Symptom and Control:
No blossoms
Insufficient light - Increase light; move plant closer to light.
Pot too large - Use pots that are 1/3 the diameter of the plant.
Too cold - Heat plant area or move plant to warmer area.
Lack of Fertilizer - Apply fertilizer recommended for African violets weekly.
Heavy or packed soil -
Report into porous light mix. Do no pack soil into pot.
Loss of variegation
Too much nitrogen - Change to fertilizer with less nitrogen; do not use fish emulsion.
Too warm; too much light - Wait for cooler weather. Move plant to bottom shelf of plant stand.
Leaves curl around pot
Excessive light - Move plant further from light source; reduce time lights are on.
Cold plant area - Heat area or move plant to warmer area.
Leaf spots, blotches or blemishes
Intense light - Reduce amount of light or move plant away from light source.
Low temperatures - Increase heat in plant area.
Chemical spray injury - Spray over plants using fine mist. Do not direct spray in center of plant
Water droplets on leaves - Blot any droplets before putting plant in light.
Watering with cold water - Use room temperature water.
Burned out crown
Pesticide spray - Do not let pesticide set in crown; dab with paper towel.
Washing foliage - Blot dry crown and leaves with paper towel after washing.
Stems, leaves limp, mushy, glassy
Over watering - Mix holds too much water. Repot in porous mix.
Crown or root rot - Check root ball, cut off diseased roots. Repot in porous mix. Or, take a crown cutting and restart plant.
Yellow-green foliage on older leaves
Insufficient nitrogen - Water occasionally with high nitrogen fertilizer or fish emulsion.
Compacted soil - Repot with fresh soil-less potting mix.
pH too high or too low - Test water source and adjust pH as necessary.
Insufficient light - Increase light or move plant closer to light.
Yellow-green foliage on newer leaves
Soil pH imbalance - low - Test soil and add lime if pH is low; repot into new mix.
Nutrient imbalance, (iron) - Use fertilizer with trace elements.
Generalized yellow-green leaves
Too much light - Reduce amount of light, move plant away from light
High temperatures , dry soil - Plants are stressed-water carefully, reduce temperatures
Insects - Check for soil mealy bug. If present, treat with systemic insecticide .
Brown or scorched leaf tips or edges of leaves
Poor quality water - Have water tested or used bottled water.
Excessive dryness - Pesticide injury
Water consistently for optimal root health.
Excessive fertilizer - Leach our salts with plain water. Don’t let plants stand in water.
Low humidity - Put plants on pebble trays; cover plant stands with plastic; use humidifier
Pesticide injury - Spray pesticide using a fine mist.
Powdery patches on surface of leaves or blossoms
Powdery mildew - Lysol spray, sulfur spray, Phyton 27 spray.
White sticky cottony masses at leaf axils; cottony spots on leaves
Foliar mealy bugs - Isolate plant. Dab bugs with alcohol swab. Spray with Malathion, Neem oil, or insecticidal soap.
Pollen on petals; blossoms fade quickly
Thrips - Blow gently on blossoms, watch thrips scurry away. Disbud all plants in you collection and keep disbudded for 2 months. Spray with Avid, conserve, or Neem oil.
Tight Centers, stunted growth
Excessive light - Put paper towel over center of plant for 1 week.
Cyclamen mites - Isolate plant. May see webbing. Spray Malathion, Avid, Insecticidal soap.
Broad mites - Isolate plant. Drench or spray with Avid for three 10 day cycles.
Excessive fertilizer - Lower dosage of fertilizer about 50% for one month.
Pot bound - Could occur after heavy blooming. Repot.
Wilting and/or drooping foliage
Soil mealy bugs - Apply systemic insecticide.
Excessive dryness - Water regularly.
Excessive fertilizer - Leach out salts with plain water, do not let plants stand in water.
Compacted soil -
Repot using fresh potting mix.
Excessively hairy or dry leaves in crown, may see webbing.
Spider mites - Isolate plant; spray with Malathion, Insecticidal soap, Avid.
Ring spot
Watering with cold water - Use room temperature water and blot leaves before placing plant in light.
Impatiens Necrotic Virus - No cure – destroy plant, bleach growing surfaces and tool.
