Violets are very beautiful flowers and many seek to expand their collection with other varieties or start growing new ones from existing ones. At home, the reproduction of such a plant is carried out by leaves that are cut from the specimen you like.
This method of growing violets is considered the simplest and most common, and even beginners can master it. The most favorable time for this is spring and summer, when there is plenty of light and heat. However, an experienced florist is able to grow it even during the period when the daylight hours are short. So how to grow violets at home? Let's try to figure this out.
How to choose the right violet leaf
The reproduction of this flower will be successful if the planting material is chosen correctly. If the leaf is weak or sick, then its offspring will grow up quite frail, which is why its choice should be approached with all responsibility.
Experienced flower growers do not recommend choosing leaves for reproduction, which are located on the lowest tier, closest to the ground, since they are mostly old and weakened there. In addition, bacteria and fungal spores often settle on them.
For planting material, it is best to use a stalk. from the second or third tier, where sufficiently formed leaves of the required size with pronounced turgor are located.
Sometimes the material for growing is drooping, having lost its elasticity and appearance. This happens if the leaf is purchased in a store, sent by mail from a nursery, or received from friends.
A long road, and in some cases irregular watering, negatively affects the condition of the leaf plate and cuttings. Therefore, before landing, they should be for several hours place in warm boiled water with the addition of several crystals of potassium permanganate.
Thanks to this action, the sheet is disinfected and returned to its original state. After that, the cutting is carefully cut with a sharp knife at a distance of 3-4 cm from the base of the leaf plate, most often at a right angle.
The sooner the leaf is in the water, the faster it will begin to form roots. For those who have never cultivated these flowers before, it is easier to use for rooting. boiled or distilled water.
This allows you to: accurately track the condition of the planting material; timely prevent rotting of the cutting and see the formation of roots.
Violet propagation container must be carefully wash and sterilize. It is best to use bubbles or small dark glass glasses for these purposes, which will prevent the formation of green algae on the walls and water pollution.
The rooting procedure is carried out as follows:
- deepen the sheet into a container of water by 1.5-2 cm;
- so that the cut of the handle does not touch the vessel, the sheet is fixed with a lid;
- to prevent the development of microscopic algae and pathogenic bacteria, an activated carbon tablet should be lowered into the water;
- if the liquid begins to evaporate, it must be added using settled clean water.
Depending on the variety of the chosen violet, you can wait for the roots to appear in 2-4 weeks. If suddenly not roots appear on the cut, but traces of rot, the leaf should be removed from the water, dried and carefully trimmed, removing damaged tissues.
The appearance of rot will help prevent Activated carbon in the form of a powder, which is used to treat a new cut, after which the sheet plate is again immersed in water. When strong roots appear in large numbers, it is transplanted into the ground.
Transplanting cuttings into soil
Violets can be grown from leaves in small plastic cups or pots with holes for draining water. The container is filled by a third with fine drainage, after which it is covered with soil to the top.
Plant a cutting along with a leaf to a shallow depth, otherwise the resulting sockets will hardly reach the surface, weaken, or may not hatch at all.
The soil around the cutting should be compacted, moistened, after which the violet pot is covered with a bag to create a favorable atmosphere for it and retain moisture.
In this form, the plant will be until the cuttings have small children. This means that the cultivation of violets from the leaf was successful. Young shoots are seated in different pots.
Almost all experienced flower growers are unanimous in their opinion that if you immediately plant a violet in the soil, then it will grow. much more efficient, since the cuttings are less likely to rot, root faster and form more children.
In order to plant a violet, you can purchase special soil, in which you must add the following baking powder: styrofoam, vermiculite, sphagnum moss or perlite. But it is best to prepare the mixture yourself by mixing perlite and vermiculite in equal proportions without adding nutrient soil.
Perlite is mandatory component for growing violets, as it provides air access to the roots. And vermiculite makes the soil mixture loose and absorbs moisture well.
The process of rooting a leaf in the soil is as follows:
- The stalk is taken away from the violet and broken off, after which the leg is cut obliquely, dipped for a few seconds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and left to dry for half an hour.
- A plastic cup with drainage holes is filled with a slightly moistened warm substrate.
- The violet stalk is planted in the mixture and compacted a little for stability.
- It is not recommended to water the flower immediately.
- Then the cup with the handle is placed in any plastic box or covered with a plastic bag.
To prevent the appearance of mold on the soil, the seedling should be ventilated. At first, it may wilt a little, which is considered normal. After some time, with the appearance of roots, the leaf will become elastic again.
It is necessary to water the stalk once a week not too intense, and it is undesirable to fertilize it. This will allow it to take root faster in search of food.
Separation of children when breeding violets from a leaf
As soon as daughter rosettes appear at the base of the cutting, the plant is seated. Children should be divided in such a way that each small plant has at least one pair of leaves and a small number of roots.
Separation will not be too traumatic if the soil in the pot is well moistened, the plant is taken out along with earthen clod, and carefully clean the roots from the soil.
Thus, we figured out how to breed violets from a leaf at home. This process is not too time-consuming and even a beginner can cope with it. The main thing is follow certain rules and then everything can turn out the first time.
Experienced flower growers are able to grow these flowers at any time of the year, which gives them a lot of pleasure.
There is an opinion that the larger the pot, the better. However, do not forget, first of all, about aesthetics: a small flowering plant will look ridiculous in a large pot. Also, the root system of the flower develops on the surface, and the lower processes of the root die off, this is due to the fact that there is more oxygen and nutrients on the surface. It so happened that in nature, senoplia grow on rocky surfaces, and it is not common for the root to grow into the depths.
As for the dimensions of the pot, then:
- For the largest representatives of violets, a 9x9 cm pot is suitable.
- Medium fit containers 7x7.
- For the smallest, or miniature varieties, the pot should be no larger than 5x5.
Important! Choosing a large pot, you may encounter souring of the earth, which will not be covered by the root system, and instead of flowers, abundant foliage will grow.
You will learn about why the violet does not bloom and what to do about it.
The material of the pot also plays an important role in growing violets.
Various outlets can offer you a large selection of pots, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- plastic pots not expensive and durable, their flexibility greatly simplifies. The main disadvantage is that, in such a bitter violet, it will suffer from a lack of oxygen.
- Ceramic tableware There are two types - processed with glaze or not. Processed pots always look beautiful, but because of the glaze they do not allow oxygen to pass through, and the other type, although it passes oxygen well, quickly loses its appearance, and as a result may even crack. The severity of ceramic pots can also be attributed to the disadvantages.
Beauty and benefit for a flower can be combined, just put a flower planted in an ugly pot without glazing inside a beautiful and bright ceramic pot.
The same method can be applied to any other containers. Your beauty, placed in a pot in any jar, bottle or even in an original large mug, will look unusual and beautiful. Individual decorative elements can be perfectly combined with color and shape. For this fit different this plant.
Getting a plant from seed
For a positive result of growing violets from seeds, you need to follow certain rules:
A feature of growing violets from seeds is that the germinating new plants are the same size and with multi-colored flowers.
From the video you will learn how to grow violets from seeds:
Proper breeding from a leaf
Another method of breeding violets is cuttings, or simply growing from the leaves. Growing violets from leaves also has its own characteristics:
From the video you will learn how to grow a violet from a leaf:
Aftercare
The subsequent care of the violet after planting is no different from the usual. The soil must be of the required consistency and always moist. Young sprouts, like adults, should be kept warm with sufficient sunlight. It is recommended to periodically saturate the soil with special fertilizers.
Read about transplanting a plant and its subsequent care in, and you will learn how to properly grow and care for this beautiful flower at home.
Possible diseases
Violet refers to capricious plants that are prone to various diseases. The main dangers that can be encountered when growing violets are as follows:
We wrote in more detail about all diseases and pests of violets.
- although a flower whimsical to its own, it will not be difficult for experienced flower growers to grow and propagate senoplia. The plant fits well into any interior and can be a wonderful gift for family and friends.
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It's no secret that in order to fill the windowsills and shelves with bright pots of violets, it is not necessary to purchase them in large quantities. It is enough to wait until one violet grows, and arrange a transplant using the elementary separation of the leaves. However, in order to know how to sow saintpaulia and how to grow a violet from a leaf, you need to learn a few basic intricacies of this business.
Variety selection
From the day you start, pay attention to the variety you are going to propagate. Many mistakenly believe that this does not matter at all, however, the complexity of cultivation also largely depends on the variety of violets.
The fact is that each variety of Saintpaulia is distinguished by its acclimatization properties. At the moment, in flower shops you can find a variety of exotic varieties that are brought from America and Europe. These plants are distinguished by excellent decorative properties - lush inflorescences, bright leaves, a more pleasant smell. However, they are not at all suitable for growing in domestic open spaces, even at home, and even more so by an inexperienced gardener.
That is why it is better to choose simpler, but more "tenacious" varieties, such as Chimera, or standard Saintpaulia. Streptocarpus and Columnea are also resistant. These varieties look more interesting than standard blue violets, but are suitable for breeding at home.
However, it is not enough to choose the right type of Saintpaulia, you also need to plant the violet correctly so that it grows healthy and strong.
How to plant
Most first-time flower growers purchase flowers from seeds, and this is the right approach, because if you are going to seriously grow saintpaulias, you need to learn all types of cultivation.
Under all conditions, the first shoots should be expected within 2-3 weeks. If the flower is late, don't worry, some varieties just need more time.
violet care
In fact, violet is a rather unpretentious plant for home cultivation, however, with special daily care, it will bloom even more generously, all year round, with short breaks. First of all, it is necessary to ensure normal temperature and light conditions. The optimum temperature for growing and breeding at home is 18-25 degrees.
A slight decrease is allowed at night. It is impossible to allow hypothermia of the flower, as well as drafts.
In order to understand whether the lighting for growing is chosen correctly, you just need to inspect the plant. If the leaves and inflorescences are bright and evenly spaced, then there is enough light. When the leaves stretch upward on elongated cuttings, there is clearly little lighting. Pale twisted leaves indicate that the plant needs to be moved to a darker place.
Watering should be uniform, not too generous, but not too rare. Ideal water is distilled, at a temperature of 5 degrees below or above room temperature. When processing, you need to direct the spout of the watering can under the leaves. You need to water the flower 1-3 times in 7 days.
It is very important to regularly fertilize the land, and once every six months - to change it entirely. It is not recommended to mix old exhaled soil with new, it is better to use fresh ingredients as soil.
Given all these rules, very soon the saintpaulia will thank you with bright leaves and a large number of inflorescences. When the leaves grow in several rows, this is a signal that the violet can be planted.
Seating instructions
There are two main simple ways to make several from one violet. Both of them are carried out with the help of leaves taken from the "mother" plant.
Method 1: You need to cut the leaves from the 2nd or 3rd row, trim the cuttings a little and place them in a plastic cup with clean distilled water. At the same time, make sure that only the stem is in the water, and the plate does not touch its edge. In two weeks, the future violet will have small roots. There is no need to wait until they become too long - as soon as the roots grow by 1-1.5 centimeters, the leaf is placed in a container with moistened soil, and then standard cultivation takes place.
Method 2: The substrate is well oxygenated by a simple grinding method, and then a leaf with a short handle is placed in a pot. At the same time, the landing site needs to be slightly compacted so that the plant holds firmly. The earth is watered, and the entire container is covered with a transparent plastic bag. This is necessary to create the necessary "greenhouse" atmosphere with a maximum level of humidity. After 3-4 weeks, the package can be removed, because by this time the violet should already take root and take root.
We can conclude that there is nothing difficult in growing and breeding saintpaulias at home if you choose an unpretentious variety and carefully monitor the condition of the violet.
Video "Breeding Saintpaulia"
On the recording, a woman who breeds saintpaulias talks about the problems she encountered at the very beginning of breeding and how she solved them.
Violets are flowers that will always delight their owner with miniature flowers and unusual coloring of the petals. In addition, the violet is planted not only in a pot - in small flower beds there will also be a place for this plant. In order for your flower to grow and please you, you need to properly care for it. And most importantly, you need to know how to plant a violet correctly, because the further development of the flower depends on planting. In this article, we will tell you how to plant violets correctly so that your flower garden becomes the most beautiful.
Before writing about how to plant a violet, it is worth identifying all the necessary tools that we need for this. It is better to immediately collect the right tools so that during the landing process you will not be distracted by anything. If you still can’t decide on the landing method, then you can at least prepare all the tools in advance.
Planting violets is carried out using:
- Pots of different sizes (you will need several pieces).
- Soil designed specifically for violets. Can be purchased in specialized stores.
- Several plastic cups. You can use regular yogurt cups or buy regular plastic cups from the store.
- A small shovel, with which it is convenient to work with the soil.
- that suit violets.
- Lamps. Artificial lighting will be required if the plant is grown in a dark room or if planting is carried out in the winter.
All this should be enough to properly plant the violet in a pot.
Soil and pot requirements
Before planting violets, make sure that you have ready not only tools, but also a flower pot. It is important to prepare everything you need before planting, including the ground in which we will later place the seedling. So, what should be the perfect flower pot? As you know, this is an important task, because for each plant it is selected depending on its characteristics.
The first option is much easier and has a better chance of success. Saintpaulia seeds are propagated by experienced flower growers who are ready for a long time so that it takes root in a new place. If you are not too keen on floriculture and floristry, it is recommended to choose the leaf propagation method of Saintpaulia.
Planting methods
How to plant a violet leaf?
There are several ways in which violets can be grown. The first of them - with preliminary soaking and germination of the leaf in a container with water. The first thing to do is cut off the cutting itself. The cutting in our case is a leaf, which we take from the "mother" plant. With a sharpened pruner, it is necessary to cut it at an angle of 45 degrees. It is important that the tool with which the cutting is cut is very sharp, and the cut itself is smooth and clean. A short cutting will not take root - it must be at least 4 cm in length.
The next step is to dry the leaves, while the cut itself must be continuously fed with moisture and ensure that it does not dry out. Also make sure that the variety is not a threat to the leaves of the future flower. To do this, you need to dip the sheets in a solution of copper sulfate (or ordinary soapy water). Maintaining the leaves in water, monitor the temperature. It must be at least 25 degrees, otherwise there is a risk of rotting processes. If suddenly your stalk begins to rot, it immediately needs to be cut off a couple of millimeters.
In general, the process does not take too much time. You should wait until the moment when the plate acquires the first roots. After that, we plant the leaves in the ground. By planting a cutting in this way, you can not worry that it will not take root. The roots that appear will allow the little violet to stand upright and not collapse.
The sprout planted in this way should be covered with a plastic bag, providing it with greenhouse conditions. Do not forget about the temperature and light conditions, as well as your flower on time. Soon he will get "babies", and each "baby" will subsequently need to be in a separate pot.
How to plant a violet leaf without first soaking it in water? Here you need to plant a leaf of the plant immediately into the ground. To do this, in the same way as in the first case, we take a sheet and cut it with a pruner. We take a small pot (up to 5 cm in diameter), filled with pre-prepared soil mixture. An ordinary yogurt cup or a regular plastic cup is suitable as a container. The recess should be made small, it is also recommended to line it with finely chopped moss.
So, with proper planting, the root of violets will strengthen well, and soon “babies” will appear. Next, we plant the stalk in the ground, sprinkle it on top, pour a little warm boiled water over it and cover it with a plastic bag on top. So you will create almost greenhouse conditions and the appearance of the first roots can be expected very soon. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature in the room is within 22–25 degrees, and watering is carried out as soon as the earthen lump dries up.
It is important to remember that the flower is watered only from below, lowering the glass into a container of water. Regular watering will have to be abandoned. "Babies" of the flower, as soon as they appear, transplant into separate pots. A violet grown in this way can be obtained much faster than with a preliminary soaking of the leaf in water.
How to plant violet seeds?
The method is more complicated, which is suitable for professionals. To begin with, a drainage layer, chopped moss and soil are poured into an ordinary plastic box (with holes at the bottom so that water comes out). Next, pour the seeds onto an ordinary white sheet and mix with crushed wood ash (some advise adding a little sand). After that, we sow the seeds in the soil in any convenient way, with or without grooves. Now you need to create some kind of greenhouse, so the box should be closed with glass and placed in a place where the planted seeds will have access to light.
Water the seeds very carefully so as not to harm them. You need to pour water along the very edge of the box. Also make sure that dew does not appear on the glass - if this happens, you need to remove it with a cloth, and then cover the greenhouse again. When the flowers begin to appear and grow, carefully transplant them into new pots. In order not to damage the roots, it is recommended to first moisten the soil, and then pull out the sockets and place them in a new pot.
Video "Planting violets"
From this video you will learn how to plant a violet.
Saintpaulia Uzumbarskaya is the exact name of a houseplant that is known to everyone as a simple violet. Saint Paul Walter, the French military commander of the German colony, discovered it in the Usambara Mountains of East Africa. In his honor, she got her name.
Now saintpaulia is a universal favorite among collectors of domestic plants, because rarely can a species boast such a variety of shapes and colors of flowers and leaves.
Some consider it capricious and demanding to care for, others - completely picky, the cultivation of which is no more difficult than any other indoor flower. Difficulties are primarily due to the location of violets in the house relative to natural sunlight. This light-loving plant that does not tolerate direct sunlight. It is easiest to create such conditions on the northeast and northwest windows. On the south side will need artificial shading. Gauze or voile tulle stretched over the window is suitable to protect the flowers from the sun.
Lighting
In the natural African environment, violets grow in partial shade under the protection of shrubs from hot sunlight, so indoors, she needs to create similar conditions. For home Saintpaulia, it does not matter what source of lighting is used, whether it is the sun, or an ordinary incandescent light bulb. This is her huge plus and one of the reasons for the special love of flower growers for her.
Collectors and hobbyists for growing violets use large glass racks backlit with fluorescent lamps. They are easy to make yourself or buy ready-made in flower shops. Blooming violets on the shelves receive the necessary portion of light and look especially impressive.
Violets look very nice on the shelves, planted in the same pots, the optimal size of which is 10 cm in diameter and the same height. The quality of the container should not be given much attention, ceramics or plastic is not essential for them. The small size of the container will not prevent the plants from fully developing. It is good to have special "nurseries" for growing violet babies. in the form of a rack with small pots. The variety of Saintpaulia varieties suggests an individual selection of pots. Among the small-growing varieties of violets, there are quite large ones, which will require more spacious containers.
Saintpaulias soil can be purchased ready-made, although experienced gardeners find it too light and prefer to mix the soil themselves. Drainage is laid out on one third of the pot at the bottom. It can be charcoal, expanded clay or broken brick. Sawdust for violets is not suitable as drainage.
The composition of the shop soil for violets includes:
- sod land;
- humus
- sand;
- sphagnum moss
You can independently take the soil similar in composition in the forest. The advantage of store soil is its biological sterility.
A mandatory requirement for the soil mixture is high friability with good air exchange.
The lower leaves, small basal rosettes and flower stalks are used for propagation of Saintpaulia uzambar. Most commonly used leaves, but with this method, some breeding varieties of violets do not inherit the characteristics of the mother plant. In such cases, they resort to reproduction with a ready-made rosette or peduncle.
In order for leaf cuttings to give roots, they are placed in a container with filtered or settled water. After 1.5 - 2 months, sprouts form at the ends of the cuttings. The time for the formation of children, depending on the variety, is purely individual, some require up to 4 months for this. It is not necessary to keep cuttings in water, planting a leaf immediately in a pot is more justified. At the time of planting, the root system of small rosettes when grown in the ground is stronger, in contrast to those formed and grown in water.
Young plants are carefully seated in pots, 5-6 cm in diameter. The soil for them should be less nutritious than for adult plants. The next final transplant will be at the age of 3-4 months. Usually, about six months pass from the moment the sprout takes root in the ground to flowering.
Necessary conditions for humidity and watering violets
Violets can not be watered randomly. These are not geraniums that can be poured today and then dried, they will forgive everything and survive. Violets need competent watering, soil moisture must be closely monitored, since the main cause of plant death is root rot due to excessive watering. That is why the soil for planting is used loose, and the drainage layer is large enough.
for watering melt, rain or settled water at room temperature is used. It should not stagnate, it is poured into a pan or under the root, avoiding contact with the leaves. Excess water from the pan after 20 minutes should be poured out. Drops of water on the leaves are recommended to be gently absorbed with a napkin. From the refraction of sunlight in these places, spots from burns may appear.
The temperature in the room is maintained at about 22 0 C. At a higher temperature, the air becomes drier, which affects the condition of the violets. The buds are poorly laid, the flowers become smaller and quickly wither.
top dressing
Planted in nutrient soil, the first three months of Saintpaulia does not need top dressing. But, when all useful substances run out in the soil, additional fertilizer application is indispensable. It is better to use ready-made liquid preparations, they are less hassle, they are easy to dose and they are better absorbed. They need to be brought in at the root. It is advisable to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.
Two hours before fertilizing, the flowers should be watered abundantly in order not to burn the roots. Violet is one of those types of plants that are better to underfeed than overfeed. If its appearance does not cause concern, you can not rush to fertilize. If the leaves of the plant drooped and began to fade, the more he does not need extra chemicals. It is better to treat with Epin's solution and cover with a bag for 3-4 days.
Violets rarely get sick and are affected by pests. The most common disease is late blight. Signs of the disease are brown spots on the stem and leaves. 
Late blight leads to increased humidity of the soil and air. It is unlikely that it will be possible to reanimate a diseased plant, so the main task will be to keep the rest from infection. The violet should be destroyed, the soil thrown away, the pot sterilized.
The most dangerous pest of violets is the root nematode. These pests can get in with the ground from the street or from under other houseplants. Violet roots affected by the nematode cease to nourish the plant and it quickly dies. To avoid this, it is safer to buy ready-made soil in the store.
Thrips are small insects that live on the underside of leaves. If you remove the leaves and flowers with thrips in time, you can save the violet. Sick and infected plants should be isolated from the rest in the first place so that the infection does not spread further.
Some features of violet care
There are several specific methods of caring for Saintpaulia uzambar.
- Pots with violets must be turned over in relation to the sun to give the rosette the correct shape.
- As the flowers mature, the leaves from below are carefully trimmed. A bright and beautiful bouquet framed by several rows of green leaves will have a compact shape and look especially attractive.
- Violets age quite quickly, the stem becomes longer, the flowers are smaller. The maximum life span is two years. Further cut leaves should be used as planting material for young violets or "rejuvenate" the plant. To do this, it is cut off at the root, a few young leaves are left and rooted like a young rosette.
- To make violet flowers brighter, it is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The hassle of growing saintpaulia is more than justified by the end result. It is difficult to imagine anything more spectacular among houseplants than pots of blooming violets. There are about thirty thousand varieties, special exhibitions are held, there is a Saintpaulia lovers club. Communication, exchange of experience, selection attempts - all this unites a large group of people around a small, beautiful and delicate indoor flower - Saintpaulia uzambar or simply violet.
