How to plant violets correctly?

Violet or, more correctly, Saintpaulia has long been popular in indoor floriculture. This beautiful flower is native to East Africa and naturally grows in the mountains of Tanzania and Kenya. It got its name from the surname of the German military Saint-Paul, who in 1892 collected violet seeds in her native region and sent them to Germany. There, beautiful indoor plants were grown from seed material and given the name "Saintpaulia violet", and the people are often called simply violets.

The spring and summer months are most favorable for planting Saintpaulia, when the growing plant will receive sufficient light and heat for at least 12 hours a day. At other times, for example in November, daylight hours become shorter, so the chances of growing a healthy flower are reduced. However, experienced flower growers have special tools and knowledge for planting and further nursing violets also in the autumn-winter period. In their arsenal there are heaters and phytolamps that help create optimal conditions for the growth of Saintpaulia.

The survival rate and appearance of violets depend on the correct choice of planting capacity. One of the requirements for a pot for growing Saintpaulias is a suitable size, more precisely, it should be half the diameter of the leaf rosette, then the growth and development of the plant will occur correctly. The height of the pot should also not be too high, since the roots of the violet are close to the surface. In the future, as it grows, it will be necessary to transplant the saintpaulia into a larger bowl.

If you plan to plant violets of different colors in one pot, then preference should be given to containers of an elongated shape, but not very high and shallow. Flower pots are available in a wide variety of materials. Clay or plastic options are most suitable for violets.

Violets are very sensitive to the consistency of the soil in which they will grow. The composition of the soil should include a certain set of nutrients, and the ph level should tend to slightly acidic. Also, the ground should be loose and well-permeable to air.

The easiest option is to purchase ready-made soil in a specialized store. However, experienced flower growers say that purchased land does not always meet the needs of violets, so it is best to prepare the substrate yourself.

For the preparation of the soil, soil taken from mixed forests, under acacia, hazel, linden, alder or pine, is perfect as a base. But oak groves should be avoided, since the tannins contained in such soil will inhibit the absorption of nutrients by the plant. An old nest is also great.

The soil collected in the forest must be steamed. To do this, water is poured into a metal pan, forest soil is poured on top and heated on fire for about 15 minutes, sometimes stirring. A little water is required, it should only slightly moisten the substrate. After the soil has cooled down, various additives can be added to it.

There are several main components, the use of which will help bring the substrate closer to the natural soil for violets.

• Perlite are small white balls with a shiny surface. It is added to earthen mixtures as a bactericidal component and a baking powder.

• Vermiculite it is introduced both into soil mixtures and into landless ones. It loosens the substrate well and retains moisture well. With all this, vermiculite remains permeable to air. It also contributes to the saturation of the soil with the necessary minerals, which, thanks to such an additive, are not washed out. Vermiculite is often used together with perlite.

• Also add sphagnum (moss), which grows in swampy areas, wet forests and near water bodies. In nature, peat is subsequently formed from sphagnum. It perfectly holds moisture and allows air to pass through, absorbs excess salts from the soil. With the help of moss, soil is acidified, which does not contain earth. In addition, this component has bactericidal properties. Both dry and fresh sphagnum can be added to the earthen mixture for Saintpaulia, while it is perfectly harvested for future use and stored in the freezer.

• Peat - a fertile and porous substrate with a wide range of organic and mineral substances. For violets, low-lying, which has a low acidity, is best suited. The use of peat as the only soil component is not recommended as it dries very quickly. Therefore, it is combined with sand, vermiculite and perlite.

The ratio of the components in the soil can be different and depends on many factors, such as the place of origin of the main soil, the composition of the water that will be used for irrigation, and some others. In the average version, the composition of the soil for violets looks like this:

• 1 piece of forest land;
• 2 parts of peat;
• 1 part of a mixture of perlite and vermiculite;
• 1 part chopped sphagnum.

It can also contain sand, charcoal and coconut fiber. You can not adhere to a clear ratio of components.

Planting Saintpaulia at home is possible in several ways.

Reproduction of violets by shoots is carried out in order to maximize the preservation of varietal characteristics. Planting Saintpaulia step by step using this method is as follows:

• side sockets are separated from the main bush;
• after that, the stepsons are placed in a small pot of soil;
• as needed, watering of the planted offshoot is carried out;
• after the growth of the bush, it is transplanted into a pot that is more suitable in size.

A wick is often used for even and optimal watering of Saintpaulias. To land in this way, you will need a moisture-absorbing tourniquet and a container with perforation at the bottom:

• the wick in the pot is pulled through the bottom hole, leaving about 1/3 outside;
• a small amount of soil must be poured onto the bottom of the container and a wick must be folded over it with a ring;
• the remaining soil is poured over the ring and the plant is planted;
• in the future, a pot with a violet is installed in a tray through which watering takes place.

There are two ways to grow Saintpaulia from a leaf. In the first case, the root system is built up in water. This procedure consists of several stages.

1. For planting in water, a healthy leaf of a rich green color is selected without various kinds of stains and damage. The lower row of leaves is not used for propagation, but is taken from the second or third row. The sheet is cut with a sterile knife.
2. When the petiole is cut, it must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for several seconds in order to disinfect the cut.
3. After that, the stem is placed in water and fixed so that the leaf does not touch the liquid. To germinate the petioles in this way, experts recommend using dark glass containers, for example, medicine bottles.
4. After the roots grow back by 1 cm, the petiole is transplanted into a prepared pot with soil.

Planting a cut leaf in the soil allows you to build up the root system immediately in the ground and is considered the most effective way of growing violets among flower growers.

1. To begin with, with a sterile blade, cut off a healthy stalk of Saintpaulia from the middle tier, taking it to the side and making an oblique cut.
2. Then the stem is dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a few seconds and allowed to dry or sprinkled with coal chips.
3. The cuttings prepared for planting must be planted not too deeply in a glass with drainage and a substrate, which is compacted for the stability of the leaf. If the soil is dry, then it must be watered through the pallet.
4. Then you need to organize a mini greenhouse. To do this, place a glass with a stem in a larger glass and cover with a transparent plastic bag.
5. Periodically, the greenhouse needs to be ventilated by opening the film.

The root system of the violet lends itself to division and, subject to certain rules, you can using this method to propagate your favorite variety:

• at home, the division of the roots is carried out with a strong growth of violets;
• the plant should not be old;
• it will be correct to divide the roots of Saintpaulia only at the end of flowering;
• the root system must be absolutely healthy;
• the rudiments of the stepsons should be visible on the trunk;
• the root is placed in the ground in the usual way and watered as needed;
• as the stepsons grow, they are separated and deposited in a separate container.

Whether there is a need for fertilizers depends on the composition of the substrate used. If the soil is bought in a store, then, as a rule, it is already enriched with a mineral complex and additional fertilizing will be needed only 3 months after planting. Otherwise, an excess of fertilizers can harm the plant.

Nitrogen is responsible for the green mass of the plant, accelerates vegetative processes and takes part in the formation of chlorophyll. Phosphorus is involved in the formation of the root system and budding. Potassium is involved in enhancing the immunity of violets to the effects of harmful microorganisms. In addition, violets need sulfur, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc and boron.

If the preparation of the substrate was carried out independently, then special additives such as superphosphate, organic fertilizing, complex mineral fertilizers can be used to fertilize it. Each stage of development of Saintpaulias requires the introduction of different substances. A young plant needs nitrogen fertilization to build up green mass. Phosphorus and potassium are added to the soil before flowering.

For information on how to propagate a violet leaf, see below.