Wish I could tell you exactly what's wrong. My first inclination would be to repot it immediately, probably into a plastic pot for now, fresh soil (get as much of the old soil off as you can without breaking roots. If it's damp, let it dry out as much as possible.

Terra Cotta and I don't get along too well. Either the pot dries out too quickly or fertilizer salts build up on them for me.

Maybe double-check for bugs, especially those mealy bugs.A couple people here use the Fafard potting mix, and since your other one is doing well, that's not likely the cause.

Best,
Judy

When you divide a plant you usually stress it somewhat. It perhaps didn't have that many roots and was then placed in a pot that is a bit too large. I would repot as Judy indicated into a smaller pot, water lightly if needed & then seal the plant in a plastic bag for a few weeks, keeping it out of the sun. Violets usually respond well to this treatment.

Terri

Terri has a great point. When they're separated one of them is not likely to have as many roots. Ergo that one should be potted in a very small pot, until the roots have really developed.

Is this possibly the case?

Best,
Judy

Hello
Are the leaves soft and limp? If yes, then I suggest taking
a leaf to restart the plant before you lose the whole thing.
Take a healthy leaf that is still crisp with as much petiole attached as possible
and refreshing it by floating it in water with a pinch of sugar
for a few hours to crisp it up and then plant it separately in its own very tiny pot, such as an empty Kreug coffee container, if you have one. Or ver tiny solo cup.

Also, don't keep the plants near each other. I find that
when I have two that I separated, if one wilts and dies,
the companion soon follows. they are actually still two
parts of the same plant, only separated. So what affects
one will affect the other.

then follow what Judy and Terri advised you.

Don't use ceramic but don't move the other one if it is
doing well.
watering once a week is probably not enough, water when the soil is just dry to the touch. i have to water every other day.

if you like the look of ceramic, then just find a cache pot
that is big enough to hold the plastic pot.

ceramic is weird for violets, it just never seems to work as
well as plastic.

if all your plants are in the same type of pot, the care
is easier because you adapt to what they need instead
of having to figure it out separately for each one.

joanne

Yes, a clear plastic bag like ziplock. The plant should be lightly moist & if sealed will need no more moisture for a couple of weeks at which time you should have new roots. The plant will not suffocate but will turn to mush in hot sunlight. You just don't want the plant to get too warm so a place with bright but indirect light is fine. You may also make a few holes in the bag or if using ziplock, open it for awhile. If the plant dries too much water lightly.
You are creating a small greenhouse environment which is usually very beneficial for an ailing plant.

Terri

Thanks for the insight...I'm going to get the pots tomorrow

This post was edited by uniquelydivine on Sun, Sep 28, 14 at 13:33

It's hard to tell from your photo, but it looks like the ailing plant is to the side of the window that opens?

Sometimes drafts or different lighting situations on the same window sill can affect just a selection of plants....

Just something I thought I'd mention... check for direct sunlight and drafts before placing any other plant in that spot. (For example, I know to keep an eye because DH likes to crack windows open in my plant room - GRRR).

Good luck,

Karin

I suspect root rot as the cause. Wiggle the crown and get an impression if it is wobbly which indicates root rot; if that is the case you need to amputate the non rotted part of the crown and start a crown rooting. If there is no root rot then I agree w repotting to include: a smaller pot, radical trimming to remove most of the wilting leaves, and if needed root trimming to remove dead roots and to fit the plant in a smaller pot so to bury the stem

It probably doesn't matter what pot type you put it in at this point, as long as it's got drainage.

This does look odd-with the entire plant drooping that way. Karin may be right about it being environmental.

Please let us know how it goes.
Best,
Judy

Thanks again everyone for all the advice. First let me say, I'm not a plant killer at all! I love plants.

Will it be bad if I get rid of the plant altogether? I feel guilty but I don't want it to suffer or get worse after I repot, etc.

There is no open window but the plant is directly infront of the window glass which gets cold at night (temps are dropping). This is the only window in my apartment and the while the plant is infront of the window, its not touching it at all. As I mentioned before, it may be the change of temperature, but I'm not sure because nothing is happening to the other plant.

I'm scared I repot, place in a bag, etc and then the plant gets worse.

If I decide to get rid of it, will the other one suffer? I ask because they were joined together.

I feel so bad but I hate to see plants suffer...

As a friend of mine once said (when I was in a tizzy about PM on baby streps), we do love these little things, don't we? :-)

Please don't worry yourself so much about it. It really is a very beautiful plant. You can always try to help it out and if it doesn't work, make a decision then. Unless it's suffering from a really severe something, chances are quite good that it will come back.

Since your other plant looks quite well, I'm sure this one can make a come back, given a bit of extra attention!

And as Joanne says-If any of the leaves are still turgid, you can take one or two and plant them as well. You can also take a couple from the non-droopy plant and do the same thing!

Best,
Judy

If you take the easy way and discard the plant, you will not gain the experience & knowledge that comes with reviving an ailing plant. I would adopt a few of the measures mentioned in the replies and see what happens. Theres always a chance you will lose the plant but even so, you will gain a better idea of what to do next time. Your other violet shouldn't suffer at all. . . I don't think plants are that complicated.

Terri

I noticed something in your post that I thought I would address. You said when your plant needs water you give it a little bit. When you water, water well until the water runs free from the bottom. Then do not water again until your soil is dampish.

If your plant has a little root system,-the other crown may have gotten the lion's share of the roots- it may not be getting enough water if you are just giving it a small amount.

Correct watering seems to be the trickiest thing to learn about plant care. I'm a professional Horticulturist and the stories people have told me about their watering practices could fill a book!

Anyway, I agree with Terri. If you are to be a successful grower, you have to experiment and try and re-try until you learn how to care for a plant that is not perfect. And then you will have to re-learn when all of your older tricks no longer work. It's part of the fun. And frustration!

Linda

Like all who have posted previously to me, ... I see an overwatered plant.

Fortunately, you have a twin ... which, likely, has a propensity to create more versions of itself (i.e. sucker).

I'd repot the limp plant, cutting off any rotten roots, and be very meticulous with my watering to bring the plant back. This means keeping the soil drier than not, ... and only giving a little water to the plant ... as needed.

I've brought back many similarly affected plants this way.

I can't find a 2" plastic pot anywhere. I asked before but I just want to make sure: can I use the 2" clay pot? Also, I am going to repot today, should I water the plant or leave it dry? After I repot I will be placing it in the ziploc bag and move it to an area that has indirect light. Does this sound like a plan or should I be doing anything else?

Thanks everyone!

Or can I use a drinking cup (clear) that's 2" in diameter?

This post was edited by uniquelydivine on Mon, Sep 29, 14 at 11:17

As to the pot, it is important that it has drainage holes.

If the plant's soil is already wet, don't water.

Wait until the soil is dry.

Most of us use solo drinking cups-the kind you use in the bathroom for a quick drink. Poke holes in the bottom before planting. You can get them anywhere-Kroger, Wal-Mart.

Clay pots are not the best for this. Try to get the plastic cups if you can.

Moisten your soil before planting and then do not water again if you are using the baggie method.

Linda

As far as the plant 'suffering'...I believe plants are intelligent in their own way. They communicate with eachother. They even signal when they are sick or being attacked.

But I really doubt it 'suffers' in the same way we might. Plants have a strong will to grow and survive. They dont 'give up' when they are sick or injured. There is no reason to 'put a plant out of its misery', or to get rid of it for that purpose. The only reason you might destroy a plant is if it was contagious and you wanted to protect your other plants.

Hi there,
Though I doubt this is the problem, I've not experienced Soil Mealy Bugs before (knocking heavily on wood!). However there is a picture of a plant on this link that looks totally wilted-though it's not dry. Just thought I'd pass it along to you in case. Wasn't sure if you'd checked or not-it wasn't brought up in previous posts yet.

http://violetvoice.yuku.com/topic/818/MEET-THE-SOIL-MEALIES-AND-THE-FOLIAR-MEALIES#.VCnwZOeSC_U

Best,
Judy

Something that I've been doing that seems to work well with watering is this: I take water (in my case I've been using fish tank water) and put it in a bowl and then let the plant sit in that bowl for about 30 min or so, adding water if the soil soaks it all up. After that I put the plant in my windowsill on a few folded paper towels. The towels absorb the extra water and also create more surface area for the water to evaporate. Within a day or so the paper towels are dry but the soil still retains plenty of moisture without being sopping wet. I can tell the soil is still moist because of the heft/balance of the pot and plant. If it feels light or the green top of the plant is heavy compared to the pot itself then I know it needs water.

So far this has worked really well (a few weeks) and the paper towels can be reused. All of that evaporating water might even be helping to raise the humidity in the plants' micro-climate.

I have ceramic tile windowsills so I don't have to worry overmuch about water damage. I'd think that using teacup saucers would work just as well if I had wooden or painted sills.

I've also used this on a sucker that I've recently rooted with much success. I will say that the small pot its in does dry out every two days or so but I'm certainly not very concerned with root rot and the plant is responding well so far.

Just some thoughts for your consideration.

Kerry

Update!!

The same day I posted this pics I watered the plant. I decided to let it dry out before I repot. Its been a week and the leaves look a lot better! Only a few are wilted.

I just want to know if I should report the plant now or leave it in the current pot.

Pics of how the plant looks today:
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Right side (only a few leaves wilted):

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Next to the other plant (see how the leaves look almost similar):

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Thanks everyone!

Well then! It seems I've seen this on other posts but I've also run into this myself! Yesterday when I repotted several plants, I added some vermiculite into the mix for a bit better water retention.

Sometimes, when I water from the bottom, the peat mix is too dry to suck it up-actually forms a barrier. Then I have to water from the top until it's good and wet!

I'm wondering if this is what you ran into. If so, I'd repot anyway to ensure you've got a better ratio of perlite, vermiculite and pet in there. Systematically, I'm definitely going to do this with all my plants. In some other thread, I think I mentioned it already, but who knows which one! :-)

Do you think this was the issue?
By the way, unless the leaves have died off (but they look still green to me), maybe you need to give it a good shower under the sink. They might then perk up

Either way-I'd still repot. It certainly isn't going to hurt anything. You might also try doming it for a little while.
Best,
Judy

Well, if it seems to be doing well, you could just watch it carefully. The clay pot will dry out more quickly, so you probably are not in as much danger of overwatering as you would be if this were in a plastic pot that was too big for it.
Every time you dig up a plant and repot it, you stress it, so
you might want to consider that as well. Again, if you feel
it is doing well, then you can let it be and see if it begins to
fill out. If you think it needs some TLC, consider doming it. But if the leaves start to wilt, then follow Judy's advice. I tend to use more potting mix with perlite than vermiculite because the vermiculite holds water. The perlite does not and helps to aerate the soil so that roots can grow. joanne

I would hold off on re-potting. Re-potting is very stressful. I would wait until your violet is growing well. Besides, you do not need a bigger pot; the size you have is fine.

BTW-what is the name of this violet? It's gorgeous!

Linda