How to Treat Botrytis on an African Violet

Saintpaulia, or African violets, are ideal plants to brighten your indoor spaces. You’ll find varieties that bear flowers in a wide range of color choices -- the smooth or ruffled petals may even be two-toned. A common problem indoor gardeners face with African violets is Botrytis cinerea, also called botrytis blight. Symptoms of botrytis blight begin with small watery lesions on the underside of the leaves, which may turn brown and wilt. A gray, fuzzy coating appears on affected areas in advanced cases. If this happens, you must take steps to treat the violets and eliminate the problem before it spreads.

Fungicide, optional
Miticide, optional
Small fan, optional

Instructions

- 1
  Remove affected leaves and stems, as well as any bits of them on the soil surface around the plant. Dead foliage harbors spores of the botrytis cinerea fungus. As the plant grows, remove lower leaves that come into contact with the soil surface. Apply an African violet-specific fungicide according to package instructions to treat severe problems.
- 2
  Lower the room humidity. While African violets need humidity to keep from dehydrating, too much moisture encourages the growth of botrytis cinerea. Set a home humidifier at about 45 percent humidity for an air temperature of about 70 degrees.
- 3
  Apply a miticide following the package instructions as a preventative measure. Microscopic mites such as Cyclamen mites damage the leaves and allow the fungus to spread into the damaged plant tissue.
- 4
  Space the violet plants far enough apart so the leaves of neighboring plants do not touch.
- 5
  Water the violets without dripping water onto the leaves or flowers. Wet foliage and blossoms provide perfect conditions for the botrytis fungus to grow.

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