Hi Terri!

Thank you so much for all of your advice, I really appreciate it. I was able to repot yesterday (Target of all places had clearance pots! I bought 5 self watering pots, and 3 slightly bigger pots with drainage holes)! I did loose a few leaves from backside of the plant, but I pulled off unnecessary (and a few damaged leaves that had come with the plant) to make it look like a star-shape for the time being (I thought it'd look quite nice - I didn't go for symmetry on both sides because the plant would look very bald). All of the leaves were very healthy, so I planted them in these rubber cupcake-cups. I've had them for years, and they were never that great for baking. I cut a hole in the bottom so I could water them properly.

I planted the leaves two per pot. I had seen somewhere else that somebody had done that. I thought it'd be worth a try!

The plant had A LOT less suckers than I thought it would - only 2! One was kind of big (not as big as the mother crown so I would say "child" size), the other was very small! I planted the bigger crown in the rubber cupcake-cup, and the smaller one in a K-cup (Rosie had actually made the suggestion and it's brilliant!).

As for the mother plant, I had put it in a pot that was only slightly wider (it's leaves were spilling out all over the place in the original pot). The only thing is - I didn't realize how tall the pot was until after I repotted.

Granted, the plant had LOTS of really long, healthy roots. I'm almost positive that the roots were able to reach the bottom of the pot, so I think it should be alright.

I'll post all the pictures I took later today:)

Update: went to check on my violet this morning and now I'm very worried. The leaves feel kind of limp (as if they've been over watered). I don't want the poor thing to die. Is that normal? Will it be okay?

Edit: lifted up the plant and the roots are fine. The soil isn't very wet at all. I guess the plant is just a little stressed out?

What you are seeing is a common reaction to the plant being disturbed. If your humidity isn't high, I suggest bagging the plant until it recovers. From your description, I fear the pot may be too large & deep so be careful with the water.

Hi Terri, thank you so much for your suggestion. I'll dome the plant and the crowns. It's pretty humid here in good ol' Pennsylvania, but I run the AC in the summer time, which can suck the humidity right out sometimes.

I did compare the pot to the original pot the plant came in, and it's not as big as I thought - it's taller, but they're still sort of close in size.

Well, seems like you are doing a great job! Terri gave great advice. I am hoping any leaf that broke off was planted whether you needed it or not. Worst case scenario,,,,gulp,,,,,mom plant dies! Leaves are your backup. As far as taking off blossoms, I am very bad about that. I don't like to take off a blossom and have to wait again for some to form! Also good luck with your sucker! Did it have any roots attached????

I do try to repot either when the plant takes a break from blooming (and they ALL do!) or when there are so few new buds coming it doesn't matter. But I guess I am more of a "if it needs done now and now is not the optimum time (for the plant),,,,,I will do it anyway!" The worst that can happen is the buds "blast". Means that they die. So I have to wait anyway. sigh, But for some reason it had to be done then.

As far as the leaves being limp Terri is right. You took life sustaining roots off. The plant is reacting. All plants will sacrifice lower leaves for the good of the upper leaves so they can recover and keep growing. Keep taking off the leaves that get mushy or outright die. To me that just means that you left too many on after you repotted. The plant is merely "readjusting" itself !

Now I should ask, what soil mix are you using for the self watering pots? Make sure it is really fast draining or your plant will be soggy with too much water!

The only thing I will offer that is different,,,,,I don't always put it in a baggie proper. I don't do well with total enclosure. I would rather tear off a sheet of plastic wrap and loosely drape it over the top and trail down around the plant. That way, air still flows, too much moisture won't get trapped (and I may not always notice that!) and I won't have to plan a funeral! It is just what works for me.

Dannon yogurt cups are a great size for potting violets. I haven't tried this yet but someone said if you dampen a cotton ball with nail polish remover it will take off the print on the cup! Then you will have a white pot! I am gonna try it! Seems to me the violet can live in there for quite a long time! It is a nice size! And cheap! (you know me! RECYCLE!!!!! )

Very happy to know that you are using Kcups! Put those grounds in your flower bed! Don't waste them!!!!

Once again, too long of a post! Will end now with a great good luck wish for you and your plants! Keep showing us pictures! Love 'em!!! Rosie

Thank you! I made sure to plant every leaf that I took off. I really hope the mother plant doesn't die! She still looks so healthy, and beautiful. The blooms seem to be developing just fine - it's just a few of her leaves have gone a little soft and droopy:(

One sucker had one little root, the other didn't have any roots. I domed them with the mother plant

I'm the same way - I could've waited, but the plant looked so messy with the suckers growing out sideways with a few odd ball leaves, I just needed to repot. Plus, I thought it'd be better for it.

Alright! None of them have outright died yet - their stems feel nice, and hardy. Their shape is still good, they just feel limp It's really only the bottom leaves - the "unnecessary" ones. I kept them for looks, but the health of the plant is more important to me overall.

I'm using an African Violet soil mix (I think it's by MiracleGrow...? I got it from Home Depot). It feels light, and airy. That's a good thing, right?

Thank you for the tip, I ended up cutting large holes at the bottom corners of the bag. I had only left it with full enclosure for a few hours, and it was already VERY moist inside.

Wow, that's another ingenious way to recycle! I love how crafty that is. I don't keep yogurt in the house as my family members are very susceptible to migraines, and it's said that yogurt causes migraines - but I have friends and extended family members who eat yogurt!

Will do, thank you!

I don't think it's too long at all - I appreciate the detailed response:)

I'll post the pictures in another response (so this one doesn't start to look too much like a novel, haha!!)

The roots! I really tried my best to get them as clean as possible without hurting the poor lil' guy. I massaged and rubbed off the dirt as gently and meticulously as possible. It took me about 40 minutes.

The plant in it's new home without the suckers!

A picture of the pot.

The "child" size sucker. (Aerial view)

Another picture of the "child" size sucker.

Baby sucker in the K-Cup next to the mother plant!

Aerial view of the baby sucker.

Family photo!

All bagged up.

The holes in the bag.

By the way, what do I do now that they're domed? Do I still water them? Is there any special treatment for me to do? Oh, and how long does it normally take for a plant to recover from surgery?

Here's my take on "what to do next" !

Watch carefully to make sure you don't accumulate too much condensation in your "domed city". lol

Seriously that will contribute to nothing but rot. Even though you have cut holes in the bags I would still open the bags every few days to let in "fresh air". And while you are at it,,,,,check how damp the soil actually is. You don't want it too damp but you don't want it dry as a bone either. If you think it has dried out too much then give a LITTLE bit of water.

When you see evidence of active growth, then slowly reacclimate the plant to life without a dome.

How long it takes depends on your plant. SHE will decide. As long as everything is going fine don't worry about the length of time it takes.

In the plant world,,,,,THEY decide when conditions are right for growth, regrowth etc. Roll with their flow. And good luck!

Your pix are great and the family photo is awesome!!!! Keep us posted! Rosie

Will do! With the holes, the condensation has gone down a lot, but I'll be sure to open the bag every few days to get some fresh air in.

How should I reacclimate it without shocking it too much? Give it some time without the bag, then put it back in for some time? Slowly decreasing the time it spends in the bag?

Thank you, thank you! I'll be patient and keep a good eye on 'em! I'll be sure to keep on posting updates:)

008, you need to remove the blooms. The plant cannot support blooms when it has been repotted. That might be causing the leaves to be unable to recover. Joanne

You answered your own question in paragraph 2. That is exactly how to do it. Good luck!!! Rosie

@fortyseven_gw Hi Joanne. I'm going to leave the blooms on for just a little longer, as the leaves are starting to feel a lot better than before (they still need a little more time to recover, but they're doing better). If their condition worsens, or they just aren't making progress, I'll remove the blooms. I'm just not ready to part with them if the plant can possibly recover with them:( I've missed the spark of color they bring in, and they're growing quite fast already!

@Rosie Wonderful! I took your advice on opening the bag and I feel it's good for the plants to get this fresh air! Yesterday, I left them open from dinner time to when I went to sleep. Left them closed while I slept, all morning, and for most of the afternoon. Just opened them and will probably leave them open until late evening/night time (or until I go to bed) depending on how the leaves feel.

Good! Keep us updated!!! Just an FYI. Sometimes they do well leaving the blossoms on and then again,,,,,,,,Just keep a careful watch. Sometimes by the time you notice bad happening it could be too late. Dire warning I know,,,,,,,but true! Rosie

Will do!! I check my violets often, and love to take pictures. I feel the leaves regularly to see if they're starting to firm up yet, so if things start to go sour, I'm almost certain I can catch it early on!

The crown is doing great - starting to feel almost normal. The lower leaves still aren't really firm (not mushy, just kind of soft and floppy. Stems are still good), and the bag smushed them a little bit, but they're better than before (they're not really the important ones though. I could take them off, but none of them have died and they all seem to be salvageable). I noticed the plant was pretty dry so I gave it a very small amount of water. Soil's a nice, moist-but-not-too-moist consistency, and the leaves feel hydrated when you touch them. The blooms seem to be doing good too. Very happy with how it's coming along!!!

Sounds like we may have a winner! Good luck!!!! Rosie

He did end up ferming up and he's doing great! His blooms didn't last long, and one more leaf died but he sure is a strong little guy. His babies didn't survive (I think they were just two small), but that's okay! I've got another plant with tons of babies. It's a happy plant, so I'll wait to hit the 6 month milestone before cutting him up and repotting him (which is creeping up on me! I can't believe how long it's been - feels like I just got my little violets the other day).

That's great news! A little Patience goes a loooooong way!!!!! Rosie

It sure does :)