Heat Stress Progression in African Violet: From Peripheral to Center Drooping

Suzanne's African violet showed progressive drooping: first peripheral leaves, now center leaves. She suspected soil mealybugs but soil wasn't overly wet.

Diagnosis: Root Rot from Heat + Overwatering

Center drooping indicates crown/root failure. Heat stress + even slight overwatering causes root rot. Soil mealybugs typically show wet soil with drooping—ruled out here.

Emergency Propagation

Soak healthy leaves in warm water for hours to rehydrate. Root in light mix for replacement plants. Keep all leaves on mother plant—center may recover if not too far gone.

Prognosis

Advanced center involvement is poor. Focus on leaf propagation for genetic preservation.