Violet is known to many gardeners as one of the most beautiful and charming indoor plants. Its delicate flowers can be of different colors, and velvety leaves form a compact bush. If you want to breed a plant yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the process of its reproduction.
Rooting a violet leaf is most often used by flower growers. This is a simple process that anyone can do. What methods and features of reproduction of violets by a leaf exist today will be discussed in detail below.
Process Features
Rooting a leaf of mini-violet, semi-mini or other varieties occurs according to the same scheme. This is the easiest way to breed the presented type of flowers at home.
It is best to perform such actions in the summer or spring. At this time, the plant receives a sufficient amount of light and heat. The plant should not bloom during this period. Some species produce buds almost all year round. Most often, the flowering process ends inMarch. It was at this time, while the plant is resting, that you need to have time to take material for seedlings.
In autumn and winter, you can also plant violets, but in this case, you will have to solve the issue of maintaining the right conditions for the full development of seedlings. Experienced flower growers are not afraid. Even in winter, you can grow the rarest types of violets at home.
Sheet selection
Rooting violet leaves begins with choosing the right seedling material. They should not be weak or sick. Otherwise, the offspring of such leaves will be just as sluggish.
It is not recommended to cut the leaves from the lower tier of the bush for breeding violets. Here they are often weakened and old. It is these leaves that are most susceptible to attack by pests, fungus and harmful microorganisms. Material for seedlings is recommended to be cut from the tier above the lower leaves. It is well formed, has a pronounced turgor.
If the leaf was transported down the street before planting (from a store or from friends), it may become sluggish. To restore his vitality, you should prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate with water. The liquid should be slightly warmer than room temperature. After two hours in the solution, the leaf is disinfected and regains its strength.
Sheet cut
Rooting violet leaves requires proper preparation of the material. To do this, it is not enough just to pick a leaf. This may lead to adverse consequences. The cutting must be properly cut.
For thisa sharp blade or a well-sharpened knife will do. Cutting surfaces must be treated with an alcohol solution. The selected sheet must be placed on a hard surface. Then, with one firm movement, the cutting is separated from the plant. The cut must be oblique. It is performed at an angle of 45º. The stem should be 3 to 5 mm long (depending on the seedling container).
The leaf must be left to dry. It is recommended to sprinkle the cut with activated carbon. Experienced flower growers say that in the absence of an antiseptic for treating a knife, it is better to simply break off the sheet. If an infection gets into it, the consequences will be irreversible.
Transfer to water
There are two ways to grow violets. The leaf can be planted in water or in the ground. To understand which method is preferable, you should consider them in detail.
Rooting a violet leaf in water is easy. It is necessary to prepare boiled or settled water. The sooner the cutting is placed in water, the faster the leaf will begin to sprout roots. It is best to use transparent plastic cups in the form of containers for planting. They are thoroughly washed and sterilized.
The cutting is immersed in water to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The tip should not rest against the bottom of the glass. Fixation is carried out with a lid. Holes are made in paper by threading cuttings through them. Activated charcoal (one tablet) should be placed in water. As the liquid evaporates, it should be poured into a glass.
The appearance of roots
Rooting the leafviolets in the presented way can take quite a long time. It depends on the type of plant. Usually the first roots appear on the handle in 2-4 weeks. Before that, you need to control the level of water in the glass.
If traces of rot become noticeable on the handle, the leaf should be removed from the water. It is dried and carefully cut with a sharp blade. A new cut must be well treated with activated charcoal. This will help prevent rot from reappearing. After that, the sheet is again placed in water.
As soon as strong roots become visible, the plant can be transplanted into the ground. The pot should have holes in the bottom. A third of it should be filled with fine drainage. Soil is poured on top.
Ground transplanting
The rooting of a violet leaf in the ground occurs at a shallow depth. If the cutting is planted too deep, it will be difficult for the shoots to break out through the soil layer. In this case, the plant weakens. In some cases, sockets may not appear at all. Therefore, the new roots that the violet started up should be close to the surface.
The soil around the leaf needs to be compacted. Then the plant is watered abundantly. The container with violet is covered with polyethylene. This will help maintain the desired level of humidity inside. The plant is placed in a warm, bright place (but not under the direct rays of the sun).
The package should remain on the bitter until the leaf has new shoots. This indicates that the process was successful. The sprouts can be transplanted into their intended pots.
Soil preparation
Experienced flower growers claim that when planting a plant directly into the ground, the rooting time of a violet leaf is significantly reduced. At the same time, more new shoots appear, the likelihood of rotting on the handle is significantly reduced.
To transplant into the soil, you need to purchase a special mixture. This soil includes foam, sphagnum, vermiculite and perlite. You can also prepare the land for transplanting yourself. Vermiculite and perlite are mixed in equal proportions. The first component is responsible for providing violet roots with oxygen. Vermiculite loosens the soil and absorbs excess moisture.
Next, the resulting mixture and sphagnum are added to the soil. This component has an antibacterial effect. You can add peat. Such components make it possible to provide the roots of the plant with the right conditions for full growth.
Ground landing
Rooting a violet leaf in the ground is faster. However, proper cutting and transplanting of the material is required. The selected leaf is broken off from the plant. It is cut with a sharp blade obliquely. If miniature varieties are transplanted, the stalk is shortened more. You can leave its length only 1-1.5 cm.
The cut is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Half an hour the stalk dries up. At this time, drainage holes must be made in a plastic cup. It is filled with warm, moist soil. A cutting is planted in it. Mini violets deepen only 5 mm. For ordinary varieties, the cutting can be dug into the ground to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. The soil around the leaf is well compacted. Watering the plant is not recommended.
The cup needs to be closed with polyethylene. Periodically, the seedling is aired. This prevents the appearance of mold on the soil. After transplanting, the leaf wilts a little. This is considered the norm. When the plant has roots, it will again become full of strength. Watering is done once a week. It is impossible to flood the plant or feed it with fertilizers. In this case, the violet will develop the root system faster. Grow the plant in a warm, well-lit place. It is protected from direct sunlight, drafts.
Reproduction by a fragment of a leaf
Rooting a violet with a leaf fragment is rarely used. This approach can be a way out if the planting material has begun to rot. The stem is broken off near the base. With a sharp knife, the sheet is cut into several fragments. The blade must be very sharp. Each fragment must have at least one vein.
This method is suitable for rare varieties of violets. In some cases, only a third of the upper part of the sheet is taken for such purposes. The cut is made horizontally. The fragment is left for a few minutes. During this time, the edge will be covered with a film. Next, the cut site is treated with activated carbon.
The plate is placed in the ground. The cut should fit snugly to the ground. The pot is also covered with polyethylene. When the plant takes root, it turns outmany shoots. They emerge from every leaf vein.
Having considered how the violet leaf is rooted, as well as the basic methods for carrying out this process, each grower will be able to independently grow this wonderful plant at home.
