Q. -

Violets are not afraid of water on the leaves. It is an old wives tale.
Heavy soil and waterlogged roots - that's the killer.

When you repot it - you should use a light soil - we were discussing it in a previous post - so the soil you can use is Miracle Grow violte soil split with 1/4- 1/2 of perlite. Plus your new pot should have a hole in the bottom and the diameter of it should be 1/3 of a leaf span.

The holes in the leaves and breaks - can be the result of mechanichal damage.

Since you are a newbie - so far it is your third violet - you will benefit from reading FAQ on the top of the page.

This is a learning curve - and we all lost our first violets in a beginning of our hobby. You are already asking questions - so probably you will soon get to the bottom of your violet problems - and instead of dying they will start growing, blooming and taking over your room soon.

There is an another resource you would like to check - and if you want to save the one you like so much - I would take a leaf off - and try to root it - so in case of fatality - you will have babies growing. You can stick it in a water old style - or you can stick it in a soil. The instructions you will find on the Rachel's Reflections site.

Good Luck and It is really easy. Just a bit of know-how.

Irina

PS AV is not poisonous to the cat.

Here is a link that might be useful: loads of know-how

Thanks for the tips! My mom used to have one but she had horrible luck so I am on my own for taking care of it. I have a couple more questions.

I have my violet in a self-watering pot (two ceramic pot system). Would you recommend keeping that or using a different method?
And, when I had my old violets, I tended not to re-pot them since they were doing fine. After reading a couple of things on the Rachel's Reflections site, I saw that it is needed even if the plant seems fine. How often should I re-pot and what should I do?

I know several people who manage to do right with this kind of pot. The rest of population usually kills plants in them because they have a tendency to pass too much water to the roots. Inexpensive plastic pot actually works better.
You need to repot your standard violet every 6-12 months. The reason - the peat that is part of the soil - deteriorates and becomes acid. It happens faster on the wicks - when the soil is constantly humid, slower if it is a traditional pot and saucer.

Irina