Indoor violet (the name according to the generally accepted international classification is Saintpaulia), imported to Europe at the end of the 19th century and numbering today more than 30,000 different hybrid varieties, is very popular among fans of home-grown flowers. These plants with bright inflorescences are able to decorate any room. In order for them to develop safely, you must follow certain rules for caring for violets at home. We hope that simple recommendations for maintaining a favorable microclimate, methods of watering and propagating senpolias, which are simple to implement, will help beginner gardeners.
Basic rules for the purchase of planting material
In order to start a successful cultivation and cultivation of violets, planting and care at home, first of all, you need to purchase it. Experienced experts do not recommend buying adult plants for these purposes during lush flowering. Usually these bright decorative "bouquets in pots" are mainly intended for single use. After the flowering period ends, the plants may weaken or die. The likelihood that such a senpolia adapts well to the conditions of your apartment and subsequently serves as good material for reproduction is very small.
It is most advisable to purchase leafy cuttings or young plants (already transplanted into pots). It is better to buy such seedlings in specialized stores or from familiar flower growers who already have experience in home breeding of this species of plants.
When choosing, special attention must be paid to the external state of the seedling leaf. It should be light green in color, without spots and extraneous inclusions. If the leaf stalk has a pronounced elongated shape, then, most likely, it was germinated in low light conditions. It is better to refuse to purchase such a seedling, since the plant is initially weakened. The best time of the year to buy young shoots is spring (in winter there is a risk of acquiring a plant with frosty roots, and in summer with dried up).
Having acquired high-quality and healthy planting material, you can only ensure safe transportation (in a plastic container or box of suitable sizes, since young cuttings are very fragile) and proper care for the violet at home.
On a note! Do not forget to find out from the seller the name of the variety of each cuttings, and also whether they change their color during flowering.
Temperature
For the normal growth of most varieties of violets, the temperature regime of air should vary from +18 to +24 degrees. Maintaining the temperature (quite comfortable for people) in such a fairly wide range is not particularly difficult.
In the summer months, regular airing of the premises or placement of water trays near plants will help to cope with excessive heat. However, a significant decrease (below 16 degrees) in winter temperatures can be detrimental to the health of these indoor plants. Exceptions are variegated violets, which bloom only at + 16-18 degrees.
Suitable lighting
Proper care of the violet at home implies the creation of sufficient lighting (both in time and in intensity). These plants prefer soft diffused light and do not tolerate direct sunlight. The daylight needed for these flowers should last about 12-14 hours.
The best location for the pots with violets is the windowsill (of course, if the window does not face south). In winter, when daylight hours are significantly reduced, artificial lighting can be used (for example, using LED, halogen or fluorescent lamps).
The faded and lethargic appearance of the plants, as well as the leaves stretched upwards indicate that the plant does not receive enough light for normal development. Therefore, the duration of additional lighting (and sometimes its intensity) must be increased.
Air humidity
Humidity for a comfortable life of violets in the room should be about 70-80%. During the heating season, when the inclusion of various heating devices significantly reduces the value of this indicator, it is necessary to spray water in the room at least 1-2 times a day.
Important! Spraying from the atomizer of the plants themselves is strictly prohibited.
To increase humidity, you can install a container of water next to the pot or periodically hang on a battery (closest to the location of the plant) a lavishly moistened rag. This will create a favorable microclimate.
Correct soil
Violets are very susceptible to the harmful effects of bacteria and microorganisms, so the use of soil from their own garden or garden for their cultivation is not recommended. The best solution is to purchase a special soil mixture in a specialized store. The composition of such soils has the necessary density for the best development of violets, and all the ingredients are cleared of harmful microorganisms already in the factory.
For independent preparation of the soil mixture, some gardeners recommend mixing ordinary garden soil (previously sifted) with a small amount of sand. Then, the prepared soil should be decontaminated by calcination in the oven. Before filling home-made soil mixture, a claydite drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot (to prevent stagnation of the liquid after irrigation).
Another recipe for making violet soil on your own: 1 part of the earth, 2 parts of peat, a small amount of moss and charcoal.
How to water
An important aspect of home violet care at home is, of course, watering. However, such a seemingly simple process for the senpolia has a number of features. Moisture on the plant itself can lead to the development of decay processes and, as a result, to shorten the life of the flower. Experienced gardeners for this variety of indoor plants recommend two main methods of watering:
- through the pallet;
- self-watering (through the wick).
With the first method:
- We set the flower pot in the pallet.
- Then we fill it with filtered and settled water (room temperature) so that the liquid covers approximately ⅓ of the height of the pot.
- We leave the plant in this position for 30-40 minutes.
- We take the pot out of the pan, let the excess water drain and set the flower in its usual place.
The frequency of watering depends on the season, but usually 1-2 times a week is enough.
To irrigate violets (when leaving at home) through the wick, it is necessary to make some technological improvements to the pot. In the process of plant transplantation:
- We extend a special cord through the hole in the bottom of the pot.
- Carefully lay it in the ground (approximately ½ of the height of the container).
- Under a flower pot, set a container filled with water, and lower the free end of the cord into it.
You can see the photo of violet flowers when leaving at home (in pots equipped with a self-irrigation system) below.
When the soil (and, of course, the cord itself) dries, the water will rise upward through the capillaries of the wick and moisten the soil around the roots of the flower. With this method, the grower no longer needs to monitor the state of the soil and keep in mind the latest date of irrigation. The plant will take the necessary amount of life-giving moisture from the soil and will itself regulate the soil moisture around it. It is only necessary to change the water (once a week) and monitor its level.
Fertilizer and fertilizing
Almost all indoor flowers when leaving at home (violet is no exception) need periodic top dressing. During the period of intensive growth, special fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are introduced into the soil. In the flowering process, compositions based on potassium and phosphorus are used. Fertilizing in the fall and winter for the normal development of the plant is not required.
Fertilizers need to be purchased only in specialized stores. Breeders have developed special balanced formulations (based on potassium, sodium, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, boron, sulfur, molybdenum, zinc and other trace elements) for use in various periods of development of this type of plant. Before buying, you must carefully read the instructions, then you will be sure that you have added the exact top dressing that the violet needs now and in the right amount. Fertilizers are usually dissolved in water (in the strictly recommended proportion) and applied during irrigation.
Important! An excess of nitrogen in a pot of adult violet can cause a lack of flowering.
Necessary and sufficient pot size
Despite the existence of a huge number of varieties and varieties of violets, all of them have a small root system. Therefore, for proper cultivation and care at home for room violet, flower growers use containers of a fairly compact size. The use of large pots for these purposes can lead to the fact that the senpolia will grow for a long time, and the flowering period will not come soon.
For the normal germination of young seedlings, the diameter of the container recommended by specialists is 5-7 centimeters, for an adult plant - 10-12 centimeters.
Transfer
Transplantation and complete renewal of soil for violets must be done every 2-3 years. Experts recommend practicing this spring or early summer. A plant transplanted during hibernation may not take root well in a new pot filled with fresh soil.
When transplanting:
- Carefully remove the plant from the pot with the soil.
- We free the roots from the old soil (first just shaking the plant strongly, then removing the remains with your hands).
- We remove dried or diseased leaves, as well as rotten roots.
- We rub all places of cuts with crushed coal (activated or wood).
- We rinse the root system in the shower, trying to ensure minimal moisture on the leaves.
- We lay on the bottom of the pot (previously thoroughly washed) a drainage layer and a small amount of soil mix.
- We install a plant in it, straighten the roots and fill the free space around the flower with fresh soil.
- In a day we carry out watering.
Propagation of violets by leaf cuttings
Reproduction, as well as caring for flowers with violets at home, will not cause special difficulties even for a novice lover of indoor plants. The simplest method, which gives an almost 100% positive result, is to grow leaves cut off from an adult plant. Everything is quite simple:
- We find on the mother's flower a healthy, strong, juicy leaf.
- With a well-sharpened knife or a scalpel, we cut it off at the base (preferably at an angle to increase the area of root formation). Before use, the cutting tool is best sanitized.
- We place the handle (several at once) in a container with clean water at room temperature and place in a warm and bright place (inaccessible to direct sunlight). Do not forget to periodically add fluid. The neck of the vessel should be narrow enough so that the leaf does not come into contact with the liquid.
- Subject to the rules of care at home, room violets (visible in the photo below) will form roots at the end of the stem in 2-4 weeks.
- Now, carefully (the roots are very fragile), we transplant the young shoot into a pot (with soil mixture). To prevent slowing down the process of full development, the leaf of the seedling should not be in contact with the soil.
On a note! Cut leaves can immediately be planted in small pots with prepared soil (without first germinating in containers with water). Experienced flower growers claim that this method also gives very good results.
With proper care at home, violets (photos do not convey all their beauty) in a year will please you with beautiful inflorescences.
Propagation by the stepson branch
This method of reproduction is used so that the young plant inherits all the external signs of maternal violet. This method is recommended by specialists for some hybrid varieties (especially chimeras).
The procedure is quite simple:
- We choose a healthy and strong plant, at the base of which a young stepson has grown (with at least 3-4 leaves).
- Carefully remove the plant from the pot and remove excess soil from the roots.
- Using a sharp knife or a scalpel, we separate the stepson from the "mother", while trying to minimize injury to the main outlet of the violet.
- We plant both plants in separate containers.
To plant the stepson rooted faster in the pot, when caring for violets at home for the first 3-4 weeks, it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions.