A delicate and beautiful flower called uzambar violet, home care of which is not difficult at all, is a very popular indoor plant that attracts home gardening lovers with its various shades of flowers and varieties.
Name history
The history of violets is very interesting: they were found in Africa, not far from the Uzambara mountains (territory of Tanzania). I discovered beautiful purple flowers in 1893 by accident, the Governor of East Africa, walking in a forest near waterfalls. He sent a copy of the flower to his father, a German biologist.
Ulrich von Saint-Paul made a detailed description and determined the botanical affiliation of the find, and the flower itself was called Uzambara violet, or Saintpaulia. After some time, the flower was exhibited at the world exhibition, where it attracted the attention of gardeners and breeders, thanks to which many new varieties of Saintpaulia were bred.
Flower description
So what are these flowers? Uzambara violet - a herbaceous plant of the Gesneriaceae family, originating from the tropics of East Africa, has nothing to do with European violet. These flowers are the most beloved and popular among indoor plants.
The main advantage of the senpolia is its long flowering, almost throughout the year. In addition, species diversity allows you to place several violets with flowers of various shades on a small windowsill at once, because the plant itself requires very little space.
Care and lighting
Uzambara violet, home care of which is not a very complicated process, is very picky about its location:
- with a lack of light, the formation of leaves and buds slows down;
- with excess sunlight, the leaves can get burned, and the flower dies;
- you should choose a place that is bright enough, warm, but not too illuminated by the bright sun, and then the plant will feel quite comfortable;
- Another condition - it is necessary to ensure that the leaves of the violet do not come in contact with the glass on the window, which also provokes burns.
The western and eastern windows are ideal for the senpolia, but the southern ones are only for wintering. If the plants can only be placed on the south window, then the pots should be placed so that the sun does not reach the plants (for example, on a side table next to the windowsill).
The optimum growth temperature is + 23-25º, and for an adult violet - a little less, + 20-24º. The plant does not tolerate temperature changes (a maximum of several degrees), and also does not like drafts. Proper care of violets in the winter at home will help to continue the flowering time.
You should also regularly inspect the plants and remove old or damaged leaves and already faded dry flowers. If, after removing the lower leaves, the stem is bare, then the plant should be transplanted, and the rosette should be planted more deeply in the ground (before the beginning of the leaves). It is advisable to transplant violets annually as the soil in the pot is depleted.
Soil and watering
Saintpaulia - violet, watering and soil for which are important. The plant prefers the soil loose, well-retaining water. The landing mixture consists of the following components:
- turf land;
- leaf humus;
- sand;
- moss sphagnum.
You can use the ready-made store mixture, but with the addition of perlite, moss or coconut substrate. Often gardeners add land from coniferous forests, also mixing it with leaf.
Only irrigation water (tap or rain) is suitable for irrigation of the senpolia. Preferring peaty soil, the moisture from which quickly evaporates, the Uzambara violet also likes moderate watering, and overflowing is even more dangerous for it than a lack of moisture. If water gets on the outlet, it may begin to rot its stem and adjacent roots. The best option is to add water to the pan or by immersing the pot in warm (room temperature) water.
Winter Care
Watering and caring for violets in winter at home is complicated due to a strong decrease in humidity in the room with central heating turned on, and they need 60%. Therefore, in winter it is recommended to use an air humidifier or regularly spray water around the plants, and categorically you must not allow water to get on the delicate velvet leaves of violets.
The main difficulties in winter care:
- temperature differences in air: plants prefer + 20-25º, and from a sharp drop in temperature can get sick;
- close proximity of heating batteries;
- burns from the winter sun or from cold glass on the window: if white spots appear on the leaves, then the pot with violet should be removed from the window;
- overflow of violets due to dry air - in this case, the plant should be transplanted so that the root system does not rot.
In winter, additional lighting is very important, because otherwise the plants will suffer from a lack of light. It is best to install fluorescent lamps and turn on for 3-4 hours daily: they do not heat the air and give even lighting.
Feeding Methods
Senpolis do not like overfeeding and tolerate the lack of fertilizers well. If the plants are planted in a special soil, then it already contains the necessary nutrients and trace elements. For additional feeding (if the plants are clearly depleted), you can use fertilizer for violets: in granules or liquid. The compositions are of several types:
- mineral - to increase the acidity of the soil and stimulate flowering (superphosphate in granules);
- complex mineral (powders or liquid): Uniflor, Master, Etisso, Fertika, etc .;
- organic: humus, manure, gummed liquid preparations ("Rainbow", "Ideal", "Gummy").
Also, while laying the buds, you can make fertilizing with phosphorus, and for young plants - with a lot of nitrogen. Fertilizer for violets can be used no more than 1 time per month, alternating between different types.
Methods of propagation of violets
For good growth, only one plant can “live” in a pot, therefore, when growing, excess rosettes must be planted, but with care not to touch the roots. This makes it possible to get another plant without spending extra money.
There are several ways by which the Uzambara violet propagates. Home care will make it quite easy to prepare planting material for its propagation and even the cultivation of new varieties:
- pieces of leaves;
- sockets or stepsons;
- seeds (the longest process).
The optimal time for this is spring and summer, because in winter the plant is at rest and requires specific conditions for care.
Propagation by cuttings (leaves)
The easiest way with which you can grow a lot of plants of the species Uzambara violet at home is propagation by cuttings. For this, the largest leaves are used, which must be cut with a very sharp knife at a slight angle (so as not to mash the stem).
There are 2 ways to root leaves:
- in water, where a small piece of the leaf leg falls, sprouting of roots usually takes 10-14 days (water needs to be added a little bit, maintaining the same level);
- in a special soil (peat mixture) at a depth sufficient to hold the leaf in a standing position at a slight angle, the most important thing is to maintain a microclimate above the ground with a plastic bag, a can or a cut piece of a plastic bottle, the soil must be kept sufficiently moist, mini-greenhouse is removed after rooting the cuttings.
Reproduction by rosettes
When the adult violet has already grown well, daughter sockets (stepsons) begin to appear next to it, which will also help to multiply this plant. To jail a socket, you need to wait until it grows to a minimum of 5 cm in height. After that, it is very carefully separated from the main stem, trying not to harm the roots.
It is better to plant in the same soil, after rooting in a month, the violet will release fresh young leaves and the formation of buds will begin.
Varieties and varieties of Saintpaulias
Varieties of uzambar violets are a great variety of different colors and shapes of leaves that were deduced by professional biologists on purpose or even by amateurs quite by accident. Moreover, when propagated by cuttings, any grower can grow a completely new variety (degenerate varieties).
Saintpaulia varieties are divided into several groups according to the size of the outlet, the variety of colors and the shape of the leaves.
So, varieties with a uniform color or with a border naturally inherit the features of their parents with the leaf method of propagation, and the border can appear only during the second flowering.
Fantasy species (decorated with spots, stripes, dots) are recommended to be propagated by peduncles or with stepsons, then they inherit this color. In the same way, violets - "chimeras" are propagated, having a pattern on flowers in the form of rays.
Ampelic varieties with a long stem and growing at several points differ in a large number of flowers and many rosettes.
Osa-type varieties are one of the new and original types of violets, in which the flower has 2 short upper petals and 3 lower, longer and narrower ones, forming an exotic appearance.
One of the varieties currently popular - blue violet, bred in Russia, has large, up to 10 cm, bright blue flowers, and the plant itself is strongly branched and up to 40 cm high. There are several varieties of violets with different shapes of flowers:
- Blue fog - soft blue fluffy balls with wavy edges.
- Blue Danube - has many blue flowers up to 5 cm in diameter.
- Blue dragon - pale blue stars with a blue center, wide red border with a white-golden edge, flower size up to 6 cm.
- The Blue Lagoon is a bright blue violet with a blue spot and a red shuttlecock along the edge.
Diseases and treatment of senpolia
Violets are very whimsical plants that require a certain humidity of air and soil, a lot of light, but not direct sunlight, a certain care and top dressing. But even if all these conditions are met, it happens that the plant becomes ill.
The main task in such a situation is to learn to determine the cause of the disease and to distinguish between infectious diseases of Uzambara violet and non-infectious, that is, caused by a lack of some useful substances or improper conditions of detention.
One of the common problems is the yellowing of leaves in a plant, caused most often by improper acidity of the soil, too bright sun or too much shade.
Infectious diseases of violets:
- Fusarium (rotting of the socket) - the causative agent is the fungus Fusarium, which penetrates into young roots under improper conditions of maintenance (heavy soil, regular overflow with water, especially cold, a very large pot). Due to the disease, the petioles of the leaves turn brown and begin to fall. For prevention, the appearance of this fungus is recommended to water the plant every 2 months with a solution of fundazole. For the treatment of violets should be treated with fungicides, previously removing dried or rotted stems and leaves.
- Powdery mildew - manifests itself in the form of a whitish coating on all surface parts, spreads with a lack of lighting, improper humidity, dust or dirt in the air. The cause may also be a deficiency (potassium and phosphorus) or an excess of trace elements (nitrogen). For treatment, spraying with foundationazole or benlat can be used (usually enough 1 time, but can be repeated if necessary). In order not to get sick with mildew, the Uzbek violet, home care for it should consist of the following: for prevention, wipe the leaves with wet wipes, ventilate the room and prevent excess moisture in the pot;
- Late blight is the decay of the root neck of the violet and the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, which is caused by a fungus that penetrates through the roots or wounds on the stems. The danger of late blight is that fungal spores settle in the soil, and therefore the only way out is to destroy the plant and sterilize the pot. To prevent the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, superphosphate should be added to the soil and the humidity in the room should not be higher than 60%;
- Gray rot , which is caused by the botritis fungus, manifests itself as a gray-brown coating on all the upper parts of the plant, and then rotting and death of the violet. The fungus often comes with contaminated soil, so before planting each plant, it is recommended that the soil be frozen in a freezer and then watered with a solution of manganese. All diseased parts of the violet must be destroyed and the plant treated with fungicides. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to prevent excessive watering and a sharp temperature drop in the room.
Pests of violets
The most common pests affecting senpolia:
- worms - affect leaves and young peduncles, deforming them and causing the appearance of red spots; treatment against them with Actellic or Fitoverm helps;
- aphids are usually brought into the house from fresh flowers, insects eat flower buds using plant juice for food; to get rid of aphids, it is necessary to use "Moskpilan" or "Actellik";
- ticks (several species) - spoil young leaves, to combat them, plants are treated with Akarin, Fitoverm, etc.
Uzambara violet, or Saintpaulia, is a very beautiful and diverse in color and variety decorative plant, which many lovers and professionals of decorative floriculture successfully grow on window sills.