somewhat sheltered and are suddenly put in full 
sunlight, or if the weather suddenly turns off 
bright after weeks of overcast or cloudy skies, the 
plants may get a beautiful case of sunburn. This 
may be recognized by soft, brown spots on the 
leaves receiving the most direct rays. These soft 
spots ultimately become parched and crisp, and 
they will be there as long as the injured leaf is 
on the plant. 
__Q. How often should you repot an African 
Violet? Will it hurt to repot them while bloom- 
ing? Mrs. C.O., Tennessee. 
A. Once a year. After potting, plants can be 
expected to stop blooming for awhile until the 
root system has had a chance to adjust to the new 
location. If this “resting” period exceeds four 
Re ie however, there is something wrong. See 
elow. 
Q. I have a few violets that just refuse to 
grow. Definitely no mites. Mrs. R. B., Wisconsin. 
A. Just for fun, let me give you a check-list 
of the most common mistakes made in growing 
violets. 
a) Insufficient light. LIGHT, not sunshine. 
Bright cheerful rooms are just the things for vio- 
lets. They can take a little direct sunshine early 
in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is 
the one single mistake most often made. 
b) TEXTURE of the potting soil. Can you 
take a matchstick and readily scrape up the sur- 
face of the soil your violets are planted in? Or is 
it hard-packed and gummy, like clay? The tex- 
ture is of more importance than the richness of any 
soil. No matter how much fertilizer you give your 
plant, if the soil is stiff and hard, the roots can- 
not take advantage of the nourishment that is 
there. 
c) Many more people over-fertilize than 
under-fertilize. Follow the directions on the con- 
tainer. 
d) Do you water much and rarely, or little 
and often? If you have a large collection, go over 
your plants about three times a week, and water 
according to the way the soil in each individual 
plant feels. If the soil feels on the dry side, give 
the plant one-eighth to one-fourth a cup of water, 
depending on the size of the plant. If you water 
indiscriminately, your plants will oblige you by 
dying indiscriminately. Cheerful thought! 
Q@. Does your discount apply if the members 
of our violet club draw up an order, all to be sent 
to one address? Mrs. T.M., Virginia. 
A. Certainly does. See bottom of order blank. 
Cordially, 
” Lp 44 
