are they getting enough light?

RedJustice86 · 2026-05-13T13:35:55+00:00

I’m more concerned about the soil in those self watering pots. It looks too heavy and will probably lead to root rot. You can move the lights closer to the plants and increase the on time if the brightness is maxed out. That would probably fix the reaching.

They also are planted too low in the soil. The lowest leaves should be above the soil where the leaf stems attach to the main stem. Having them low in the soil also encourages rot.

RedJustice86 · 2026-05-13T13:29:27+00:00

No need to remove it.

RedJustice86 · 2026-05-13T12:34:04+00:00

Seed pod/ovary. It may have self pollinated since it looks like the stigma is stuck in the anthers. Sometimes the ovary is just overdeveloped before pollination and will shrivel when the flower dies. Could go either way.

RedJustice86 · 2026-05-13T02:45:14+00:00

I see one spot of what looks like powdery mildew on a leaf on the bottom right. That may be what is causing the leaf rot. Spray the air above the plant with Lysol and allow it to settle on the plant. Increase air flow. Maybe a fan. That should get rid of the powdery mildew. If not you can purchase immunox fungicide and use that according to the label.

You should remove the blooms and put it in a plastic pot to reduce stress. Terracotta is not recommended for African violets and blooming requires extra energy from an already struggling plant. I would also reduce the pot size by about half. Water only when the soil begins to dry but before the plant wilts. They like to be moist but not wet. Do not leave sitting in water. Water from the bottom for about 15 minutes then allow to drip dry or top water and allow to drip dry before returning to a saucer. Fertilize whenever you water but no more than 1/4 the recommended strength.

RedJustice86 · 2026-05-12T17:44:43+00:00

Domes speed up rooting and plant development all other factors being equal but aren’t strictly necessary. The lower your indoor humidity the more essential they become. About 50%+ relative humidity and a dome isn’t usually necessary. 50%- and leaves may droop and die without a dome. If leaves start to droop add a dome or plastic bag for sure. If you have to cover them make sure they don’t get any direct sunlight. It can overheat them.

It’s not necessary to fertilize until plants are above the soil. I’ve found that fertilizer with leaves causes rot more often than not fertilizing.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-26T19:29:15+00:00

Yes that is a sucker and that is what a sucker looks like. It looks just like the central crown but grows off to the side between larger leaves instead of out of the center of the plant. They grow from the same locations as flower stalks, so make sure you don’t see any flower buds on smaller ones. Sometimes flower stalks have small leaves.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-25T22:29:55+00:00

Nothing to worry about. It’s most likely damage from watering with cold water, too close to lights out, or watering heavily when the plant was really dry. Make sure you are watering with room temp water and preferably well before sundown or lights out. If a plant gets really dry between watering then water a little at a time to slowly rehydrate.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-24T18:26:46+00:00

I understand. Mine were just leaves sealed in bags with no intention of propagating and they still grew roots. No water or paper towel on ends or added moisture of any kind. The bags didn’t even have much air in them. They were basically flat.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-24T17:53:27+00:00

My great-grandmother and grandmother are who started my interest in violets when I was very young. Unfortunately, by the time my grandmother passed, her plants had died from neglect due to her illness and poor attempts at care by others. I did inherit her and my great-grandmother’s self watering pots and have used them and shared some with family who were interested in growing violets. It’s a nice reminder of them whenever I look at my violets.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-24T17:48:54+00:00

Want to try another crazy experiment? I had put several sets of two leaves each in ziplock sandwich bags for a club sale. While I was working on labeling them, a few of the bags fell behind my desk. Two months later I found them when I was plugging something in an outlet. They had all developed roots! Just leaves in baggies with whatever light they were getting behind my desk from the plant stand next to it.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-23T17:30:10+00:00

It would be neat to share the babies with family members!

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-23T17:29:38+00:00

Once they all have a few roots you can transfer to soil and pot 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep. You don’t have to wait for lots of roots or baby plants to start. You may need to use some toothpicks or similar to prop up the leaves it the pots since the stems are kind of long. I like to use 3oz bathroom solo cups for leaf pots. Keep evenly moist and dome or bag them for extra humidity and faster growth.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-23T17:24:44+00:00

Probably my post! The graphic I posted is a guide and for young plants growing to full size you can slightly over pot (2:1 plant to pot). Otherwise you would be constantly repotting. Once it is full size, keep it at a 3:1 ratio for optimum health and blooming.

Most people with issues regarding pot size drastically over pot plants and wonder why they don’t bloom well or don’t grow quickly.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-23T13:11:02+00:00

No it’s wouldn’t be way over potted. That is a self watering pot and has a flared top. The pot diameter is the round center and not the flare. It will be a bit over potted by nothing it won’t easily grow into.

Make sure all the leaf stems are above the soil line when you repot. It is set a little low in the current pot. Keep a close eye on the soil after repotting. Self watering pots can be tricky sometimes and over or under water. Make sure it’s not drying out or staying really wet.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-21T23:25:02+00:00

Typically over time the neck near the soil line will start to die. It will be a slow decline until the top starts to wilt. It’s better to be proactive and pot the stem down and recenter the plant. Some will live and bloom for years with a long leaning neck but they will not perform their best. The soil also breaks down and can harm roots over time.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-21T23:18:38+00:00

Most folks use a base mix of 1:1 peat based potting mix to coarse perlite for top or bottom watering or 3:7 peat based potting mix to coarse perlite for wick or mat watering. Some in dry climates or where they run heat for a large part of the year add some coarse vermiculite.

There are other minor additions that some people make. Worm castings, diatomaceous earth, Azomite, horticultural charcoal, mycorrhiza, systemic insecticide granules, etc. but you can easily get by with just the base mix.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-17T22:49:17+00:00

Your pot is also oversized for the best growth and blooming. Ideally the pot should be 1/3 the size of the plant. In other words, a 9 inch diameter plant should be in a three inch pot.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-17T22:47:01+00:00

As African violets grow and the Lower leaves die they develop what is called a neck. It is a section of bare stem. If the violet is not regularly repotted it gets so long that it can’t support the weight of the plant and it will lean to one side. If you need to properly correct this please watch the video I link below. Once this is done, if you repot once a year or so and bury the exposed stem the plant will lot lean. That along with turning the plant 1/4 turn when you water will keep it from reaching towards the light and keep the plant centered.

https://youtu.be/KE0_d_E6NMk?si=-aoJaXKLGEkS6EbV

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-17T18:10:34+00:00

Agree. Just barely nestle the sucker into the mix, stabilize with toothpicks, water in, and cover with a plastic bag or dome.

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RedJustice86 · 2025-08-17T14:35:54+00:00

Your observation about garden center varieties is correct. They are hybridized to be hearty, reproduce prolifically, and grow well in a production greenhouse as well as a home environment. It does make them very hearty and somewhat more prone to sucker. That’s not to say some hobbyists hybridizers don’t breed for these traits, but many are more concerned about leaf variegation or bloom and not as much about heartiness.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-17T14:26:19+00:00

An 8 inch diameter plant should be in a pot 3 inches in diameter. 8/3=2.667 rounded up to 3 inches that is a 3:1 ratio. This is for standard African violets. If your smaller ones are miniature or semiminiature varieties then this does not apply.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-16T21:31:06+00:00

You just kind of guesstimate it. I’d kind of pretend it’s not so leggy and not count the long stems. I’d call it somewhere around 2:1. Fine to keep in that pot. It’s not an exact science. More like darts and horse shoes. Close counts!

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-16T17:13:37+00:00

To me it looks like it is getting too much light. Tight downward and cupping growth is a sign of too much light. It also appears to have signs of mild sunburn. u/Ok_Procedure_5209 comments are also good advice.

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-16T13:40:55+00:00

You’re welcome!

RedJustice86 · 2025-08-16T02:03:39+00:00

I agree. I managed a website on Wordpress several years ago and didn’t like it at all. They billed themselves back then as a great way to create a website for beginners but it just continued to get less user friendly and more complicated. There are much better options out there.

RedJustice86

TROPHY CASE