Everyone who grows violets must learn to do this very thing.

If you put the plastic bags over the plants and pots, the humidity will keep the leaves in good shape unless you have more than three rows of leaves.

Try it! Once you've done it, it's easy. And I think they will survive.

Nancy

I found this as the contact info for the Violet Patch club:

Jennifer Kellum
15831 SW 54 Place
Davie, FL 33331

Email: jskellum@aol.com

Phone: 954-434-4550

Maybe you've already tried her, don't know, wanted to post it just in case

You know. I have been thru this before I joined our local violet club. I was very lucky to find one only a few miles from my house. My problem was that I did not scrape the neck I beheaded (actually they would break off first). I could just put them in soil and they would die. Now I cut to a couple inches, take off some of the leaves, scrape the neck and pot it up. Then just dampen the soil and set it inside a clear deli container like the cakes come in. I don't think I've lost any since I have been doing it this way.

The couple things you could be doing wrong if you have tried this before and it didn't work: Need to scrape the outer layer off the neck so new roots can grow from there. Maybe you need to take some more leaves off the plant so the new roots have a chance to support it. Had your soil too wet and the stem rotted....you really just need damp soil and it should have some perlite mixed in it so it will have some airation. Didn't cover the plant.... it needs a little "greenhouse effect" as it is in shock it needs the moisture/humidity it can't get from the roots but not too much or rot will happen. Needs to slowly come out of the greenhouse or plastic bag slowly to re adjust to room conditions after it has started rooting good.

I think you can do it. think positive and not negative. It's wonderful when you have done this proceedure and saved the plant. If you think it is going to die anyway, you have nothing to lose. good luck!!!. tish

You may also want to pluck off some leaves to try and start babies from the mama plants, that way if the plants don't make it, you won't have to pay all that money to order new ones if you can get new guys to start from leaves.

please don't give up yet! try it one more time! you can do it!

Floridabear

Hey, slow down and take a deep breath.

Have you gone to the AVSA website yet and checked out the listings for Florida clubs? There should be plenty of contact info for the three clubs, such as e-mail, phone numbers, and addresses if it comes down to mailing a letter. If you can't reach by e-mail, try by phone, and then send a note.

"Many, many miles" is all a matter of perspective....I don't know the distance for you to any of the three, but I gladly travel 180 miles round trip for the monthly meetings of the closest club. But again, it is all one's perspective.

Have you checked any of the information sources such as Rachels Reflections, or the FAQ section of the AVSA website for information on repotting a 'turkey neck??

Also. what is your expectation of an appropriate fee if you were able to 'hire' someone to come and repot these plants for you? Some clubs do this as a fundraiser and charge $1.00 per plant, but you have to take the plant to them. I occasionally still do consulting in my field, and if I have to travel to a client I would be charging mileage of $.50 per, the clock starts ticking when the ignition is turned on, and it stops when I return home. I have a 1/2 hour minimum. If I wanted to hire a plant 'expert' I would fully expect to pay at least 50 bucks an hour plus travel expense.

Hopefully you can appreciate why we encourage you to 'go to the club' rather than trying to 'bring it to you'.

Good luck,

Barbara

The heat turned my room, with my african violet, into a sauna. The pot dried up and the leaves wilted. Is there anything I can do to save my Violet? I dont know anything about them, other than using the liquid plant food for violets.

Thank you in advance
Eric

Eric -

do not use any food on your violet. Its feeding roots died from the drought- so it needs to grow new roots first. Water it carefully - so the soil is lightly humid and not soaking wet - otherwise it will rot - and most probably your plant will recover.

FloridaBear -

1. You will find it out soon what's the problem - and you will be overwhelmed with your evergrowing collection - I promise.

2. If the Violet Patch meeting place is not too far from you - just drive there when they meet and talk to these people.

3. When you stick your suckers in the soil - do you use 1:1:1 soil and cover your transplants with a baggie? All of us no matter what is the experience have some losses. If the plant looks not that healthy - or the suckers are too small or the old plant has such a thick palm tree neck - that I have doubts that it can root again - I always put a couple leaves down. You can put them in water - if it is more comfortable for you.

4.These people have not only the emails, they also have post addresses - send them a letter with your phone/email. You are a potential club member - so you will be welcomed.

Good Luck

Irina

I tried to reach the violet pach, that 'J Kellum' person,I tried to reach by, and it came back to me as undeliverable. No one answer the phone when I call...and I have given up.

I dont know how to remove all these suckers, will they live if I remove them, if so, how do i do it? No one will answer these questions for me. I tried to reach people in here...at this Violet Patch, no luck. I have to risk loosing my Winnie The Pooh and my huge Splatter Kake. And just pull off the suckers and throw them out i guess...no one will help me. Usually people here in the Garden Web are VERY nice and helpful. So far in this violet forum. I havent gotten any help. 'Just jump in and do it'.Is all the advise I get. I HAVE KILLED ALL THE PLANTS I TRIED TO SAVE IN THIS WAY BEFORE. Is that clear. I CANT DO IT! I need help. And you would think there must be someone near me that would like to make some money and do this for me...do it right..and if they die,they die. Then it cant be done. BUT if I do it THEY WILL DIE! No ne seems to understand that. I CANT do it. And this Violet Patch is of no help...when you cant email them and no one answers the phone. So my Splatter Kake, that I might be able to get 6 big new 'babies' off of it, will die in a plastic bag I guess. No one will tell me how to save these sukers. IF they CAN be saved.

I give up. I dont know how else to put it. So...I will chop them off their roots and watch them die AGAIN! No one has said anthing about hOW to do it right. I dont know if you open them daily? Do you keep it tightly closed? Do I get it wet first,or BARELY moist? I have no idea. And I dont know IF I CAN even save these suckers that are as big as some baby plants I buy! No one will help me. This is VERY unusual in this forum section. Usually everyone is very nice and helpful.

FloridaBear - please - do not panic,

You have time, your huge Splatter Kake can live with suckers for several more months without too much grief, and in time you will find an answer.

We all will be glad to help you - but we just cannot jump the plane and fly to see you tomorrow.

If you wait till the next meeting of the "Violet Patch", take your plant with you, a baggie of your soil, several pots, wicks - whatever you need and come earlier - and explain how desperate you - they will be glad to run a demonstration and show how to do it. Who knows - may be there are special secrets in Florida - how to do it best in your climate.

And now - please - read everything related to suckers at the Rachel's Reflection site - and ask questions. There should be something that you did differently.

The next meeting of this club is in 2-3 weeks - and your plant can certainly wait. Or you can cut off the biggest sucker, remove lower leaves, recut it again, stick in a light soil, cover with a baggie, keep it slightly moist, not on direst sun, not too hot, not too cold - and see what happens. Normally in 2 weeks it should root. More of it - under the baggie - it should start growing roots above the ground too - because of the humidity. If it still won't work - you take your plant to the Patch with the rest of them suckers.

Good luck

Irina

Here is a link that might be useful: read everything about suckers

Floridabear,

Irina is correct, you have some time before you have to perform 'surgery' on your plants. I would strongly suggest that you spend some time reading everything you can about repotting the 'necky' plants and everything on suckers. I think the two best sites are Rachels Reflections and AVSA. That is mostly how I figured out what to do. And if you read the responses to your two posts about this matter, there are many people trying to help you do this. I realize your original post was looking for someone to be there to guide you through this, and it would appear there aren't any forum members that live in your neck of the woods. It is 3 weeks until the meeting of the club in your area, and you can probably safely wait that long to get the support you want. That gives you time to write the club a letter if you feel you need to, but if it was me, I would just follow Irina's advice, take my plant and some supplies, and go to the meeting. In the meantime, I would be at my local library checking out all AV books they can get their hands on.

After you have read the information from Rachels Reflections and AVSA, and you get the information Fred will send you, you will probably still have some questions, but not be in a crisis mode.

Good luck.

Barbara

I understand you're upset, but please reel it in just a notch. People have tried for a week to be helpful to you and give you answers.
At the point the only person that I can see any little hint of not being nice in this forum is just you.... (And now maybe me since I just said that)--But I'm just asking you to calm down and see that we HAVE and ARE been trying to help, so accusing us of anything less is certainly not going to help your cause any.

Obviously, no one is going to be able to show up at your house and do this for you. The only thing to do now is take deep breaths, calmly read all the advice given (re-read over & over if that's what it takes to absorb the info), and if all fails please don't be mad at us over losing your plants when we've done all we can--be cool about it, and then in the Springtime you can join in on some swaps and get new plants. :-)

Everyone is trying to help you. Maybe you should pack them in a box and send them to someone before you throw them out.

Elaine,

First: Regarding the above? Right on.
Rx for tizzies:

Second: You never posted any pics since I gave you some tips back in Nov...
You owe some eye candy, gurl!
Get to snappin' that shutter!
:-D

m3rma1d,
You're right! You gave me some wonderful advice and leads on taking pretty closeup pics.

Since I grow with window light only, I only have a few plants blooming profusely right now. Give it a few weeks and I promise to get some pics on the forum!

Thanks,
Elane

Floridabear-- hang in there , relax , dont do anything drastic. You have received excellent advise from members on here. If you think your plants are going to die anyway you have nothing to lose than to try the info given.

But I too have tried to contact Janice Kellum and asked if anyone in your area can help you out, by email. Hopefully someone will receive the email and contact you to help. Good luck---- Steve

My email also came back undeliverable to Janice Kellum. Maybe someone else can find out more info to help out from the south florida patch.

I don't really want to get involved too much in this, but it looks like I will be anyway.

Floridabear - I think you should give people on this forum a chance. Giving people a second chance is a good thing to do, though I suppose optional. However, it seems that giving people a first chance is mandatory, at least if you ever want to deal with any person ever again. Now, I am not going to try to condemn you, since I do believe in giving people a second chance. On you saying that Mermaid should get things right, I think she did. I think you should take a good, hard look at yourself and at your responses on this post and others. I think if you truly try to take away the blind of frustration and anger which you have been looking through, you will see that your treatment of the other people on this forum has been uncalled for. Personally, I feel sorry for you. I realize that to have these feelings toward others, you likely have been subjected to them yourself earlier in life. I realize that it's not easy to keep watching your plants that you have put so much work into die, no matter what you do. I can understand why you might be annoyed at us for "not keeping your plants from dying," but you have to realize that the others on this forum have done everything that they can reasonably do to help you through this process. I'm sure that many of them would still be willing to help you, even after the less-than-considerate words from you. I hope the time I have taken to type this will help you.
-Jmcat

floridabear-

Okay, now that the dust has all settled and everyone can take a deep breath, let's move on.

As to your original post asking if someone in the area could come to you and help you re-pot your plants, it appears no one in your area saw the post other than saylorgirl, who admits being a novice and inexperienced, but willing to learn. Hang on to her!

Since you were unsuccessful in finding someone in your area available to do this for you, do you have any interest in trying this yourself? If so, I suggest you write out a list of questions you have about the process, make a list of available sources of information (Rachel's Reflections, AVSA website, etc). Then go ahead and do some research about re-potting necky plants. After that, if you still have unanswered questions, again make a list, then post the questions here.

Stan, nobody on this forum wants to ignore you or see you lose plants, but you make it a little difficult because you are so frustrated. We get that, but I think we all get frustrated too. You initially didn't ask for advice about how to pot, you specifically wanted to 'hire' some one to come and help you. Instead, we all gave you advice on how to do it yourself, since we don't live near you. I think that shows we are helpful and concerned people. If I lived in your area, I would do it for the price of a cup of coffee, and I'm sure most if not all of the rest of the forum members would do the same. As a matter of fact, I am going to an elderly ladies house that is about 60 miles from me to see if we can figure out why her plants are dying one by one, from over 50 to about 25 now. And I'm sure if I lived near you and asked you to show me how to plant amaryliss bulbs, you'd be more than happy to share your knowledge.

Decide what you want to do, and let us know how we can help.

Barbara

floridabear-

Good news! I had called the phone number for jskellum, and she returned my call today. The club is fairly small and she verified that the listing information was 'old'. The club president's name is Peggy Madison, and she can be reached at 954 748-6530. Jan suggested you call Peggy about your situation, and also to verify meetings.

Good luck.

Barbara

Google - How to remove african violet suckers! for heavens sake.

I am going to be blunt - I think you need an attitude adjustment. All you are going to do is turn people off.