I push for my plant to bloom. ( I was told fertlizer would make them bloom) ANYWAY boohoo

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Amber

MrsMessy,

if the leaves on your Av are dying I suggest you take the good leaves and propagate them into new little plants. AV's can go very quickly if there is a problem with them. Does the plant shake when you gently move it ( feels loose in the soil) or is it solid?

If you do decide to start leaves, there is a great instruction post on here. Starting african violets from leaves 101

Shirl

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Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The reason I asked if the plant was loose, is because that is usually an indicator, of rot. Good luck with it!

Shirl

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Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was advised to water every two weeks.

Overwatering could cause problems.

I'd go with poking the remaining leaves in new soil if I were you.

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.