Herself's Houseplants

In the winter soil mealy bugs can be a problem for African violets.

The African violets get less light, the soil stays wet for longer times and it’s chilly by those windows creating conditions for soil bacteria and bugs to grow and attack.

The plants begin by wilting and the leaves appear to be thinner. This can mean root rot or soil mealy bugs are attacking your plant. Either way the best course of action is to repot your plant. It is the bacteria in the soil not the water that rots the roots. So either the bacteria or mealy bugs need to go.

Unpot the plant and check for mealy bugs, you’ll see little white spots in the soil at the bottom of the pot if you have them. If not it is bacteria that is the problem. When you unpot your plant gently remove all the soil from the roots, cut off damaged roots and rinse the roots thoroughly but gently in running water.

If when you unpot your plant you find the roots are short and all near to the surface that means you’ve been over watering your violet.

Buy some fresh soil at your local nursery and run your pot through the dishwasher if you wish to reuse it.

And remember as long as you have one healthy leaf you can root you have not lost your African violet.

It’s been busy at work or you went on vacation and you come home to a bunch of dried up sorry looking plants. You forgot to water your plants.

How dead is your plant? Plants will come back from just about any state of death.

First take your plant to the sink or a bucket and submerge the pot in water. This may take a few minutes. If the soil is extremely dry it may try to float up and out of the pot so hang on to it and keep an eye on it. Once the plant is thoroughly soaked leave it soaking in water up to the rim of the pot for an hour or more.

Then drain the water from your plant. Let the water out of the sink and give your plant several minutes to drain thoroughly.

Now take some sharp, clean scissors and remove dead and severely damaged leaves.

Give your plant a half dose of its regular fertilizer.

Place it back in its usual home and wait. You’ll be amazed at how many plants will send up new leaves and rebound even though you thought they were dead.

If it is very dried out or a plant you attached to you can also try this:

Un-pot the plant and soak the roots in a bucket of water for about an hour.

Replant the plant in some sphagnum moss ( available at most nurseries ) Soak the moss and drain out the excess water.

Take a clear plastic bag and form a green house over the plant and pot. A few sticks will keep the plastic off the plant. Now put it in a sunny window. After a few weeks you should see new leaves coming. Remove the plastic tent when new leaves appear. After a few months of healthy growth re-pot the plant back in its regular potting medium.

See also:
Use sphagnum moss to make your plants easier to care for