African violetis a lovely houseplant, beautifully and long flowering, taking up little space. The small size of African violets makes it possible to grow these plants in any, even the smallest, room in which they will gracefully decorate the window sill. See how easy it isAfrican violet carein pot cultivation, what are the ways tobreeding the African violetat home and choose the most interestingvarieties African violets , which will add color to your window sill.
African violet
African violet(Saintpaulia ionantha), also known asviolet vulture , belongs to the Gesneriaceae family and is one of the the most popular potted plants grown in our homes. Covered with short, sharp hairsAfrican violet leavesform rosettes with delicate colorful flowers growing at the center. They are distinguished by long and abundant flowering. The ease ofgrowing the African violetand the lack of exorbitant requirements and the ability to easily reproduce in the home make it a plant for everyone. And the propercare for an African vialgrowing in a pot will make it bloom long and intensively.
African violet - varieties
Pure Saintpaulia ionantha has dark blue flowers. Currently, thanks to the work of breeders, there are variousvarieties of African violeton the market with a wide range of flower colors, shape of petals and flower structure as well as types and sizes of leaves.Many modern varieties of the African violet are the result of crossing two species with each other. The most common parent plants are Saintpaulia ionantha and Saintpaulia confuse.
Among the wide assortmentAfrican violetwe can distinguishsingle-flower(e.g. 'Elsa' - light violet, emerald leaves , 'Romance' - pink, marbled leaves, elongated flower stalks, 'Pennsylvania' - burgundy),semi-double varieties , whose flowers have more than 5 petals and have visible yellow stamens ('Rokoko roze '- pink, variegated leaves,' My Delight '- elongated flower stalks) anddouble varieties , having at least 10 petals, with invisible yellow stamens (' Rebel's Two Cents - pink, with cream-discolored foxes, 'Coral Fantasy' - fuchsia, with purple spots on the petals).
Very interestingmulticolored varieties of African violet , such as: 'Patty' ( pink and white, the flowers resemble a pansy flower), 'My Temptation' (pink with a white border) or 'My Love' (white petals with a purple base), as well asvarieties of violet with a jagged petal kamisuch as: 'Ever Love' (burgundy), 'Ever Beautiful' (full purple), 'Ever Precious' (white petals with purple border), 'Ever Grace' (flower resembling a pansy flower, petals are purple, smaller petals with a light green border).
mini African violetvarieties with a miniature rosette and small leaves have a lot of charm. These are, among others 'Rosi' (purple), 'Dewi' (full pink), 'Jenny blauw' (deep blue), 'Hopi' (purple colored petals).
When looking forinteresting varieties of African violetit is also worth mentioning the variety 'Never Floris', in which the flowers do not break off the buds and remain closed. Wanted and rare are thewhite-flowered violetvarieties, such as: 'Claudia', 'Whitny' (mini) and 'Sarah' (mini half-full).
African violet
African violet - care
How much sun does an African violet need?
The African violet needs a sufficient amount of light to grow and bloom freely, but it cannot be too strong. Therefore, the bestAfrican violetcultivation site is the north, west or east window sill.
If the light is too weak,African violet leavesretain their basic shade (possibly they become a few shades darker) but unfortunately they become very thin. The leaf petioles get very elongated and the plant loses its compact habit. The flowers are small, bloom singly or not at all. This is a sign thatAfrican violet should be moved to a brighter place
On the other hand, too intense sunlight causesviolet leaves to turn pale or yellow-greenPart of the leaf blade covered by adjacent leaves may retain its natural shade. The leaf blades are thin and the petioles are very shortened. Flowers appear, but flowering stops quickly. In summer, intense sunlight causes evenburns to the leaves and flower petals of the African violetThis can be prevented by using curtains or blinds that will provide the vultures with an optimal amount of shade.
Good to know!As African violet leaves grow, they naturally grow in the direction of the light. To maintain an even distribution in the rosette, the pot should be rotated from time to time.
What temperature does the African violet require?
The thermal requirements of African violetsare not too high. Both in summer and winter, they prefer a temperature of 15-21 ° C. During summer days, they can tolerate well conditions up to 26 ° C, but above this temperature, growth and flowering slow down. Then you shouldmove the pot with the violet to a cooler roomToo high temperature in winter also negatively affects the plant. Therefore, at the beginning of the heating season, we place the vulture on the north window sill, where it will be easier to keep the temperature lower.
Watering an African violet
A very important treatmentin the care of the African violetis proper watering. Violets have short roots and their moisture requirements are very high. Therefore, it will be easier to maintain an adequate level of water in the substrate in a flat pot.Watering African violets twice a week , placing the pot in a pot filled with water at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.Make sure that the leaves do not come into contact with the water surface. When the soil is soaked, remove the pot and wait for the excess water to drain away.
African violet
Does the African violet need a moist air?
Dry indoor air is usually well tolerated by African violets. However, these plants grow much better with higher air humidity. However, the leaves must not be wet!Sprinkling the leaves of the African violet causes their browning and falling offTo increase the humidity in the plant's surroundings, we can place a pot with a violet on a stand with a diameter twice the diameter of the pot. First, sprinkle the stand with a layer of flat stones or expanded clay, and then pour water, which will evaporate, moisturizing the air around the plant.
Fertilizing and replanting the African violet
A newly purchased vulture can be grown in the same pot for a year, provided that you regularly (every 3-4 weeks)fertilize the African violetwith an aqueous solution of a multi-component fertilizer. You can use, for example, Florovit.
Transplanting the African violetis done when the leaves start to diminish and the roots start to come out through the holes in the bottom of the pot. The best time to transplant violets is early spring (March). The soil should be acidic (pH 4.5-5) and the pot should be wide and shallow, 1 size larger.Vulture flowers best when they have a cramped potWe usually replant them no more than once every two years.
Note!Once a year, in any period, provide the vultures with a 6-week rest period. We lower the ambient temperature to 15 ° C and limit watering to once a week. After such a rest, violets produce lots of flower buds and bloom more profusely.
African violet - reproduction
The reproduction of the African violetis done by leaf cuttings. For this purpose, in late spring (in May), cut the leaf from the rosette together with the petiole. We cut right next to the ground so that the petiole is as long as possible.For seedlings, choose only he althy-looking and undamaged leaves.
Beforehand, prepare a container with a medium for propagating the violet, consisting of universal flower soil and about 2.5 cm of thick gravel at the bottom of the container. Make a hole in the ground with a stick. Place the cut off violet leaf in the hole so that the end of the tail touches the bottom. Then we gently knead the soil around the seedling. Water the whole plentifully and wrap it with foil stretched over a wire or wooden pole stuck in a pot.
African violet seedlingstake root at a temperature of 20-25 ° C. During rooting, we keep the substrate constantly moist. Every day, for about 5 minutes, remove the foil to remove the water vapor that accumulates and condenses on the foil.After about 4-8 weeks, young plants appear at the base of old leaves. From one leaf, 4-7 daughter plants can develop. Separate the young plants from the old leaves and gently plant them in separate containers with a previously prepared substrate.Water the young violets and leave them in a shady place for the next 2 days. With good care and optimal conditions, posterity will bloom after 6 months.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
