Violets, or senpolis, are queens of window sills. With proper care, they bloom profusely all year round, perfectly decorating the room. The beauty of the flowers of this plant is always pleasing to the eye and warms the soul, in addition, they are not demanding in care. Everyone who has tried to grow a violet at least once before flowering continues to cultivate it constantly and often become fans of this plant.
A little bit about violets
In nature, the color of violets is limited mainly to blue, blue and purple. Breeders offer a choice of plants of any color and more than 20 thousand different varieties. Among violets, popular indoor flowers, there are many different types:
- standard - amaze with a variety of shapes and colors;
- chimeras - stun with a special color of the flower;
- ampelous - have several growth points:
- wasps - are distinguished by a special flower shape;
- miniatures - called gnomes for their tiny size.
These small but touching flowers, standing on the windowsill, give the house a special cozy atmosphere.
Care and maintenance of violets
When caring for violets, be sure to observe the following conditions:
- Bright light is the main thing for keeping the flower. The abundance of flowering and the brightness of the color of the flowers depend on the light. But at the same time, the violet does not tolerate direct sunlight. From them appear burns, which are expressed in the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves and flowers. The plants that bloom with white flowers are most prone to burns.
- Place on the windowsill. Violet Tristan will grow on any windowsill, but it is preferable to choose windows from the north. It should be noted that the evening rays of the setting sun will not cause harm to the violet. If it happens that you have only south and west windows, then you need to do the shading. To do this, glue a sheet of tracing paper on the bottom of the glass or hang a curtain from a dense tulle. It will let in enough light and protect the plants from direct sunlight.
- Flowering year round. For this, it is necessary to use artificial lighting for at least 12 hours during the day. Air temperature should be at least 18 degrees, and plants should not be exposed to drafts. Lighting will not have any effect on the violet Tristan if the temperature drops below 15 degrees.
- Protect from the cold. In winter, it is advisable to overlay pots with plants on cold window sills with any material with thermal insulation, while slightly limiting watering.
After evaluating all the conditions in the apartment, you can place the violets in a suitable place for them. And they, in turn, will thank you with the beauty of their flowers and will bloom year-round.
Transfer
Violet Tristan (the photo shows a plant transplant) twice a year requires replacing the substrate in the pot in order to maximize the use of nutrients from it.
The most suitable time for a transplant is autumn (from September to November) and spring (February-March). Transplantation is done in order to give the opportunity to build new roots. The root system of violets ages quickly and therefore needs to be updated. New roots appear only from the fresh part of the trunk, located above the ground. When transplanted, old leaves are removed from the trunk, and it is placed in the soil. The emergence of new roots will cause the growth of fresh leaves and strong peduncles. Sometimes flowering plants are transplanted. With proper care, this procedure will not harm the violet, only slightly suspend flowering.
When transplanting, do not increase the volume of the pot. Tristan violet feels great in small pots. They stimulate flowering, while large ones contribute to the rapid growth of leaves and delay the formation of buds. When transplanting, a good drainage should be made in the pot; violets do not like stagnation of water.
Breeding
Violets are very unpretentious, propagated by leafy cuttings. The best time for rooting leaves is early spring and summer. Each healthy leaf of senpolia is a formed organ and is able to create its own roots, which will serve as the beginning of new plants that repeat the parental properties. To root leaves, use water, a substrate, a humus tablet or moss. The fastest leaves are rooted in the ground.
The cuttings of violet Tristan, the description of which is given below, are planted in small plastic pots and covered with a plastic bag on top until the children appear. Periodically obtained greenhouses are aired. The grown children are transplanted into the prepared soil.
Humidity and watering
The increased temperature in the apartment during the cultivation of violets leads to the drying of air and soil, which adversely affects the plants. To maintain normal humidity, from time to time spraying is carried out near the flower or a container with water filled with pebbles is placed. Watering is carried out as the soil dries, only warm water is used. A sufficient amount of water for the root system of the plant guarantees its health and active growth.
During the growth period (all spring and summer), the need for violets in water increases. Watering the plant is necessary when the topsoil dries out by 1.5 cm. In this case, the senpolia will never experience stagnation of water, which adversely affects the condition of the plant.
Violet Tristan: photo and description of the variety
Tristan is one of the varieties of indoor violets, which has an unusual and amazing appearance. Many gardeners manage to successfully grow this variety. The plant has white flowers with the edges of the corrugated structure, on which smears of purple and bright pink shades are located. The socket is small. The flower looks great, you can hardly take your eyes off it. Leaves with slightly wavy edges of a light shade. Their surface may be semi-double or conventional structure. To maintain the violet in a constant flowering state, as mentioned earlier, it needs bright light, a constant temperature of at least 18 degrees, normal humidity, proper watering and timely transplantation twice a year.
Variety and sport of violets
Often when growing Tristan violets, the photo and description of which this article is devoted to, surprises arise - the plant blooms out of sort. The color of the flower, and sometimes the leaves, are different from the original. Breeders brought forth many magnificent violets that perfectly inherit their varietal traits. But there are options for sporting, when grown children do not retain all the varietal properties of their parents. In this case, the plants are called sports. This often happens in fantasy varieties, which include the violet Tristan. Some sports look more attractive than their parents and even register as new varieties.
Some varieties are not prone to sorting, especially monophonic senpolia, but in this case there are exceptions. There are also those that bloom differently every season and are always beautiful. Some violets, especially those with two-color flowers, change color over time and become a darker shade. This may be due to the conditions of detention - high soil acidity, elevated temperature. This situation is corrected by restoring the previous conditions of detention. But if the senpolia bloomed with sports, then it will never again become a variety.
Violet LE Tristan. Photo and description
This Saintpaulia has a very special color. Flowers are like luxurious white stars. The wide edge of the extremely corrugated petals contains strokes of dark blue and pink tones. Specialists note that the variety is difficult to repeat. The flower should look simple or semi-double, and along the edge should have a magnificent ruffle with multi-colored strokes of pink-blue tone. Variegated and wavy leaves, neat rosette. Everything else is sports.
Caring for a violet is not particularly difficult, it is important to observe the basic cultivation conditions listed above. For flowering in the winter, special attention must be paid to additional lighting using artificial lamps, as well as proper watering, avoiding waterlogging and drying out of the soil.
Conclusion
Gorgeous and beautiful violet Tristan. Everyone can grow a liked variety on his windowsill. A flower can be purchased at a flower shop, which is better to transplant at home into new soil right away. When buying, you should pay attention to the color of the leaves of the plant. The lighter their color, the greater the likelihood that the violet will bloom in accordance with the variety. If the leaves are dark or have dark stains, then most likely its flowering will not coincide with the flowers of the selected variety. But if you are just an amateur, then in this case the violet will please with its beauty.