My first thought is too much light. Check the backside of your plants for excess redness. Some are naturally dark but light green types usually do not have red on the backs & if they do its an indication that the light is too strong.

If it isn't light, it could be a water or PH issue as you mentioned that it affects most all of your violets.

Terri

Your pictured plant's foliage looks fine to me.

Are your plants blooming ???

Yes, they are blooming some. Not as abundantly as I would like them to, but they are. The leaves do change a few weeks after I bring them from the store. When I get them at the store the leaf is straight and flat. A few weeks into my house and they become harder and curled around the edges. This has been a pattern. I suspect a light problem; some of them may have been getting too much light either from a stand near a window where they appear to get a few hours of direct sun; or from another stand placed against another window, less bright, where I also supplement with fluorescent lights after hours. These may have been too close to the fixture (7 inches or so) and the supplementation may not have been needed after all.

I used a light meter to get an idea of where I stand, but it has a dial for various levels of intensity. x1, x10 and x100. When I measure the light at the x1 level it maxes out. When I measure it at the x10 level, it is below 500. I am not sure which one should be used for AV-s. They say use x1 for measuring fluorescent lighting and x10 for direct sun. My first stand does not use fluorescent lighting, it is just a decorative stand near the window and it relies strictly on natural light. So should I still use the x1 dial for that? Based on the x1 dial, they all get plenty of light because the meter maxes out.

I took some measures to decrease the light...so I guess I will have my answer in a few weeks. At the same time, I don't want to discourage blooms due to a lack of light....

The change from the vendor's environment to your home could involve many things ... light, temperature, water quality, humidity, fertilization, etc.

I don't think that it is feasible for you to match your vendor's conditions, ... just work to grow your plants so that they satisfy you ...

I have a problem with leaf changes on Optimara violets. Six months after purchase, the plant doesn't look at all like the one I bought as leaves just seem to change shape. This doesn't seem to happen with plants from other hybridizers and I think its because Optimaras were developed to grow in low light. My humidity is usually high & temps are within range so I think it must be the brighter light.

If your humidity is high, I would run a small fan over the violets. It will help out a lot. Try it, you have nothing to lose! Rosie

I do run a fan 24/7. I don't complain about the high humidity around the plants but I do have to watch for PM in the fall.

It makes sense if Optimaras are bred to grow in low light. I did not notice the same thing with my Jitter Bug mini. Those leaves are straight. But most of my Violets now are Optimaras - so I think I really need to take the light a few notches down. If this is the culprit, they curl down and shy away from the light like vampires.

I also use a small fan to gently blow over my violets. Somehow it just seems to help. I have also experimented with lighter soil mixes because I am wicking everything I can.

I have all of my violets on wicks (except the babies) and in windows. Even in my east unobstructed windows I get elongated stems. Not much with curled leaves.

Cora got a little tight leaved so I moved her back to a table. She loosened up a bit and I just put her on a wick also so this will be a readjustment for her.

This year is one big adjustment for my plants and me. Good luck to all of us!!!! Rosie