Small and attractive violets are grown indoors in large numbers. Purple inflorescences attract attention with their beauty, and the leaves have a velvety surface. In order for the plant to bloom, you need to know how to care for violets. If you follow simple rules, then these small plants will delight you with their attractive appearance for a long time.
Pot and soil for violets
Violet has a small root system. Therefore, a small container is selected under it. Caring for violets begins with choosing the right pot. After all, it directly depends on its size whether the bush will bloom or not. Flowering occurs only when the roots of the plant fill the entire pot. For young plants, the container should be no more than 5-6 cm in diameter. When the violets grow up, they are transplanted into a pot with a diameter of 7-9 cm, and already the largest bushes are kept in a container with a diameter of 11-13 cm.
When choosing a pot, you can focus on the rule that the diameter of the pot should be three times larger than the diameter of the leaf rosette. For violets, it is better to choose a plastic container than a clay pot.
In any garden store, you can easily find a special composition for planting violets. However, you can prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to mix in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 4 such components as:
- humus;
- sand;
- soddy soil;
- leaf soil.
For 5 liters of substrate, you can add 1/4 cup of bone meal and half a tablespoon of superphosphate.
Any soil for violets must necessarily have good performance in:
- drainage;
- moisture capacity;
- looseness.
Before placing the substrate in a pot, it is necessary to put a drainage layer on its bottom, which will occupy 1/3 of the height of the pot in height. As a drainage layer, you can choose:
- expanded clay;
- hermiculite;
- sphagnum;
- pieces of foam.
Thanks to the drainage layer, moisture will not stagnate in the soil and the roots will not rot.
Where to put violet
Due to their attractive appearance, violets always want to be put in the most prominent place. However, do not forget that these are flowers that are very responsive to a lack of light. Therefore, the best place for violets are:
- loggias and balconies;
- window sills with large windows;
- other well-lit places.
It is important to understand that violets are very sensitive to direct sunlight. Therefore, it is imperative to create shaded places for them. Due to their small size, violet lovers manage to display them in several tiers. Those who have a lot of violets even construct multi-tiered racks, installing special fitolamps over the violets. Violets feel very well under these phytolamps. With good lighting, violets can be installed almost anywhere.
How to water a violet
To grow healthy and flowering plants, you need to know how to water violets. It is very convenient to place the pots on a special tray and pour water into it once every about 7-10 days. Water must be poured so much that when you lower the pot into the water, the water will rise almost to the very edges, without flowing into the pot. When the soil is saturated with moisture, the pot is removed from the container. Allow excess moisture to drain. The temperature of the water used should be slightly above room temperature.
Violets can also be watered reconciliation. However, it must be remembered that the constant use of top watering can cause rot to appear on the upper part of the violet root system. Watering is recommended at a time when the soil dries very well.
Air humidification
For the normal growth of violets, high humidity is necessary. In apartments, the humidity level is around 30%, and during the heating season it can reach 20%. The best option for plant growth when indoor air humidity is in the range of 50-60%. Mature plants are more resistant, and therefore the humidity range for them can be kept within 30-40%. Most of all, children and transplanted plants need high humidity. To achieve the required level of humidity, they are grown in special greenhouses or covered with plastic bags, creating a greenhouse effect.
There are various ways to achieve the required humidity for violets. However, it will be detrimental to the plant to use the spraying method. When liquid particles fall on the surface of leaves and flowers that are in the light, burns immediately appear on these places.
Flower transplant
In order for the violet to be healthy and grow actively, it must be transplanted once a year. In this case, it is necessary to change the soil in the pot to a new one. If the root system is not yet large enough, then the capacity is not changed. Replacing the pot is necessary when the root system in the used container is already getting crowded. When replacing the pot, the new container should be only 2 cm larger in diameter.
The best month for transplanting violets is March. Transplanting must be done very carefully, while maintaining the earth that is adjacent to the roots. When transplanting, the neck of the bush should be 2-3 cm below the upper edge of the pot. Drainage is laid on the bottom of the new container, a root system with violet is placed on top of it, and everything else is covered with a new mixture. The flower must be watered immediately when transplanting.
Violet fertilizer
Fertilizers for violets should have a complex composition and contain all the necessary macro- and microelements, namely:
- phosphorus;
- nitrogen;
- potassium.
Phosphorus is responsible for the formation of buds. In its absence, flowering will not occur. Nitrogen is essential for healthy rosette growth. It gives the leaves their green color. If there is a nitrogen deficiency, then the lower leaves of the violet will turn yellow and die. An excess of nitrogen can lead to impaired flowering. Potassium also promotes the flowering process and maintains leaf turgor. The lack of necessary micro and macro elements affects the condition of the leaves. They turn yellow, curl, stain, or fall off.
It is not worth fertilizing violets in the soil at the following points:
- after transplantation for one month;
- at very low or high room temperature;
- when a flower is damaged by various diseases or pests;
- when the flower is in direct sunlight.
Violets can be purchased at any garden supply store. Fertilizers must be applied once every 2 weeks in the concentration indicated on the package. You can fertilize the violet once a week, while the concentration of fertilizer should be reduced by half.
Plant problems and diseases
Violets are highly resistant to disease. However, the bred hybrids have low resistance compared to species plants. The most common diseases of violets are:
- powdery mildew;
- fusarium;
- gray rot;
- late blight;
- rust.
As a result of these diseases, the following may appear on the surface of the leaves:
- spots;
- white bloom;
- rot;
- other defects.
Most often, violets are affected by diseases as a result of improper care for them, when the room has the wrong temperature or humidity.
A very dangerous disease for violets is late blight. Unfortunately, there is no effective remedy yet to combat it. Leaves that are affected by this disease are torn off and burned. If the bush has received a severe defeat by this disease, then it is only necessary to burn it, and wash and disinfect the pot well so that the disease does not spread to nearby plants.
When the plant is affected by Fusarium, the leaf rosette suffers, which begins to rot. This disease can occur as a result of excessive watering or being in a large pot. To combat this disease, it is necessary to cut out all the affected parts, and then treat with a solution of a fungicidal preparation.
Top dressing
In order for the flower to develop well, violet fertilizer must be systematically applied to the ground. The first feeding is added during the growing season. After that, the agent must be applied every 7-10 days. When the violet has a dormant period, it is necessary to stop fertilizing. The top dressing should contain vitamins and amino acids that will protect the plant from the effects of negative external factors.
For the well-being of phials, it is necessary to use a complex mineral fertilizer, which is used for flowering crops in liquid form. Flower growers have seen from their own experience that it is necessary to apply top dressing in liquid form, stirring it in water and pouring the resulting liquid onto the irrigation tray.
Why won't the violet bloom?
The reasons that lead to the absence of flowering in violets include:
- improper watering;
- lack of phosphorus and potassium in the soil in the required amount;
- use when watering cold water;
- bad light;
- wrong transplant; insufficient humidity.
The progression of diseases can also cause violets to be affected by leaves and not bloom.
Cats and violets
To cleanse the stomach, animals often use grass. Cats in this case are no exception. However, when your pet does not find grass nearby, he will have a desire to feast on the leaves of a houseplant. And first of all, cats can gnaw on violet leaves. Violet leaves by themselves are not poisonous to cats. However, excessive amounts can lead to indigestion. Therefore, make sure that your pets always have something to chew on.
