Question
Hi-this is my third post-I think I found the culprit to my drooping leaves and root rot.  I also have some whitish looking areas on the soil. I brought in a sample to work and looked under the microscope for fungal spores but found mites and many eggs instead.  Could I have soil mealy mites and a fungus?  Either way I think I need to start over, don't you?
Would a store specializing in gardening, etc. have the correct soil for african violets, as well as the correct pots?  Remind me what soil and pots are appropriate.
Thank you for all of your help.
Suzanne

Answer
Suzanne,

It's always a relief, isn't it, when we find out exactly which pest we are dealing with.

White patches on the soil near the trunk of the violet is another symptom of soil mealy bugs.  (Don't confuse Cyclamen and Broad MITE with Soil Mealy Bugs.  Different bugs need different things to control them.)

Plants can indeed have two or more different bugs or fungus at the same time.  Seeing the two different symptoms together can make it confusing.

I would trash any plants suffering from these symptoms since buying chemicals to control soil mealy bug alone would be expensive, much more expensive than starting with fresh plants.

My book, Insects, Pests and Diseases of the African Violet Family is out now and can be purchased by contacting me personally at [email protected].  

Most soil marked for African violets is too heavy and this would allow water to remain in the rootball for too long.  You can buy this soil, but at the same time, buy a bag of perlite and put two-thirds soil with one third perlite.  This will allow air to flow in the root ball and allow drainage.

To find the correct size pot for an African violet, measure the plant from tip of leaf to center to tip of leaf.  Divide by 3 and that is your number of pot to use.  For example, a nine inch plant would need a 3 inch pot.  A 12 inch plant would need a 4 inch pot.  Using pots that are too large means putting too much soil into the pot so the plant puts energy into making roots instead of making flowers.  And the excess soil promotes rot.

Good luck!

Nancy