How to care for violets after flowering. The color of the inflorescences also matters

The indoor violet is such a beautiful and delicate plant that even prejudices about impending loneliness will not prevent you from having one. For some reason, there was an opinion that the flower has excess feminine energy, and this will not allow its owner to find a mate.

Fortunately, most lovers of house plants do not pay attention to slander and are happy to grow violets on their windowsills. They bloom in gratitude all year round, delighting the eye with bright inflorescences of all shades of the rainbow.

Violets, or Saintpaulias, from the Violet family decorate the interiors of homes around the world, but their homeland is Africa. There flowers grow along river beds and near waterfalls, as they love high humidity.

Direct sunlight is destructive to the fleshy leaves of the plant, so it is low to be able to hide under the branches of trees and shrubs. The flower grows in the shape of a rosette. Its diameter ranges from 6 to 60 cm.

Indoor violet feels best on a window facing east or north, when bright sun does not burn leaves and inflorescences.

In nature, the plant reproduces using rhizomes and fruits filled with seeds. At home, the cut leaf is placed in a jar of water and after it has taken root, it is transplanted into moist soil.

The velvety leaves of the plant are oval in shape with smooth or jagged edges. Currently, breeders have bred several tens of thousands of species of violets with a variety of colors.

Popular varieties and types of homemade violets

Choosing indoor plant, many pay attention primarily to the beauty and shade of the inflorescence. The classic violet flower is lilac or blue-purple. Wild varieties are distinguished by small flowers with five petals and a yellow core. Fashionable bred types of Saintpaulia are characterized by double, bordered and tricolor petals.

Indoor violets are divided into varieties according to the shape and color of leaves and flowers, the size of the rosette and flowers and the degree of their terry.

To the most known species The following varieties include:

Star. It has a symmetrical arrangement of flower petals with a border and a light center.
Pansies. With a serrated edge on the double petals and a contrasting border around their edge.
Bell. They are distinguished by petals fused at the base, creating an increased terry effect.
Bowl. With unfused petals various shapes and shades, received its name due to the elongated flowers that do not fully bloom.

Once you find yourself in a flower shop and see the variety of violets, you won’t be able to stop at just one plant. This is good, since violets love to grow surrounded by their fellow violets.

If the plant occupies a windowsill on the right side of the world, its pot is full suitable soil, and watering is regular and corresponds to the established regime, it will grow well and delight the owner with lush flowering. Violet does not require complex care at home.

Pot location

If the windows of the apartment face the south or west, then to grow violets you need to hang blinds on them. The flower also does not tolerate drafts and sudden changes in temperature, so you cannot place the pot opposite it.

The delicate violet will die if the conditions of detention are grossly violated.

Air humidity

In their homeland, violets grow well near waterfalls, as they love moisture. When the spray of water disperses into the air, it creates an ideal habitat for them.

The violet leaves will become succulent and the flower will be strong and healthy if placed in a room or a mini fountain. The last element of the interior, according to the teachings of Feng Shui, brings harmony and prosperity to the house. The same is true for violets.

Lighting

The flower must stand on the windowsill to receive the light necessary for growth. Morning sun - best option for violet, therefore east side will fit perfectly. To ensure uniform growth of the rosette, the pot must be moved, since the leaves on the side closest to the window will begin to appear much faster than the others.

There is no need to organize special lighting for the flower, because in nature violets hide in the shade of trees and are content with diffused light.

Observing the growth and flowering of the plant will help you understand that the location of the pot has been chosen correctly. If there is an error, flowers will rarely appear.

The violet, like other house plants, should be watered with well-settled water at room temperature. Due to the fact that water enters water supply systems after filtration and purification, it contains various chemical additives. Most of them evaporate after 8-10 hours, but it is better to use water for watering plants a day after filling the jug.

Through the pallet

This method is common among gardeners. Watering through a tray is suitable for violets, since water is guaranteed not to get on its leaves. Any drops that fall on the flower should be blotted up immediately.

Water does not evaporate well from the velvety leaves, and even a small amount will lead to the appearance of dark spots and plant disease. In addition, in moist soil they grow harmful fungi and pests.

After pouring water into the tray, wait until it is absorbed. If the top of the soil in the pot has not darkened, you should repeat the procedure. As soon as the moisture stops being absorbed, its remains are poured out of the pan.

Drip

Watering from above should be done in a thin stream so that splashes do not fall on the leaves and trunk of the flower. You need to pour water onto the dried soil until it flows out of the drainage holes. After waiting until the excess moisture is in the pan, the water should be drained from it.

Many gardeners prefer this method when watering violets. It allows you to evenly moisten the soil, which is important for a tropical plant.

By immersion

Another method of watering through a tray is to place the flower pot in water until the ground darkens with moisture. This method is dangerous because plants infected with pests, immersed in the same container of water, will exchange spores of harmful fungi.

Wick

It should be noted right away that not all varieties of violets accept the wick method of watering. It is also not suitable for plants in pots more than 8 cm high.

The wick watering technique involves placing a container of water under the flower, which does not touch the bottom of the pot. The end of a piece of cloth rolled into a rope is placed in it, and its second part is inserted through the drainage hole into the pot. Violet regulates moisture consumption and is always found in sufficiently moist soil.

Soil selection

Specialized departments sell bags of soil intended for various types plants. There is such a substrate for violets. It contains at least 50% humus, moss or peat and sand. This composition will allow the flower to develop normally and form buds.

The violet completely depletes the soil in 2 years, so after this period of time it must be replanted in fresh soil, carefully shaking off the remaining soil from the roots.

The plant does not need an overly large pot, otherwise it will put all its energy into growth and will not bloom. The popular flower is compact and has a neat root system. Since it grows over the surface, the container should not be deep. Pests grow in excess soil, so you should choose a pot with a diameter 2-3 times smaller than the violet rosette.

Cute pots made of ceramics and clay are well suited for planting plants. The pattern on them can be selected in color scheme, close to the inflorescence of Saintpaulia.

The plant will also take root in light plastic pots if you make drainage holes in them for air exchange of the root system. They are placed in a ceramic pot or wrapped in paper with bright patterns.

Fertilizers and fertilizers

If your violet stops blooming and looks drooping, adding nitrogen-containing fertilizer to your watering water will instantly change the situation. In spring, these supplements are necessary, since due to the short daylight hours the plant weakens and needs feeding.

You can use complex fertilizers or organic matter. They cannot be added to dry soil, so as not to burn the roots of the flower. If the soil is dry, the violet is first watered with ordinary water, and then with useful substances.

The plant will also gratefully accept supplements in the form of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. By carefully calculating the dose of their addition, it will be possible to avoid accelerated growth of the rosette to the detriment of flowering. Violets are enough unpretentious plants, therefore, a lack of fertilizers in the soil is better than their excess.

Replant violet better in spring or autumn. In summer, elevated temperatures will prevent it from taking root, and in winter, lack of light.

There are several reasons why a plant should be moved to another pot.

Infestation of the soil by pests or the appearance of a white coating on it.
Flower growth and formation of additional formed rosettes.
Soil depletion.
An overly compacted root system and cessation of plant growth, despite fertilizing.
Transplanting a recently acquired plant from a temporary pot into a clay pot.

First of all, you need to moisten the soil of the transplanted plant so that it can be easily removed from its previous container. A layer of expanded clay should be poured into the bottom of the new pot for drainage, and soil for violets should be placed on top of it. It should also be watered so as not to damage the roots of the flower during replanting.

After carefully removing the flower and clearing it of lumps of earth, you need to place it in another pot and add the missing soil on top. After this, the plant is watered so that it takes root faster.

You should not fertilize the violet within a month after transplantation, as it gets used to changing soil and may react poorly to fertilizing. It is also undesirable to transfer a flowering plant to a new pot, since it spends all its energy on the formation of buds and flowers.

Pruning rules

Removing leaves is usually associated with the formation of a symmetrical rosette and rejuvenation of the flower. The bottom layer of leaves is always removed. It is more convenient to do this with a sharp knife or razor, carefully cutting off the leaves at the base.

When the trunk of the plant begins to resemble a palm tree, the violet needs to be rejuvenated. Better procedure do this with a non-blooming violet. Otherwise, you should first remove all flower stalks, and then use a scalpel or razor to cut off the top of the plant and clean the rest of the trunk. Having placed it in a jar of water, wait until the flower takes root and move it into fresh soil.

Violets, although unpretentious, need attention and care at home due to the possible appearance of pests and diseases.

With more frequent watering and excessive soil moisture, violets are often affected by brown or root rot. It is caused by fungi growing in the soil. Brown rot is more dangerous, as it can spread to nearby uninfected plants.

Root rot affects the roots of the violet, which is why it should be immediately removed from the pot, the affected areas of the root system should be cleaned and moved to another soil. If the pot remains the same, it must be calcined and washed with disinfectants. As preventive measures flowers are treated with antifungal drugs and the frequency of watering is reduced.

Powdery mildew also often affects violets. The fungus spores fall onto the leaves from the soil and cause the formation of tiny white lumps. They are removed with a toothpick, and especially affected leaves are cut off.

The most dangerous disease is fusarium. It negatively affects both the roots and leaves of the plant. The root system softens, and the stems become watery and soon die.

If one flower is sick, it must be immediately isolated from the rest. Treatment and prevention consists of watering the violet once a month with a solution of phytosporin.

Dark spots on the leaves are caused by the bronzing virus and late blight. In both cases, the affected leaves should be removed and the plant treated with an antifungal agent.

Violet pests such as thrips and sciarid flies cause significant damage to plants. You can fight them with special means and regulation of the irrigation regime.

How to care for violets in winter

In the cold season, violet growth is slowed down, so it needs to be watered less often. The addition of fertilizing should also be reduced to once a month. In winter, daylight hours are very short, and the flower needs lighting at least 11 hours a day. Installing several lamps over pots of violets will help them to successfully overwinter and meet spring healthy and strong.

If the window near which the violets stand is supposed to be opened for ventilation, it is better to remove the flowers from it. Frosty air burns the leaves, as do direct sunlight.

The violet is native to the tropics, which is why it does not tolerate drafts and temperatures below 20 °C.

Conclusion

People loved the indoor violet so much that it has become almost an obligatory element of home decor. A photo of flowering plants evokes joy and pleasure, and a small indoor greenhouse on the windowsills will create coziness and comfort. Growing violets, learning the names of new varieties and adding them to existing flowers often becomes a real hobby.

In many countries, it is believed that violet helps create an atmosphere of love and harmony at home. The delicate flower with bright inflorescences actually looks joyful. tropical plant brings a piece of warmth and well-being to the house, demanding in return only proper care.

My name is Julia Jenny Norman, and I am an author of articles and books. I cooperate with the publishing houses "OLMA-PRESS" and "AST", as well as with glossy magazines. Currently I help promote virtual reality projects. I have European roots, but I spent most of my life in Moscow. There are many museums and exhibitions here that charge you with positivity and give inspiration. IN free time I study French medieval dances. I am interested in any information about that era. I offer you articles that can captivate you with a new hobby or simply give you pleasant moments. You need to dream about something beautiful, then it will come true!

Hello, dear flower growers, do you know how to care for violets so that they bloom all year round? I will try to discover new secrets of caring for these delicate plants.

Delicate scattering

Have you ever seen many violets blooming at once? This is such a breathtaking sight that you involuntarily become a fan of this delicate inflorescence.

Unpretentious violets or Saintpaulias, if properly cared for, will bloom all year round.

Try growing these touching bouquets at home to always be in a good, peaceful mood. After all, this is precisely what the delicate scattering of flowers contributes to.

Name Saintpaulia came from the name of the person who discovered this flower. One day Baron Adalbert von Saint-Paul was walking with his lady love in the surrounding area. His gaze involuntarily fell on blue flowers framed by dark green fleshy leaves. They grew in a rock crevice.

Since then, many species of this plant have appeared with different names. In 1893, a flower exhibition was held, where Saintpaulia was presented. The never-before-seen specimen created a real sensation.

Collectors gave it high praise, and journalists wrote about it throughout the international press. Name Usambara violet was given in honor of the massif in Tanzania, where the baron discovered it.

Requirements for growing violets

Growing is not difficult, but there are a few peculiar nuances. Unpretentious in care, she still requires a little attention.

Doesn't like straight lines sun rays.
Cannot tolerate hot air coming from heating.
Drafts are also not her element.
It does not tolerate spraying, but loves humidified air, so place a container of water nearby.
The soil in the pot should be loose so that enough oxygen reaches the roots.
Watering at least 3 times a week.
Remove dust with a soft brush, but do not wash it under water.

How to propagate violets

Reproduction is very simple:

The leaf is cut off.
Place in a vessel with water until roots appear.
Transferred to soil.
Cover with a glass jar to create a mini greenhouse.

It can be propagated by seeds, but its varietal characteristics may be lost. You planted one thing, and a completely different specimen may grow, but it’s even interesting.

Requirements for the potty. He shouldn't be big size. If the rosette of leaves is 27 centimeters in diameter, then its diameter should be 9-10 cm. It does not require a larger container for good flowering. In a larger pot, the violet will begin to fatten, but will no longer please with flowering.

The flower is not indifferent to fertilizing with phosphorus fertilizers. You can feed complex fertilizers for flowering plants, only the recommended concentration should be reduced by 3 times.

If you do not wait for abundant flowering, then cut everything off. lower leaves or place it overnight where the temperature is +15°C to give an impetus to the formation of new buds.

Plant species

Indoor violets vary in shape, leaf color, flower structure, different shades of inflorescences, number and shape of petals

The bluebell violet has beautiful long buds.
“Star” with the same length of flower petals.
"Wasp" has 2 fused petals.
Uzambara violet can be of different shades and double leaves.
A popular species among flower growers - Red Saintpaulia, having the color of the buds from purple to ruby.
Yang violet is endowed with light green leaves with wavy edges and flowers of various shapes.
White Saintpaulia attracts flowers with its heavily double inflorescences, from which it is impossible to take your eyes off.
Blue violet amazes with its delicate airy composition.

Reasons why violets refuse to bloom

Lighting. The most comfortable location is on the east or west side. In winter, artificial lighting is required for up to 12 hours.
Age - 3 years. After 3 years it stops blooming. The only way to rejuvenate a violet is by transplanting it.
Drafts will prevent it from blooming, so do not take it out into the garden or into a gazebo where the breeze blows.
Excessively nutritious soil will lead to the appearance of powerful leaves without flowers. In nature, they grow in poor soil.
Lateral rosettes indicate aging of the plant. They need to be removed and Saintpaulia rejuvenated.
Fertilizers need to be diluted 2-3 times. A little fasting will do you good.
Hybrids - Many hybrids don't last long and there's nothing you can do about it.
Pests.

To prevent them from starting, replant Saintpaulia once every three years. If a white coating appears on the surface of the earth, then replanting is necessary every year.

You bought a violet, what should you do?

After purchase, the plant requires careful handling. Most likely, you have chosen a flowering specimen and want the flowering to continue at home. Some:

useful tips
Remove all dried leaves and yellowed flower stalks. Remove all buds. Why, you ask? To delete possible pests
, and also to multiply strength, because a change of environment is a strong stress for any flower.
When bringing it into the house, do not water; the top layers of soil should dry well. Most often, violets are brought from Holland and Germany. There it is planted in soil that is devoid of nutrients, so don’t delay replanting it in good land

. If she doesn't feel well, then place her under a transparent plastic bag and keep it like that for 3-4 days. Ventilate the mini greenhouse every three days. After 7-10 days, remove it completely.

If flowering has ended

Uzambara violets can bloom for up to 10 months. Blooming Saintpaulia brings a lot of joy, but sometimes it needs to rest. What to do when it's time to rest.

After flowering, you must perform the following steps:
The plant should be replanted. To do this, take it out of the pot and inspect the roots.

You can take a larger pot, or you can leave it in the same container.
Remove old wick. Shake the soil off the roots.
Remove white deposits from the soil.
If there is a trunk left, it is buried when transplanting.
If you don’t want to leave the trunk, cut it off and place the rest in water until roots appear.

Overgrown roots after removal of the trunk.

Next, insert a new wick, possibly from tights.

Close the holes in the bottom to prevent soil from falling out. You can also use a piece from tights.

Then you need to pour a little soil and lay out the upper part of the wick.

Place the root in a pot, add soil, hiding all the petioles underground.

Next, the pot is placed on a jar of water so that the wick reaches the water.

If you had to remove a lot of roots, it will take two or three weeks to recover.

To ensure a successful landing, follow a few more recommendations:

In Saintpaulia, stepsons may grow in the leaf axils instead of peduncles. They need to be removed.
If the stepsons are large, then they can be planted to grow a new plant from them.
The second growth point must also be removed.

How to achieve lush flowering of Saintpaulia

Four main rules for them to bloom all year round:

Drainage, soil, pot.
Perhaps there are some flowers that do not require drainage, but not Saintpaulia. Drainage at the bottom of the pot is a must. The pot should not be large so that the roots do not grow too much and the plant does not waste energy on them. Do not take soil from the garden, there may be dangerous pests.
Light and warmth.
The ideal temperature is -19 -21 degrees C. The heat is also not for violets. They do not like direct sunlight, so cover it with light curtains.
Watering and fertilizers.
Ideal watering is in a tray. But if you pour water into the pot, do not pour it on the leaves or in the center of the rosette.
Fertilizers should be used once a month. Excess feeding will affect the leaves - they will turn yellow and fall off. You cannot fertilize in autumn and winter, only in spring and summer.
Shape and flowers.
Remove all shoots and dead leaves, form a beautiful rosette. To do this, turn it towards the sun different sides. To ensure that the buds have a bright, rich color, water them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

How to seat children

The mother leaf, which we planted in the ground in advance, usually produces young children. How to care for children? First they need to be seated. They are ready for planting if the growth point is clearly visible and the leaves have reached 3-4 cm.

They are placed in small dark containers, such as plastic cups.

Each baby is a real plant with leaves, a trunk and roots. We carefully separate only the formed babies, leaving the rest for growing. We transplant it into a glass without deepening the growing point.

For planting, light soil containing sphagnum, peat and vermiculite is used. Water the planted sprouts with settled water.

After 3-4 months, the children are transplanted into a real pot using the transfer method.

Transshipment:

Do not water the plant abundantly.
We remove it from the container so as to completely preserve the earthen lump.
Let's take the pot bigger size.
Fill one third of the volume with drainage.
Add more soil and place the old pot.
We fill the space between the walls tightly with soil.
We remove the small pot, and in the resulting void we place a violet with an earthen lump.
The surface of the new and old soil should be at the same level.
After a day, the plant can be watered.

When transshipping flowering plants, the buds must be removed so that rooting is painless.

Transshipment differs in that the root is transferred along with a lump of soil. The transshipment method is suitable for young and weakened flowers.

I'm sure you loved this one too delicate flower and start breeding it. Good luck!

Indoor violets (Saintpaulias) are, without a doubt, the most popular and favorite flowers of many gardeners and housewives. In many countries, violet blossoms mean the arrival of spring. Their inflorescences, although small, are delicate and graceful, reminiscent of our unity with nature. Indoor Saintpaulias They do not take up much space on windowsills, are not a source of allergies and are completely unpretentious. You just need a little love and knowledge of her preferences for these cute flowers to grow and continuously bloom in your home. We will share secrets about caring for violets at home. From this article you will learn how to properly water a flower using the wick and drip method, what soil to replant in, and even how to prepare the substrate yourself.

Violet is a heat-loving flower. Optimal temperature environment, comfortable for its cultivation, should be within 20 – 25 °C. If in summer time, during flowering, the temperature will tend to 30 °C, the violet will suffer from overheating. Its flowers will become smaller, the color of leaves and flowers will fade, and varietal features in the form of variegated foliage and a bright border will disappear. Use all the temperature-reducing devices you have - air conditioning, split system, fan, or ventilate the room.

But violets do not like sudden changes in temperature, cold drafts and scorching rays of the sun. They should be protected from this. IN winter time The air temperature should be about 20 °C. (strictly not lower than 16 °C).

Location of the Saintpaulia pot

It is better to place the flower pot on the windowsill near the east or west window. In the summer, window sills in the northern direction are also suitable, and in winter, on the contrary, violets will be more comfortable on the windowsill of a southern window. If your windows are not of European standard, in winter it is better to remove the flower from the cold windowsill. Place the pot on a shelf or table next to the window and use additional lighting. Or you can use a foam or wooden flower stand, 3 cm thick. Then the root system on the windowsill will not be overcooled. Otherwise, at low temperatures, violet flowering will stop.

Ambient humidity

Under natural conditions, violets grow in places with high air humidity. If the air in your home is dry, it must be humidified to 50–60% or higher. It is best to place the flower in a tray with damp expanded clay or pebbles. Make sure that the bottom of the pot is not in water - the roots of Saintpaulia should not come into contact with moisture. You can install a household humidifier near the windowsill.

Regular spraying of leaves is not suitable for violets. Its pubescent leaves trap water droplets on their surface, as a result of which it can develop. It is especially dangerous to spray violets at night, when the room becomes cooler and the water does not evaporate for a long time. In autumn-winter, wet towels placed on heating radiators will help increase the humidity in the room.

Solar and artificial lighting

Indoor violets love good, but diffuse lighting. Direct rays of the sun are destructive for them; from them, the leaves of the plant get burned, get sick and fall off. But without enough sunlight, the violet will not bloom. For normal growth it needs good lighting for 10 - 14 hours a day. Note that Saintpaulias with dense, dark green foliage require more intense and prolonged lighting than those with light, curly leaves.

If necessary, arrange artificial lighting for the flowers using a fluorescent lamp, phytolamp, or LED strips, violets grow beautifully under such light.

Lighting a plant from one side can distort the shape of the flower rosette - because the leaves are drawn to the light. Therefore, periodically rotate the flower pot around its axis. Then the bushes will be compact, symmetrical, with lush greenery and lush flowering.

Night darkness is also important for violet growth, otherwise its leaves become faded and it refuses to bloom.

Methods of watering violets

Always approach watering responsibly. Be sure to follow the golden mean, avoiding either excessive drying or waterlogging of the substrate, since deviations in one direction or the other will equally adversely affect the health of the plant. Watering violets should be done with settled tap water at room temperature. Boiled water is also suitable, since when boiled, most of the harmful salts decompose and precipitate.

Once a month, you can acidify the irrigation water with acetic acid (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) or citric acid (5 crystals per 1 liter of water).

We remind you that the temperature of the water used is no less important than its quality. Too cold or hot water will harm the root system of the flower.

We do not recommend using it for indoor violets. traditional way watering - into an outlet. Water should not get on the leaves and the growing point, so as not to provoke fungal disease flower. In addition, leaves through the window glass can get damaged from wet spots. sunburn even in winter. It will be better if you water the violets in other ways. Here are some of the most commonly used methods of watering Saintpaulias.

Watering through a tray

Pour water at room temperature that has been standing for 24 hours into a tray or other container to a depth of a quarter of the height of the pot. Place the violet pot in water for about half an hour so that the soil is saturated with moisture. You will see that the required moisture level has been reached when the ground darkens. If you combine watering with fertilizing, the flower will receive the necessary nutrition in addition to moisture.

If you have a wide tray and you put several violets in it at the same time for watering, it is important to ensure that all the plants are healthy, otherwise the disease of one will spread to the others.

Take water quality seriously. If you water your violets with unsettled tap water, then the numerous impurities in it will each time rise to the top of the substrate during bottom watering and remain there. The soil will very soon become unusable due to salinity. The root system will stop absorbing beneficial microelements. You will see this by white plaque on the surface of the soil and the sickly appearance of the plant. Violation of the quality of the water used will result in a disadvantage of watering through the pan.

Drip irrigation

For drip irrigation, use a watering can with a narrow spout or a large syringe bulb so that you can easily get to the soil, bypassing the rosette of violet leaves. The growth point should also not be filled. If you don’t have a watering can or a syringe, you can take a regular plastic bottle and make a hole in its lid into which to insert a straw. Water the soil drop by drop until excess water flows out of the drainage holes into the pan. Then stop watering, and after 15 minutes. drain excess water from the pan.

If you accidentally spill water on the leaves, nothing bad will happen, just blot the moisture with a dry cloth.

Immersion method

On especially hot days, during the next watering, a pot with a flower can be immersed in a basin of settled water at room temperature for about an hour. The plant will be saturated with moisture, take a break from the heat, and its root system will cool down. After that give excess water drain and return the plant to its original place.

Wick watering of violets

As a wick, use a string or a narrow strip of cotton fabric, which should be passed at one end into the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. The other end of the wick is lowered into a container of water for irrigation. The flower pot is placed on this container, and moisture rises inside the wick due to the capillary effect. The essence of wick watering is that the violet will take as much water as it needs. The level of moisture in the ground remains stable and is regulated by the violet itself depending on the ambient temperature. Below is a detailed video about wick watering, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it.

Wick watering is not suitable for all violets, because it has several disadvantages:

This method can only water plants when warm time year, because in winter the water cools quickly, especially if the container with water and the pot are on a cold windowsill. Violets do not like their roots to be in the cold. A supercooled root system is susceptible to disease and may die.
For uniform watering, only small pots, 7x7 in size and no larger, are suitable. Uneven soil moisture will lead to the growth of green mass to the detriment of flower blooming.

What soil is suitable for Saintpaulias?

Violets like soil that is loose, light, and breathable, so that the root system does not suffer from a lack of oxygen. It is also important that the soil is moisture-absorbing and retains moisture well. And yet, when choosing land for violets, you should take into account the acidity level. These plants thrive in slightly acidic soils, with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. If there is a strong deviation in acidity in one direction or another, the flower ceases to normally absorb mineral and organic substances from the soil, and nitrogen-phosphorus starvation may occur. The growth of the plant will slow down, the bud will fall off without even opening. If the substrate is too acidic, the young leaves will curl, and in an alkaline environment, they will lose their bright color, turn pale, and their tips will turn brown.

From chemical elements The soil for violets should contain nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, potassium salts and macro- and microelements: iron, boron, calcium, chlorine, sulfur, zinc, molybdenum and others.

In small pots, which violets love so much, the soil is quickly depleted - do not forget to fertilize it and promptly replant the plants in new pots. It is best to use ready-made soil for Saintpaulias or indoor Violets, which it is advisable to purchase in specialized stores. Unfortunately, often purchased soil suffers from poor quality. Florist specialists add perlite, vermiculite and coconut fiber to prepared soils as raising agents. But a little bit of everything, so as not to cause root rot.

How to prepare your own substrate for violets

If you are an amateur self-composition soil mixtures, we will tell you the proportions suitable for violets:

high-moor peat - 1 part;
coniferous land - 1 part (prepared for coniferous species trees after removing the top layer of needles);
leaf soil - 3 parts (harvested under deciduous trees and shrubs);
turf soil - 2 parts (harvested in areas where perennial grasses grow);
coarse river sand or perlite - 1 part.

For drainage, use expanded clay with pieces of charcoal of different fractions, which will regulate soil moisture and adsorb harmful impurities.

All components should be disinfected - steamed or frozen.

How to test soil for acidity

Soil acidity is not a constant value; it changes over time. Any change in the appearance of the plant, the shape and color of its leaves, slower growth and lack of flowering should alert you and prompt you to check the acidity.

The acidity of the substrate is checked using a special device. If you don't have one, try determining the acidity of your soil traditional methods. We'll show you how to do this.

Take two small containers, glass or ceramic, it doesn’t matter. Place the same small amount of soil in them, slightly damp.
Add vinegar to the first container. If the environment is alkaline, the earth will hiss.
In the second container, fill the soil with soda. If the environment is acidic, gas bubbles will begin to form.
If there is no reaction, your soil is neutral.

You can reduce acidity at home using dolomite flour, and increase it with the help of peat.

Pot size and material

It should be remembered that the flower does not like large pots. Conventionally, all violets can be divided into large, medium and miniature types. All have a superficial root system and do not require large volumes land. In nature, Saintpaulias grow quietly even on rocky soils. Therefore, even for a large adult plant, a pot with a diameter of no more than 12 cm is sufficient. Make your choice based on the information presented in the table.

For young violets, pots with a diameter of no more than 5 cm are suitable, preferably plastic ones, as they are light, cheap and durable. One bad thing is that they do not allow air to pass through. Therefore, we advise you to good drainage holes add more holes in the bottom of the pot in the lower part of its side walls so that the root system of the plant can breathe, be ventilated freely, and the soil will not turn sour.

If you only had a large pot and you planted your small violet in it, it will not bloom. And there are several reasons for this:

In a large pot, the flower will begin to grow primarily the green mass of leaves to the detriment of flowering.

Until the root system of the flower entwines the entire volume of substrate offered to it, the violet will not bloom. A year will pass or two until you see the first bloom.

Excess soil that is not entwined with roots does not dry out for a long time and can turn sour. There will be a danger of a fungal infection and the appearance of insect pests, which you may simply not detect in time in the huge mass of leaves, and you may lose the flower.

Available for sale plastic pots with special plastic pallets, which have a ribbed surface, allowing the container to be in a raised position above the pallet. This also helps the root system breathe air.

Ceramic pots glazed ones are very beautiful, but they have the same drawback as the plastic ones - they don’t breathe. In addition, they are expensive and heavy. If you still like ceramics, we advise you to opt for unglazed ceramic pots. They are less aesthetically pleasing, heavy and short-lived, but they allow air to pass through the walls, and violets feel great in them. And you can eliminate the aesthetic drawback if you buy a flower pot or a beautiful pot of a slightly larger size, in which you can hide the ugly clay one.

Fertilizers and fertilizers for violets

Young violets need fertilizing with a predominance of nitrogen so that the green mass grows faster and leaf rosette well formed. Saintpaulias that are ready to bloom should be fed with fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium. In addition, flowers also need vitamins and other microelements for healthy growth and abundant flowering. Therefore, we recommend purchasing liquid complex fertilizers with a wide range of components for decorative flowering indoor plants.

Fertilizers should be used no more than twice a month. Combine fertilizing with watering through a tray. Do not use fertilizers in larger doses than indicated in the instructions - it is better not to feed more than to overdo it and ruin the tender roots of the violet. Fertilizing should not be neglected. You will immediately notice a lack of nutrients by the appearance of the flower - its growth will slow down, the leaves and stems will lose their elasticity, there will be no flowering, or it will be weak.

After planting or transplanting, nutrients from fresh soil disappear within two months, and after this period you need to restore the nutritional value of the substrate with the help of fertilizers and fertilizing.

Violets are not particularly demanding of certain types of feeding. If there are no special fertilizers for Saintpaulias, they can be fed with complex fertilizers for vegetables, which include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, cobalt, magnesium, copper, molybdenum and boron. Their role in the life of the plant is to ensure the synthesis of enzymes that make it possible to effectively use the energy of the sun, water and nutrients contained in the soil. Vitamins and amino acids stimulate plant roots to maximally absorb micro- and macroelements from water and soil.

To prevent fungal and bacterial diseases, root and stem rot, we recommend occasionally (once a month) watering violets with Fitosporin solution. This drug can be bought in garden or flower shops in the form of a powder or briquette in the form of plasticine. How to breed them is indicated on the packaging. The diluted drug has a long shelf life; just a few drops should be added to the water for irrigation. One package is usually enough for the whole season.

Transplanting violets at home

Indoor Saintpaulias grow and bloom best in small pots. Experienced flower growers know that optimal size The violet container should not exceed a third of its outlet. The supply of soil in them is not large, therefore, as the rosette grows, it is advisable to first transplant the flower into a slightly larger pot. Adult specimens do not need to increase the size of the pot; the same pot is quite suitable for them if you remove a third of the soil from under the roots and replace it with a fresh nutrient substrate.

The following facts indicate the need for a transplant:

plant growth has clearly slowed down;
a white salt coating appeared on the surface of the substrate;
the lower part of the violet stem is very exposed, it clearly needs to be deepened;
the root system of the flower filled the entire space in the pot.

Blooming violets are replanted only in emergency cases, when there is no time for flowering, just to save the flower. A healthy plant should not be replanted during flowering - wait until it finishes. Also, this should not be done in winter, wait until spring. But the rest of the time, the violet can be replanted without fear of harming the plant in any way.

The transplant is being done different ways: by transshipment method and with full or partial replacement soil.

Transplantation by transshipment method

Since the root system of violets is poorly developed, sometimes the roots are not freed from the old soil so as not to damage them. Then they use the most gentle method of transplanting plants - transferring them to another pot. In this case, a new pot is selected a little larger than the previous one. A layer of drainage and a layer of new soil are placed at the bottom. Now place an earthen ball with violet roots in the center, and fill it with new substrate on the sides. Then they water the flower and put it in a permanent place.

Replanting with soil replacement, step by step

If the reason for the transplant lies in the painful condition of the flower, for example, there is a suspicion of rotting roots, the violet urgently needs to be transplanted into another pot using the method complete replacement old land to new. Replanting with complete soil replacement is also used for adult plants. The advantage of this method is that by freeing root system from the soil, you examine its roots, remove diseased and damaged ones. You also remove the lower leaves of the rosettes and old flower stalks. We will tell you how to do this in order:

first moisten the substrate in an old pot with violets to make it easier to remove it from there;
Prepare a pot of suitable size. If you use an old one, clean it well from salt deposits on the walls and disinfect it;
on the bottom place a layer of expanded clay or other drainage material, also pre-treated with manganese or boiling water;
Place a layer of new substrate on the drainage with a slide in the center of the pot;
free the root system from the old substrate and carefully inspect it;
Remove rotten and damaged roots, powder the wounds with crushed activated carbon; in case of serious damage, treat healthy roots with a fungicide against root rot;
place the violet root system in the new pot in the center and fill it with new substrate up to the lower leaves, shaking the pot slightly so that the soil fills all the voids inside;
leave the treated and replanted plant in partial shade for a day. During this time, the violet will get used to its new place of residence a little, and its wounds will heal. Now the flower can be watered with the addition of some fungicide against root rot. If necessary, if the stem becomes bare, add a little more soil.

Replanting with partial replacement of the soil is carried out mainly for young violets. It is assumed that they need to be transplanted into a slightly larger pot. And in this case, replanting occurs using a method similar to the previous one, only the soil that crumbles off itself is shaken off. Everything that was retained, along with the root system, is placed in a new pot and covered with fresh substrate.

Pruning violets

Sometimes, trimming violet leaves is not only possible, but also necessary. Let's start with the fact that the rosette of an indoor violet should look nice, proportional and consist of approximately three rows of leaves. The center of growth and development of Saintpaulia should not be overgrown with foliage.

If this happens to you, then simply remove the lower leaves, which have already begun to turn yellow and do not seem quite alive. Correctly plucking violet leaves from the stem is not difficult, just press with your fingernail at the base, and then use a twisting motion to completely remove the unnecessary leaf. If there are several such leaves, and as a result of such actions the flower’s trunk is exposed, then you can add fresh soil on top of the soil or transplant the flower deeper into new nutritious soil.

Do the same for pruning violets in the following cases:

to remove excess leaves to stimulate lush flowering;
to remove the top of an old violet to rejuvenate it - after a certain time, babies will appear on the remaining stump, which you use to propagate your specimen;
to remove diseased leaves so that the disease does not spread to healthy ones.

What to do with violets after flowering

During flowering, faded peduncles should be regularly removed from the plant so that they do not interfere with the blossoming of new buds and do not spoil appearance blooming violet. When the last flower fades, let the plant rest. Trim damaged, diseased or shriveled leaves. Take care of restoring the vitality of a well-worked violet - tear off the lower rows of leaves at the rosette, transplant it into a new pot with nutritional mixture. If you do not have this event planned, start feeding the flower again with fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen components so that the violet begins to grow new leaves to replace the ones you torn off.

How to care for violets in winter

In winter, the main procedures for caring for violets are:

Good lighting of the flower using fluorescent lamps or fluorescent lamps for up to 12 - 14 hours a day, alternating with the dark for up to 8 hours.
Maintaining the ambient air temperature in the room at least 20 °C, without sharp fluctuations in one direction or another, without drafts during ventilation.
Regular moderate watering warm water up to three times a week.
Increased air humidity in the room where your Saintpaulia lives. All methods of increasing humidity are welcome - Appliances, containers with water, trays with wet expanded clay, wet towels on all radiators and other tricks that you can come up with.
On cold windowsills under pots of violets there should be thick, at least 3 cm thick, plastic or wooden coasters, protecting the roots of the flower from hypothermia.
Violet leaves should not touch cold glass windows, be careful about this.

Conclusion

We are sure that you will have a lot of fun caring for these cute plants. Grateful violets will delight you with magnificent blooms several times a year. If your window sills are filled with pots of different varieties of violets, then your home will be filled with a powerful positive aura. After all delicate aroma flowers stabilizes heart rhythms and has a beneficial effect on mental condition not only the owner of this splendor, but also all members of his family. If you have mastered the rules of caring for this beautiful flower, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with .

Those beautiful, miniature ones indoor flowers, which we used to call violets, have scientific name Uzanbar Saintpaulias. This is one of the favorite and most common indoor flowers, decorating almost every windowsill. Caring for them is easy if you treat the plants with love.

General description and history of violets

To understand where this name came from, you need to delve into history. In the 19th century, there was a German colony in East Africa. One day, the young Baron von Saint-Paul and his bride tried to hide from the scorching sun in the mountains of Tanzania. There, among the mossy stones, he found an amazing purple flower and gave it to his father. As you may have guessed, the flower gets its name “Saintpaulia” in honor of the baron. After this incident, the flower was brought to Europe from East Africa.

In Africa, Saintpaulia has been known for quite a long time. At that time, this plant already existed. Some flowers reached a height of 30 cm.

Indoor violet quickly became popular due to its bright double or smooth flowers, unpretentiousness and long flowering (with the right care conditions, Saintpaulia blooms for almost a year - 10 months).

Flowers can have the most different colors, although purple and white are more popular.

There are also multi-colored motley kinds. The leaves of indoor violets are dark green, oval, and velvety. At first glance, it may seem that indoor violets and caring for them are a simple matter. But to achieve long flowering, you will have to make some efforts.

It is believed that Saintpaulias not only decorate the house and please the eye, but also fill the home with positive energy. Where there is an indoor violet, an atmosphere of calm and tranquility reigns. And if you place such a violet in a children's room, it will help children learn responsibility. Saintpaulia placed in the bedroom not only gives peace, but also develops laziness. If you don’t want to lie in bed all day, don’t put a violet there.

One of the most common methods of propagating indoor violets is rooting leaves. To do this you need to do the following:

Take an adult healthy plant and tear off the densest and strongest leaf, but not at the very root, but in the second row from the bottom.
Place this leaf completely in a container with boiled water and potassium permanganate for a couple of hours.
After this, dry the leaf and make a small, neat cut with a blade on the handle at a distance of 3 cm from the leaf plate.
After this, take a small bottle with a narrow neck. Pour in clean or boiled water and add Activated carbon. The bottle must be clean. It is advisable to sterilize it before doing this. Dip the stem into the water so that the tip does not touch the bottom of the bottle, but is still in the water.
There is no need to change the water in the bottle, just top it up as needed. Do not hold the cutting for long after cutting. The sooner you place it in liquid, the sooner the first roots will appear. If you notice traces of rot on the cutting, pull it out and cut again, and then put it back in clean water into sterilized containers.
Roots may appear in a week, or in a month. It all depends on the type of violet. Don't forget to sign the dates when you cut the cutting and when you planted it in the soil. When the roots reach 2 cm, you can plant the violet. To begin with, you can use a disposable cup for this purpose. Soil for planting can be purchased at specialized floriculture stores.
Don't forget about drainage. Foam can be used as drainage. There is no need to deepen the cutting into the ground. After the cutting is planted, carefully water it with lukewarm, settled water and place it in a warm place, but not in bright sun.

If you want to save time, you can go straight into the ground. This propagation method can be called more effective than rooting in water. The cuttings are immediately in a favorable soil environment, they do not need to be replanted, and the roots begin to grow faster. Some varieties of violets do not take root well in water, then you can immediately resort to this method of propagation.

Even the leaves of very young violets can be planted in the ground for rooting.

Need to be planted in plastic container. Be sure to put drainage at the bottom. Make a small hole, add perlite there and plant the cutting. Perlite will allow air to flow to where the roots form.

No wonder there is an expression “tender as a violet”. These fragile flowers require special care. If you provide them with the necessary conditions, Saintpaulia will delight you with flowers for a very long time.

Required temperature for violet growth:

Despite the fact that this plant was brought from Africa, they feel best at an average temperature of +20 degrees.
For the plant to grow well, the temperature at night should be slightly lower than during the day, by 2-3 degrees. In this case, the process of tissue respiration slows down, and organic substances are saved.
If these are very young violets, just planted, the temperature can be raised to 25 degrees.
Violets tolerate coolness better than stuffiness. If the temperature drops to +10, Saintpaulia will only slow down its growth, but will survive quite well. But when the temperature rises to 35 degrees, they will begin to hurt.

Leaves should not be yellow, limp or elongated.
The rosette should be smooth, lush and beautiful.
Check the soil too. Is there any suspicious plaque or stains or midges on it?

If you buy a violet for a birthday or other holiday as a gift, you will not pay attention to the time of year. But if Saintpaulia is for you, try to buy it in the spring. In extreme heat or cold, the violet may have diaper rash on the roots, or they may be frozen, which you will not be able to notice right away.

More information can be found in the video.

If you follow the rules of violet care, it can bloom almost all year round, interrupted for a short period. What influences its development? Necessary conditions plant maintenance are: favorable soil, warmth, plenty of light, water, air. How to grow a delicate creature with an abundance of flowers will be discussed in the article.

Violet: home care

Warmth and light intensity are of great importance for the development of Saintpaulia and flower formation. Therefore, caring for the plant should start with this.

Warmth and light

The plant is doing well at a temperature of 18-25 degrees, in the dark you can place it in conditions 5 degrees cooler. But violet does not like drafts and low temperatures, which contribute to delayed development.

Equally important is the factor of proper lighting. Saintpaulia likes to have about 10-12 hours of daylight. Different varieties react to it in their own way, for example, fleshy species with dark-colored leaves are more hardy and can withstand brighter light than their relatives with pale foliage.

Determine lighting intensity You can look at the plant itself:

If the violet receives enough light, it means there are many flowers and the leaves are rich in color.
There is not enough lighting when the plant stretches upward, exposing long cuttings.
The plant receives very little light if the leaves are curled and pale in color.

In the cold season, when daylight hours are shortened, it is necessary to use additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps will come to the rescue. They will promote abundant flowering. It is better to use two at once, one should be yellow, the other bluish. If these conditions are met, violets will grow well and form a beautiful and lush rosette.

It is better to add artificial lighting in November and remove it in February. But there are times when little light penetrates the window because of the trees, then it is better to keep Saintpaulias under lamps all year round. Otherwise, due to lack of light, the plant will not bloom.

Humidity and watering

You need to know what violet needs for normal development oxygen needed which she receives through water. The plant should be watered at regular intervals, but the root system should not be overdried, nor should it be flooded. Too much waterlogged soil causes the plant to rot because the water blocks the air. If there is not enough water, the roots dry out. Therefore, you should constantly monitor the soil moisture level and properly care for it.

At home, to water Saintpaulia, you need to use a watering can with a narrow long spout. This is necessary so as not to accidentally get on the delicate terry leaves, which can rot from water. The stream should be directed under the leaves.

Distilled water at room temperature is ideal for irrigation, but a difference of 5 degrees in one direction or another is also not terrible. If you use colder or hotter water, the plant may become permanently covered with yellow spots. The salt in the water is harmful to the root system of the plant; its excess can be seen on the walls of the pot in the form of a white coating.

Saintpaulia can be watered through a tray; this is exactly what amateur gardeners do. They simply pour water into it, and the violet will take the required amount itself. But the pot must have a drainage hole.

The violet should be watered one to three times a week. The frequency of watering depends on many factors. It is affected by air temperature, light intensity, flowering period, and pot material. They are considered moisture-loving flowering varieties. Remember that clay pots evaporate moisture faster than plastic ones.

Air humidity at home plays an important role in caring for violets. If the air in the room is dry, the plant will die. You can increase the humidity by spraying warm air over the flower. However, during the flowering period, drops of water should not fall on the inflorescences.

Nutrients

The plant needs frequent soil fertilization. In summer, this procedure is carried out once every 2-3 weeks; in winter, it should be fed once a month. Don’t forget to read the instructions for using the fertilizer in the store.

Violet is given a small pot, in which the soil is rapidly depleted. For proper development and growth, the plant needs to be fed. Saintpaulia needs the following elements:

However, when purchasing, you can choose a whole range of mineral fertilizers, you can feed them, and the plant, in turn, will choose what it needs.

It is better to fertilize with a weak solution, but often. Try to water the prepared mixture on already moistened soil, since dry soil can damage the roots.

Feed the violets can be done in two ways:

Use a watering can under the leaves of the flower, being careful not to get on the leaves.
Through the pallet. This is very convenient, especially if you have a whole flower garden.

When feeding flowers, do not overdo it. It is better not to “feed”, otherwise the buds may not open, but immediately wither.

Before the exhibition, flower growers wash Saintpaulia leaves with a weak and warm stream of water. It is important to ensure that water does not get on the inflorescences, otherwise the flower will die. This procedure can return the violet to a fresh and beautiful appearance, but you should not get carried away with it.

Long flowering

In order for the violet to grow and bloom well at home, you should constantly care for it. Each gardener has his own methods, but general rules cultivation is the correct lighting, optimal air temperature approximately 20 degrees, nutritious and loose soil with good aeration, high-quality fertilizer.

The first step is to give the violet the opportunity to grow well and form a strong rosette. If you have recently planted a plant in new soil, do not rush with fertilizers. Wait a month and a half, because the soil is still rich nutrients. After this time, we apply nitrogen-dominated fertilizers. It promotes foliage development.

You should immediately remove the emerging stepsons, this will destroy the growth points on the sides. We remove even the smallest flower stalks for the last time and produce fertilizing with phosphorus fertilizer repeat once every 2 weeks. At the same time, light should be added and daylight hours should be lengthened. Such conditions contribute to the laying of peduncles at the very top, and low from the rosette itself. Intensive growth of young leaves begins at the very top of the head, and flower stalks appear from their axils.

The experience of gardeners shows that abundant flowering often occurs in a small pot. Different results arise due to the quality of lighting and the length of daylight hours. The Saintpaulia variety also plays an important role.

Home care secrets

Tips for keeping violets:

The violet does not like the place where it grows; it is cold when the leaves take on a pale appearance.
The leaves are growing too thick, which means you need to spray the air over the plant with warm water.
To delay the flowering period, create high humidity in the pot and in the air.
It is necessary to alternate mineral fertilizers with violet fertilizing.
A slightly pinkish solution of potassium permanganate can cause increased growth and abundant flowering. The plant needs to be watered 2-3 times a year.

To grow healthy and flowering plant, enough adhere to content rules violets at home and then she will thank you for your efforts with abundant and long-lasting flowering.