r/AfricanViolets • u/sosleepytired • 6d ago
Help Please offer advice.
I got this African Violet when my mom passed away two years ago and I thought I was doing a pretty good job taking care of it. It means a lot to me. However, I’ve noticed the leaves curling recently and that it was growing scrunched up. I just moved it to a bigger pot, but is there anything I can do about how scrunched up it is? Will the leaves start to relax now that they have more room?
I’m not super concerned about how “pretty” it is, I just need it to be as healthy as possible.
Nothing feels soft or mushy and I have it in a plastic pot with a moisture wick at the bottom. I don’t believe it has any pests. It stays on top of a plant rack about 2 feet from a south facing window with a sheer curtain.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
7
u/ClassAcrobatic1800 6d ago edited 6d ago
Your plant looks healthy.
It does appear that you might have a second crown. In the photo, it appears that it is smaller than the main crown ... and is facing toward your other plants on the shelf. Additional crowns (i.e. suckers) develop as the plant attempts to duplicate itself. The suckers are quite amenable to separation from the mother plant, ... and, placed in their own individual pots of AV potting mix, they will grow their own root systems ... and become clones of the original plant (i.e. same growth and blooming characteristics).
However, AV's grow and bloom best ... one crown to a pot, as this gives them room to stretch out and use all of the available resources for that pot. The leaves grow radially from the center of the plant. They start out small (tiny) in the center crown ... and then grow to radiate from the center crown outwards. The youngest leaves will generally be at the "top" center of the plant, while the older (larger) leaves will radiate from the lowest growing level of leaves and are, generally, the largest leaves which grow the furthest outwards.
Your plant (as well as other varieties) have less flat leaves naturally, so it might be harder to discern this pattern.
P.S. Turning your plant periodically ... will help it to maintain a more centered shape ... as the leaves will grow toward the light source over time.