Violet (it is also called saintpaulia) refers to the popular indoor flowers. Each grower can easily choose a plant from a huge number of varieties to his liking. They differ in color, shape and size. Love violets for their long flowering. Usually it can last 10 months a year. Violets have oval or slightly elongated leaves with smooth or jagged edges. Their color varies from light to saturated green. Flowers can be smooth or double - depending on the variety. The color of the petals is very diverse: purple, blue, red, burgundy, pink and white. Two-tone violets are also found (for example, white with a blue or pink rim).
How to care for violets at home? Pot selection
The choice of planting capacity for violets must be approached extremely responsibly, because the health and duration of flowering of a plant depends on this. The first and most important criterion is the size of the pot, or rather, its diameter. It should be no more than 6 cm for young violets and no more than 12 cm for adults. Suitable for these plants are plastic or ceramic pots. Choose those that will suit your preferences and taste.
Choosing drainage and planting flowers
This is also a very important point in breeding and cultivating the Saintpaulia. Drainage is necessary so that the water does not stagnate at the bottom of the pot. For these purposes, expanded clay or crushed polystyrene, with which you need to fill at least 1/3 of the pot, is suitable. Indoor violet flowers are very whimsical to the depth of planting . Caring for them is complicated if, during propagation, the cuttings are deepened very deeply or when the rosette itself is transplanted, then the plant may take root poorly and will often hurt or even die. Too high planted violets turn out to be very unstable, therefore, they greatly slow down in growth.
How to propagate and how to care for violets at home?
These flowers propagate either by stepsons or leafy cuttings. The easiest way to plant violets is cuttings. This requires a healthy leaf with a petiole 3-4 cm cut at an angle. It needs to be placed in water at room temperature or in finely chopped sphagnum moss before root formation. After the appearance of the roots, the leaf is transplanted into loose soil to a depth of 1-2 cm.
When propagating violets, stepsons with a sharp scalpel separate the newly formed rosette, which has 3-4 leaves. It is important that removing the stepson does not injure the main plant. For survival, you need to use a special substrate, which can be bought at the store.
How to care for violets at home? Some important rules
Temperature mode
These gentle plants do not like a sharp change in temperature, therefore stability is important: + 18-24 degrees Celsius. It is also worth avoiding drafts.
Lighting
Violet needs bright light, but not direct rays. In winter, it is necessary to illuminate the plant with fluorescent lamps 13-14 hours a day. This will guarantee their flowering even in the cold season.
Water
Senpolis are whimsical regarding watering: it should be regular and accurate. So that water does not get into the outlet and does not cause decay, you can not spray the leaves, you must in every way avoid getting water on them, and water exclusively under the root or using a pallet. It is best to place the flower pot in a pan with water for several minutes, and then remove it from there. Remove residual moisture. The top layer of the earth in the pot should not be constantly wet, but it cannot be kept dry for a long time. From excess water, the plant can rot, and due to a lack, it can dry out. Water should be at room temperature, standing.
Feeding
For good violet growth, regular fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is necessary. Ideally, you need to fertilize once a week from March to September. Then the violet will not hurt.
Transfer
Every year Saintpaulia needs to be replanted in fresh land, because during this time the soil is depleted. Transplantation is standard in spring. A new pot should be placed in hot water for half an hour, then removed, cooled and allowed to dry. This is done in order to disinfect the container. If the pot is not new, with a touch of salt, then before reuse it is necessary to remove the coating with a hard washcloth or brush. And you will need to do the same procedure as with the new capacity. If you notice the instability of the planted plant, it is best to put a centimeter layer of moss on the surface of the earth.
Now many gardeners are fond of breeding this particular plant. And all this despite the fact that these flowers are violent and capricious. Photos posted online by flower lovers admire their courage and hard work. These are charming plants and, of course, insanely beautiful. How to care for violets at home, you already know. And remember that these flowers love care, affection and love in very large quantities, and if they are absent, they may be offended and not bloom.