AV Still Curling, not growing at all?

11 years ago

Back in November-Decemberish, I posted a few photos of my african violet wondering why its leaves were so curled under and why it wasn't getting any bigger. With the help of the community here, we figured out that there were 3 crowns in the pot, and I quickly transplanted them.

I put them in plastic bags as was suggested, and they remained like that for 3 weeks, and then I opened the bag as I was instructed to do. They seemed find, but now, 2 months later, they aren't any bigger and the leaves are still curled under. I put them back in their plastic bags on the windowsill, far enough away so they won't get a draft, but close enough to get sun. They've got some new growth coming up from the center, but for the most part, they aren't growing at all. In fact, one of the crowns died and the other is dying slowly. I had to cut off a few leaves because they were getting moldy and now that poor plant only has 3 baby leaves on it...

I don't have any pictures, so I apologize. I'm having trouble with my camera. With the information I've given though, can anyone help me figure out what I'm doing wrong? I feel terrible.. I never had a problem with plants until I left my first AV too close to the window in the winter and killed it by accident. Now everything I touch dies... These little clippings are dying, and the baby AV I bought from a nursery died within a few days of buying it... Help? :(

Comments (7)

irina_co
11 years ago
Question - what did you use for soil? If it the same your plant was growing in December - it needs much more perlite- and has the tendency to become waterlogged.
Windowsill is probably not a good place - the temperature gets cold in the night - and it gets way too hot in your ziplock baggies when the sun riches them.
Better would be to put them in a container - like a angel cake box with a transparent lid - and keep them near the window, but not on direct sun.

I.
KeOsika
Original Author
11 years ago
You know I phrased it that way the last time and everyone told me I shouldn't put my violets on the window sill, and I promised myself that I would word it better the next time, but I forgot lol. By "on the windowsill" I meant the back of the corner table of our L couch, which sits about 3 feet from the windowsill and about a foot lower than the sill. They do have quite some distance from the window to the bags.

Still, I never thought to use the angel cake box. I'll see if I have one of those and give that a shot. I will also check the soil. I had changed it but I have no idea what kind it was. The stuff I'd gotten originally was labeled as being for AVs, but it had this weird consistancy where it simply -would not- absorb the water. I couldn't really water my plants so I changed it to a fluffier, lighter colored soil that came with an herb-growing kit I got for christmas, and that stuff drains ridiculously well (which explained why the pots that came with the herbs had no holes in the bottom.) I kept my AV's in their pots that have a hole in the bottom so no worries there.
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irina_co
11 years ago
This mix you use could be overloaded with fertilizer, but anyway - when you use your angel cake or similar container - plastic shoe box from Rubbermaid will work too - put a wet cloth or newspaper on the bottom to keep the air humid - and the soil - barely humid.

I.
KeOsika
Original Author
11 years ago
Overloaded with fertilizer... huh, I never thought of that O.o I'll invest in some better soil then.

Thank you for the tips! I found a cake container so I will give that a shot :)
irina_co
11 years ago
Ke -

there is a formula for AV soil - 1:1:1 - peat vermiculite perlite - and some of the AV vendors sell soil. I use violetshowcase.com - because I live nearby.

Irina
cork_oh
11 years ago
Hi
I mix my own soil using the 1:2:2 - 1 peat, 2 vermiculite, 2 perlite. I still have the curling hard leaves probem. I was watering with 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water every week, BUT for the last month changed to fertilizering every other week.
It is too soon to tell if this change has made a differance. I also am in the process of re-potting all my AV's.
Cork
KeOsika
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you everyone, for the soil suggestions. I got the closest I could find to your mixtures. I didn't have an angel cake container to put them in so I took some Hillshire Farms lunchmeat containers and flipped them upside down. The violets seem to like it inside those, one is looking better already! :)

I'd had to repot them into some home-made plastic cup pots, and the healthier of the two had a pretty decently sized root system, so that was a relief. I'm still hoping the other one will be ok.. It didn't have much by way of roots. Hopefully these containers will make enough of a difference for it to get some better roots :)

Again, thank you~