Why Did Some of My Wild Violets Not Transplant Well and Die?

Sunlight

• Violets will tolerate some sunlight in the spring but prefer partial shade for most of the day. If you transplanted them in the early summer to a sunnier spot, the larger plants might tolerate the change for a longer time. Larger plants have larger rhizomes to hold moisture and nutrients during times of stress. Make sure the plants are not in full sunlight all day.

Heat

• Violets are spring and early summer flowers. If the temperatures are too high, the plant will struggle to survive, unless it has a respite from the noon sun in the shade. Smaller violet plants will struggle more than larger plants, after transplanting, simply because they cannot store as much moisture in their roots. Violets usually bloom in the early spring then again in the late summer as the temperatures fall.

Broken Stems

• The life of a violet plant is below the surface of the soil in the root system. If you damage the violet's stem, it is not likely to live. During the transplant process, protect the violets' stems from bending or snapping under pressure. However, even if the top plant breaks off, a new plant should emerge from the root system within a few weeks.

Insects

• There is a possibility that grubs in the soil are feeding on the plump roots of your violets. The life cycle of the Japanese beetle starts underground in the spring where it feeds on roots until it goes through metamorphosis into a beetle around the end of June. If you dig up the plant, along with the soil immediately surrounding it, you may find grubs around the roots. Kill the grubs and replant the violet.