They don't look bad? That's a relief, I though it looked like they were shrinking and dying. I'll have to keep an eye on them and make sure they're watered evenly enough.

The first one I've had for over a year now. It got fairly large before it got a little to hot in the sun. The second I've had for a few months and came in the same order with #4. The last I've only had one or two months. Maybe it looks to me like it's shrinking because it gave up all it's white leaves? I'm not really expecting them to be growing more, per say, I'd love to see them do that! But I know AV's are slow growers and so I try to be patient with them and not touch them too much. I'm mostly worried about them not being healthy or that I'm not doing something for them and that they're going to die before they even get a chance to do any more growing.

Too much light I had considered. I'll try moving them away from the lamp a bit to see if that helps. Someplace they'll still get residual light but so they're not directly under it.

Thanks for the potting tips! It's nice to see that violets can still thrive even when not put it "ideal" potting situations. It always seemed like violets were so picky but it seems like yours are fine in their bigger pots. I'll give it a try if I can't keep up with the watering.

Thank you so much! I feel a lot better even though I'm still worried @_@

Katie

- lets check what are your basic numbers - what is your high and low temperature in your room, humidity - Walmart sells this kind of thermometer (AcuRite Digital Humidity and Temperature monitor) for $8.94. You have too much light on your windowsill - the one that got cooked is one story - but even you best Mac violet hugs the pot - it tells me that light is someway high. Make sure that you do not use water out of the water softener etc. There is a reason why your plants do not thrive - let's see if it is something in the enviroment that causes it.

Irina

Oh CRAP I didn't even consider the water softener might be an issue! That might entirely be the issue, because that's all I can water them with at my dad's house! I think one of the hoses outside is normal hard water... maybe I should start watering them from there? (after removing chlorine, that is!).

I didn't know hugging the pot was a sign of high light. They all sat on the windowsill above the sink in the kitchen all summer, and because of the angle of the house, the light was diffuse enough for them. But now that the fall has rolled around, I noticed the light is much brighter on that sill, so I moved them to the half-wall in the living room to keep them away from the colder windows and the direct sunlight. Then we got the grow light so I assumed that was better and moved them upstairs where it was warmer. Maybe I should move them to places in my room where there's less light from the grow light? Definitely not putting them on the windowsill because drafts are a thing...

Thank you both for replying, by the way. If it wasn't obvious, I have a decent amount of anxiety and I worry very quickly, so it's comforting to have people to help me figure things out, especially with something so important to me.

With leaves in that downward configuration, I'd also bet the plants are getting too much light.

So it seems like the general consensus is that they're getting too much light and not enough water (or good water, at least!). I moved all of them to my computer desk, away from the grow light. They're as far away from the window and grow light as they can be in my room, but the window is big enough that my room is always bright, so they're not in total darkness. Hopefully that'll be ok. I'd get a picture to show you guys but I don't have my phone on me at the moment :P

As for water I'm going to see if I can get a container to put water in from the faucet outside (my dad said the water from the hose at the front of the house hasn't been softened yet) and just let that sit so it can get to room temperature and dechlorinate a bit.

I hope that helps them c:

Good Idea. Just fill a gallon jug and take it home. You can add a fertilizer at the same time - so you have it ready to use as needed. I think you can measure the light level if you use a cell phone camera APP. I would say if you are above 300 foot candles - you are OK, more than 600 foot candles - some of the plants will start bleaching. There is an lux meter APP you can download for the smartphone.

Oh! I never thought of a phone app! Might have to poke around the app store and see if I can find a good one! Thanks for the tip c:

Water softener works by exchanging "hard" salts to a very soluable table salt - so your violets are getting poisoned by an excess sodium chloride. You will need not only use your regular water from outside of the house in future - you will need to leach all your plants now - means fill the bucket with outside water - and when it warms to a room temperature - slowly pour water in the pots until the water runs out clean. I do not know how hard your hard water is but if it is below 150ppm - it is great - you can check it with your Father's water district. If you want to get fancy - you can use distilled water with several drops of fish emlsion added - for leaching.

Good Luck

Irina

That makes so much sense, actually. Thanks for letting me know how to leach the plants. I got a jug full of clean, hard water and it seems to be room temp so I'm going to leach all my plants.

Grabbed a pic of everyone in the bathtub before their "bath" lol (I'm going to do it in the tub so I don't make a mess :P). I'm a tad worried about the dark brownish rings on the babies at the bottom- I though it was water spots, but every leaf has them. Here's hoping all goes well!

The rings are probably coming from the same problem. Do not clog Daddy Dear Sewer pipes! You can leach them above the bucket - just put something on the top of the bucket - colander or cookie cooling rack - so bad water runs into the bucket. You do not want soil and perlite going down the drain.

After you finished leaching - put the plants on a stack of old newspapers for 20 minutes - it drains the water out - so the pots are not oversoggy.

Ack, I shoulda thought of that. I leached them using a small pipet at first, until the soil on top settled so I actually didn't get that much into the tub. I saw your message as I was cleaning up so I wiped it up with a paper towel before rinsing the tub to minimize the soil/perlite going down the drain.

They're sitting on some paper towels in my room. They seem ok. No apparent shock from the treatment, so I'm pleased! I'm keeping an eye on everyone, but especially the Mac's since it's pot has the attached base. Rolled up some paper towel strips and stuffed them into the lip of the tray, and I've been replacing it if it gets damp or soggy. I know that pot isn't the best for it so I'll repot it soon.

Now it can be only better. Yes - repotting eventually will be the best.

Irina

Wonderful, I feel a lot better knowing my babies can recover now c: Thank you so so so much for helping me figure all this stuff out and giving me advice. I appreciate it so much. I don't know if I could have figured all this out on my own, and you and everyone else who replied helped so much :)

Update: Mac's is picking up it's leaves a bit already, and the Trinidad II (pictured only in the tub and on table, not listed in the OP) seems less "squished" in the center of the crown. The rest are... well they're trying their best. It's only been four days so I'm hopeful. The Ness' still looks wilted and droopy and the "sunburned" optimara (I don't know what kind it is) is still crinkled up and sad looking. The Dark Kiss baby looks like it's making new leaves, so maybe it'll be ok. The baby optimara don't seem to be recovering from their brown rings just yet, but I'm giving them more time. One hasn't changed but the other is starting to curl up where the brown patches are and the brown part seems soft. Not sure what's going on, but I'm just going to be patient with them (since it hasn't been that long).

Takes time! Sometimes it is too late. If you see something is not going to make it - take a leaf- and try to root it in a distilled water. It will suck the extra salts out of the leaf.

I.