Violet conquers with its touchingness and insecurity. However, the outwardly fragile flower actually has a very persistent character and unpretentiousness. Surely this cute plant grows in every house, and if someone else doesn’t have it, then you should definitely buy a violet. She will decorate the interior of the apartment and will not require special care.
Violet, plant description
Violet home, or saintpaulia, is a herbaceous perennial with a poorly developed fibrous root system. Depending on the species, its stems, which have a fleshy structure, can be either shortened with basal leaves in a rosette, or branched and longer with several hanging rosettes, the diameter of which varies from 6 to 60 cm.
The leaves of saintpaulias are varied in shape: round and elongated, with a sharp tip and rounded, with a simple base and withheart-shaped. The edge of the sheet plate can be jagged and rounded, and the surface of the sheet can be flat, wavy or corrugated, concave or curved, glossy or matte, but always covered with villi.
The leaves of homemade violets are also colored differently. It can be all shades of green, there can be blotches of olive, beige, lettuce, yellow and even pink. The underside of the leaf is mostly green with a silvery coating, but some varieties also have red shades.
Violet flowers can be dyed in all colors of the rainbow spectrum through continuous selection. Saintpaulia is perhaps the most numerous plant in terms of the number of varieties. The sizes of the flowers, which are collected in racemes, range from 2 to 9 cm.
According to the type of flower structure, violet can be simple (petals arranged in one row), semi-double (two full rows) and terry (from three rows or more). The seeds of the plant mature in a seed pod that is round, ovoid, or spindle-shaped.
Care Requirements
To have an idea of how to grow a violet from a leaf, you need to know some rules for caring for this plant, i.e. flower preferences for watering, light, temperature, air humidity and top dressing.
Saintpaulia do not like temperature changes, especially sharp ones. During the "spring-summer" period, the air temperature of +22 ° C will be optimal for them with slight fluctuations in one direction or another. In winter, violets will benefitsome decrease, but not lower than +16 °С. Drafts are absolutely undesirable for these delicate flowers.
Homemade violets are photophilous, but they cannot stand direct sunlight and burn out, so they need to be provided with diffused sunlight or east and west windows. From time to time, the pot with Saintpaulia must be turned to the light with one or the other side for uniform illumination. And if the violet is illuminated during a short day, then the flowering time can be extended.
Saintpaulia are moisture-loving, but stagnation of moisture in the soil is contraindicated for them. You need to water them with well-settled water at room temperature as the top layer dries right under the root or in the pan, avoiding moisture on the leaves.
During the flowering period, which lasts up to 10 months a year, the violet should be fed with mineral fertilizers once every two weeks, the rest of the time once a month.
For a comfortable existence, Saintpaulias need high humidity, but it is absolutely impossible to spray the plants, in order to avoid rotting of the leaves. This point needs to be emphasized, it will come in handy when the question arises of how to properly grow a violet from a leaf.
It is better to put a flower pot in a tray with expanded clay or moss, which must be constantly moistened. If the violet is located on the windowsill next to the central heating battery, then it is better to hang it with a damp towel.
Methods of reproduction
As the saintpaulia grows, it must be transplanted, at the same timeseparating child outlets. A violet pot is suitable low, but wide. The optimal soil is a mixture of sod (3 parts), leaf (2), coniferous (1) soil and peat (1) with sand (1).
Violet is propagated by dividing the bush (daughter rosettes) during transplantation, seeds (which is quite laborious and long) and leaf cuttings. Next - how to grow a violet from a leaf at home. I must say that it is not as difficult as it might seem. You just need to make a minimum of effort and have some knowledge.
On the Internet you can find a lot of materials on how to grow a violet from a leaf. Tips and methods of reproduction by this method are described by both amateurs and professional flower growers and breeders.
In order for the leaf cutting to take root and develop to an adult plant, it is necessary, first of all, to choose the right planting material and decide exactly how rooting will take place. There are two ways. But about how to grow a violet from a leaflet, step by step denoting the whole simple process, a little later. First, about planting material.
How to prepare planting material?
The process of growing violets from leaf cuttings is quite time consuming, so you have to be patient. 90% of the success of the enterprise will depend on how well the planting material is selected.
Experienced flower growers often give the necessary advice on how to grow a violet from a leaf correctly. And if you follow themrecommendations, it is possible to greatly simplify and shorten the process of turning a cutting into an adult, abundantly flowering plant.
So, a few basic rules on how to grow a violet from a leaf, choosing the right planting material.
Rules for planting material
- Rule one. Do not choose leaves from the bottom row of the rosette, as they are closest to the ground and are often the weakest and most diseased. It is better to cut for reproduction specimens located in the upper rows. The higher from the ground, the less susceptible to diseases and fungi is the violet leaf.
- Rule two. The stalk should not have any damage on its body.
- Rule three. If the planting leaf went by mail for a long time or experienced another long transportation, then to resuscitate it, the cutting should be placed in a weak warm solution of manganese, which is prepared from boiled water. After two hours, remove the leaf from the solution and cut off the lower part of the handle three to four centimeters from the leaf plate with sharp, disinfected with potassium permanganate scissors.
How to grow a violet from a leaf: ways
There are two ways to grow from a leaf cutting: in water and in the ground. For rooting in the ground, when preparing planting material, it is better to cut the cutting at an angle of 30 °, then leave it on the table for five to ten minutes to dry the cut.
Growing violets from leaves in water
It is known how to grow a violet from a leaf, with the classic method of root formation "in water"many. But here, too, there are some points to pay attention to.
- For this method, it is better to use transparent dishes in order to notice the decay of the tip of the handle in time. If trouble does occur, then the affected area must be cut off, dried and placed in the newly prepared water.
- To minimize the risk of rotting, dissolve an activated charcoal tablet in water before placing the leaf in water, which will settle, leaving the water clear and clean.
- The stalk should be immersed in boiled water for 2 cm, which must be added as it evaporates.
It takes two to four weeks to form roots in water, depending on the variety.
Growing violets from a leaf in the ground
Next, how to grow a violet from a leaf using the method of root formation in the ground.
- Prepare the soil at the rate of: 1 part nutrient soil and 2 parts vermiculite, because looseness and maximum breathability are needed.
- Place the prepared stalk with a dried cut in a transparent cup, deepening it into the ground by 2 cm, no more, so that it is easier for young leaves to germinate to the surface. Gently press the soil around the leaf.
- When the young rosette grows up, cut off the old leaf.
- Water regularly as the soil dries out, preferably in a pan. To do this, make holes in the bottom of the glass in advance.
You can follow the photo how to grow a violet from a leaf, you cannext.
To grow a he althy, luxuriant violet from a small cutting, you need to listen to the needs and preferences of a small delicate flower and try to follow the recommendations of seasoned flower growers.
