African Violets

I had an elderly neighbor years ago who gave me this advise about africian violets, first "old maid don't have babies" meaning don't use the outside older leaves for sprouting new plants. Second was "They don't like to go to bed with wet feet" meaning don't water them at night. She had a lot of violets, so it must have worked. Mine do well with north windows, light but not direct light, and I remember my neighbors word almost every time I water them.

You are probably over-watering it, and it's rotting out. If I were you, I would take it to the greenhouse, show it to someone knowledgeable, and ask them. My mother roots new plants by taking a healthy leaf and sticking it in the dirt, so you could try that with a healthy plant and thereby have a few extras "in reserve"! In general, it's not good to transplant a plant that's already in crisis - the shock often finishes them off. African violets need soil that drains well so it should be soil mixed with perlite, and they need to drain at the bottom. A lot of people put them in a saucer of water and let the soil suck up the water from below, so that you aren't overwatering from above. When you water, don't get the leaves wet or they will get spots. Definitely don't mist the plant with a sprayer.

AVs like warm water, and you can't water them directly. they need to be bottom-watered, ie put the water in a saucer and let them drink it up through the roots. i've had very good luck with those porous pottery AV planters, and they're very pretty.
they don't like direct light, so don't put 'em in the sun.
once you find the right spot they'll flourish for years! i've got a whole shelf of them, on the south side of the house so it's bright, but they're not directly in the light. i water them once every week or two. it's okay to let them get a bit dry inbetween waterings.
khairete
S.

African violets don't like being moved around a lot.
Find a spot that meets their needs and leave it there.
Bright but not direct sunlight.
To bloom they need 8 hrs of dark per day (so night is important - don't have them under a light 24/7).
Water them but let the soil dry out between watering s - once a week is good.
Is your water softened? - if it is it has a slight saline content that will build up in your plants soil. Use filtered water. I've never had trouble with using chlorinated water (city water from the tap) - but some people say to not use it.
They need humidity, too - you can place them in a tray with stones/gravel and water in it (not so they absorb the water but so the evaporation surrounds them).

http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare1.html#anchor374075

My mom always had these in the house growing up.
One thing I remember her always saying, is that they do not like to be moved around a lot, so shifting it around to different areas of the house probably isn't helping it.

She had them sitting on an end table under a lamp by a window that got morning sun, that was it. Other than that I think she just watered them. That was the only place in the house they ever sat.

I would ask someone knowledgeable that works at green house how to save your grandmother's, there's probably a way. Good luck!

If it were me, I'd take it to a local plant nursery and ask the "doctors" there what to do. I've had African Violets off and on, and they haven't lived long.

The one I have now has survived the longest. When it was given to me, I looked up African Violet care online, and this site was the most helpful:

http://www.projectsandhobbies.com/howtogrowafricanviolets...

This one has lasted more than a year and I'm amazed.

African Violets are tropical plants. Moist, with lite heat. Ultra violet light.. Meaning good sunshine through a window can work, if no cold is getting through.. But it will do best in your home with an ultra violet light.

They like a fair amount of humidity, ultra violet light and like to be left alone.

If you can find a place in your home that fits this description.. They will do great. We live where there is a lot of sunshine. My mom found a window in her bedroom worked best, but in the winter, they did look shabby and mostly dead... Our grand father was famous fr raising and selling them, but he had a greenhouse. He would rotate them into the house, but always under an ultraviolet lamp.

Never let the water touch the leaves, and let the soil dry out between watering.

Indirect (not direct for long periods) morning light is a best bet. Also, like someone else said, you have to water them from the bottom. You can also make a hole in the dirt next to the plant and water in the hole, making sure that none of the foliage is touched or left standing in the water.
Finally, if you have a good leaf left, pinch it off with a good amount of stem left and stick the stem a pot full of moist dirt. Within several weeks, it will be rooted again, and in no time, a full violet. I have revived many a violet this way. Get some African Violet miracle grow to add to the water and keep it fertilized.

Besides getting the plant in the right sunlight is to keep them out of drafts or breezes.

If you get the right combination you will have these plants for years. I had them in Germany for about eight years. Came back to the States and cannot grow them again.

Good luck to you and happy holidays.

the other S.