Hello!

If you're having chronic issues with rot spots, dead leaves, or crown rot, I think it's wise to investigate your environment. Is there adequate airflow? Violets like a breeze in the room; stuffiness invites fungus. Is the temperature OK? 60F to 75F is best for them. How is the soil--is it porous enough, and is the violet's crown planted above the surface? They need good airflow in the roots too, and their crown cannot get wet; if it's wet, it has to dry within an hour. Are they getting enough sunlight? Cold and damp conditions are just as risky as warm and dark ones; I've found around 68F and somewhat sunny to be best. I've found that good airflow is the key to them accepting sunlight.

As for your current worries, crown rot spreads quickly. You'll notice some leaves wilting, and their stems will become brown and mushy at the base as the fungus moves upwards. The roots and main stem of the plant will become brown and mushy as it moves downwards. If you put the plant in a plastic bag, you'd know within a few days because of the raised humidity.

The best course of action for crown rot is to take two or three healthy leaves by cutting high with a sterilized knife, plant them, and then toss the mother plant. If you catch it early enough, the second way is to take leaves separately then reroot what's left of the crown, but I wouldn't recommend this.

It's hard to say what you had without photos, but if it were crown rot, they'd be dead. When in doubt, you can always root leaves, separate and root suckers, or restart the crown and start anew. I had to do this last year because I was over-potting for a while. Besides, starting leaves is fun. :)

I didn't mean to write so much, haha. Best of luck!

Thank you both for your assistance. That is exactly what I needed to know plus a lot of other good information. All the information was helpful.

I will keep them isolated for a while longer to make sure they are healthy.

I am moving all the AV's to wick watering to avoid watering problems.

@thehobgoblin, when you write "accepting sunlight" and "somewhat sunny" do you mean very bright indirect sunlight like 500 - 1000 foot-candles?

The plants do have a very light medium and good airflow. I hadn't fertilized them at all except for what I added to the initial soil mix. My main problem I think is both over and under watering and that these plants were in a west window that needs a sheer curtain drawn for a few hours each afternoon of direct sun, that I sometimes forgot to draw.

Drawing and opening that curtain every day is inconvenient but the plants have done very well there as long as I don't forget on a sunny day.

1000fc is way too much - and even 500fc can be detrimental to light gree leaf plants.

Consider at some point setting a light stand for them - it takes care of the windowsill problems and - can really lighten up a dark corner of your living space. The windowsills will be perfect for Streptocarpus - it takes twice the light - and Oyama pots are great for watering them. Lights and wicking system for AV makes all the diference - you can have bloom alll the time, you do not worry about burning your centers or sogging the roots and this corner is always a spring corner for you - December or no December. It will be always a-wash with blossoms.

Hi again! All my violets sit about two feet from a sunny window. They tend to grow slowly and not as happily when they're somewhere darker. However, I live in a valley, so a sheer curtain might be better for other places that aren't practically in a hole.

I relate to your over-watering issue--hugely. To avoid it, I use a rubber bulb syringe to give it a few squirts when it's dry enough, and then I stop. I clean it out with some hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol once in a while. Speaking of water, I forgot to say that water withhigh chlorine content or another similar quality problem can burn the plant too; perhaps this is your case?

As for fertilizer: Optimara's works great for mine. It's urea free and the NPK is balanced. There's a lot to choose from out there.

Above all, don't worry! If it works for you, keep on doing it. :')