How to form a violet bush when it is small. Continuation
Violet is a very common house plant that adorns the window sills of flower lovers. If you make very little effort, you will admire the lush caps of flowers with small petals of different shapes and colors all season long. And one of the important factors testifying in favor of choosing this particular plant is the reproduction of violets by a leaf at home.
Growing violets (also called saintpaulias) is not difficult, and this flower will feel good even for beginners. She just needs to create optimal conditions for the flower. They come down to proper watering without excessive moisture, sunlight without direct burning rays, the absence of drafts and sudden changes in temperature, as well as moderate feeding with special fertilizers.
Violets feel better in small pots of their natural materials - clay, ceramics, wood. In such pots, the roots of violets get enough air.
As soon as small multi-colored buds appear on the windowsill of a flower lover, an irresistible desire arises to replenish the ranks of pots with green bushes. And this leads to the question of how best to propagate and root the violet?
Reproduction of violets at home
There are several ways to propagate violets. This plant can be propagated in different ways:
- seeds,
- cuttings,
- stepchildren
- and leaflets.
However, the most favorite way of flower growers is the rooting of the violet of their leaf.
This is the most simple and well-known method that is easy to implement at home. It will not make any work even for beginner flower growers.
When and how to propagate violet leaf
The best time to breed saintpaulias is spring and summer, when there is enough light and sun. In the fall, it is more difficult to do this, but nothing is impossible, if such a need arises, feel free to try to root the leaves even in winter. It just needs some extra lighting.
Reproduction of violets at home can be done both with whole leaves and their parts. To do this, you need to cut off a small leaf on a fairly long handle with a sharp knife at an angle of 45 degrees. An oblique cut must be made in order to increase the area of \u200b\u200broot formation, then there will be much more young outlets after rooting.
A sheet can be taken of any size, both old and young, it matters only for speed. from which the roots will appear. But the stalk should be no shorter than 3 - 4 cm. On the bush, after you cut off the leaf, 0.5 cm should remain from the stalk. The place of the cut can be slightly sprinkled with ash.
The rooting leaf should be bright green, without spots and traces of rot. If you want to root a leaf quickly, then they need to be taken from the second row from the point of growth - not the oldest, on which the roots will form for a long time, but also not very young, which have not yet gained strength. As a rule, roots begin to appear after a few days, and depending on the variety, it takes from two weeks to a month to reach the desired length.
Rooting a violet leaf in water
Rooting a leaf in water has the advantage that you can watch how the roots develop and immediately see the result.
For rooting a leaf in water, it is better if the glass container in which you put it is made of dark glass. Small medicine vials are ideal for this.
Step-by-step instructions for rooting a leaf in violets in water are as follows:
- pour water into the bottle. It is advisable to use boiled water, to which an activated charcoal tablet is added. It is not necessary to pour a full bottle of water, it is quite enough if the leaf stalk is in the water by about 1 - 1.5 cm;
- creating a greenhouse effect. To do this, the top of the container can be covered with a plastic lid. But it is not necessary to do this, the leaf will already give roots in a few days;
- pay attention to the level of water in the bottle. It is not necessary to change the water in the bottle, just make sure that the water in the bottle does not dry out;
- we put the bottle with the handle away from direct sunlight, best of all on the eastern windowsill;
- We follow the cuttings and roots. If you see that the tip of the cutting, which is standing in the water, has begun to rot, feel free to cut off the rotten part, change the water in the bottle and put the leaf in a shaded place again.
When the roots grow to a length of 1 - 1.5 cm, they can be planted in the ground.
You can do it differently. Sometimes flower growers do not pull leaves with roots out of the water until they see that small rosettes have appeared on the handle. And already these sockets are planted in a container with soil.
Rooting a leaf in the ground
Rooting a leaf in the ground also has its advantages. Violet will not have to be transplanted and disturbed by young roots, making it easier for the plant to adapt.
If you decide to root your leaf in the ground, then first you need to take care of the composition of the soil for rooting. A little charcoal and perlite, as well as vermiculite, should be added to the soil. Soddy land is very good for growing violets.
The soil should be light and loose, without fail drainage is required.
In this case, the step-by-step algorithm of your actions is as follows:
- take a small plastic cup and make a small hole in its bottom to drain the water.
- Pour the drainage into the cup first, then the soil prepared for the violet.
- insert a leaf into it, deepening it by about 1.5 cm, it is not necessary deeper.
- Spill the leaf with water, while avoiding excessive moisture.
You can create a greenhouse effect for a leaf by covering it with a film, but this is not necessary. Do not forget that the ground should not be too wet, and water the leaf as the soil dries.
In order to keep the leaf upright and prevent it from falling over, you can use plastic straws for cocktails - they are quite long and light.
Unlike a leaf that takes root in a glass, the roots in the ground are not visible. Therefore, the state of the plant can only be assessed by the appearance of the leaf. If you see that after a while it began to wither, you need to remove it from the ground and inspect the cutting.
If traces of decay are found, proceed in the same way as in the case of rooting in water - cut off the rotten place, and place the cutting in the ground again.
If everything goes well, then in about a month and a half or two months, a lot of young green shoots will appear near the leaf.
Care of young plants
Violets are transplanted into ceramic pots for a permanent place when the young rosettes have grown a little, and their diameter is twice the diameter of the cup. Don't repot rosettes in larger pots or you'll have to wait a very long time for flowering. It is ideal to take a container with a diameter of 5 - 6 cm for planting.
When you move young plants there, try to “transfer” them along with a clod of earth, and pour soil into the pot from above and gradually compact it, slightly pressing from above. Thus, you do not injure fragile violet roots.
Place potted plants in a well-lit place away from direct sunlight, water them, and periodically feed and gently loosen the soil to ensure air access to the root system. In order for the flower to receive light evenly, the pots should be rotated periodically.
Your violets will surely thank you with abundant blooms.
Uzambara violet.
Family Gesneriaceae - Gesneriaceae.
Genus Saintpaulia hybrida - Saintpaulia hybrid.
African violet saint paulia hybrid.
Formation of a beautiful Saintpaulia rosette
Formation of a beautiful rosette for flowering.
It is necessary to carefully monitor in which direction the trunk grows. When planting, sometimes you can plant a violet not perfectly straight up, after a while it will show up. Then you need to carefully remove the lump from the pot, holding the violet by the trunk under the leaves, rub the lower part so that it becomes even in the plane we need, place it at the right angle in the pot and pour the substrate into the empty side.
It often happens that the central leaves rest against the previous ones and almost grow under them. It is necessary to carefully straighten them from there so that there is no deformation of young leaves. This is a consequence of a change in the light flux. outer leaves could grow in less light and petioles grew at a higher angle, and the central ones are already growing flat and therefore climb under the outer ones. (Grow a violet immediately in a full-fledged light and some problems simply will not arise at all).
Removal of peduncles when forming a rosette is mandatory. The goal that the violet sets itself in its development is to increase the volume of the crown and the volume of the root mass corresponding to each other. If the crown is large, the violet is forced to quickly grow roots in order to feed it. If there are many roots and few leaves, you need to increase the leaves.
Sometimes this process goes in the direction of growing new points of growth (stepchildren). As soon as the balance of the crown and roots is reached, the violet “calms down” and lays flower stalks. Leaf growth stops or slows down very much. Violet switches to bloom mode.
A healthy and properly grown Saintpaulia will usually produce flower stalks sequentially as it grows in the top three or four tiers of the rosette. You need to know that the peduncle grows from the axil of the leaf only once, there will be no more peduncle in this place. Therefore, one should not expect continuous flowering from violets with lush bouquets. So violet blooms only in spring, after the winter period of growth and rest from flowering. It follows that the beauty of Saintpaulia flowering depends on the state of the outlet.
The axillary meristem is located in the axil of each leaf. Depending on the need, it forms either a growth point or a peduncle. Our goal is to grow a single crown without stepchildren and so far without flower stalks. Removing stepchildren forces the violet to grow new leaves only at the top, at the central point of growth.. Our ideas about the correct crown differ from violet. She needs the physiological volume of the leaves, and we need a beautiful multi-tiered rosette that exceeds the needs and capabilities of the roots.
From the moment the physiological balance is reached, the violet will lay flower stalks, and the leaves will stop growing. But if we remove these peduncles, she will have to lay new ones, and new ones can only be in the axils of new leaves! She grows the next tier. We again remove and again deprive it of the possibility of flowering. She is forced to grow the next ones. Such interference continues until we are satisfied with the volume and beauty of the crown.
Hence the direct consequence. Violet roots stuck in a pot of empty peat can't naturally feed so many leaves, and if we don't feed the violet, she herself will never feed the excess leaf mass. Therefore, the long-standing call to “not feed” violets from the point of view of developmental physiology looks at least archaic for large strong show plants. When recommendations were written for growing indoor violets, those plants that are now grown for exhibitions were not meant.
Among other things, we are obliged to provide space for the outlet. The overlapping of part of the leaf plates with the leaves of neighboring violets leads to a decrease in the “energy supply”, which impairs the absorption of nutrition from the roots. Violet tries to expose the entire possible area of leaves to the light and raises the leaves so that they are above the barrier. We get the notorious “hands up”.
If, according to the violet, there is an abundance of light (we don’t think so, by the way, we need a very flat, even rosette, and we shine the violet in an adult way), then it can lower the leaves below the horizontal plane. To form a flat symmetrical rosette, so that the leaves do not wrap over the edge of the pot, and so that the violet does not lie on its side, collar templates or corsets are used.
The corset is made from a disposable plate in diameter, which simply does not allow the leaves to bend and hug the pot, but makes even leaves. You also need to use the plate with care. If the plate is put on before the plant has developed strong strong stems, the supporting effect of the plate will result in underdevelopment and weakness. It may turn out that after removing the collar, skinny petioles simply will not be able to support the weight of the leaves. Therefore, you can use the plate not earlier than the full development of the layer of adult strong leaves. In order not to break the leaves, you need to put the plate on the pot when the violet is slightly dried, i.e. quite a bit withered leaves, but only quite a bit, the leaves are then as if more plastic and perfectly laid out and leveled, and then water the violet a little.
Some people like it if it is a “hands up” variety so that the rosettes are leaves down. To form the desired shape, they put something like an inverted large-mesh colander on top of the outlet. In the center there is a cutout for flower stalks. The leaves under the weight of the “colander” grow down, which is what is required of them. Single sheets of “hands up” are quickly and easily corrected with a thick wire, sticking it into the ground in an arc, clasping the leaf stalk. You just need to gently grab the stalk with it, do not pinch it.
If the variety is not “hands up”, but the leaves have risen simply from improper care, then this is corrected very quickly. Colored paper clips - they are coated and do not rust. Unbend the paper clip to get a wire bent almost in half. The sharp ends are stuck into the ground, and the bend presses the desired sheet to the desired height to the ground.
It is best to do this during watering, when the ground is already wet and the leaves are still slightly sluggish. In this case, the sheet is more pliable and will not break. Over time, the leaf can be pulled to the ground more strongly when it has already got used to its new position. You can choose green paper clips to make them less visible.
The formation of an impeccable rosette consists in providing it with a full-fledged luminous flux and daylight hours, full space for placing leaves, watering, regular thoughtful fertilizer, removing stepchildren to stimulate development into one trunk, and removing flower stalks to provoke increased development of new and new leaves. If you want to reduce the size of your violet, then it can be transplanted not into the top ten, but into the eight, after removing the extra, old roots and shaking off the old soil.
If you have good external conditions for violets, you just need to let the violet grow quietly and develop according to its nature, without driving it into any special framework. If there is a favorable temperature regime and good lighting from above, then with the usual agricultural technology (stable moisture and timely transplants), the violet itself will grow beautiful and healthy. There is no special need to help her in this, except to limit flowering for the period of foliage growth.
After all, each violet age has its own tasks. And our requirements for each age must be adequate. The task of the baby is to form an active growth point and build thick healthy roots. The task of the starter is to show the correct varietal qualities in the first flowering and create a “platform” for the subsequent construction of the rosette shape.
At the same time, the violet itself knows what “platform” it needs: large or small - this is genetically predetermined for each variety. It is certainly better if this platform is free and spacious than dense and constrained. The longevity and looseness of the rosette in many varieties is an age property. A young violet looks spongy because it just doesn't have enough leaves yet. With age, this goes away by itself (naturally, under favorable conditions of detention and well-established agricultural technology).
It is bad if the violet grows dense and constrained from a young age. Among the violet growers there are lovers of squeezing sockets for reasons of space saving. It is not difficult to squeeze a violet, in particular a starter: a cramped pot plus an enhanced portion of lighting. We get shorter petioles, respectively, a smaller diameter and a denser shape. The unnatural reduction of a young rosette leads to the fact that already in the next tier of leaves we observe an excessively compacted middle with hard, curved leaf buds that do not allow each other to breathe or photosynthesize.
It is dangerous to plant a violet in a cramped pot if good intense lighting is used. Personally, I am always FOR intense light, but at the same time I am aware that intense light implies intensive nutrition. The most important thing is balance. The balance of light and nutrition is no less important than the balance of light and temperature. In a cramped pot, achieving stable and efficient nutrition for a reasonable period of time is a task of increased complexity.
Continued: The problem with the leaves - "Hands up."
In Russia, it began to gain popularity in the middle of the last century.
Clusters of delicate flowers of various colors, shaded by a dense necklace of juicy greenery, attracted the general attention of domestic flower growers.
Plants turned out to be unpretentious in room culture, which contributed to the rapid increase in the number of their connoisseurs.
One of the main tasks in growing violets is creating their decorative outline, and this completely depends on the correct formation of the rosette of the flower.
The appearance and small size of the violet are determined by its original structure - leaf plates assembled in a rosette give the plant a compact and even outline.
However, in some cases, in order for the violet to acquire its unique look, the grower will have to make an effort.
Wherein many hybrid varieties form a beautiful rosette on their own.
general characteristics
The natural habitats of Saintpaulia are the mountainous territories of the eastern part of the African continent - many species of this plant do can be called endemic to Tanzania.
That's why their cultivars are genetically based on the ability to survive in difficult natural conditions and therefore violet bushes in room culture continue to develop in the form of a rosette.
IMPORTANT! A special life form in some herbaceous plants, including Saintpaulia, - a rosette - is formed due to a significant shortening of the stem and dense formation of leaf plates around the circumference in a small space.
The rosette arrangement of the leaves provides for a different length of their petioles: in the upper leaves they are shortened, but the lower tiers of the formation, the longer the petioles of the leaf blades.
Standard sizes for different varieties
Selection work with violets, according to various communities of lovers of this wonderful plant, has already given more than 30 thousand(about 20 thousand of them are domestic).
To classify this diversity, a large number of characteristics are used, an important place among which is occupied by outlet size.
On this basis, they distinguish:
- giants - up to 60 cm:
- Lions Spectacle;
- "Grey Ocean".
Gray ocean.
- large - from 40 to 50 cm:
- "Zephyr";
- "Duchess".
Duchess.
- standard - within 20 - 40 cm:
- "Black Pearl";
- "Chanson".
Black Pearl.
- – from 15 to 20 cm:
- "Angelica";
- "Lel";
- "Ellie".
- mini - up to 15 cm:
- "Spootnik";
- "Eikas Sakura";
- Elkimi Yellow Belz.
Elkimi Yellow Belz.
- microminiature - no more than 6 cm:
- "Senk's Azalea Trail";
- "Precious pixie";
- Snuggle bear.
Lateral (stepchildren)
In all types and varieties of violets, in the course of their life, constantly increasing side outlets (or stepchildren). Do not take them for. The difference between them is significant:
- stepchildren grow from leaf axils adult socket;
- children are formed near the rooted cuttings as a young plant.
Lateral rosettes, developing in parallel with the mother plant, violate its decorative effect and deprive it of essential nutrients.
They should be carefully separated from the adult specimen., root and use as planting material.
General provisions
The health and decorativeness of Saintpaulia specimens growing in home collections are directly dependent on the correct arrangement of leaves in their rosettes.
To begin with, let's define what a violet socket is. In general terms, this compact hemisphere with mosaic placement of leaves and inflorescences at the top. The rosette is formed as a result of a tiered increase in the length of leaf petioles: the closer to the ground, the longer they are.
Such a distribution of leaf plates in space helps them not to create a shadow for each other and receive the same amount of sunlight.
Features of watering young plants
When growing violets, beginner flower growers should consider not only young plants, but also ways to carry out this procedure. violet is necessary regularly, but not very plentifully.
ATTENTION! Saintpaulia refers to plants for which a slight drying of the substrate is not so terrible as the accumulation of excess moisture in a pot.
Young specimens exposed to excessive moisture are unable to form a beautiful rosette - from excess water, their root system can rot, which will directly affect the state of the sheet part. Even the death of the entire bush is possible.
The method of watering can also affect the formation of a correct and strong outlet.
With the help of a watering can
The method of watering with a watering can has its own nuances. In no case should water be allowed to get on the sheet plates, and even more so - in the center of the outlet. This will lead to rotting or deformation of the plant.
If water still gets into the outlet, it should be dried with paper towels.
Ideal for watering along the inner walls of the vase. It is important to control the volume of watering water that has entered the pot.
By immersion method
When watering by immersion excess water needs to be taken care of. so as not to provoke the formation of rot.
Attention should also be paid to the formation of a salt crust, which can appear on the substrate and negatively affect the development of leaves (leaf plates and petioles are deformed upon contact with excess salt on the soil). Occasionally it is worth watering the flower from above to the ground to wash away this crust.
But there is also a positive side to this method - with it the socket is formed much larger.
wick method
The method is acceptable for watering violets provides a constant and necessary supply of moisture, which means that the rosette of leaves will form quickly enough without slowing down its growth. But you should also occasionally dry the soil, preventing rotting of the roots.
Negative side - the possibility of getting into the pot of cold water in winter, which will cause hypothermia of the plant and affect the growth of the outlet.
Wick watering.
Through pallet
Watering through a pallet has the same negative and positive aspects as the methods of immersion and using a wick. With care and diligence can be successfully applied to young plants, helping to develop the correct contour of the outlet.
Effect of acidified soil
Saintpaulias, with the exception of some species, require rosettes for their comfortable growth and proper development. slightly acidic substrate. A change in the acidity of the soil in any direction invariably leads to a deterioration in the appearance of the outlet and the whole plant as a whole.
Indispensable a sign of substrate acidification is the formation of rosettes with a thickened center- leaf plates are twisted, become rigid in appearance and strongly compacted during the formation of the rosette due to the shortening of the petioles.
Acidic soil does not allow a young plant to absorb enough nutrients for it.
Gradually, this leads to starvation of the violet, a decrease in its vitality, cessation of growth and loss of the decorative appearance of the rosette.
The best way to solve the problem of acidic soil can be called regular saintpaulia in a fresh substrate.
How to form a rosette in violets
Young Saintpaulias independently form the contour of the sheet socket optimal for them. The task of flower growers involved in the cultivation of violets is only to minimize the impact of harmful factors on the development of the plant and create a comfortable environment for the proper growth of the rosette.
The nuances of landing in the ground
The first stage in the process of modeling a harmoniously developed rosette can be considered correct violets in the substrate. In this process, all the little things should be foreseen:
- the soil for young specimens it should be quite nutritious, with a slightly acid reaction of the medium, good aeration and water permeability;
- for a new violet it will be low, but wide pot- one should adhere to the calculation that its depth should be approximately equal to the width, and the diameter cannot exceed the size of the plant itself (more correctly, if it is a third of the diameter of the outlet). In a large pot, the violet will grow, but it will not have enough strength;
ADVICE! You should not choose a large flowerpot for violets: the larger the pot, the more likely it is to quickly rot the roots, since the moisture will not be able to evaporate longer, and water will stagnate. The material from which the flowerpot is made does not play a significant role.
- before planting violets, you need to arrange a good one in a pot drainage layer and, if necessary, a wick for watering;
When planting violets, drainage must be used.
- in the process of boarding the violet trunk must certainly be covered with a substrate- an important condition for the formation of a beautiful outlet.
Ways to prevent deformation of young leaves
When forming a violet leaf rosette, even minor violations in the plant can lead to deformation of the leaf plates of the plant:
Influence of stepchildren
Even at the very beginning of the growth of a young violet, stepsons (or side rosettes) can sprout from the axils of its leaves. In some varieties of saintpaulia, the formation of a significant number of stepchildren is a genetic feature.
Side rosettes are of no use to violets.. A large number of stepchildren on the mother plant spoils the decorative appearance of the outlet - it acquires a sloppy, shaggy outline.
Living off the main plant stepchildren deprive the violet of the necessary nutrients, and this is reflected in the rate of leaf growth and the correct development of the rosette.
Violet's stepson.
If the presence of stepchildren is not due to the characteristics of the variety (trailer and fantasy forms or), you need to make sure that it is the stepson (not the peduncle) that has formed and delete it. If necessary, you can grow a stepson a little, then separate and put on rooting.
The role of lighting
For the proper development of Saintpaulia needs a lot of diffused light. But at the same time, the violet's reaction to lighting is twofold: it reacts negatively to any change in it, both in the direction of strengthening and decreasing.
In the case of a long-term exposure of the violet to a uniform, diffused light, it will form a beautiful outline of its outlet quickly enough.
ADVICE! In order for the rosette of saintpaulia to take shape equally on all sides and have a smooth, flawless contour, experienced flower growers advise constantly turning the pot with the plant relative to the sun's rays.
Bright light (especially in summer) can slow down the formation of a harmonious rosette, and direct rays of the sun can burn sheet plates, leaving ugly marks on them.
To protect itself from dangerous brightness, the violet tries to remove the leaves from the light by bending them closer to the flowerpot. In addition, the color of the leaf plates does not change for the better. That's why shading is a must.
A small amount of light causes the opposite effects:
- leaf petioles become long;
- leaves are stretched;
- violet bristles with raised leaf plates.
To prevent this from happening you need to think about the lighting system.
Both of these reactions to lighting affect the development of the outlet, disrupting its beautiful appearance.
Flower stalks: to remove or not?
A young plant spends significant forces on the formation of its contour. Therefore, all flower stalks formed during this period expedient to remove- otherwise, the developing plant will not have enough strength for two processes and it may die.
If you remove the flowers in the early stages of violet development, then a more mature plant will come.
After breaking off the flower stalks, the violet may begin to grow stepchildren, but also they should be eliminated immediately. until the bush has finally taken shape.
Physiological balance: crown of leaves or peduncles
Each young Saintpaulia, starting development in a room culture, sooner or later strives to come to a physiological balance between the main parts of its body.
This means that the leaf mass formed to the required size is fully supported by the appropriate number of roots. Only under this condition, the violet is considered to have grown enough to enter the next phase - the phase of laying buds and the formation of flower arrows.
Only a healthy adult violet will begin to form buds.
During the search for balance, the violet, trying to solve the problem as soon as possible, can actively form stepchildren. But upon reaching the goal, the plant switches to flowering. In this case, flower stalks and growth points may appear from the leaf sinuses.
For the development of a socket of a conceived shape the florist is obliged to regularly pinch off all flower arrows and stepchildren, after which the saintpaulia will be forced to release another row of growth points, on which flower stalks will again be laid. So circle after circle can continue until the necessary form of the plant appears.
In this matter, the goals of the violet and the florist do not converge, but the person usually turns out to be more persistent and receives the intended outline.
The need for top dressing
Fertilization for most Saintpaulia varieties is not a mandatory measure. To carry out this procedure should be guided by the appearance of the plant:
- if the leaves are lush and healthy, then there is no need to fertilize;
- if the bush does not develop well enough, then mineral fertilizer can be applied.
When the violet has a well-developed leaf part, and, phosphorus and potassium preparations can be used. The formation of a strong green mass will contribute nitrogen fertilizers.
CAREFULLY! When top dressing, it is necessary to carefully calculate the dose of fertilizer - it should be half of the recommended on the package. Otherwise, unexpected problems may occur.
In these cases, top dressing is simply vital: they are carried out according to all the rules of agricultural technology, but also in reduced doses.
What is a corset, how to make it and what is it for?
The goal of flower growers involved in the cultivation of saintpaulias is to get an even and lush rosette. To accomplish this task, a corset - a special device from a disposable plate, worn on the bottom of the violet and supporting the leaves in the desired position.
Corset can be applied only after the formation of the first tier of strong sheet plates. The moment for trying on the corset should be chosen after the soil has dried slightly - at this time the leaves are more pliable and less susceptible to damage.
Violet corset.
With the help of various corsets, flower growers have learned to form convex and concave contours of leaf rosettes.
Why does the outlet thicken?
Sometimes a very dense central part is formed in saintpaulia. Here are some reasons why the center of the rosette thickens at the violet:
- the size of the flowerpot is much larger than the diameter of the violet;
- violet was often fertilized with nitrogen - overfeeding;
- change in the acidity of the substrate, which means starvation of the plant;
- defensive reaction to bright or insufficient lighting;
- root rot due to errors in irrigation regimes;
- low humidity in the room;
- pests and diseases of violets lead to the same effect.
Rejuvenation methods
Violets are perennial plants that can live in the collection for a long time.
But gradually the lower part of the trunk is exposed due to the removal of old leaf plates, the plant ages and loses its decorative effect.
In this case, it can be done in several ways:
- saintpaulias with a bare but not very elongated stem is simply fill up with substrate to form new roots;
- Violet with a naked, long, but still green stem, experienced flower growers advise in a more suitable flowerpot with a fresh substrate. The transplantation process must necessarily include deepening of the stem to the level of leaf blades and shortening of the root system;
- updating an old outlet when the lower part of the stem has changed color, coarsened and cannot grow roots is:
- cleaning the violet from most of the leaves (it will take a lot of strength to recover);
- cut off the top of the outlet along the border on the stem between the green and brown areas;
- placing this piece of plant in a glass of water. Roots should appear in a couple of weeks.
How to properly divide overgrown specimens?
Separation of the outlet is used as the easiest and most effective way. It is used in the case of multiple formation of stepchildren on the maternal Saintpaulia.
Overgrown rosette of violets.
So, how to separate sockets:
- the entire copy is removed from the flowerpot;
- neatly divided into parts with sharp and disinfected instruments;
- slices are processed with coal;
- it is important that each stepchild already has his own root system. Then they are simply carefully planted in new pots;
- how to root a violet rosette without roots? In this case, the roots are first grown in water, and then the stepchildren are seated in pots.
CAREFULLY! During the procedure for dividing violets, it is impossible to clean the roots from the ground - the flower reacts very painfully to all manipulations.
Problems that arise
Most of the problems with the room culture of Saintpaulia arise due to errors in the maintenance of the plant:
Useful videos
Watch the video with the highlights of forming a violet rosette:
From this video you will learn why violets form ugly rosettes:
Video tips for forming a symmetrical outlet:
The following video shows how to make a violet corset:
Conclusion
Growing Saintpaulia in room culture periodically gives flower growers a lot of worries. But having studied all the nuances of care and carefully following the recommendations of specialists, you can achieve the main thing - development A healthy, profusely flowering plant with a beautiful rosette outline.
In contact with
Unpretentious violets how to care for them to bloom in any adverse conditions, let's look for the answer to the question asked. Probably every hostess has a violet growing on the window, with proper care, she pleases almost all year round with a modest, but such a touching bouquet of flowers. An unpretentious flower, you can grow it everywhere, even at the North Pole. The main thing is that there is enough heat and light, no matter if it is artificial or real, sunny. Since a person lives there, then the plant next to him will survive.
flower description
Violet, a perennial plant, has a very modest growth, creeping root, grows well. A bush with leaves in the form of a heart is located on an upright petiole. Garden violet blooms in single flowers from May to August, forming a fruit box with seeds at the end of the growing season. Looks good in flower beds and lawns.
It is found in forests, where it grows under deciduous trees.
Saintpaulia or domestic violet has more than one and a half thousand species, and the process of selection of new species does not stop. The most interesting thing about this flower is that it can bloom for 10 months of the year, with short rest breaks.
Another trouble, violet does not like drafts. The soil in the pot should be light, loose and not interfere with the access of oxygen to the roots. Watering should be moderate at least 3 times a week. The flower must not be sprayed.
If you want to create ideal conditions for a flower, buy a humidifier. Although, the violet blooms well in room conditions, without air humidification, even being next to radiators.
Homemade violet forms a kind of rosette of flowers. It reproduces vegetatively, for such reproduction, a leaf is cut off and placed in a vessel with water. They are planted immediately in the soil, arranging a mini greenhouse from a plastic bag, or covering the leaf with a glass jar.
Why do you think domestic violet is propagated only in this way? When propagated by seeds, varietal characteristics are often lost, from the seeds of domestic violets, often not what you expect grows at all.
Origin
In Tanzania, which is located in East Africa, in the old days, there was a colony called German Africa. Baron Adalbert von Saint-Pol ruled there. During his reign, walking with his beloved around the neighborhood, on one of the stones, he saw blue flowers, with bright yellow stamens framed by dark green leaves. They grew in one of the crevices of the stone. So the plant, named after the person who discovered it, got its name, Saintpaulia.
The governor had a father, a passionate collector of rare plants. At that time he served as director of the Hanover Botanical Garden. In 1893, at a flower exhibition, Saintpaulia, from the Gesneriaceae family, was presented; Ulrich von Saint-Paul, father of the baron, identified it there according to the description.
The presented copy became a sensation and was described in the press by many international journalists. It also received high praise from collectors. The name of the Uzambara violet, she received in honor of the area where she was found. There is such an array in Tanzania.
How and when violets bloom
To make a violet bloom for a long time, the first thing she needs to do is create comfortable conditions for this.
Extra is not required! You should start with the container where you decided to transplant the plant. The pot should have this size, the rosette of violet leaves is 27 cm in diameter, which means the diameter of the dish is no more than 9-10 cm.
It seems to you that the dishes are too small for such a flower, alas, if you take a larger container, then say goodbye to the dream of violet flowering. It will develop well, it will successfully increase the mass of leaves and there will be children, but there will be no flowering, just the flower will begin to fatten.
Place the specimen closer to the light, but in no case should it be exposed to direct sunlight, they will burn the dark green leaves of the flower, and it may die.
Best of all, he feels with a small shadow standing next to the tree window. In extreme cases, darken the glass with a transparent cloth. There will be plenty of light, and the leaves will not suffer.
The plant loves moist air, but will not survive spraying. It would be nice to have a humidifier, but if you constantly monitor the soil moisture, the violets will survive without it.
She responds well to fertilizing with phosphate fertilizers, which stimulate the laying of peduncles. You can feed with complex fertilizers for beautifully flowering plants, but reduce the concentration by 3 times.
Try to lower the temperature to + 15 ° C at night - this also gives an impetus for laying buds. Did not help? After 4-5 weeks, cut off the entire lower row of leaves, this will spur the violet to bloom.
Well, wait! And this method did not give anything? Try to shame the lazy person or threaten to dispose of them in the trash can. Useless again? Last try, give or give to someone you know, a change of scenery and stress can have a beneficial effect on a flower. The classic color of the violet is blue, of varying intensity, the lower petals are much shorter.
Violet varieties
At this time, the flower has many varieties, they differ in the size of the flowers:
They are distinguished by the structure of flowers, the shape of the leaves. They not only have different shades of inflorescences, but also the leaves have a different shape and color. In violets, not only the number of petals changes, but also the shape:
In violets-bells, narrow, elongated buds, "Star", we have the same length of flower petals. A plant with 2 fused petals is called "Wasp". And how many different varieties have a spotted color of a flower, or a petal of different colors on one copy.
After all, the shape of the leaves and their color is also a variety of varieties. This entire list represents only one species, homemade violet. 
Uzambara violet - has a short stem with a compact rosette of leaves, heart-shaped, no more than 8 cm in size. Perennial plant. The inflorescences are small. This species has varieties with varying degrees of doubleness and shade.
Red Saintpaulia is a popular variety. The flowers are simple, have a purple, wine, burgundy, coral, raspberry, ruby color. The rosette of leaves is compact, dark green.
Violet Yang - it is characterized by light green leaves with wavy edges. Flowers have an unusual flower color, also different in shape and size from other species.
White saintpaulia - it has strongly double flowers, dark green, like most varieties of leaves. Such a hat of flowers, which has a boiling white hue, is associated with innocence and grace. The appearance of this variety causes only delight.
Violet blue - a lot of blooming inflorescences at the same time, sky-blue, amaze the audience. It seems that a piece of the sky has fallen on a pale green rosette of wavy leaves. This whole composition is so airy that it seems that blow and all this delight will disappear in an instant.
What are the reasons why a flower may not bloom?
Lighting- Violet should be placed on the eastern or western window sills. The plant does not tolerate direct rays and stops flowering, in nature it grows under the shade of trees that cover it from sunlight. In the winter months, artificial lighting is required, the length of daylight hours for a flower is 12 hours.
Age- the flower is not satisfactory only for the first 3 years. With age, the violet stem becomes bare, the old leaves die off. New ones appear only at the top of the plant, the stem begins to bend under the weight of new leaves.
Difficulty supplying nutrients. You can return flowering only by rejuvenating the violet. Cut off the rosette of leaves, put in water, wait for the roots to appear and plant in the ground. Now expect a lush bloom.
drafts- Saintpaulias cannot stand drafts, so they cannot be taken out to the balcony, to the gazebo and to the garden. This is also one of the reasons for refusing to bloom.
nutrient soil- this flower is better kept on a depleted diet than on nutrient-rich soil. A well-fed plant begins to acquire powerful leaves, give lateral rosettes, stop gaining color buds. The plant is fat and lazy. In nature, they grow on poor soils.
Take it and make your own soil for the violet, so that in the future it does not disappoint you. The composition is not complicated, leafy earth 4/6, peat 1/6, sand 1/6.
Side outlets- a sign of aging violets, the formation of side rosettes. They definitely need to be removed. This procedure contributes to the lush flowering of Saintpaulia. With the growth of many lateral processes, the flower stops blooming.
Fertilizer concentration- for violets, fertilizers need to be diluted 2-3 times weaker than for other flowering plants; with minimal overfeeding, the violet stops blooming. Let the plant starve a little, it will only benefit him.
hybrids- many varieties and hybrids of Saintpaulia are short-lived. After working for a certain period, they stop blooming, unfortunately, nothing can be done.
Pests- soil pests can cause complete or partial refusal of flowering. If the violet has not been transplanted for a long time, then a lot of non-decomposed remains of the flower have accumulated in the pot. From this, pests, such as saprophytic nematodes, midge larvae, and podura, started up in the soil.
Watering- It is necessary to monitor the irrigation regime. Saintpaulia does not like overdrying of an earthy coma, but the “swamp” also harms her, this affects the violet's ability to bloom. Violation of the regime leads to the refusal of the plant from the ability to bloom.
Many more minor troubles can provoke a flower to refuse a lush hat of flowers. Believe it or not, it is important for a violet to be loved, cared for and praised, otherwise it refuses to please you.
Factors necessary for flowering
Order above all else! For flowering Saintpaulia, you need to follow a number of recommendations of agricultural technicians:
The environment, its humidity and temperature must correspond to the conditions for the growth and flowering of Saintpaulia.
Attention! Violet can not stand the drying of the soil, but at the same time, an excess of moisture will lead to rotting of the roots.
It is especially important to carefully monitor the humidity of the air in winter. During these months, heating radiators work in the apartment, they significantly dry the air. In the winter months, watering is reduced, the plants need to be raised above the surface of the windowsill. In the summer, on the contrary, the pots should be placed in a tray, otherwise they dry out quickly.
Lighting plays a major role. Violets love bright light, but cannot stand direct sunlight, for them they are deadly. Light day should last at least 12 hours.
The arrangement of pots with violets on the eastern and western windowsills is considered the most comfortable. Violets can be grown on northern windows, but artificial lighting is required.
Feeding is not required for violets, if you transplant your beauties every year, then there will be enough nutrients for the entire period. Transplanting is quite rare, here you will need top dressing if you want the violets to bloom profusely as often as possible.
Need air! Cleanliness must be observed in everything. Violets need to breathe, there is a lot of dust on the leaves. It must be removed somehow. Do not wipe with a damp cloth, wash under running water is contraindicated.
It remains to blow off or sweep away the dust from the leaves with a soft brush. By cleaning them of dust, you will give the violet enough oxygen.
Growing features
There are no special technologies for growing homemade violets. You should already know what kind of lighting and humidity of the substrate you need. How to care for and cheer up a flower has already been discussed.
Here are the best secrets for caring for Saintpaulias worth revealing:
How and what leaves to remove so that the violet blooms
Whether it is worth removing leaves from violets, there is no consensus. Except in those cases when they turn yellow with age, they are accidentally broken off. Experienced violet lovers advise cutting off the bottom row of leaves, leaving 2-3 rows in the outlet. Some categorically insist not to injure the plant, for no good reason:
The correct form of the rosette consists of three rows of leaves.
Violet transplant
There are several ways to transplant a plant, the reasons for this differ significantly from each other. Everyone should be familiar with.
Transplantation with complete replacement of the substrate
This method is used when the saintpaulia wilts, the soil becomes acidic, with a long-term use of the previous earth for more than 2 years. The plant must be taken out of the container, carefully knead the roots, shake off the old earth from them.
Cut off old and rotten roots. At the same time, remove soft leaves and dry flower stalks. The first time after transplantation, the plant should be kept for some time in a greenhouse. The first watering should be done no earlier than 12 hours after transplantation.
Transshipment of Saintpaulia occurs when the former pot, which has become cramped, is replaced with a larger container. With this method, the entire earthen ball of the plant is preserved, which means that you do not stress the plant.
Do not forget to pour a layer of expanded clay into the new pot, because the violet needs good drainage. Pour the missing soil into the pot, gently patting the pot for better soil shrinkage.
Violet needs a change of residence
Partial replacement of land when transplanting violets. This method is used for planned plant transplantation. The violet removed from the dishes should be slightly shaken off the crumbling earth. Partial replacement of the soil also implies the replacement of the drainage base. Pour a small hill of earth onto the base, straighten the roots of Saintpaulia and add fresh substrate.
Attention! When transplanting, make sure that the growth point is at ground level.
Plant propagation
Saintpaulia can be propagated in different ways, they are quite simple, apart from propagation by seeds, it is quite laborious and does not always meet your expectations. Let's look at easier ways to get new instances of your favorite violets:
As the bush grows, new rosettes are formed. Divide the bush, injuring it as little as possible. You will get small bushes, it is important that each outlet has a root and it is desirable to maintain a proportional ratio of the ground and underground parts of the plant.
A leaf with a petiole length of 4 to 7 cm is cut off from the plant. Part of the cutting should remain on the mother bush. The workpiece must be taken from the middle row. The lower leaves are old, root very poorly, the petiole is cut at an angle of 45 ° C and placed in water.
Propagated by a leaf plate, placing it on a wet substrate, after cutting the workpiece lengthwise and across 2-3 times. On such a sheet, from 4 to 8 rosettes are subsequently formed. The method is suitable for propagation of most varieties.
This method will require more work than the others. It is used to propagate those varieties that cannot convey varietal characteristics through the leaf.
A flowering or faded peduncle is cut from the mother plant, it has tiny leaves, above them at a height of 2 cm you make a cut, this part should be rooted in water or wet sphagnum. The leaves should touch it.
Violets care in winter
In order for the violet to comfortably survive the winter in our country, which is not too hospitable for southerners, a set of rules should be strictly observed:
The secret of growing saintpaulias is to create optimal conditions for them. Many forums discuss the conditions for growing violets, argue whether it is worth creating some special conditions for them. After all, the violet conquered many with its graceful modesty. The question of how to care for a violet so that it blooms has not yet been removed from the discussion among fans of the Uzambara violet.
Video: reasons for the lack of flowering and disease of violets
How to care for a violet so that it blooms all year round
Requirements for pots and soil
In order for the violet not only to grow and develop well, but also to delight you with abundant flowering at any time of the year, first of all, you need to choose the right pot. The most important factor is the size: the pot should not be large, but not small. In the first case, the root system of the flower will begin to grow actively, all juices and forces will be spent on the development of roots and leaves. This is fraught with the fact that the violet will not have the strength to bloom, and pruning of the roots can only be done during transplantation.
Otherwise, too small a pot will constrain the roots, they will not be able to develop and take nutrients from the soil. To make the flower feel comfortable, it is recommended to choose a pot that will be three times smaller than the diameter of the outlet. The best option is a clay or ceramic, wide, but shallow pot. Before transplanting, the violet should be carefully examined and the damaged roots cut off, because you will not have to change the pot soon.
The soil for violets can be taken universal. In specialized stores, you can also find soil for Saintpaulia (the so-called violet). The soil should be loose and not overburdened with fertilizers, with a slightly acidic reaction. Dense, moisture-accumulating soil harms the root system of the plant. The flower also necessarily needs drainage. It is strictly forbidden to use soil from a garden or vegetable garden - spores of fungi and pest larvae can get along with it.
Temperature and lighting
Violets do not tolerate heat, so in order for them to bloom indoors, you need to provide a temperature in the range of 17-22 degrees. If the temperature is higher, the plants bloom less intensively and may lose unopened buds. It is better to move the violet to a cool room or provide constant ventilation, you can use an air conditioner or a fan. However, flowers should not be near them.
While natural light plays an important role in grooming, direct sunlight should still be avoided. The presence behind the glass of trees with dense foliage or light curtains on the windows will provide flowers with diffused lighting. In the case when there is not enough light in the room, you need to use fluorescent lamps. But you need to turn them on regularly, as the flower needs a regimen.
It will not be superfluous to take care of the humidity of the air: the percentage should be above average, perhaps even slightly increased. From its lack, growth and a set of buds slow down, the plant blooms poorly. The easiest way to buy a humidifier. You can also arrange decorative water containers in the room.
Watering, feeding and fertilizing
How to make violets bloom for at least ten months a year? Provide plants with proper care: it is not enough to choose the optimal temperature and light conditions, you also need to choose the right watering and spraying mode. For watering and spraying, it is better to use water with a temperature a few degrees below room temperature. In order for chlorine to leave the water and salts to settle, it is recommended to defend the water for at least a day.
During flowering, spray the violet with extreme care so that water does not fall on the flowers. Abundant watering should be avoided altogether: it is better to pour water into trays. If the plant does not have a pallet, then pour the liquid in a thin stream and in small portions onto the soil near the outlet. Excessive moisture can lead not only to the loss of flower buds, rotting of the roots, but also to fungal diseases. In this case, even pruning the affected parts will not save the plant from death.
Illiterate and excessive feeding can cause serious damage to the health of Saintpaulia and its ability to bloom. You can fertilize the plant only once a month, otherwise the leaves may turn yellow and fall off. Excessive use of nitrogen provokes the development of new foliage and stepchildren, which draw life-giving forces from the plant.
Fertilizers should be used moderately and correctly: the content of phosphorus and potassium should be higher than nitrogen.
Feed should be a flower that has undergone a long and abundant flowering. Newly transplanted plants should not be fertilized. It is also not recommended to feed violets in winter.
flower formation
How to care for violets so that they have a beautiful shape? The appearance of the violet can be adjusted by forming a rosette. To ensure flowering and a neat, regular shape, faded flowers and damaged leaves are cut off. In addition, cut off small neighboring shoots, stepchildren.
The plant grows thanks to them, which does not contribute to flowering. Ideally, a blooming violet has three rows of leaves, so pruning an "adult" plant cannot be avoided. Also, the shape of the plant is given with the help of lighting: the flower must be periodically turned to the light in different directions. For rejuvenation, we thin out the leaves and completely cut off the bottom row.
Now you know how to care for a violet so that it blooms twelve months a year. Cherish your blooming beauty, and she will thank you with her beauty.
From this video you will learn how to properly care for violets.
Corner of violets by Irina Danilina
Next exhibition
From December 15 to December 25, 2017, an exhibition of violets is held in the premises of the House of Violets on Pyatnitskaya.
Address: Moscow, st. Pyatnitskaya, house 20, building 2
My violet "LE-Melody of the Rain" won in the nomination "The best violet of the exhibition (BEST IN SHOW)".
Plant catalog for 2017:
What to do if violets do not bloom?
What to do if violets do not bloom? How to make violets bloom like at the exhibition? Inna!
In order for violets to bloom well, you need to take care of them competently and in a timely manner:
1. To begin with, the plants must be mature, with well-developed leaf rosettes and root systems.
2. The earth in a pot should be loose, structured, with an optimal pH value (6.3–6.7) and a complete and complete composition of macro and microelements. Since over time all these parameters change and deteriorate, it is advisable to transplant adult violets into fresh ground 2 times a year.
3. The length of daylight hours should also be optimal. For the vast majority of varieties, this is 12 hours (the exception is the so-called industrial varieties, they lay buds well even with a 10-hour or even shorter daylight hours).
4. Sufficient lighting intensity of plants is also very important. To achieve this, you need to know that: a. the number of lamps above the shelf should be proportional to its width (one lamp is enough over a 30 cm shelf, two lamps are needed over a 50 cm shelf); b. the optimal distance from the lamp to the plant is 20 cm for standards, 15 for miniatures. It should be remembered that the lamps gradually and imperceptibly dim, so it is advisable to replace them once a year (at least one of the two lamps when the lamp is double). If under such conditions the violets do not bloom, then it is necessary to temporarily reduce the distance between the lamp and the plants (either mount the lamps lower, or raise some of the violets located on the shelf higher). But after laying the buds, you need to return everything back. If this is not done, then excessive illumination will inevitably lead to an undesirable thickening of the growth center.
5. Plants are also not indifferent to the spectral composition of light - under phytolamps, the laying of flowers is more intense (at least, this is claimed by the creators and manufacturers of such lamps).
6. Plants "like" constancy and stability, and bloom earlier and better if the timer turns the lights on and off at the same time.
7. The mode of watering is very important for the well-being of plants: the plants can neither be flooded nor dried. Please note that during the growth and development of buds, and then during flowering, the need of plants for water increases. The softer the water for irrigation, the better. Its temperature should be 2-3 degrees higher than room temperature.
8. For high-quality flowering, it is very important to create an optimal humidity regime. This is 50-60% (and in our apartments it is often 25-30%). To solve this problem, all means are good: air humidifiers, and common pallets for a group of plants with a layer of moistened sphagnum on the bottom, and plastic boxes with water installed on central heating batteries (or just wet towels on them), and several aquariums that are not covered with glass for naughty fish.
9. Stimulate flowering and specialized fertilizers, as a rule, with a high content of phosphorus, a rich microelement composition and, obviously, some other “secret”, proprietary component. Of the commercially available, one can advise potassium monophosphate, "Uniflor-buton", "Etisso" for flowering plants.
10. Not indifferent to flowering and pot size. It should not be too large so that the roots are a little cramped.
Having fulfilled all these requirements of plants, you can count on a good flowering of violets at home. But in order to get a chic flowering, which we admire at exhibitions, you need to perform a number of tricks that not everyone will do at home. This is an even more frequent change of substrate in a pot; phased, according to the scheme, lengthening of daylight hours; lowering the temperature and increasing the humidity of the air during the opening of the buds and until they are completely dissolved. And the most psychologically difficult and unreasonable thing in the conditions of a home collection is the removal of flower stalks from plants that can bloom and want to bloom for quite a long time. It is this technique that helps to obtain both abundant flowering and large flowers. And the last secret: in many varieties (especially fantasy ones), the color is brighter, juicier and more contrasting if the substrate is slightly acidified during the budding period.
You can read more about the preparation of violets for the exhibition in the excellent articles by S. and S. Pugachevsky (UF magazine No. 5, 2004) and A. Tairova (UF magazine No. 1, 2006).
Danilina Irina Leonidovna
Phone for communication and orders: 8 495 430-63-59 , 8-917-545-6727 (mobile)
Details about ordering plants and their delivery in Russia in the How to order section.
How to care for violets so that they bloom profusely?
Features of care and cultivation
At first glance, violet seems to be a very unpretentious plant. Transplanting this flower is quite easy, and it blooms with proper care, almost 10 months a year, with the exception of the hot summer period. But still, in order for the flower to meet your expectations, follow our advice on choosing a placement, a pot for a plant.
Make sure that the plant does not stand in the shade, it loves the light. But keep in mind that violets do not tolerate scorching sunlight. Therefore, on hot summer days, it is better to curtain the windows. Some experts argue that it is advisable to put pots in the northern part of your home. Consider these conditions to ensure maximum flower comfort.
Violet flower will grow even in a fairly small container with a little soil. But in order for the plant to have a beautiful appearance, as well as large well-groomed leaves and large flowers, the size of the flower pot should be 10-15 cm in diameter and reach a height of about 10 cm. You do not need to plant this flower in huge pots, it will grow and lose its beautiful neat view. In addition, the correct size of the pot can help ensure proper care of the violet flower.
The stores sell special land mixtures for saintpaulias. You can also make the right mixture yourself. To do this, fill the pot to the middle with expanded clay, put a small block of charcoal, and fill the remaining space with ordinary dry earth. It is important to remember that the earth must pass moisture and air well, not stagnate, otherwise the plant will begin to rot.
Specialized fertilizers are sold for flowering plants in specialized stores. It is recommended to fertilize this plant once every two weeks when the violet is actively blooming, and once every four weeks when the plant is at rest. You can add special fertilizers directly into a bowl of warm water, where you lower the pot for the bottom watering of violets.
How to properly care for violets so that the plant has plenty of moisture and continues to grow? Take care of proper watering and, if necessary, a quality transplant.
Do not get carried away with frequent and intensive watering of violets, since a large amount of moisture is contraindicated for them. Ideally, if you water the violet from below, that is, put the pot in a container with warm, settled water. When the soil in the pot becomes evenly moist, this will mean that the violet has absorbed as much water as it needs. This method of watering will prevent water from getting on the leaves and flowers, and, in addition, will protect the plant from decay.
Transplanting violets, like most indoor plants, should be done approximately once a year. Just change the soil and drain. You can transplant the violet into the same pot in which it grew earlier, if the plant was comfortable in it. Periodically, it is necessary to wash off the dust from the leaves of violets. This must be done very carefully, for example, with a weak shower jet with warm water. Never expose a wet plant to direct sunlight, as this will cause spots on its leaves, or it will simply “burn out”.
Bush formation and propagation
How do you care for violets to keep them nice and compact? A violet rosette should have three to four rows of leaves. The leaves located at the bottom sometimes do not look “vigorous” enough, so they need to be cut off. But be careful, because in the axils of the leaves there are buds that are just emerging.
The stem of the plant becomes longer over time, and the violet loses its original appearance. Therefore, it must be deepened into the ground. Or you can cut the "column" to the desired size, put the plant in a container of water and wait until the roots grow. Next, you should re-plant the plant in the ground. Remove dry, yellowed or wilted leaves. In order for the flower to grow evenly on all sides, periodically change the place of the pot or turn it towards the light.
- If the grower opted for light, practical plastic, he will need to make additional holes on the sides of the pot for air access so that the root system is freely ventilated and the soil does not turn sour.
- When buying a ceramic container, which is characterized by fragility and heaviness, you should pay attention only to containers that are not covered with glaze, which are able to pass air.
- Water is poured into a pan, where a flower pot is placed for half an hour.
- At temperatures above 22°C, the flower is carefully watered from above so that drops do not fall into the outlet.
- For young plants, top dressing is carried out with the help of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
- Adult specimens need potassium and phosphorus, which contribute to intensive budding and flowering.
- Providing additional lighting and temperature control not lower than 20 ° C without hypothermia during ventilation.
- Watering three times a week with warm water.
- Maintaining high humidity in the room where the flower is located.
- A well-developed leaf blade is separated along with the petiole and placed in a container with water.
- After the formation of roots, the cutting is planted in a pot with a soil mixture.
- The sheet is placed immediately in a special substrate, after which the dishes with the handle are covered with glass and a warm room with good lighting is moved, where there is no access to direct sunlight.
- The substrate is systematically moistened with a spray gun.
- The baby carefully digs out with a sharp object so as not to damage the mother's outlet.
- With a lot of leaves and a small number of roots, some of the leaves on a separated outlet are cut off.
- The baby is placed in a flower pot with a substrate similar in composition to the soil mixture in a container with the mother specimen.
- The new plant is moderately moistened and moved to a warm place with plenty of diffused light.
Correct soil
Currently, specialized flower shops offer a wide range of substrates designed for growing violets. But due to the light structure, when watering, water does not impregnate the soil mixture, but flows between it and the walls of the pot. To avoid such difficulties, you can prepare a loose substrate that allows the roots to breathe, independently from garden soil and sand in a 2: 1 ratio. Before filling the pot, it is worth calcining it to destroy harmful organisms and placing it in a container on top of the expanded clay drainage layer.
How to take care of violets?
Violet, subject to the necessary conditions of detention, is an excellent decoration of the home.
To place the pot, a well-lit place is chosen without access to direct sunlight that can leave burns on the leaves of the flower. Window sills on the north, northwest and northeast sides of the house are well suited for this. In the absence of such an opportunity, artificial shading will have to be created by placing the violet on the sunny sides. In order for the violet to bloom profusely for a long period, it needs to receive light for 10-12 hours, which in the autumn-winter period can be achieved using artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps.
Advice! Constant monitoring of Saintpaulia will allow you to determine the sufficiency of lighting: with an excess of light, the foliage of the culture droops down, and with a deficit, it stretches up.
Temperature regime
The optimum temperature for flowering varies between 20-22°C. If you keep a violet in such conditions, a wide and bright edging is clearly manifested, the green becomes more saturated. While the flowering that occurs in the summer, at hot temperatures from 28 ° C, is not as intense, with small flowers, pale greens and the absence of a border on it. Being in such conditions is detrimental to violets. To reduce the depressing factor, you can use air conditioning, a fan or ventilation.
In winter, hypothermia of the culture should not be allowed, which can cause root rot, in which only re-rooting can save the plant. It is also worth protecting the violet from cold air currents, due to which the culture loses its decorative effect: beige spots appear on the leaf plates.
For moistening, which is carried out after the soil has dried, warm and settled water for 3 days is used. Violet does not like excessive watering, but the complete absence of moisture negatively affects the condition of the plant.
Humidification can be done in several ways:
Carefully! Violet should not be sprayed, but it is necessary to maintain a high level of humidity by placing a container of water next to the flower.
Feeding violets
Additional nutrition is provided during the period of intensive development:
Important! An excess of nitrogen-containing fertilizers in the substrate can cause a lack of flowers.
Proper care of violets in winter
In winter, the main care procedures remain:
Care after flowering
If Saintpaulia pleased the grower with abundant and long flowering, you should take care of restoring its vitality by cutting off the lower rows of leaf plates and transplanting it into a new substrate. In the absence of such an opportunity, you can limit yourself to fertilizing.
Important! During flowering, one should not forget about the timely removal of faded inflorescences.
How to propagate violet?
Saintpaulia can reproduce in a generative and vegetative way. Since it is impossible to preserve varietal characteristics with the seed method, cuttings are the simplest and most productive method.
Leaf reproduction is carried out throughout the year, while:
Root formation can take a long time, so do not rush to get rid of the cutting for this reason.
How to seat children?
Adult plants, growing, form children, which often hamper the development of the maternal outlet. In such situations, it is necessary to carry out the procedure for separating the daughter bushes, which is best done in the summer, so that the mother plant has enough time to recover by the onset of winter.
Plant diseases and pests
Despite the resistance of the violet to diseases, manifestations of the late blight fungal disease in the form of brownish spotting are often noted on the tropical representative. There is practically no point in fighting it, so it is necessary to prevent the possibility of spreading to healthy specimens by destroying the affected plant and substrate. Of the pests, nematodes are the most dangerous: damaging the root system, they make it impossible to further feed the flower, after which the latter dies. To prevent the possibility of infection of violets, the substrate for pots should be purchased in stores or well calcined in an oven.
So, the violet flower, being a representative of the tropical flora, has a rather capricious disposition. However, subject to the rules for care, the florist will receive a lot of positive emotions from a profusely flowering plant that adorns the home with its beauty almost all year round.
At first glance, violet seems to be a very unpretentious plant. Transplanting this flower is quite easy, and it blooms with proper care, almost 10 months a year, with the exception of the hot summer period. But still, in order for the flower to meet your expectations, follow our advice on choosing a placement, a pot for a plant.
Step 1 Place for violets.
Make sure that the plant does not stand in the shade, it loves the light. But keep in mind that violets do not tolerate scorching sunlight. Therefore, on hot summer days, it is better to curtain the windows. Some experts argue that it is advisable to put pots in the northern part of your home. Consider these conditions to ensure maximum flower comfort.
Step 2 Pot size.
Violet flower will grow even in a fairly small container with a little soil. But in order for the plant to have a beautiful appearance, as well as large well-groomed leaves and large flowers, the size of the flower pot should be 10-15 cm in diameter and reach a height of about 10 cm. You do not need to plant this flower in huge pots, it will grow and lose its beautiful neat view. In addition, the correct size of the pot can help ensure proper care of the violet flower.
Step 3 Land for violets.
The stores sell special land mixtures for saintpaulias. You can also make the right mixture yourself. To do this, fill the pot to the middle with expanded clay, put a small block of charcoal, and fill the remaining space with ordinary dry earth. It is important to remember that the earth must pass moisture and air well, not stagnate, otherwise the plant will begin to rot.
Step 4 Fertilizers.
Specialized fertilizers are sold for flowering plants in specialized stores. It is recommended to fertilize this plant once every two weeks when the violet is actively blooming, and once every four weeks when the plant is at rest. You can add special fertilizers directly into a bowl of warm water, where you lower the pot for the bottom watering of violets.
How to properly care for violets so that the plant has plenty of moisture and continues to grow? Take care of proper watering and, if necessary, a quality transplant.
Step 5 Watering.
Do not get carried away with frequent and intensive watering of violets, since a large amount of moisture is contraindicated for them. Ideally, if you water the violet from below, that is, put the pot in a container with warm, settled water. When the soil in the pot becomes evenly moist, this will mean that the violet has absorbed as much water as it needs. This method of watering will prevent water from getting on the leaves and flowers, and, in addition, will protect the plant from decay.
Step 6 Transplanting violets.
Transplanting violets, like most indoor plants, should be done approximately once a year. Just change the soil and drain. You can transplant the violet into the same pot in which it grew earlier, if the plant was comfortable in it. Periodically, it is necessary to wash off the dust from the leaves of violets. This must be done very carefully, for example, with a weak shower jet with warm water. Never expose a wet plant to direct sunlight, as this will cause spots on its leaves, or it will simply “burn out”.
BUSH FORMATION AND REPRODUCTION
.Correctly cut and form a violet bush.
How do you care for violets to keep them nice and compact? A violet rosette should have three to four rows of leaves. The leaves located at the bottom sometimes do not look “vigorous” enough, so they need to be cut off. But be careful, because in the axils of the leaves there are buds that are just emerging.
The stem of the plant becomes longer over time, and the violet loses its original appearance. Therefore, it must be deepened into the ground. Or you can cut the "column" to the desired size, put the plant in a container of water and wait until the roots grow. Next, you should re-plant the plant in the ground. Remove dry, yellowed or wilted leaves. In order for the flower to grow evenly on all sides, periodically change the place of the pot or turn it towards the light.
.Reproduction of violets.
It is very easy to propagate them. To do this, tear off a healthy leaf and plant it in the ground. Perhaps for a long time the plant will not show any signs of life. The transplanted leaf may even dry out. However, do not worry, because the process of nucleation takes place underground, at the bottom of the leaflet, at its root. There is another simple way to propagate - hold the leaf in a jar of water until the roots appear, and then transplant it into the prepared soil. Both methods will almost certainly bring you "offspring".
HOW TO CARE FOR VIOLETS IN WINTER
Video on how to care for a violet so that it blooms 10 months a year
At different times of the year, violet, like most indoor plants, requires a different approach. If your house is not warm enough in winter, then it is better to remove the flower from the windowsill. You can also resort to another option and create a "greenhouse effect" by covering it with a jar. This method is not suitable for everyone, if the plant is not small, damage is possible.
Violet flowers, which are not properly cared for in winter, suffer from a lack of moisture in the air. Therefore, it is important that there is always water near the plant. Since the daylight hours are significantly reduced, the plant may not have enough light. To avoid this problem, you can use artificial lighting, such as fluorescent lamps, which must be turned on above the flower for several hours a day.
A video tutorial can help you understand various information on how to care for violets. Here are collected important facts and little tips for lovers of a marvelous flower. After applying the recommendations showing the care of violets in the video, these wonderful plants will delight you with their beauty and create a wonderful atmosphere in your home.