Lori,

there 3 things for you to do:

1. get a shoplight and hang it 10 inches above your Lovelies.
Shoplight in Walmart is $6.97, 2 48 inch growlights $11 the same place, couple plant chains, hooks - to hang it, timer the same place - $5, extension cord.

2. You need to repot them - 2 times a year is perfect - once a year is a must. You can use the same type of soil - just add some perlite to it to make it more breathable- at least 1/3. Yes - you are right - stick to 3 to 4 inch pots. (1/3 of the leaf diameter.

3. Get an African Violet fertilizer - and use it half dose.

It what you should do to keep them blooming.

Another thing from a fellow addict - do not reproduce same MIL or WM violets over and over again - give the babies to your friends. There are 15000 registered violets of shapes and hues to die for - and you need to try at least some of them.

Irina

Irina, Thank you so much for the advice. I will get started on that ASAP. Do you just always use the same size pot if it hasn't grown to measure out to a new size, or just refresh the soil each time???

Thanks,Lori

Lori, you definitely need more light, just like Irina said.

The pot diameter should equal 1/3 the plant diameter, so if the plant has the same diameter, it can go back into the same pot.

FYI, a popular recipe for AV soil is 1 part peat (or coconut coir, my favorite), 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, with a little horticultural charcoal; makes it hard to overwater.

Also, AVs like to be fed a dilute balanced fertilizer with every watering. Like Irina said, dilute it to 1/2 or 1/3 strength.

Good luck.

Korina