it does seem like they are getting too much light.. i notice in the second picture, the leaves are all hugging the pot. if they are just dry, and the leaves are limp, they need to be watered... but if they are crisp and still hugging the pot, they are getting too much light...

but im not an expert! perhaps im seeing it wrong. :)

I agree also the leaves colour are a bit too yellow I think, which could be from wanting proper fertilizers or too much sun.

but if it was lack of fertlizers then only the outer ring of leaves would be so yellow since the newer leaves would pull all the nutrients.

I think you need to provide more shade and use a fertilize made for AV s .velleta

Thank you so much! I'm thinking it's too much light and I probably should check into some fertilizer! If I bring them in do you think they will "loosen" up?

i think they probably would, but you may want to give them each a gentle warm shower to clean them up, blot the leaves dry with a paper towel, and then quarantine them from your other violets for a month or so... bugs are VERY attracted to Violets and its hard to spot them right away.

also - when was the last time that these babies got repotted? i've heard that its best to repot every 6 months... at least. :) (note theres a difference between repotting and potting up. i think im right on this - repotting means potting in fresh soil into the same pot... potting up means potting into fresh soil into a bigger pot. am i right??) best wishes!!! ;)

Yep Su you are absolutely right on repotting/potting up!

I put some of my violets outside also and at first they go crazy nuts, they bulk up and get firm and then the flower explosion begins! They love the rain also.

But my area is a total shady area on my deck. In a 90 degree angle corner protected from everything but the severest wind storm. (that would be a tornado!) Maybe a little less light would be good.

Becky, it looks to me as though your plants are crowded. I would space them apart some. I think what I would do, since they are babies and look like they do need to be potted up, I would go ahead and do that. Then make sure you spread them out and give them enough room to grow!

Other than moving them into a little larger pot I think they look great! Good luck and show us some blooming pix! Rosie

Thank you all so much! I will do a little clean up and potting up over the weekend and then hopefully be back with some blooming pics!

Great Becky! Can't wait to see the flowers!!!!! Rosie

Hi, They look pretty good and the advice given seems "spot on." Seems that someone already commented on spreading them out a bit. And since you will be repotting, that will take care of it. Maybe you squished them together for their "photo op." I will just mention, in general, they don't like their leaves to be touching. Close is good, but touching should be avoided. If they are not touching, you can see their shapes better.

I often find myself arranging my plants like pieces of a puzzle on a shelf. As they grow, or as I turn them when watering, then all the others need to be turned. I keep them close together, they like that. They sort of remind me of whiney, sticky little kids crammed into a car on a hot summer day saying, "Don't touch me!" "Mom, little brother touched me! EWW!" Joanne

Personally, my violets had always done spectacularly on the back porch of my parents' house during the summer. When it rained the rain never touched the violets and the plants just got a lot of humidity; they loved it. The only danger is that they might pick up aphids and mites, etc. outside. But at the end of the summer when I bring them back in they're usually double the size that they used to be and a lot more vigorous. It might not be worth the risk unless the outdoor area has been sprayed and there are few problems from pests on outdoor plants.

I think my current violets also are experiencing the same excess light problems as your plants. Mine has the same tight crowns because they're facing a southern exposure. However, I don't have any other windows available in my studio, so can't move them elsewhere. I might need to just move them farther away from the window on the counter, but it's hard to know how far away from the window they should be. Too far and the leaves start to go up and they don't retain a nice, flat rosette shape and too close the crowns start to tighten. I think you might experience the same issue too except there might not be any spot on the porch that's dim enough for the violets to loosen their crowns!

Your violets do look really healthy though except in the second photo, the plant at 6 o'clock has slightly yellow leaves. It might be just that the leaves are older, but--being paranoid about the health of my plants--I think it also looks like the soil could be either too wet (or plant is watered too often) or the light is too intense and leaves are sort of "bleached" out. Still, your collection looks very good!

as of today i am conducting an experiment... i placed one of my "extra" violets on the porch... and im curious how she will do. :) the porch only gets sun for like 90 min in the evening... do you think thats too long?

Can't hurt to try! I find that violets just seem to feel happier outdoors, sort of like people when we go for a walk in the park or hike in the woods. They like getting back to nature too! The only thing I might avoid is direct sunlight at any hour of the day. The sun during summer seems a lot stronger than any other time of year and I've definitely had my share of av deaths when placed in the wrong spot on the porch :P

I'm hoping that buggies won't be a problem because my plants are on the second floor porch. although i'm sure the little brats can fly, right? I've never had any bug issues with any of my houseplants and I sure hope I don't get them now! I'll post some pics after I pot them up tomorrow.

Hi Sue, early a.m. sun is ok, but not late afternoon sun. Yes, i agree on love of the purple hues! Joanne

Hi Su! I think your experiment will do just fine! I do it every summer and by fall they are in so much better shape. Just keep an eye on how fast they dry out. I usually let them get rained on but if it gets really dry for a long time I water! Good luck and let us know how it works for you! Rosie