Indoor violets have become such popular plants that today you can hardly meet a gardener who would not be aware of what these plants are, what their features and main characteristics are. Violets can really decorate absolutely any room, room or office, and the varieties of violets, their variety of varieties and varieties allow flower growers to choose exactly those that will best suit their needs and tastes. Even the most experienced violet breeders still find species that incredibly surprise them.
Botanical characteristics of Saintpaulia
The species that so many housewives now grow is called Uzambara violets. They were first discovered in eastern Africa at the end of the 19th century. The German soldier Walter Saint-Paul saw this plant taking root in moss on a stone.
He collected the seeds and sent them to Germany, where his scientific father grew the flower with the help of the director of the local botanical garden. Subsequently, the flower was named in honor of the discoverers - Saintpaulia.
The indoor violet belongs to the Gesnerieceae family. Most plants of this family are perennials, inhabitants of the neotropics region, which includes all of South America, Australia, India and some regions of Africa.
Under natural conditions, violets live near rivers and waterfalls, the splashes and moisture of which float in the air, providing the plant with water, because the violet can absorb it with its leaves and roots.
The ornamental plant tries to hide in the shade of tall trees so that the scorching rays of the tropical sun do not burn its delicate fluffy leaves with small hairs and flowers.
Lighting
For luxurious flowering, Sassy Sister violets need bright and diffused lighting. Light also affects the size of the outlet. In bright light it will grow more compact.
For full flowering, violets need 10-12 hours of daylight. The most successful option for growing plants is on a rack with artificial lighting using fluorescent lamps with a power of 35 and 40 W.
It is important to remember that too much lighting is harmful for mini-violets. In such conditions, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and the rosette itself becomes flat. Young leaves in the middle of the rosette become closed and interfere with the growth of new flower stalks. Lack of light negatively affects Saintpaulias; their colors fade and flowering decreases.
Varieties of violets for home cultivation
In the wild you can find about 20 species of Saintpaulia, differing in the shape and color of the leaves, the color of the peduncle and its shape. For home growing, you can choose any variety and even create multi-colored compositions from them, because caring for indoor violets at home in a pot is almost the same. If you learn to care for one species, you will have to do the same with others.
There are Saintpaulias:
- The size of the rosette is up to 8 cm, up to 15, up to 20 and standard 20 - 40 cm in diameter.
- According to flower size – small-, medium-, large-flowered and especially large.
- According to the shape of the flower structure - wasp, bell, pansy, classic violet and 2 star shapes - classic and round.
- According to the degree of “curly” peduncles: double, semi-double, simple, comb, clove.
Moreover, each subspecies can have several colors. There are two-color violets.
Pot size
The choice of pot size plays a big role in growing miniature violets. A large capacity can lead to disproportionate growth of a compact variety. By correctly choosing the size of the pot, you can achieve preservation of the shape of the rosette and abundant flowering.
As for recommendations when choosing a pot for Saintpaulia, its diameter should be 1/3 of the diameter of the leaves. Therefore, for mini-violets, the right choice would be a 5 cm pot. In a larger container, the plant spends all its energy on growing, which reduces the formation of flower buds.
Genus Pansy
The flowers are double at the edges, most often arranged in two rows - small on top, larger on the bottom.
Variety Lions Pirates Treasure
The middle of the flower is bright pink. There is a purple border around the edge. A semi-double variety whose leaves also have a wavy texture at the edges.
Cinderella's Dream
The flowers are white, with a lilac edge, semi-double. The edges are jagged. The leaves are wavy.
Melody Kimi
The variety is deep blue in color with a light center.
Star
A variety of Pansies with petals of the same size, arranged in one row. The variety is classified as semi-double.
Caves Heavenly Star
Six-petalled, pink flower. The color resembles Lions Pirates Treasure, but the petals are arranged in one row.
Goddess of beauty
Belongs to terry varieties. It has a large rosette diameter and dark pink flowers, the petals of which are arranged in 3 rows above each other.
The magic of love
Purple terry Saintpaulias with white edging on the petals. The rosette is large and consists of dark green leaves.
Black Prince
The flowers of this double variety are brownish-burgundy in color. The yellow stamens in the center stand out brightly against the background of the languid color of the petals.
Rosemary
Terry tricolor: petals of lilac, pink and white.
Marshmallow
White-pink semi-double flowers with ruffled edges. The leaves are light green in color with elongated petioles. If the ambient temperature rises, the pink tint disappears from the color - the flowers turn white.
Austin smile
The rosette is compact, consisting of dark green pubescent leaves. The flowers are large, pale pink, the petals are arranged in one row. Along the edge there is a thin border of bright pink color.
Recommended temperature
The optimal temperature for full growth and rapid flowering of mini-violets is 20-22 degrees. At a higher elevation, the flowers become less brightly colored, and the green border around the edge of the petals is not pronounced. At low temperatures, the lower leaves and roots rot, which leads to the death of the plant.
The temperature should be the same not only during the day, but throughout the year. A difference between daytime and nighttime norms of 2-3 degrees is allowed.
Flower shape - bell
Violets, whose flowers resemble bells in shape, are not able to fully open due to the structural features of the peduncle: the fused bases of the petals. There are several specimens of this species worthy of home breeding.
Admiral
Flowers are cornflower blue with wavy edges. The variety is classified as semi-double. The leaves have decorative value: they have a white edge on a dark green background.
Sea wolf
Why they gave such a name to soft lilac terry violets is not clear. The variety has a large dark green bunch of leaves in a rosette. Blooms luxuriantly. The petals are wavy, arranged in 2 rows. With proper care they grow up to 8 cm in diameter.
Chanson
One of the easiest types of violets to care for. It blooms magnificently, producing several buds at once. The color is blue with pink spots. It is impossible to find two completely identical flowers.
Variety of violets "Chalice"
These are some of the most beautiful varieties with different colors and peduncle shapes. The bases of the petals are less fused than those of bells, but the flowers do not fully open, maintaining the shape of a wide bowl.
Ming Dynasty
The most beautiful variety of this type of violet: white peduncles with a pink tint along the edge of heavily corrugated large leaves.
Bu Meng
Varieties of violets are double and semi-double. The flowers are light blue. The petals are arranged in several rows, have a round shape, not corrugated.
Varieties of violets "Osa"
The peduncles are distinguished by an unusual structure: the two upper shortened petals have the shape of a tube. The other three elongated ones hang down.
Lily White
The flowers are completely white, the petals are separated. They are narrower than other varieties. The rosette is small, but the peduncles are large - up to 4 cm.
Satellite
Purple flower stalks with an unusual shape: a tube and two ordinary petals. The leaves are dark green, vesicular in structure.
Zemfira
Saintpaulias are a deep purple hue, very wavy at the edges. The lower part of the peduncle is pink.
Violet Sassy Sadie (Sorano/LLG)
Gorgeous violet Sassy Sadie.
The Sassy Sadie variety is one of the popular foreign varieties , which is often found in the collections of violet growers.
Saintpaulia Sassy Sadie (Sorano/LLG) - Uzambara violet , Gesneriev family.
History of the variety, who is the breeder?
The variety of Uzambara violet received the unusual name Sassy Sadie, which translated means “Sassy Sadie”. This violet was bred by foreign breeder Paul Sorano . How to provide proper care and get beautiful cap blooms, read further in the article.
Photo and description of the variety
The flower is very bright with expressive color . Lilac-pink pansies, with semi-double petals, have a darker venous pattern along the petals.
The edge of the delicate petals is decorated with a wide dark cherry border with a brown tint, bordered by a thin white border.
The socket has standard dimensions . Among the features of the variety, it is worth highlighting that the rosette does not grow a large amount of leaf mass. The violet grows even and symmetrical, without much effort on the part of the gardener. The foliage is medium green and quilted.
Cap flowering, with proper care, will not keep you waiting . Strong tall peduncles, each of them has about 8 buds. The fewer flowers on the peduncle, the larger the flower blooms.
The variety blooms for about three weeks , the bright petals do not lose their saturation and do not fade.
The most famous sport is of the red-brown semi-double pansies . Sports flowers, like varietal flowers, are also covered with a dark venous pattern over the entire surface of the petals.
Spring care
Caring for violets in a pot at home is to ensure that they bloom. If the plant produces buds, it means it is healthy and has strong immunity. This is influenced by several factors:
- Proper watering. Violets should not be watered from above so that water gets into the internodes, leaves, and buds. This causes tissue rotting due to fungal infection.
- Lighting. Direct sunlight in summer is especially dangerous for violets. They cause leaf burns. A damaged plant will not bloom.
- Feeding. To grow buds, Saintpaulias consume a lot of nutrients, especially potassium and phosphorus, but ordinary fertilizers are not suitable for them - you need to buy a mixture for violets. In addition, it is necessary to maintain an acidic soil environment, since excess carbonates leads to withering of plants.
- Proper planting in a pot. You cannot replant violets into large pots, because they spend all their energy on growing the root system, so they forget to bloom at the right time.
Video: Violets for beginners
In the spring, when the plant wakes up, all the main activities are carried out with it. How to care for violets at home so that they bloom all summer long:
- At the beginning of March, it is necessary to feed those plants that are not planned to be replanted with a mixture for violets. It is carried out by watering at the root. Before fertilizing, moisten the soil, then drain the remaining liquid from the pan. The soil should be constantly moist, but without stagnant water.
- In the spring, the rosettes are thinned out - the lower leaves that formed first are removed. They won't grow anymore, so there's no point in wasting nutrients on them.
- In the spring, those violets that have grown since last year are replanted.
If plants are transplanted into new soil, fertilizing is not carried out.
Watering
One of the important factors in caring for the Sassy Sister miniature violet is watering. In a small pot, the soil dries out faster, so you should pay attention to this and prevent it from drying out.
You can water with tap water, but first let it sit, then boil and cool. The temperature of the liquid should be above room temperature.
Using cold water for irrigation can lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. It is necessary to water into the pan under the pot; after 15-20 minutes, the remaining water from the pan must be poured out. You can spray from above, but avoid getting liquid into the growing point.
Summer events
How to care for violets in summer at home:
- Periodic bathing to remove dust from fuzzy leaves. It is carried out in hot weather to dry faster. Flowers cannot be washed - only leaves. The soil is covered with film. 2 baths per month are enough
- In summer, fertilizing is carried out once a month with a complex mixture with a low amount of nitrogen.
In summer, Saintpaulias are shaded from direct sunlight on the windowsill.
Propagation of Saintpaulia
Propagation of violets by leaves at home is carried out in cases where it is necessary to save the plant after improper care. If the cuttings begin to rot and no stepson have grown, there is only one way left - leaf.
To do this, take a sheet, cut off all the rotten parts and lay it on the ground. Place a glass of soil under a plastic bag and wait for roots to form (for this, the leaf must have veins from which they grow).
Cuttings are a propagation method in which the entire leaf with stem is used. How to propagate violets, step-by-step process:
- A leaf with a stem breaks off from a violet.
- Placed in water to grow roots. Can be stimulated by root, epin. An activated carbon tablet is placed in the water to prevent the cuttings from rotting.
- Transplanted into the ground.
Stepchildren grow from strong, healthy violets. They are cut and placed in water to grow roots, then planted in pots.
Chimera violets, which have stripes of a different color on the main petal color, can only be propagated by peduncles. These are rare varieties that do not retain their maternal characteristics when propagated by cuttings and leaves. You need to choose a flower that is in bloom or one that is already fading. It is cut off and wrapped in damp sphagnum moss.
It is advisable to place it under a bag, setting up a greenhouse. You can replant when several leaves form nearby.
Choosing a pot
Violets do not like large containers for replanting, so you need to choose a pot 1 - 2 cm larger than the previous one, so that the roots grow a little, the rest of the energy will be spent on flowering. An adult plant needs a container 13 cm in diameter.
Features of flowering, growth and reproduction
The variety is easy to care for and blooms quite early . Flowers remain fresh for a long time, do not fade or fade when exposed to diffused light.
When propagated by leaf cuttings from the mother's rosette , the variety produces many strong children. And rarely do they grow into violets that have a sporty color.
The variety has a fluffy cap during flowering.
It takes about 9 months from the moment the leaf is planted until it receives an adult rosette . The first flowering of a young starter is possible within six months.
Advice! To get the next bloom with a huge head of flowers, it is better to remove the first peduncles on a fragile starter. And in just a couple of weeks, you will see a real cap bloom, which will show a stronger young starter.
Only in cool conditions will the variety show itself in all its glory. Bright varietal flowering will be rich in color with a clearly defined white border on the petals when the temperature is maintained from 18 to 23 degrees.
Important! At a temperature of 30 degrees, the variety begins to hurt, the flowers become small or the buds dry out completely without blooming.
Peduncles of the variety:
- Sturdy;
- Tall;
- Upright.
On an adult, fairly strong rosette of Sassy Sadie, 8 buds are formed .
With good care, the Sassy Sadie variety will reward you with a dense cap of bright flowers.
The buds remain fresh for a long time , so the duration of flowering ranges from two to three weeks.
Feeding
In addition to the main nutrients, the fertilizer for Saintpaulia includes microelements. They are needed to stimulate metabolism and absorb macroelements. After transplantation, adult plants are not fertilized for 8 weeks. If the specimen becomes ill, it is necessary to wait until vital activity is restored. During this period, nutrient mixtures are not added to the soil.
The basic rule for fertilizing is to first moisten the soil, wait 2–3 days, then add the nutrient mixture. This approach will not harm the plant. In the spring, mixtures with a high nitrogen content are used to help the violet grow a lush rosette of leaves, then potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are added with the addition of boron, which stimulates metabolism and flowering.
Important! To prevent salts from accumulating in the soil, the soil is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate once a month during the growing season. After this, drain the liquid from the pan
Air humidity
For full development and growth, miniature violets require air humidity of at least 50%. In order to maintain normal levels, especially during the heating season, you can use a humidifier. If this is not the case, additional containers of water should be placed next to the pots of violets. Sprouted leaves, children and young transplanted rosettes are especially demanding on the level of humidity.
It is unacceptable to increase the humidity level above 70%. In such an environment, fungal diseases quickly appear and develop.
