Crown rot
When salts accumulate on the surface of the soil the small amount of water left in contact with the stem can dissolve these salts in such a high concentration as to cause an injury. Once the plant is injured fungi and bacteria are allowed to enter and cause disease.


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Plant collapses
...root rot ...no known cure..... resort to cutting plant off at soil level and re-rooting top
...extreme temperatures high and low
...Root shock when repotting, remove bottom leaves and mist several times a day
....excessive fertilizer salts, try repotting or leaching
or dehydration mist and water more frequently
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Dry shriveled leaves
high temperatures or humidity too low
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Ring spot
is usually due to
watering with cold water
always use tepid water with african violets.
or spraying the leaves and set in direct sunlight.
The droplets act as a magnifying glass to intensify the sunlight and therefore burns the leaf.
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Bud Drop
is a symptom of any number of things including the excess salts discussed above but most often is caused by low humidity
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Leaf or blossom drop
...over watering
...cold drafts
...cold water...very important always use tepid water with your babies
...gas sensitivity move plant away from source, check for gas leaks
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Leaves curl downwards
....too much light.... move away from source,
or temperatures too cold
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Limp glassy rot
over watering, repot in porous mix.
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Old leaves turning yellow
low in nitrogen .....find a fertilzer with a high first number.....
PH.... too high or too low.... leach or repot in fresh soil.
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pale foliage and tall skinny stalk and stems
insufficient light....
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Powdery mildew
a white dusty appearance on leaves or flower stalks is caused by a fungus. Too high humidity is the usual cause of this condition and is easily cured by spraying the plants with captan or with acti-dione. I use Lysol spray misting plants from a distance. This is likely to discolor the current blossoms but is better than the consequences.
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Refusing to bloom?
cause insufficient light increase light or supplement with fluorescent light
or too much nitrogen, not enough phosphorus and potash, try bloom booster 0-10-10
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Tight Centers can be caused by

....too much light move away from light
....pests (mites) use pest control
too much fertilizer..... leach or repot or water with solution of 1 tbsp of Dolomite lime per gallon for a few weeks then go easy on fertilizer after that.
root bound... pot up in size
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Babies slow in growing
check your room temperature ....they like to be on the warm side....
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dry brown tips and/or leaf edges are usually caused by
...low humidity, misting helps or setting plant on pebbles in a water filled tray
...soil too wet or too dry
...poor air circulation ... use of fans help here but never directly on violets, they do not like draughts.
or
...Salt injury from excessive fertilizer especially if high in nitrogen remove affected leaves, flush out salts with lots of warm water withhold fertilizer for a few weeks use Dolomite lime twice a month (mix= 1tbsp of lime to 1 gallon of water)
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Variegated leaves losing variegation, turning solid green?
...too much nitrogen change fertilizer with lower "first number"
...Hot weather, high temperatures
change to fertilizer with less nitrogen until cooler weather comes
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White marks on leaves
...drops of water left on leaves keep plants out of direct sun until plants are dry, remove water drops off leaves after watering.
...water too cold always use tepid water with african violets.
...watering when plant is in dark
always water in day time preferably morning.
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New foliage yellowing except for veins
...insufficient iron in soil give plant a shot of iron Chelate additive.
Miracid works well
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no growth, spindly, weak
...insufficient light move to brighter area, or supplement with flourescent lighting
...root bound pot up to size larger.
...plant undernourished.... fertilize
...soil pH too low (acid) raise pH by adding lime at 1tbsp to gallon of water or repot in fresh soil .... (acceptable pH = 6.5 to 7.0)
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