Violet (saintpaulia, viola) is a small, amazing warm flower. It ranks first among indoor plants. Violets differ in shape and pattern, they have a huge range of colors and many shades - from white to dark blue. There are several tens of thousands of varieties of violets, and they are all different: terry and simple, multicolored and monochromatic, with lace frills. Behind each variety is a lot of work of breeders.
In nature, Saintpaulia grows in South and Central Africa and has about 20 species... And more than 2 thousand varieties and hybrids were raised by breeders. Violets bloom 9 months a year.
The most popular of all varieties of Saintpaulias is the horned violet. Perhaps there is not a single person who does not know this beautiful and delicate flower. She has a lot of other names: "Pansies", "viola", "field brothers", "brother and sister", "moths".
The colors and hybrids of the horned violet are different; even black flowers with bright specks are found in nature. Every florist wants to have such flowers in his collection. And therefore they should be properly planted. These flowers are unpretentious and will quickly begin to delight the owner's eye with their excellent flowering.
Popular varieties of horned violets
viola tricolor (Pansies) - a tricolor flower, height no more than 20 cm, can grow in the wild, blooms all season;- viola Vitroka - a garden plant, height 40 cm or more, the color of flowers is very diverse - up to black;
- horned viola - lilac or purple flowers, when flowering forms a thick carpet, blooms from early spring until the first frost;
- viola Altai - blooms very beautifully twice a season;
- Viola is fragrant - beekeepers love it very much, as it has an unusual aroma that attracts bees. It is used in perfumery for the production of essential oils;
- viola Sororia - one of the first to bloom, already in May you can admire its flowering;
- viola yellow - a very unpretentious plant, grows under any conditions, blooms with bright yellow flowers. Even a novice florist can grow it.
Horned violet from seeds
How to grow a violet from seeds? This question is asked by any florist who wants to plant these beautiful flowers in his garden. It is easy to grow it from seeds, just like by cuttings. The only drawback with such reproduction is you need to wait for flowering a little longer, but it will be more resistant to various diseases and the seedlings will be quite strong.
Experts suggest growing this flower in special peat tablets, since they have all the necessary nutrients and retain a certain moisture content.
Growing violets in a peat tablet
The required number of tablets should be prepared - how many seeds are prepared. Dip the pill in warm water, give it time to swell. After that, put a seed on the tablet and cover it with a little earth, if planting is done in open ground.
At home, place tablets with seeds in cups or boxes, cover with foil on top to create a greenhouse effect.
Growing horned violets from seeds
Typically, seeds are planted according to the following scheme:
The seeds are harvested in late August and planted in late January and early February.When the plant fades, bolls form in place of flowers, then they begin to dry out. Seeds should be collected before the pods are open, otherwise all the seeds will end up on the ground. The first sign of seed ripening is that the seed pod is turning upward.- After the boxes are collected, the seeds are taken out of them and dried. Store in the refrigerator. The time of planting seeds may differ, it all depends on the flowering period of the violet. If the grower needs them to bloom already in May, then the seeds must be sown no later than February.
- Sprinkle the seeds on top with light soil, sand or peat.
- When three true leaves appear, the flowers dive at a distance of 20x20 cm.
- At the end of summer, young violets are planted in the ground so that they bloom profusely in the spring.
- To grow a perennial horned violet, the seeds should be sown immediately after harvest in previously prepared flower beds. After sowing, the soil is abundantly watered with a diffuser.
Indoor violet
Each housewife has indoor plants on the windowsill in an apartment or house. And most have a violet. There are a huge number of varieties of home violets. They love good careotherwise they may die.
This flower grows well in natural light, but cannot stand direct sunlight. The violet grows best on the north window. If this is not possible, then the flower should be protected from direct sunlight, for example, cover the glass with tulle. It is the tulle that will create the necessary lighting for her.
