African violet - Ask Extension
I have three African violet plants that have been growing well under fluorescent tube lights. Several weeks ago the middle one – Red Rocket – bega...
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African violet #923652
Asked January 15, 2026, 9:58 AM EST
I have three African violet plants that have been growing well under fluorescent tube lights. Several weeks ago the middle one – Red Rocket – began to develop some curling leaves and drooping stems. I removed the leaves and repotted the plant. Although the color of the leaves is good and the stems are now rigid, the plant does not appear to be thriving. Is there anything else I could do or should I get rid of the plant.
Thank you.
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
The leaf curling resembles root stress due to over- or under-watering (it can be hard to tell those symptoms apart), but it's hard to be certain; over-watering is more common. The benefit of terra cotta pots is their ability to wick water out of the root ball so it's less likely for the soil to stay too wet for too long, but the trade-off is that it can also dry out the soil pretty quickly, especially in winter when our indoor air is dry.
How did the roots look when it was repotted? Were they mushy, being easy to pull apart, or were they firm and numerous? If the plant looked like it had too few roots, or if most of the root ball fell apart when it was removed from the pot for repotting, that suggests that either root development was poor due to stressful growing conditions, or that a more established root ball died back significantly due to root rot. Make sure the plants are not being fertilized heavily, as too many unused nutrients building up in the soil can "burn" roots, causing dieback and interfering with moisture absorption.
If root rot was the cause and too few good roots are left, that plant might not recover; time will tell, as it's hard to predict. You could try "tenting" the pot, covering the foliage with a clear plastic bag (or any container that holds in humidity) to boost humidity until roots can regrow. That will reduce moisture loss from the leaves until the plant has enough roots to absorb enough water to compensate for what the dry air (and photosynthesis) is removing. The caution with this method is that stagnant air could encourage fungal disease on the top growth, so keep an eye on the plant and vent excess dampness (if condensation gets too heavy on the inside of the bag) appears, and make sure the leaf surfaces are dry when the bag is put on.
Although leaf propagation may be one way to try saving a declining "mother plant," when the leaves themselves are not in good condition (wilting, for instance), they might not propagate successfully. If you think the plant isn't recovering, though, it can be a last-ditch effort to try saving it.
Miri
How did the roots look when it was repotted? Were they mushy, being easy to pull apart, or were they firm and numerous? If the plant looked like it had too few roots, or if most of the root ball fell apart when it was removed from the pot for repotting, that suggests that either root development was poor due to stressful growing conditions, or that a more established root ball died back significantly due to root rot. Make sure the plants are not being fertilized heavily, as too many unused nutrients building up in the soil can "burn" roots, causing dieback and interfering with moisture absorption.
If root rot was the cause and too few good roots are left, that plant might not recover; time will tell, as it's hard to predict. You could try "tenting" the pot, covering the foliage with a clear plastic bag (or any container that holds in humidity) to boost humidity until roots can regrow. That will reduce moisture loss from the leaves until the plant has enough roots to absorb enough water to compensate for what the dry air (and photosynthesis) is removing. The caution with this method is that stagnant air could encourage fungal disease on the top growth, so keep an eye on the plant and vent excess dampness (if condensation gets too heavy on the inside of the bag) appears, and make sure the leaf surfaces are dry when the bag is put on.
Although leaf propagation may be one way to try saving a declining "mother plant," when the leaves themselves are not in good condition (wilting, for instance), they might not propagate successfully. If you think the plant isn't recovering, though, it can be a last-ditch effort to try saving it.
Miri
