Violet is especially loved by gardeners and homemakers. She will conquer anyone who at least once glanced at this wonderful plant, which managed to combine in itself both rigor, tenderness and noble decoration. Saintpaulia, namely such a name has the usual violet for everyone, - the plant will not tolerate a demanding and careless attitude to itself. Therefore, anyone who wants to settle such a beauty in their home will need to learn something about caring for her. A lot of articles have been written on how to process and water the Saintpaulia. But today we’ll talk about how to choose the right soil composition for violets. This is crucial if you decide to grow a strong, healthy, disease-resistant and beautiful plant.
Saintpolis
Violet is very demanding on good soil, so the option of "digging at home" is not suitable for it. In such an adjoining land there will be a mass of fungi, viruses and bacteria, and Saintpaulia is a delicate plant and can easily die from the slightest disease. Moreover, a certain amount of nutrients should be included in the soil composition for indoor violets, and the level of acidity should approach a slightly acidic one. The soil should be loose and have good breathability, it is unlikely that the earth from the lawn will correspond to all these nuances. Beginning violet guides are often frustrated. Watering was normalized, lighting was good, but the plant suddenly died, and why, it is not clear. The reason, in addition to possible infections, can be too nutritious and dense, heavy earth - it is completely unsuitable for the root system of violets.
Purchase land
If you decide to get Senpolia for the first time, and you did not have to mix the soil before or you are not sure about the successful result, then you can buy suitable soil in a specialized store. Ask the seller for help, he will orient you in the presented options of land and fertilizers, their choice is quite wide.
But experienced florists have an opinion that the purchased soil is not optimal and often does not have the necessary soil composition for violets. Contrary to what is indicated on the package, it may be completely different, the earth is not breathable enough, and its acidity is not true. Experienced flower growers personally prepare the land for home beauties.
In specialized stores you can buy only the necessary components for the soil, prepare and after planting your favorite plants. You can also collect the material yourself, especially if there are several violets in your house. It will take time, but as a result you will get healthy, strong plants with a well-developed rosette for many years.
Habitat
The soil in which the senpolia grows in nature is not particularly rich. But it contains all the necessary substances, albeit in small quantities. It is optimal for home violets. Sometimes novice violet breeders face a number of problems. Having bought bushes or “babies” of violets in the store, you are happy to return home with the purchase, and then suddenly it turns out that the plants often die when they get into the apartment. They are weak, poorly rooted, rarely give rise to shoots, bloom little and often get sick. There is one reason for this - they are grown on artificial soil. Once in your house, they lose additional complementary foods in the form of all kinds of additives and therefore die.
What soil does the violet like? In the natural environment of the senpolia, the soil is a mixture of sand, peat, moss, humus, charcoal, rotting organic matter and a small amount of turf land. The conditions in their habitat zone are quite severe, and this is what provides the plants with high “survivability”.
Preparing the ground
The soil taken in mixed forests, under acacia, hazel, linden, alder and pine, is perfect. Oak stands should be avoided. Tannins will inhibit the absorption of nutrients from the soil. An abandoned anthill is perfect. It is necessary to properly prepare the soil composition for indoor violets before planting.
The earthen mixture is prepared simply, the necessary material needs to be collected and steamed. To do this, pour a little water into a metal container, and pour the collected mixture on top, warm it on a fire or stove for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Water should not be much, it should only slightly moisten the substrate. After the mixture cools down, various additives can be added to it and thereby obtain the necessary soil composition for violets.
Additives
- Perlite. Small white balls with a shiny surface. As a bactericidal component and natural baking powder are added to earth mixes. Often applied to the soil with vermiculite. Sold in stores, as well as other supplements.
- Vermiculite. It is applied both to the soil and to landless mixtures. Excellent baking powder, able to retain water and at the same time remains breathable. Saturates the necessary soil composition for violets with minerals that are not washed out of the soil and are well absorbed by the root system.
- Sphagnum (moss). Grows in swamps, rain forests or near water bodies. It is from it that peat is formed. It retains moisture well and allows air to pass through, absorbs excess salts from the soil. Using sphagnum, you can acidify the soil, which does not include earth, and it also has bactericidal properties. Soil for indoor violets can include both dried and green, fresh sphagnum. Its nature is such that fresh stems can be prepared for future use and stored in the freezer without harm to the sphagnum. This is very convenient if you decide to engage in the cultivation of violets professionally.
- Peat. Fertile and porous soil with an excellent selection of useful mineral and organic substances. Lowland peat is most suitable for soil mixtures used as soil for violets. Its acidity is low. Due to the looseness of peat, moisture will evaporate quickly, and the soil will dry out. To prevent this from happening, add a little sand, vermiculite and perlite.
Ratio
It can be different. Each grower determines their own set of additives, taking into account personal experience and where and in which place the main natural material was collected. On average, perlite and vermiculite are mixed in a ratio of 1.5: 1, and one glass is added to this mixture per bucket of prepared soil. Thus, the soil for indoor violets will be saturated with all useful elements and naturally protected from fungi and bacteria. And most importantly, all these additives are of natural origin, they do not have chemistry, they are absolutely safe for both plants and humans.
Fertilizer
What soil is needed for violets, you already know. It remains to make fertilizer - and it will be ready for planting. If you plan to plant a plant in the purchased soil, then additional feeding can be made only 4 months after planting and rooting the outlet. Often store mixes are already saturated with fertilizers, their overabundance will be harmful.
If you prepare the soil yourself, then for its saturation with mineral components, you can use charcoal or ash. One glass of ground coal is enough for a bucket of soil.
A good fertilizer for violets will be a “mullein,” or cow’s cakes. The composition of this fertilizer contains a huge number of useful trace elements, and this has a very positive effect on the development of the root system. It is enough to crumble finely and add to the soil.
An excellent organic fertilizer will be the ground egg shell. It will enrich the soil with potassium, calcium and reduce acidity.
Preparation for landing
So we have ready the ground for violets. Florists are recommended to plant home beauties in such a land after it has settled for several weeks. But if this is not possible, you can plant the plant in a fresh mixture. The main thing is to pay attention to temperature and humidity. The soil should be loose and well mixed, all large pieces and lumps need to be removed. Loose soil is poor in moisture, so after planting violets it must immediately be watered.