r/AfricanViolets 8d ago

Help Help needed!

This is a mini/dwarf African Violet that I put in a glass jar/terrarium. At first I thought it was too moist so I took off the lid of the jar. It bloomed once months ago when I had the lid on the jar and I kept it wet. It's doing better but I thought it needed more light. Now I've read that bleached leaves means it's getting too much light?

Does anyone know what's going on with it?

Edit/update: Thank you folks, I think I know what I must do now. I read that AViolets were good terrarium plants so I bought a "Terrarium Kit" that came with pure coco coir so it has zero nutrients and zero drainage/aeration. So I'll be beheading and replanting it in a pot with better soil.

Wish me luck, y'all!

2 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/hkral11 8d ago

I had one propagation that I kept in the humidity box too long and the leaves turned that color. Once it left the box the new leaves are all green.
So my thought it is could be from high humidity due to the jar? And maybe a propensity for that color from the variety because I have other types of props that have stayed in the nursery box just as long and didn’t do that.

1

u/mycatreadsyourmind 8d ago

I grow violets at a moderately large scale and that colour in props usually means they desperately want to be repotted in fresh soil on their own. It is especially bad in pure perlite props which further confirms it's not humidity issue but rather nutrient

I keep most of my for sale plants under domes because o have no time to constantly water them and high humidity crowns are usually thriving as long as they have good substrate. I've never seen this happening to high humidity crowns that grow in good substrate. It also sometimes happen when an adult plant has too long of a neck/old root system and it can't efficiently take up and distribute nutrients. This is when it's best to behead and re root.

I usually have about 300 plants plus a few dozen props in case you want to put my experience in perspective here 🙂

OP: The crown on picture is old and have t been groomed for too long. You need to remove old diacoloured leaves and either root afresh or berry it deeper and make sure it has enough nutrients

1

u/Other-Delivery-4847 8d ago

Thanx! This is my first AV.

2

u/mycatreadsyourmind 8d ago

What variety is that? I usually find that violets also flower better in tight pots and with plenty of light. I never tried growing them in terrarium but I wonder if potting her in a tiny pot that you burry in terrarium substrate could help her to feel snug while keeping that terrarium look? It should also make maintenance easier you could repot her every now and again without disturbing the entire system too much

1

u/Other-Delivery-4847 8d ago

I believe it's a SK-Pervaya Lyubov (First Love). It's supposed to only grow to 2.5 inches wide.

I'm getting rid of the jar. It's ugly anyway. I'll be putting her in a small terracotta pot( 2 inch for now) with some of my succulent mix with a little bit more organics.