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flowergirl70ks

violets dying

flowergirl70ks
12 years ago

I am really getting upset. My violets get a brown edge on the outside of the leaf, small at first, then all of a sudden the whole leaf dries up and dies. I've been growing violets for over 50 years and never had this happen before. Does anyone know what this is? It seems to be spreading to other plants now.

Comments (5)

  • GCTBA
    12 years ago

    Can you check your local water supply? Could be that something has recently changed. Local bodies sometimes add stuff to supposedly improve the quality. When they do they rarely tell the public.
    Could also be the main supply has been affected by a local change. Floods for instance. Good luck
    Andrew

  • irina_co
    12 years ago

    Flowergirl -

    I think Andrew got a right idea. Get several gallons of store bought water, leach your violets and use good water for the time being. If there is difference - you nailed it.

    I.

  • flowergirl70ks
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I checked with the local water dept. They use chlorine. I have lived here for 45 years and never had this problem before. I am using the same potting soil I always did. the only thing that has changed is that I moved my violet table from one room to another, but both are east windows. I have 3 grow lights and rotate violets that are blooming from the lights to my violet table. Could this be the problem? I water with plain water one week, then fish fertilizer the next week, then african violet food the next week. the fertilizer is quarter strength. I have always done this.I am going to buy some water, but where does it come from?

  • irina_co
    12 years ago

    How can you be sure that the potting soil is the same? Our city main source of AV soil is "Violet Showcase" - and Doug the owner mixes his own soil, fixes the PH, adds dolomite, charcoal, microelements, perlite, vermiculite - and he once got burned with the bad bale of peat - and we all suffered.

    We buy stuff from the store - we do not have a peat bog in our back yards - which is good, I think.

    I would take a healthy leaf from each of your plants and put it down - just in case.

    I would give each plant a good wash with a lukewarm shower, leach the soil - even if it is an infection - plants can fight it off if they are strong and happy.

    Good Luck

    Irina

  • stonesriver
    12 years ago

    Hi, Flowergirl:

    There are so many things that could cause your problem.

    When one of mine starts looking unhappy, I do one of two things after I remove the yucky leaves: I repot or I run water through the plant until it is clear. Since I wick water, I leach every so often to get rid of any salt/fertilizer build-up but sometimes I might miss one.

    Then I isolate it from the others as a precaution that it might be disease or bugs.

    Irina's right about the soil. Sometimes a manufacturer will change the ingredients and we're unaware.

    Hope everything works out for you and it's environmental instead of disease or insects.

    Linda

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