BLOSSOM DROP 
Premature blossom drop may be caused by one of several conditions. 
(1) Gasses of one kind or another. A very small amount, five 
parts per million. 
(2) Thrip damage. 
(3) Excessive heat, with lack of humidity. 
The above three are the greatest offenders in creating blossom drop. 
PETIOLE ROT 
Petiole Rot is caused by the fertilizer salts that accumulate on the 
rim of the pot. This can be eliminated by waxing or painting the rim of 
the pot. You may also use Scotch tape or adhesive tape to accomplish 
the same results. Pipe stem cleaners may also be used to support the 
leaves to avoid this condition. 
STUNT 
Stunt is a malady about which little is known to date. When plants are 
stunted, leaf blades are small, brittle, and curled upward. Petioles are 
short and the general appearance is dwarfed and the plant refuses to grow 
as it should. Little can be learned as yet from Colleges of Floriculture 
regarding this. 
Dispose of any plants that show symptoms of being stunted and use 
Sanitary measures in handling your other plants. Do not take any leaf 
cuttings from these plants, since this plant itself is ill and can hardly 
reproduce healthy cuttings . 
INSECTS AND CONTROLS 
The following paragraphs contain general information regarding plant 
parasites, their control, and damages they inflict on the plant. Along 
with the controls mentioned below, sterilization of the soil and pots must 
be followed to accomplish favorable results. 
CYCLAMEN MITE 
Without a doubt Cyclamen Mite is the most destructive pest to the 
African Violet plant. Mites are not true insects, but belong to the ani- 
mal class which includes spiders, ticks, etc., these having eight legs 
instead of six. Being microscopic, which is typical of the Red Spider 
mite group, makes them all the more dangerous to successful Saint- 
paulia culture, both in the home and in the greenhouse. Its presence 
is identified only by the characteristic deformed foliage and crippled 
blossom development along with general stunting. 
The Mite is glossy white or transparent green, usually less than 
100th of an inch long and is rarely seen with the naked eye. It hides 
in the plant crevices, causing damage by feeding on the plant juices. 
The female lays five or six eggs a day for two or three weeks. These 
hatch in about seven days into a six legged larvae that requires ten 
days to reach adulthood. This completes the life cycle of the Mite. 
