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valenciana


Dooney & Bourke

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help my african violet survive my black thumb!
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so my boss decided to give me another chance with an african violet (she gave me another one for xmas, after i killed the one she gave me last year).  this year she gave me a fancy pot that absorbs water through the base, so you can just always keep some water in the bottom part and the inner pot sucks it up somehow (absorbent clay???).  okay, that's fine, except i'll be gone for 17 days and i don't think it holds that much water.  hmmmm...  problem #2: my desk is pretty dim, which is fine for me, not so happy for my violet.  i do have a fluorescent light at my desk that i rarely turn on, but have started to overnight for the little baby.  it is only about 10 inches above the plant (non-adjustable)...if i left it on for 2.5 weeks would it burn to plant to pieces??

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Elle


Hermes

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I have found african violets to be quite tempermental - I have two that I have somehow kept alive for 4 years now but have suffered from being dumped, moved, and eaten and therefore have only bloomed twice.  They are looking really leggy right now b/c they are in a cage near an east facing window and aren't getting enough light.  Is there anyone at work that would be able to water it and turn the light off and on for it?  Or maybe just keep it at their desk until you get back?

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valenciana


Dooney & Bourke

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nobody else is good at african violet care??    my poor little plant...


LMonet, frankly, no, there isn't anyone I trust to take care of my plant.  maybe i should be airing this out in the "relationships" forum, but there's really no one at work i like or trust enough to do anything for me.  but perhaps when my boss gets back herself she will take pity on me and my sad gardening skills once again and add some water to the pot.



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JMR


Dooney & Bourke

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V-I used to work at a florist - we alwasy watered the violets from the bottom. The leaves will basically "rot" if water is poured on them. There is African violet food - so check that out - but be careful, if you overwater the violets they will also die. They are not easy plants to keep. good luck.

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Ally S


Kate Spade

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They like lots of light, but not direct sun and they also like humidity. To increase humidity put small pebbles in the dish/planter and water from below.

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~Ally~
mikacat


Coach

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i have never been good with them either.  even though i think they are so pretty. I always kill Orchids after about 6 months too.


I stick to Pothos, Peace Lillys and bamboo....they are so hard to kill!



-- Edited by mikacat at 05:36, 2004-12-25

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greendiamond


Marc Jacobs

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actually, those fancy pots work wonders. I have one in the 2-piece water from the bottom pots, and I think if you watered it as high as it could go you'd be okay for the 17 days. I can't remember the last time I watered mine, and it's doing great. I just checked the water level in my violet, and there is still some left. It does have pebbles on top of the soil, as someone already suggested. If your office has flouresent overhead lighting, it should be okay.


 


-gd



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