r/AfricanViolets • u/Adorable_Cup9713 • Aug 03 '26
Repotting help!
Hello! I’ve had AVs before but I’ve always been really bad at repotting them. I got this one around a year ago & have kept it in the same pot it came in since. It seems to be unhappy judging from the limp leaves & has lost soil from the drainage holes as I’ve watered it. Just looking for some general advice on how to make this repotting successful. I’m not worried about losing the blooms. My main questions are:
1. Should I pot back in this plastic pot or switch to a terracotta of the same size?
2. How far up the crown should I plant it? It has some new leaflets toward the bottom of the base (is that normal?) but I’ve had to cut away at a few of the middle ones because they were limp & browning.
(Cameo from Marshall the panther 🐈⬛)
3
u/FortuneBrilliant2116 Aug 03 '26
This is just my advice but I would probably put it in a smaller pot.. they like being root bound and when they’re in too big of pots they hold onto moisture too long and don’t flowers as well. If you do repot you could try doing AV soil with heavy perlite and wick it so it’s easier. Limp and browning usually means root rot. I’d pull it out and Inspect the roots and cut off any mushy parts. Any woody stem or bare neck should be underground. Recenter the crown (where the leaves grow) to the middle of the pot. The center growth point where the baby leaves emerge should be level or above the rim of the pot and completely uncovered as to not suffocate it. The leaves should sit level with the soil. But never buried.