Wilting Plants

[tammy1999]

I have had 3 plants which have wilted and died. I water correctly. It starts with the bottom leaves and then makes it way to the top. It takes a few weeks before the whole plant is wilted. The first plant that did it was extremely old and I thought it had lived out its time. But, when the next 2 did this, I knew there was something wrong. I have many other plants and they are fine.

Any ideas?

[Sparkles]

Hmmmm. I hope some others pop in with their ideas. I have a couple, but without seeing them it might be hard to really know. Guess I'll ask some more questions first.

1. When you say you have other plants, do you mean other AVs?
2. When you say you water correctly, please help me understand what you mean. To me, it doesn't matter is you bottom, top, wick, or sideways water, but rather that the plant is never really wet, that the soil offers good aeration, and that the soil is just dry or barely damp when you add water the next time.
3. Have you ever had thrips that you are aware of?

First ideas are either crown rot and INSV, but I'm sure others more experienced with diseases will know more.

[Tomikin]

Probably the most common cause of death is overwatering or overwatering as per amount of light available. If you have a wilted, dying plant check for death of the roots. If root is rotting then for me I would first suspect the soil too wet, not draining well, too tight of mix. Isn't crown rot usually related to water conditions? I am no expert but often one will get one plant that does not drain properly. I did recently, but luckily it was an experimental plant.

The discussion of infestations and loss of collections sounds scary. The point I would make is that generally the hobby is fun and becoming very hyper-vigilant can become over the top. However I have never had a huge collection as some have had. Like a lot of hobbies violets will teach you as you go along and try things. I have known violets that lived in offices for years with neglect but then died immediately when someone came along and decided to over water them. For me the trick is to be aware of the light level ==if there is sufficient light and you see blooming and new growth then the violet will take more water than a dormant plant. I think violets. some of them have a blooming cycle. Some are now everblooming. But Unless there are some that don't bloom readily I would think a violet should never be dormant ;if it is look it over and suspect something is amiss, light level, moist level, etc In my experience a thriving violet is always growing and/or blooming even in winter if the temperature range is right.

[Steverd]

It's almost always overwatering, causing root rot.
Try adding more perlite into your potting mix. This will greatly reduce this.
Also I alway lift up the pot before watering. If it feels light then I water, if it has some weight to it, I wait to water.

Good luck,
Steve

[aireseneca]

...it was years ago. It flourished and bloomed so profusely that visitors asked if it was a silk plant! It was just a NOID but it's the memory of that plant that has brought me back to AV's.

Then it died and I couldn't do a thing to save it. Hadn't changed anything and then realized (too late) that I had not repotted it in well over a year or 18 mo. Looking back I wonder if it didn't have a mineral or salt build up or pH problems.

Could that have anything to do with it on yours?

Nancy (OH)