I am house sitting african violets for a friend. I brought them home and left them in the car in the hot sun for 5 hours... forget about them. The flowers look dead and leaves are wilted. What do I do to revive them... she will be back in a month and I want them to be pretty again.

Hi! Ksmckeehan, welcome to AMHD :)

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What do I do to revive them?

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I hate to be the barer of bad news, but At this point probably nothing.

You can try placing them on a window sill with indirect sunlight, keep the soil damp not wet, and a very light misting of the leaves twice a week. No fertilizer.

After the amount of stress they endured they will not look as good as when your friend gave them to you for safe keeping, if they survive at all.

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High temperatures and dry soil
Plants are very stressed; water carefully; reduce temperatures

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From the AVSA Society diagnostics page:http://www.avsa.org/Diagonosis.htm


I would be ready to offer to replace them, I hope your friend does not have any sentimental value attached to these violet's, such as a centerpiece at her wedding.

ufl.edu - African Violets

Hi...
Give them a little time they may pick up.

I have had a few of these plants and they are just lovely.

Just a few tips that may help: allow your plant to dry out in between waterings.
Try and have a watering can standing for at least 8 hours before you use the water, the plant doesn't like the chemicals found in tap water.

Water from the base ( not absolutely essential but better )
African violets are prone to rot, by watering from the base it stops the leaves from standing in water, also if you get water on the flowers it will show as a dead spot.

Use a slightly damp cloth to gently wipe the leaves at least once a month,african violets have tons of fuzzy little hairs on the leaves which attract dust and other pollutents,which could suffocate the plant, by wiping the leaves it allows the plant to breath, promoting more growth.

If all else fails, perhaps you could give your african violet a boost, buy some fertilizer sticks or miricle grow that's sold specifically for the African Violet.

I wish you luck, please come back and let us know the outcome.