Room violet: description. Saintpaulia ampelous violets - varieties, photos and descriptions. How to care for blooming violets

Violet home (saintpaulia, room violet, uzambar violet) (lat. Saintpaulia) is one of the most common flowering plants used in indoor floriculture. In English, Saintpaulia also has the name African violet (African violet). It belongs to the order Lyasnottsvetnye, the Gesneriaceae family, the genus Saintpaulia.

The first scientific description of Saintpaulia was made by the botanist Herman Wendland, who identified it as a separate genus. He also gave her the international name Saintpaulia in honor of the president of the German dendrological society, Baron Saint-Paul and his son, who gave him the seeds of domestic violets. The name entered the Russian language as a free reading of the Latin term. Due to the fact that the Saintpaulia flower resembles in appearance the flower of a real violet (Viola), it is called the African or Ozambara violet after the area in which it was first found.

Violet home (saintpaulia, room violet): description and photos.

Saintpaulias are perennial herbaceous plants with an underdeveloped fibrous root system. Depending on the species, the fleshy stems can be shortened with basal leaves forming a rosette, or elongated and branched with many hanging rosettes. Their diameter ranges from 6 cm to 60 cm.

The leaf plate can be round, ovoid, oblong in shape with a sharp or rounded tip and a heart-shaped or simple base. Its edges are devoid of relief, slightly rounded, and also in the form of small or large teeth. The Saintpaulia leaf can be flat, slightly wavy, heavily corrugated, or have the shape of a spoon or a back-curved spoon.

Typically, Saintpaulia leaves are colored in various tones of green, sometimes with the addition of ashy or golden hues. There are species indoor violets, in which the leaf may have areas painted in cream, olive, lettuce, yellow or pink. Usually such multi-colored areas are located at the base, along the edges leaf blade or form various mosaic patterns on its surface. The reverse side of the home violet leaf is in most cases a silvery-green color, although in some varieties or types of violets, various shades of red are often present in its color.

The veins of the leaves of domestic violets are of two types in their form: resembling a herringbone or with a longitudinally parallel arrangement like a plantain. In addition, the surface can be glossy or matte, which is covered with hairline to varying degrees. The sheet may have a bubbly or "quilted" texture.

If the petals in a room violet flower are arranged in only one row, it corresponds to a simple type of structure. In the presence of two full rows - semi-double type, and three or more - terry.

simple violets

Most often, Saintpaulia violet has petals, the surface of which is covered with a large number of tiny shiny balls. However, there are types of domestic violets, in which the flowers are covered with a delicate edging, making their surface matte. Such flowers are called velvet violets. In addition, the edges of the petals can be slightly wavy or heavily corrugated.

The size of the flowers, which form lush racemose inflorescences, range in diameter from 2.5 cm to 8-9 cm. The color of the Saintpaulia petals that grow naturally usually has all shades of blue, purple and purple. Species and varieties of violets bred by breeders have a variety of colors, including pure white and the entire tonal range of the rainbow spectrum.

The Saintpaulia seed pod, containing many small seeds, is round, ovoid or spindle-shaped. After maturation, it collapses under the influence of moisture.

Classification and types of violets, names and photos.

A definite strict scientific classification of saintpaulia does not yet exist. Under natural conditions, there are 20 species of uzambar violet, the classification of which can only be done by a specialist. In addition, through the efforts of breeders, more than 32 thousand varieties of indoor violets were bred, which differ in the size of the rosette (miniature, semi-mini, standard and giants), in the appearance of the leaf blade, in color, shape and structure of flowers.

Types of wild-growing uzambar violets (Saintpaulia).

with jagged rounded dark green leaves, 4-5 cm in size. The reverse side of the leaf has a red tint. The inflorescence is lush with small blue-violet flowers with a dark center.

- an ampelous plant with rounded pubescent leaves of bright green or purple color up to 6 cm long and about 5 centimeters wide. Small blue-purple flowers of the uzambara violet with a dark eye and a border do not exceed 2.5 cm in diameter.

with purple-blue flowers on short succulent stems and heart-shaped dark green leaves. Their length does not exceed 8 cm, and the diameter of the outlet reaches 60 cm.

Varieties of violets with names, photos and descriptions.

Depending on the size and position of the petals, there are 5 types of indoor violets:

pansies;
star;
bell;
bowl;

Violet "pansies" (Eng.Pansy) - its corolla consists of 5 petals, and the dimensions of the two petals of the upper row are smaller than those of the three lower ones. In this form, the following varieties of domestic violets are distinguished:

Violet Lyon ‘ s Pirate ‘ s Treasure (Lyans Pirates Treasury) (breeder S. Sorano) with bright pink flowers with a wide crimson border around the edge. Along the border of the main color and the border, the petals are strewn with a scattering of small dots of a dark crimson color. The leaves of the room violet, which form a rosette, have a bubbly texture.

Violet Melodie Kimi (Melody Kimi) (breeder Sunnyside/Levy) with a symmetrical rosette, folded from "quilted" corrugated sheet plates. A white simple violet flower has two blue upper petals and a border of the same color on the main background.

Violet "Star"star) characterized by the same size of the petals in any row, and their uniform arrangement around the center. In this form, the following varieties of Saintpaulia can be distinguished:

Violet EK-Goddess of Beauty (breeder Korshunova) with a large basal bush consisting of dark green leaves. The inflorescences are formed by bright pink double stars with tints of purple-violet tones.

Violet Austin's Smile (Austin's Smile) (breeder LLG / P. Sorano) with a large rosette of dark green color and large single coral pink star flowers with a dark pink eye and raspberry border.

Violet "Bell" (eng. Vell) has petals fused at the base. This feature does not allow the flower to open completely, as a result of which it acquires a resemblance to a bell. This species includes the following varieties of indoor violets:

Violet EK-Admiral (breeder Korshunova) with large cornflower blue semi-double bell flowers with a wavy edge. The pointed dark green leaves of the house violet have a creamy-purple edging.

Saintpaulia violet Rob's Dandy Lion (Robs Dandy Lion) (breeder R. Robinson) with large inflorescences-bells of a greenish-cream color, resembling snowdrops in shape. The violet rosette consists of dark green leaves with a slight white variegation.

Violet "Bowl" (Eng.Bowl) has petals that are not fused at its base, but the flower never fully opens and retains its shape throughout the flowering. In this form, the following varieties of Umazbar violet are distinguished:

Violet Boo Man (Boo Man) (breeder S. Sorano) is distinguished by double or semi-double cupped flowers. Violet flowers are pale blue in color, the upper petals are white, sometimes with light greenery, 2.5-3 cm in diameter. The leaves are spoon-shaped, dark green.

Saintpaulia Ming Dynasty ( Ming Dynasty ) (breeder I. Fredette) - a variety with strongly corrugated cup-shaped flowers of snow-white color, the edges of the petals of which have a pink or lilac hue. There are terry and semi-double violets. The leaves of the rosette are wavy, distinguished by pronounced variegation.

Violet "Wasp"Wasp) has completely separated petals, two of which are folded into a tube, and three elongated hang down. In this group, the following varieties of indoor violets are distinguished:

Violet Lunar Lily White (Lunar Lily White) with a small basal bush and light green leaves of a “quilted” texture. Violet inflorescence consists of 3-8 white single and semi-double flowers about 4 cm in size.

Saintpaulia PL-Zemfira (breeder L. Pchelovodov) with an average rosette of green leaves with variegation in the center and simple or semi-double lilac tubular flowers with corrugated edges.

Saintpaulia Spotnik (Satellite) (breeder J. Dates) with a rosette about 15 cm in size and light green leaves up to 5 cm long. Violet flowers have a red-violet color.

Varieties of violets with names, photos and separation by color.

According to the color of the petals, saintpaulias, or homemade violets, are divided into plain and painted in two or more colors.

Typical varieties of single-color indoor violets:

(breeder J. Dates) - a blue violet with bright "wasp" flowers that have upper tubular and elongated lower petals. The fleecy leaves of homemade violet, which make up the rosette, are folded into "bags".

(breeder D. Ferguson) has white large double flowers resembling in shape. The rosette of this variety of room violet consists of rounded “quilted” green leaves and can reach 40 cm in size.

Violets petals can be in the form of eyes located in the center, or fingers. These colors include the following varieties:

Violet Rob ‘ s Penny Ante (Robs Penny Ante) (breeder R. Robinson) is a beautiful variety of violet with semi-double white bell-like flowers with a dark blue eye in the center. The size of this variety of violets does not exceed 2.5 cm. A compact rosette of about 9 cm consists of even light green leaves.

Violet Pink sensation (Pink Sensation) (selection Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses / Sorano) - semi-double white violet, the flowers of which look like stars. In the center of the petals, large spots of pale pink color are clearly visible. The rosette is made up of variegated white-green leaves.

Homemade violet petals may have a border running along the edge. Its width and color can be different and even fantasy:

Violet Natalia's Extravagante (Natalis Estravagante) (breeder N. Pineault) - a variety of domestic violet with lacy flowers white-pink and a border, the tone of which can be green, chocolate or pink. The rosette is assembled from green leafy plates with a marginal variegation of pink- white color.

Saintpaulia AE Modern Talking (Modern Talking) (breeder E.A. Arkhipov) - a variety of violets with white semi-double frilled flowers "pansies" and a pink-blue-violet border. A bush of this room violet standard size with light green flat foliage.

Room violet petals can have stripes of various colors, diverging from the center of the petal to its edges. This is a chimera violet, the varieties of which are presented below:

(breeder S. Sorano) - a variety of room violet, above the standard green rosette of which rise large pink flowers with a light lilac stripe running through the center of the petal. The entire surface of the flower petals is covered with splashes of lilac color.

(breeder P. Sorano) has double coral flowers with thin purple stripes on each petal. The socket is folded from small dark green leaves.

Homemade violet petals come with spraying or stains of various colors and shades:

(breeder E.V. Korshunova) is a variety of Uzambara violet with large creamy flowers, shaped like a star with a beam span of up to 7 cm. The surface of the petals is abundantly covered with blue stains and splashes and has a wide border of pale lilac color.

Violet Chimpansy (Chimpansy) (breeder E. Fisher) - a very beautiful variety with a small green rosette, composed of slightly jagged green leaves. Hot pink semi double flowers-stars along the edge have a wavy white border. Violet petals are strewn with strokes and swirls of bright blue.

Saintpaulia ampelous violets - varieties, photos and descriptions.

Today it is very fashionable to plant ampelous saintpaulias on a balcony or window, which have a long (up to 50 cm) stem with several growth points. The following varieties of ampelous violets are distinguished:

Violet Ramblin 'Dots (Ramblin Dots) (breeder S. Sorano) - a beautiful violet variety, the rosette of which is made up of light green leaves with golden-white variegation. Double star flowers are painted in light lavender shades, which show a bewitching light purple fantasy pattern.

Violet Falling Snow (breeder P. Tracey) has numerous small snow-white wasp flowers and light green slightly pointed leaves.

Where does Saintpaulia (Uzambara violet) grow?

The area of natural distribution of wild Saintpaulia violet is limited to certain mountainous regions of Kenya and Tanzania. For comfortable growth, the uzambara violet needs a lot of light, however, under direct sunlight, the plant quickly dies. You can meet her along the banks of rivers flowing down steep slopes, near waterfalls that irrigate the surrounding area with water dust, at the bottom of ravines, and also in partial shade under tall trees.

Violets: care and cultivation at home.

If properly cared for house violet, it will bloom all year round. To do this, you need to know only a few points: how to choose the soil (substrate) for violets, how to plant, water and cut a flower, how to fertilize violets for lush flowering, and how to transplant a plant if necessary. If you follow the simple rules of care, indoor violet will delight you with its bright colors for a long time.

Content temperature.

The optimum temperature of the content should be in the range of 20-24 ° C. In order for the violets to bloom and feel comfortable, they must be protected from drafts, scorching sunlight and sudden changes in temperature. To do this, the flower must be placed on the eastern or western windows.

Soil for violets.

It should be remembered that the violet flower does not like large pots: for an adult plant, a capacity of no more than 13 cm in diameter is enough. retain moisture. As a substrate, you should use soil for indoor violets, purchased in specialized stores, or you can cook it yourself. The composition of the soil should be as follows: peat, coniferous, soddy and leafy soil in a ratio of 1:1:2:3, diluted with river sand.

How to water indoor violets?

Watering violets must be approached responsibly. Not everyone knows how to properly and how often to water indoor violets. Be sure to observe the golden mean, avoiding excessive drying of the substrate, but also without overmoistening the soil. Deviations in one direction or another adversely affect the health of the plant. Watering violets can be done with warm, well-settled tap water, making sure that liquid does not fall on the surface of the sheet plates. It is better to water through the pan.

Saintpaulias love high humidity, but it is impossible to spray with a spray gun, since water that has fallen on the leaves can cause burns. To maintain the desired level of humidity, you can put the plant pot in a tray with wet gravel or pebbles.

With the onset winter months duration daylight hours is reduced, so domestic violets need additional artificial lighting for up to 13 hours. It can be equipped with fluorescent lamps up to 40 watts. In order not to supercool the root system, watering violets in winter should be slightly limited and put the pot on a foam or wooden stand at least 30 mm thick.

Fertilizers for violets at home. How to fertilize Saintpaulia violets?

Many are wondering how to feed violets for abundant flowering at home, because some violets give numerous foliage, but do not bloom. To provide Saintpaulia with the necessary vitamins and microelements, it is necessary to feed it with complex mineral fertilizers with a frequency of 1 time in 2 weeks. The concentration of the solution should not exceed 2 grams of fertilizer per 1 liter of water. To prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases, it is recommended to treat the soil of domestic violets with a solution of pale pink potassium permanganate.

Transplanting violets at home. How to transplant a violet?

As the flower grows, it must be transplanted into a larger container. It has been empirically established that the optimal size of a violet pot should not exceed a third of the size of the outlet. If your home violet grows slowly and poorly, it means that it needs to be transplanted. Since the root system of the plant is poorly developed, it is not necessary to free the roots from the old clod of earth so as not to destroy them. The flower is transferred to a new container and the substrate is simply added. After transplanting, it must be watered.

How to prune house violet?

Trimming violet leaves is not only possible, but necessary. This is done in the following cases:

with the death of old lower leaves. As a result of this, a small bunch of leaves is formed, growing on a low stem;
to rejuvenate homemade violets, they cut off the top of it and, after treating the cut site with preparations that stimulate root formation, root it in a fresh substrate. On the remaining stump, after a while, babies sprout, which are used to propagate the violet;
for lush blooms. The leaves are pruned so that the violets bloom.

Reproduction of violets at home: methods of reproduction.

There are 4 main ways to propagate Saintpaulias violets, with the help of which lovers replenish and renew their collections:

Leaf (or cuttings)
stepchildren
babes
seeds

Propagation of violets by leaf (cuttings).

In the spring, during active vegetation, a middle-aged violet leaf with a petiole length of 2.5-5 cm is cut out from the second row of the rosette. You can root a violet cutting in water or in the ground.

To root a violet leaf in water, the cut of the cutting is immersed in water to a depth of no more than 1 centimeter. This level must be maintained throughout the rooting period. To prevent the occurrence of pathogenic microflora in the water, it is recommended to add half an activated charcoal tablet to it. When the roots appear, you should plant the violet stalk in a small container with good drainage and light soil. The seedling must be watered regularly, preventing the substrate from drying out. After 20-35 days, violet babies appear, which are ready for planting in pots.

To root a violet leaf in the ground, the cut cutting is immediately planted in a prepared container, which is covered with a plastic bag with holes made in it. This is done to remove condensate from the mini-greenhouse. Pre-violet seedlings need to be watered with a small amount of settled water.

Reproduction of violets by stepchildren.

The stepson of a violet (daughter rosette) is a small process that appears in the leaf axil. Stepchildren spoil the appearance of plants, so they need to be removed. To separate the stepchildren from the violet, you need to pinch the point of their growth and wait for the appearance of 4-5 leaves. Next, you need to carefully cut and root the stepson of the violet in a container covered with a film. When several stepchildren are formed, one of them is left on the plant, while the others are grown and planted in a new container.

Reproduction of violets by children.

Violet baby- it is independent small plant, which has its own root system. Babies of the Uzambara violet begin to hatch in the place of the rooted cutting in 2.5-3 weeks. There may be several of them at once - it depends on how strong the cutting was chosen for planting. The best option for further transplantation of the baby is to wait until she acquires two or three pairs of leaves and gains strength. After that, you can separate the violet baby from the mother leaf and plant it in the ground.

There are two ways to separate a baby violet.

In the first version, the Saintpaulia leaf with offspring is carefully removed from the pot, the earth is carefully removed from it, and the children are separated from both the cutting and from each other. It's better to do it by hand.
The second method is “closed”: with this method, the stalk is not removed from the pot, and the violet children are separated from the group as they grow. The largest baby, on which the roots have already fully formed, is cut off with a blade or a sharp knife and planted in a pot with a special substrate for Saintpaulia. The last principle of seating is considered more convenient, since several more generations of children can be obtained on an uninjured maternal cutting.

In our climate, violets are houseplants. Violet also has another name for Saintpaulia.

They attract lovers of flowering indoor plants with bright colors and fluffy leaves. Moreover, this home flower is not a source of allergy. But the violet is not easy to care for, it is quite capricious to the conditions, and in order for it to bloom, the grower needs to try.

Most frequently asked question, asked by novice flower growers, why does the violet not bloom?

This can happen for various reasons:

lack or excess of nutrients;
a pot too big for a plant;
unsuitable soil;
violation of the irrigation regime;
unsuitable climate for the plant;
insufficient level of illumination.

On a note! Some varieties of violet bloom for a long time, while others require rest after flowering, while the flowering period can be much shorter than the recovery period.

Cultivation and care

planting violets

Violets or saintpaulias are very capricious and demanding on growing conditions.

Firstly, you need to choose the right pot for the plant. Violet roots grow on the surface of the soil, and not in depth, so the pots for violets are selected quite compact. Pot sizes range from 5cm x 5cm for small varieties or baby violets to 9cm x 9cm for full grown plants. Moreover, if you decide to transplant a plant, then you should not change the size of the pot in the direction of increase.

Planting violets in a pot larger than 9 by 9 cm leads to a negative effect, which is expressed as follows:

the flower may not bloom for two years due to the fact that all the power will be spent on the formation of leaves to the detriment of the formation of inflorescences.
in those places where the soil is not braided with the roots of the plant, fungal diseases can develop and subsequently harm the plant.

The material from which the violet pot is made also matters. If you choose a lightweight plastic pot, it's a good idea to make holes on the sides of the pot so that air can enter the potting soil and ventilate the violet roots. It will also save the earth from souring. If the choice of the grower fell on ceramic pot, you need to choose unglazed pots, as unglazed pots allow air to pass through and allow the roots of the plant to breathe.

Secondly, you need to choose the right soil for violets.

Violets love slightly acidic soil. If the acidity of the soil deviates greatly from the pH value of 6-6.5, the violet may stop growing normally: the buds will fall off without even blooming. This may be due to the fact that the plant stops absorbing useful material from the soil and nitrogen-phosphorus starvation sets in. According to the state of the plant experienced florist will find out what kind of soil the violet has at the moment. If the young leaves curl up, then the soil is acidic; if the leaves turn pale and the tips turn brown, then the soil is alkaline.

Now many manufacturers produce special primer for different types plants. Violets are no exception. But even purchased soil is not always perfect - it happens that it is so light that when watering, water seeps into the gap between the soil mixture and the walls of the pot without soaking the soil. Therefore, it is better to prepare the soil yourself by taking two parts of garden soil and combining it with one part of sand. Next, you need to ignite the soil prepared by yourself in order to destroy pests and pathogenic bacteria. Now you can pour soil into the pot and plant violets. After planting, it is better to pour expanded clay on the surface of the earth, which will retain moisture and protect the soil from drying out.

Caring for homemade violets

To achieve maximum decorativeness, violet needs a very bright place, but without direct sunlight. Therefore, most often blooming violets can be seen in the houses of flower growers on the windowsills from the north, northwest, northeast side. If, in the florist's apartment, the windows open only to south side, then you will have to shade the pots with violets with something in order to avoid getting Saintpaulia leaves and flowers sunburn. To sunlight became soft and scattered, you can close the window light curtains or sheets of white paper. During the day, violets need 10-12 hours of light. During the winter, when natural light not enough, you can highlight the plant with fitolamps.

On a note! So that the violet bush grows evenly and does not bend from the fact that it is lit only on one side, from time to time turn the pot with the plant on different sides to the window, so the Saintpaulia rosettes will be symmetrical and neat.

I must say that those violets with dark green leaves need more lighting than plants with light green curly leaves.

Important! How to determine Is there enough light for your violet? Watch the plant: if the leaves are down, then there is enough light, but if they are stretched up, then the saintpaulia suffers from its lack.

High-quality care for home violets is ensured by maintaining a comfortable temperature regime in the house. The ideal temperature for growing violets is 20-22 degrees, in this comfortable climate the violet blooms profusely and the greenery looks bright. If the plant blooms in hot weather summer period, and in the house the air temperature rises above 28 degrees, then the violet flowers become small, pale, in varieties with a bright border along the edge of the flowers - this feature disappears. Such a temperature can destroy the plant, you can only help by lowering the temperature by installing an air conditioner, split system, fan, or by ventilating.

No less detrimental is the hypothermia of Saintpaulia, which can result in rotting of the roots. If this happens, the only way to save the plant is by re-rooting it. Draft is also contraindicated for violets, it is not only dangerous for the appearance of the plant (light spots on the leaves), but can also cause significant harm to their condition and even lead to death.

In winter, if the window sill in an apartment or house is cold, the violet must be protected from hypothermia of the root system. There are two options for solving the problem:

you can put a thick wooden or foam stand under the flower pot
you can move the plant from the window sill to a table or stand adjacent to the window, but then you need to remember to highlight the plant with a phytolamp, since plants usually suffer from a lack of light in winter.

Capricious violet loves moderation in watering. She won't like it very much abundant watering, but its long absence also negatively affects the plant. One of the conditions for proper care of violets is watering the plant with settled water. room temperature. Once a month, you can water the violet with acidified water. To do this, add acetic acid to the water (one teaspoon per liter of water) or citric acid(5 crystals per liter of water).

Attention! Spraying is contraindicated for violet. Its shaggy leaves retain moisture for themselves, which can cause a fungal disease to develop in the plant.

You can moisten by pouring water into the pan and placing a pot with a plant in it for thirty minutes. If the house is very warm (above 22 degrees), the violets are watered from above, but you need to make sure that the water does not get into the outlet. Well, another solution to the problem is to install a humidifier in the room, which will be useful for both plants and humans.

Attention! If you are watering violets by dipping into the pot tray and you have a large tray where you put several pots of plants at once, be attentive to the condition of the plants. Since in this case it is very easy to infect a healthy plant from a sick one through water.

Fertilizer and top dressing of violets

During the growth period, young plants are fed with nitrogen supplements. On a note! Capricious violets will not bloom if you overdo it with fertilizers with nitrogen. Violets and this time tell us that they need moderation in everything. A mature and flowering plant needs to be fertilized with potassium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the formation of buds and flowering.

How to care for violets in winter

The basic rules for maintaining the life and good condition of saintpaulias in winter are four main points:

Ensuring a long (10-12 hours) daylight hours with the help of supplementary lighting;
Ensuring the temperature in the room is not lower than 20 degrees;
Watering three times a week with water at room temperature;
Security high humidity indoors with a flower.

Note! During flowering, faded buds should be removed from the violet, so the plant will have more strength to ensure the current flowering. After the flowering period is over, to restore the strength of the violet, the lower leaves are removed and transplanted into fresh soil or, at worst, fertilizers are applied to the ground.

Reproduction of violets

Violet blooms only at a young age. If the plant is more than three years old, then most likely it will no longer bloom. Time to think about the propagation of Saintpaulia.

The simplest and effective way propagation of violets - cuttings or leaf propagation. To do this, you need to take a good leaf from the plant along with the cutting and put it in a glass of water. After some time, a root forms on the handle, then it is planted in a pot with soil.

Another way is to separate the children of violets. In the process of growing adult plants, they form children. In order for the children and the mother plant not to interfere with each other, they need to be seated. It is better to do this in the summer, since an adult plant, after separating the children, needs strength to recover by winter.

For reproduction of violets by children, the following manipulations are carried out:

Carefully dig out the baby and detach it from the parent plant with a sharp knife. When doing this, it is very important not to damage the socket.
If there are a lot of leaves on the baby, and very few roots, some of the leaves must be removed so that the plant does not waste energy on maintaining the leaves, but uses them to develop the root system.
Next, the baby needs to be planted in a separate pot, watered and placed in a place where it is warm and light, but there is no direct sunlight.

Diseases and pests of violets

Violets are affected by late blight. Appear on the violet brown spots. It makes no sense to fight against this fungal disease in the case of violets, therefore, in order to avoid infection of other plants, the diseased Saintpaulia is disposed of, as well as the soil from under it. To prevent this disease, it is better to buy soil for violets in stores or it is good to ignite self-prepared soil in the oven.
Violet can be affected by powdery mildew. In this disease, the trunks of Saintpaulia are covered white coating. This disease appears in following conditions: dusty room, air temperature below 18 degrees Celsius, lack of light. To treat the plant, you need to wipe the stems with a damp, clean cloth, ventilate the room and treat the flower with the benlat preparation.
Gray rot manifests itself in the form of a gray fluffy coating on the leaves and petioles of violets. The reason for the occurrence is that the plant is not watered with settled water at room temperature, as expected, but cold water and very often. This disease should be combated by treatment with 2tiram, phytosparin, agate and others, as well as by establishing a normal irrigation regime.
Fusarium fungus affects the roots of violets - they begin to rot. This is due to frequent watering with cold water and gives out this disease gray falling leaves and lack of flowering. For treatment, the plant is treated with a solution of fundozol and benomyl.

On a note! No more than once a month, you can water the violet with phytosporin or a pale solution of potassium permanganate. This is a good prevention against fungal diseases.

Violet very capricious plant, but if the florist pleases her and provides her quality care she will make him happy beautiful flowers on the windowsill most of the year.

room violet (lat. Saintpaulia), or uzambara violet- a genus of herbaceous flowering plants of the Gesneriaceae family, widespread in indoor floriculture. In nature, the violet flower grows in the mountainous regions of East Africa - in Tanzania and Kenya, most often choosing places on river terraces and near waterfalls. There are more than 20 types of uzambar violet. This amazing flower was discovered in 1892 by Baron Adalbert Walter Radcliffe le Tanet von Saint-Paul, the military commandant of the Uzambara district, which at that time was part of a German colony. The district was located on the territory of modern Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. Saint-Paul sent violet seeds to his father Ulrich Saint-Paul, president of the German Dendrological Society, who gave them to the botanist Wendland, who in 1893 grew a flower from seeds and described it as violet-flowered saintpaulia, highlighting it in a separate genus. In the same year Saintpaulia was presented at the flower show in Ghent, where the right to its industrial cultivation was sold. In 1927, Saintpaulias came to North America and immediately gained unprecedented popularity on this mainland - by 1949, more than 100 varieties of room violets were already known. Today, the violet plant has more than 32 thousand varieties, which are hybrids of Saintpaulia violet-flowered and saintpaulia erroneous.

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Planting and caring for violets (in brief)

Bloom: almost all year round.
Lighting: bright diffused light (northern, northeast, northwest window sills). Saintpaulia's light day should last 13-14 hours.
Temperature: during the growing season - 18-24 ˚C, in winter - not lower than 15 ˚C.
Watering: regular - 2 times a week, 1 time in a week and a half, it is desirable to use the bottom watering method.
Air humidity: common for residential areas.
Top dressing: during the active growing season 1 time in 10 days mineral fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, adding it to the water for bottom irrigation. The dosage of fertilizer should be two times weaker than indicated in the instructions.
rest period: not pronounced, but sometimes in winter you need to give the saintpaulias a rest.
Transfer: you need to change the substrate in the pot annually, but the pot is changed to a larger one only as needed.
Reproduction: children, leaf cuttings and seeds.
Pests: spider mites, scale insects and false scale insects, aphids, thrips, nematodes, mealybugs, whiteflies, wood lice, flies and mosquitoes.
Diseases: fusarium, powdery mildew, rust, gray rot and late blight.

Violet flowers - description

Home violet is a low-growing evergreen perennial herbaceous plant with short stems and a basal rosette of rounded leathery hairy leaves, green on the so-called boy plants (boys) and with bright spot at the base on saintpaulias girls (girls). The leaves of domestic violets have an unequal heart-shaped base and a pointed or rounded top. The flowers of Saintpaulia, 2 to 4 cm in diameter, are simple, five-petalled, or double, bordered, star-shaped or corrugated, collected in brushes. The color of the flowers can be almost any - one shade or two-tone. Flowering violets with proper care lasts almost all year round. The fruit of saintpaulia is a box with a large number of seeds.

Actually, saintpaulia is called home violet only because its flowers are similar to forest or garden violet flowers, in fact, saintpaulia belongs to a completely different family and is not a relative of such a well-known garden plant like violet tricolor, or pansies. Violets on the windowsills are Saintpaulias, African flowers that have managed to conquer the whole world in a short period of time. We will tell you how to plant a violet, how to care for a domestic violet, and describe the most popular varieties of violets in the culture.

Violet care at home

homemade violet care

How to care for home violets so that they bloom as long as possible? Indoor violets are very fond of light, but are afraid of direct sunlight, so the best place for them is a northern, northeastern or northwestern window sill, illuminated by diffused light. You can also keep them on the south window, curtained up to the middle with a cloth - it does not matter if a ray of the setting sun falls on the violets, but the tender leaves and flowers of Saintpaulia should be protected from the midday scorching rays. Daylight hours for homemade violets should last 13-14 hours, and if you manage to organize additional lighting for it in winter, it will bloom tirelessly even in the February cold.

How to grow a violet in a city apartment and what temperature regime is optimal for it? Violet flowers stop developing when the temperature drops below 15 ºC, so it is necessary to keep the room moderately warm in summer and moderately cool in winter. The optimum temperature for Saintpaulia is 18-24 ºC. Drafts and a sharp temperature drop affect them badly - which is why indoor violets do not like to spend the summer on fresh air. The humidity of the air is also important for Saintpaulia - it should be elevated, but at the same time, water should not fall on either the flowers or the leaves of the plant in the light.

Violets pots

The pot for Saintpaulia should be small, since the violet root does not take up much space, and the plant begins to bloom profusely only when the roots have mastered the entire interior of the pot. Young Saintpaulias need a pot with a diameter of 5-6 cm, and for an adult violet it is enough to have a pot with a diameter of 7-9 cm. And only very large plants will need a container with a diameter of 11-13 cm. The calculation for selecting dishes is simple: the diameter of the container should be three times smaller leaf rosette diameter. And note that indoor violet prefers plastic to expensive clay pots.

soil for violets

Caring for homemade violets involves choosing a soil of a certain composition for it. Stores sell soil mix for saintpaulias, but experience shows that it is not suitable for all violets. But the universal flower primer of the "Terra-Vita" type is suitable for violets. You can make a substrate yourself from soddy and leafy soil, sand and humus in a ratio of 0.5: 2: 1: 1. In a bucket of the finished mixture, you can add a tablespoon of superphosphate and half a glass of bone meal and mix everything thoroughly. The main requirements for soil for saintpaulias: it must be loose, quickly absorb water and pass air well. But before you fill the pot with substrate, place a layer of drainage from expanded clay, vermiculite, pieces of polystyrene or sphagnum moss with a volume of a third of the pot into it - the drainage will protect your violet from stagnant water in the roots, from which it can die. You can put a piece of charcoal on the drain.

planting violets

When the violet container is filled with drainage, you can start planting Saintpaulia. Put a layer of substrate on the drainage, place the plant in the center of the pot and gradually add the substrate from different sides under the plant, shaking the pot a little to fill all the voids with soil. When 2 cm remains empty to the edge of the pot, lightly press the surface of the substrate and water the violet.

Watering violets

Violets at home require regular watering. How to water a violet? It is best to use the bottom watering method to moisten the soil in a pot. Once a week and a half, pour warm settled water into a deep bowl and immerse a pot of violet in it so that the water almost reaches the edge of the pot, but does not overflow into it. Through the time when upper layer If the soil of the violet glistens with moisture, remove the pot from the bowl and let the excess water drain. Frequent or overhead watering can lead to plant root rot. It is necessary to moisten the violet only when the earthen ball is almost all dry. If you have a violet with leaves on long petioles, keep an eye on it: as soon as it lowers its leaves, then it's time to water all the violets.

Violets fertilizer

Caring for violets at home requires fertilizing the soil. They begin to fertilize violets at the beginning of the growing season, and continue to fertilize once a week and a half until the violet enters a dormant period. Liquid complexes for flowering houseplants are used as fertilizers. The best way is to add fertilizer to the water for bottom irrigation, especially since the frequency of soil moisture coincides with the frequency of top dressing. However, keep in mind that the concentration of fertilizers should be two times lower than indicated in the instructions.

Transplantation of violets

Growing violets requires an annual replacement of the substrate in the pot, but the pot itself can not be changed. If the plant needs a pot bigger size, you will determine this by the fact that the violet leaves have become smaller and paler, and flowering has become scarce. In this case, you need to transplant Saintpaulia into a pot with a diameter of 2 cm more. How to transplant a violet to cause her as little disturbance as possible? It is easier to tolerate a violet transplant in March. Try to carefully transfer it from one pot to another without disturbing the earthy coma. The root neck of the plant should be 2-3 cm below the edge of the pot. After transshipment of Saintpaulia into a new pot on drainage layer evenly fill the gaps between earthy clod plants and walls, shaking the pot so that the soil fills the entire space. After transplanting, do not forget to water the violet well.

Pruning violets and forming a rosette of violets

A violet bush should have three tiers of leaves. Leaves located below can be cut off without leaving petioles, especially if they are faded and lifeless. Remove wilted flowers and deformed or yellowed leaves in a timely manner to keep the bush looking neat. Turn the violet pot from time to time so that the leaves in the rosette are evenly spaced. Over time, due to the fact that you removed the lower leaves, the violet stem is exposed. How older plant, the higher the stem, and this does not add decorativeness to the plant. There are two ways to correct the situation: transplant the violet by deepening the stem into the ground, or cut off the entire outlet, leaving a part of the stem up to 2 cm high under it, place the bush with a stump in a glass of water, wait for the roots to form on it and plant the violet into the ground.

Hygiene of violets

Caring for violets is also about hygiene. In the natural conditions of the African mountains, where violets are watered by rain and the wind dries, they feel great and sometimes grow up to 30 cm in height. Therefore, when readers ask questions about whether violets can be washed and why violets cannot be sprayed, we answer that it is possible to wash and spray violets. When the leaves of the plants are covered with dust, take them to the bath, turn on the shower and wash the dust off the leaves weak pressure warm water. However, do not rush to return the violets to the windowsill, leave them in the bathroom until the excess water drains and the leaves dry, otherwise they will stain under bright light.

Indoor violet - reproduction

How to propagate violet

Reproduction of violets by children

Sometimes one Saintpaulia bush can form several rosettes - babies. When the children of violets grow up, they become crowded in the same pot with mother plant, and the violet begins to wither. Remove the violet from the pot, carefully separate the roots of all rosettes and seat the children in separate pots. Healthy plants tolerate transplanting well even when in bloom.

Violet leaf propagation

The easiest way to grow a violet is from a leaf. Separate a healthy, beautiful leaf from the second tier of the outlet and place it with a petiole in water so that it takes root. The length of the petiole should be about 4 cm, and for miniature and semi-miniature violets - at least one and a half centimeters. Many people prefer to immediately plant a leaf in a container with drainage holes, a drainage layer and loose soil, consisting of 4 parts of coarse sand, 2 parts of leafy soil and 1 part of peat. From above, the pot is covered with a transparent cap, after which it is placed in a warm, bright place, protected from direct sunlight. From time to time, the substrate is watered, but do not allow it to become waterlogged. The leaf can sit in the ground for a long time without any change, but you must be patient. Sometimes the leaf shrinks, withers and dies, but you should not rush to throw it away: a new plant is born underground, at the very bottom of the petiole, so you just need to wait. When young leaves appear, the parent leaf, if it is in good condition, is cut off. It can be immediately rooted again. If several rosettes appear from one sheet at once, you need to wait until they grow up, divide and plant them in separate pots. The downside of rooting a leaf in the ground is that you can't see when the roots have started, but the rooting time is greatly reduced and the chance of a new plant growing is increased to almost 100%.

Species violets are rarely affected by pests or diseases, but plants that have been created as a result of breeding work are not so prosperous in this regard.

Diseases of violets

Most often Saintpaulias suffer from Fusarium, powdery mildew, rust, gray rot and late blight.

powdery mildew covers the leaves, petioles and peduncles of violets with a whitish coating. Provokes the development of the disease poor lighting, low temperature against the background of high humidity, dusty leaves, excess nitrogen in the soil with a lack of potassium and phosphorus. A diseased plant is treated with a solution of Fundazol or Bentlan. In case of severe damage, repeat spraying after 10 days.

late blight occurs when a fungal infection penetrates into the root system of a violet through wounds or cracks, as a result of which the root neck of the plant rots, and brown spots appear on the leaves. First of all, late blight destroys plants weakened bad care. The danger of the disease is that it cannot be cured. The diseased plant is destroyed, and the pot is sterilized. To avoid phytophthora damage, be sure to add superphosphate to the soil and do not allow too high humidity in the room.

gray rot, or botrytis, can be recognized by the fluffy brownish-gray mold on the ground parts of the plant. The disease develops rapidly, and as a result, the plant dies. The browned parts must be removed immediately, and the violet should be treated with a fungicide. Throw away the rotten plant along with the soil - you will no longer need it. In order not to provoke the development of the disease, protect violets from drafts, sudden temperature changes and waterlogging of the soil.

Fusarium, or socket rotting, occurs in conditions of excessive watering, use to moisten the soil cold water, temperature fluctuations, growing violets in heavy soil or in a pot that is too spacious. You can find out that a plant has fusarium by the following symptoms: the petioles of the leaves become brown, the leaves fall off, and the roots darken and are easily separated from the ground. At the first sign of illness, remove the rotten parts of the plant and treat the violet with some fungicide.

Rust manifests itself in the form of yellow-orange tubercles on the upper side of the leaves and rusty-brown pads on the underside. With the development of the disease, violet leaves begin to fall off. Destroy the fungus by treating the plant with one percent Bordeaux liquid or a solution of some other fungicide, as well as dusting violets with sulfur dust.

As a prophylaxis against any fungal disease, including Fusarium, treat the violet once every two months with a solution of Fundazol.

Violets pests

Of the pests, mites, scale insects and false shields, aphids, thrips, nematodes, mealybugs, whiteflies, wood lice, flies and mosquitoes are dangerous for violets.

Ticks. When infested with mites, depressed brown spots appear on violet leaves, as if made by a blunt needle. Violet is affected by red cobwebs, cyclamen and flat pliers, feeding on the juice of a plant, from which it weakens and withers. You can rid the violet of all types of mites by treating it with acaricides - Akarin, Actellik or Fitoverm, and the last two drugs need to additionally shed an earthen lump in a pot. The procedure is carried out in the fresh air - in the yard or on the balcony, since acaricides are toxic to humans. Don't forget to wear gloves, goggles and a mask.

Shchitovki and false shields prefer to settle in rosettes with smooth leaves. You can guess their appearance by sticky droplets of secretions. If during the examination you find at least one adult insect, the entire plant is subject to treatment with Agravertin.

thrips can get into the room along with poplar fluff or flowers from the garden. These are dangerous sucking insects the fact that they instantly multiply and are able to occupy neighboring plants. They violate the integrity of the stamens, leave silvery bites on the flowers, and brown or black spots on damaged leaves. In the fight against thrips, you need to remove all flower stalks on the violet and treat the plant with Fitoverm, Aktellik or Aktara.

Aphid it affects flower stalks, buds, violet flowers, sucking out the juice of the plant, which causes the flower petals to deform, and the flowering of violets looks inferior. With a strong lesion, a sticky liquid is formed on the leaves and peduncles - aphid secretions, on which the sooty fungus settles, forming a black coating. To get rid of aphids, spend 2-3 sessions of treating the plant with Aktellik (1 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water).

Woodlice appear on violets if you keep the soil in the pot moist all the time, not allowing the earthen coma to dry out. In appearance, they resemble small turtles, not exceeding 1.5 cm in length. Woodlice damage the roots and leaves of the plant, which leads to secondary infections. Most effective method control of wood lice - treatment of violets and soil in a pot with acaricides. The plant is sprayed, and the substrate is shed with a solution of Aktellik or Fitoverm.

flies and mosquitoes settle on violet with chronic waterlogging of the soil in a pot. They themselves do not cause much harm, but their larvae destroy the substrate, damage the roots of the plant, and contribute to soil compaction, which reduces air access to the roots. Young plants are most affected by insects. As a result of the vital activity of these insects, the roots and stem rot. Having found pests, spill the soil in the pot with a solution of Karbofos, circle the edge of the container with a chalk pencil from cockroaches, rub the pencil on a grater and sprinkle the surface of the soil in the pot with these chips. Adults can be destroyed with an aerosol of Reid or Dichlorvos. And review the violet watering schedule.

springtails, or fools also start up on a violet from dampness. They are harmless to violets, but when there are too many of them, they can damage the roots of the plant. Pour Feverfew into an earthen clod of violets and stop flooding the plant.

whiteflies- bright white flies of small size, sitting on the surface of the leaves and leaving sticky feces on them - a favorite environment for sooty mushrooms. Therefore, the surface of the leaves first turns white, and then blackens. As a result, the growth of shoots stops in the violet. An effective measure is to treat violets with a mixture of systemic insecticide and acaricide. In order to get rid of whiteflies, you will need at least two sessions.

Violet does not bloom

Novice flower growers sometimes complain to us that, despite their best efforts, they cannot wait for their violet to bloom. So why doesn't the violet bloom? Let's analyze the reasons for this phenomenon. It is difficult to wait for violets to bloom if:

she does not have enough light;
her daylight hours are less than 12 hours;
the substrate is oversaturated with nitrogen fertilizers;
violated the rules for watering the plant;
not enough in the room wet air- Violet requires humidity at the level of 50%;
the pot is too heavy and dense soil;
the plant has a too spacious pot;
violet is affected by pests or sick.

Violet turns yellow

Beginning violet lovers often worry about the fact that violet leaves turn yellow. Why is this happening? Sometimes the leaves turn yellow natural cause- old age. Such leaves are best removed along with the petioles. The second reason is the burning of leaves under the bright rays of the sun, the drying of the soil or overheating of the plant. Moisten the soil in the pot using the bottom watering method and organize the protection of the plant from the sun at noon - you can hang curtains on the window, or you can cover the glass sun protection film. If possible, place the violets on a north, northwest, or northeast windowsill. Be sure to monitor the acidity of the soil - the norm for Saintpaulia is 5.5-6.5 pH. And do not get carried away with phosphate fertilizers to the detriment of nitrogen fertilizers - the plant needs nitrogen, including so that violet leaves are green.

If, after the leaves turn yellow, the base of the stem turns brown and becomes soft, the plant is suffering from excess moisture and too low a temperature.

spots on violets

Types and varieties of violets

The American classification of indoor violets, which is used by most flower growers, due to huge amount varieties is quite complicated, but we will still try to give you an idea of what varieties and hybrids of Saintpaulia exist in culture. Varietal violets are distinguished by the following features:

- outlet size – micromini mM (diameter of rosette up to 6 cm), mini M (diameter from 10 to 15 cm), semi-mini or midi SM (diameter from 15 to 20 cm), standard S (diameter from 20 to 40 cm), large standard L (diameter from 40 to 60 cm). A separate category is trailer or ampelous violets;

- leaf type - oval, rounded, kidney-shaped, elongated heart-shaped, elongated-oval on long petioles, entire, serrated, wavy along the edge or corrugated. In addition, there are leaves with a spot at the base of the plate - they are called "girl", and there are leaves without a spot - "boy". The surface of the leaves can be smooth, quilted, spoon-shaped, slightly or densely pubescent, plain or variegated;

- leaf color may be on the upper side of any shade of green, sometimes dark brown or almost black, olive, grey-green, splashed or veined with white, light green with pink spray. The underside can be light green, pinkish, almost white, purple with purple spots, dark purple, green with purple spots;

- type of flower Saintpaulia has: classic, like pansies, star-shaped - with five petals of the same size, bell-shaped - with one or two rows of petals, wasp - a very rare type with folded petals of the upper lip and wide petals of the lower and spider - flowers with elongated petals, which seem to cover a hemisphere. Flowers of all types can be simple, semi-double and double. Bell-shaped flowers are only simple and semi-double.

In addition to the basic forms, with the advent of all more hybrids of violets, there are varieties with such a shape of the edges of the petals as corrugated (bordered or lacy), rounded, pointed, torn and even;

- petal color Violets can be plain, two-tone, (two shades of the same color), two-tone or multi-color. Two-tone, multi-color and two-tone colors can be fantasy (with dots, splashes, peas, rays or spots of a different color or tone on the petals) and bordered (the flowers have one or two borders of different widths of one or two colors). Two-tone coloring can also be finger-shaped - on the petals there is a contrasting color spot in the form of a circle or oval. As for the colors directly in which violet flowers can be painted, there are letter designations for all colors:

B (Blue) - blue or blue;
C (Multicolor) - multi-colored;
P (Pink, Rose) - hot pink or dark pink;
O (Orchid, Mauve, Levender) - orchid, lavender, mauve or lavender;
R (Red, Mahagon, Plum, Burgundy) - red, red chestnut, plum, cherry;
V (Violet, Purple) - violet or purple;
W (White, Creamy, Blash) - white, creamy or barely pink;
X (Bicolor) - two-color
Y - white with yellow.

Recently, when describing violets, such unusual colors like beige, fawn, orange, indigo, salmon, ash, dove, terracotta, electric and fuchsia;

- number of petals - violet flowers can be simple, or single, with five or six petals, semi-double - two additional wrinkled scallop petals are formed in the center of the flower, and terry.

From the huge variety of saintpaulias, we offer you remarkable varieties of violets with names and descriptions that you will surely remember. We won’t claim that these are the best cultivated violets, but you can certainly choose among them a flower for your home.

Caprice- white violet with double flowers with green fringe along the edges of the petals. The leaves are variegated, wavy.

Macho- purple violets with a burgundy hue of large semi-double flowers with a white border along wavy edges. The leaves are green, simple, ovate.

your majesty- pink violet with densely double flowers with wavy petal edges and bright green leaves;

Water- Terry blue violet, which turns pink towards the edges of the petals. There is a bright bronze-green border along the fringed edges. The leaves are light green, wavy.

sea wolf- a giant, up to 8 cm in diameter, semi-double blue violet with wavy petals, decorated with a thin mesh pattern. The leaves are dark green.

Tomahawk- bright red violet with a classic type of flower. The variety is different abundant flowering. The leaves of this violet are dark green.

Parisian secrets- large double flowers of dark purple-black colors with iridescent amethyst-red mesh pattern on all petals. The central petals are collected in a dense ball, like a cabbage head. Along the fringed edges of the petals is a white-green ruffle. The leaves are scalloped, variegated - green with white.

jabot- violet with terry dark blue petals wrapped in heads of cabbage. On the edges of the petals twisted bright green ruffle. Leaves are green and wavy.

Max Black Pearl- velvety black violet with a purple tint and compact semi-miniature foliage.

Unfortunately, neither green nor yellow violet has yet been bred, however, breeders have already developed varieties with a yellow tint or with a yellow pattern on the leaves - Lemon Kissiz, Majesty, Warm Sunrise, Sunkist Rose. There are also several varieties of Saintpaulias with greenery, which are commonly called green violets - Silverglade Apples, Frozen in Time, Buckeye Irish Lace, Irish Cream, Spring Rose, Green Lace and others.

Violets on the windowsill destroy privacy

The incredible popularity of saintpaulia has become the cause of many superstitions and signs with which this flower is associated. They say, for example, that a violet is a man, that is, an unmarried woman who grows indoor violets allegedly has no chance of getting married, and a married lover of saintpaulias has a risk of being left without a husband. But if you think carefully, it turns out that among your acquaintances there are married women who have been growing violets for years. Yes, and those of your friends who got married not so long ago, you can find a violet or two on the windowsill. If you search.

Another superstition claims that the indoor violet is an energy vampire and that you should not keep it in your bedroom, as it causes drowsiness and a breakdown. But, if you think about it, violets, like any other plants, during the day, in the light, produce oxygen, and at night, on the contrary, they absorb it and release carbon dioxide. And from a lack of oxygen, you also tend to sleep. Hence the conclusion: you do not need to arrange a whole greenhouse on the windowsill in the bedroom.

Violet belongs to the Violaceae genus. This is a small plant with velvet, round leaves, with a low growth point. Classic violet flowers also have a velvety texture, the color is varied: from white to bright purple. This plant grows mainly in the northern hemisphere, in the mountains. Violet prefers temperate climates. In modern floriculture, this plant has taken one of the first places.

This is far from accidental, because few people can remain indifferent to a small, velvety, cute flower. More than 500 species of violets are known in the world. It is almost impossible for an amateur to walk past a window with abundantly blooming violets for a florist. Violet is an unusually romantic, touching flower, suitable for an exquisite, subtle nature.

Violet: care

When choosing a location for violets, it is necessary to give preference to well-lit windows, but in no case should direct rays be allowed to enter. This is detrimental to the plant; leaves can get burned from direct rays.

Northwest windows work well. If there is no choice, and all your windows are south, you need to cover the violets during the midday solstice.

The optimum temperature for keeping violets is +20, +24 degrees.

The plant blooms throughout the year, and there are practically no interruptions in flowering in violets. With proper care, it will delight you with abundant flowering all year round. Faded flower stalks must be removed so that they do not take away from the plant nutrients and didn't spoil decorative look violets.

Violet: watering

When caring for violets, it is watering that needs special attention. This process is far from being the case with many other houseplants. It is very important that violets are watered from below.

Watering from above, like ordinary flowers, this plant is impossible. Otherwise, the violet will simply begin to rot. Water should be warm, 28-30 degrees, and well settled.

If the water is at room temperature, it must be warmed up a little, for example, using a microwave. Water is poured into a deep bowl or tray, and the violet pot falls 2/3 into it, but in no case should the water overflow over the edges of the pot.

When the flower is saturated with water, the earth becomes wet, we take out the violet from the pan.

Such manipulations should be carried out no more than once a week and after the earthen ball dries out.

Violet: transplant

Transplantation must be carried out with the choice of a pot. Violet loves small, low containers, but in too small pots, violet leaves will be very small.

The optimal container size is 10-12 cm in diameter and 10 cm in height. Violets need good drainage, it should occupy at least 1/3 of the pot. The earth can be used both special for Saintpaulia and violets, and ordinary with the addition of a small amount of charcoal.

Violet requires an annual transplant. It is necessary to change the earth once a year, but you can plant it in the same pots where it grew earlier.

Transplanting is best done when the plant is in a dormant period, without flowers.

But a good strong plant will survive the transplant in flowering form.

Violet: fertilizer

So, since the violet blooms almost all year round, fertilizers must be applied once every 2 weeks. If the plant is still at rest, it is enough to fertilize once every 4 weeks. Fertilizer is added to water for irrigation. You can take a universal fertilizer for flowering plants.

Violet: breeding

Basically, violets are propagated using a leaf. This happens quite simply.
It is necessary to choose a healthy strong leaf, cut it with a sharp knife so that the stem is 2-3 cm, plant it in a separate pot.

A violet leaf can sit in the ground for a long time, perhaps even the leaf will dry out, but this is not scary.

Some do not plant the leaf immediately into the ground, but first keep it in a jar of water until the roots appear. Both the first and second methods are quite effective.

Violets have long been considered an indicator of well-being in the room where they settled. If the owners are attentive and take care of all the inhabitants of the dwelling, then the Saintpaulia will receive its share of attention and will delight with its abundant flowering. Reproduction and care of room violet will not present difficulties if you know the agricultural technology of the plant.

Conditions and microclimate favorable for the plant

The defining ones are:

location;
duration and ;
temperature and air humidity;
watering mode;
timely transplantation and propagation of violets.

Place a room violet in a well-lit place on all windows, except for the northern ones without direct sunlight. Lack of lighting will provoke diseases, flowering will stop. can be grown on shelves in the depths of the apartment, if you create artificial daytime spectrum lighting for them for at least 10 hours.

The temperature in summer can be 21-25 degrees, in winter 15-18 is enough. Seedlings take root or rooting is carried out at 25. All processes are slowed down at a temperature close to 30 . Humidity should be around 50%.

Violet does not like excessive moisture. How often to water violets? During flowering, bottom or traditional watering should be daily, twice a week in winter. The main thing is not to overfill and avoid stagnation of water in the pan. With excessive watering, the roots do not receive air and can rot. In modern care, wick watering of violets and other indoor plants has aroused great interest.

Saintpaulia grows on lean soil with a small amount of additional food. Therefore, for a full content, the substrate is often replaced. With an annual transplant, only the substrate is replaced, without increasing the volume of the pots. A transplant is required every three years. The systematic cultivation of new specimens allows you to remove old plants that lose their decorative effect. It is easy to propagate a violet, as well as transplant it, knowing the basic rules.

Transplantation and propagation of indoor violets

Reproduction of plants can be carried out using leaves, shoots from the root of 3-4 leaves, seeds. The most commonly used method is the cutting of a leaf, we will analyze it in more detail.

For reproduction, a leaf is taken from healthy plant. If this is a large outlet, then the leaves of the second tier are selected, rooted through a glass of water. In young plants, or young leaves of the upper tiers take root directly in the substrate, in wet moss, in a mini-greenhouse.

The leaf should have a tugor, before laying for germination, a fresh cut is made, which is updated if the stalk is rotten instead of callus. Some varieties of Saintpaulia do not root through water, only in moss or a substrate.

Substrate Requirements

The soil for violets should be light and slightly acidic. The compositions are different, most importantly, it must be breathable and nutritious. Constant moderate hydration allows minerals to dissolve, giving salts for nutrition. One of the compositions recommended for saintpaulias:

garden land - 5 parts;
– 3 parts;
sand - 1 part.

Can be taken ready ground for seedlings "Vermion". But any of the compounds should first be treated against pathogens and pests, then add to 2 liters of the finished mixture:

"Live Earth" 1 liter;
vermiculite 1 cup;
perlite 1 cup;
sphagnum moss 1.5 cups;
chopped charcoal 2/5 cup;
powder on the tip of a knife.

For drainage, expanded clay is required.

Violet utensils

Containers should be wide. At a height of 10 cm, a cup with a diameter of 15-20 cm is suitable for an adult plant. The correct ratio is important, so a larger drainage layer is laid out in a deep narrow pot. Spacious dishes will delay flowering until they are filled with roots. When transplanting, the roots should initially be cramped. Any dishes are used, but plastic ones are better, since clay has pores, and the lump of earth dries quickly.

Water for irrigation

Water is used soft raw settled. If watering is bottom, then after wetting the layer of earth, it is required to remove the remaining water from the pan immediately after watering. Modern wick watering of violets allows you to create uniform moisture and reduces care time.

When planting violets with roots, the following conditions must be observed:

Create a drainage layer by first protecting the drainage holes from clogging, stretching a wick through them, and laying it in a layer of sprinkled earth. Place the roots so that the neck of the plant is in the middle of the cup, placed below the watering rim. Gently sprinkle the roots with earth, slightly shaking and compacting the substrate mechanically.
After pouring to the neck of the roots, water the soil so that it lies against the roots. After the clod has settled, pour the dry mixture on top and mulch against evaporation with vermiculite.
Cover the new plant from above from evaporation, ventilate. but don't water until established.

A sign of survival will be the appearance of new leaves on the bush, the appearance of young seedlings on the handle.

It is not necessary to use with each transplant larger pot. It depends on the state of the root system. If she tightly entangled a clod of earth and retains her shape when removed from the pot, you need a large 1-1.5 cm dish.

The question is often asked whether it is possible to transplant flowering violets. This is undesirable, if the plant blooms, then it still has enough nutrition, wait until the end of flowering. But if the plant is flooded, transplantation is inevitable. In this case, you should revise the roots and remove the brown ones. You can thin out up to 2/3 of the root system and remove some of the leaves, use them for propagation. In order for flowering to recover faster, you need to take smaller dishes for transplanting.

How to plant a violet if it does not bloom, and has lost its decorative appearance from old age? In such a plant, the stem is bare from below. Cut off the upper part with a sharp knife, root in water and then plant like all other violets.

If a violet, which blooms beautifully, has fallen off the lower leaves and the stem is bare, it can be deepened, but not immediately. First, you need roots to appear on this part of the plant. Wrap the stem in sphagnum moss, which has bactericidal and moisture-retaining properties. When roots appear on it, you can pour the earth.

Video about wick watering violets

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