Sowing seeds
You can get seedlings of perennial violets using seeds. Sowing is carried out according to the following scheme: It is necessary to purchase fresh high-quality seeds, thereby guaranteeing good germination of crops. Seeds are sown in shallow grooves, before that it is recommended to add a small amount of peat to the ground ("by eye"). To prevent the occurrence of fungus, you need to "dust" the seeds with any available fungicide (Strobi, Agat-25K, Skor, Quadris), as well as spill the soil with a solution (the manufacturer indicates the dosage for the solution on the package). After a couple of true leaves have appeared on the plant, you need to dive, providing the seedlings with the necessary free space for development. It is necessary to dive seedlings in such a way that there is a distance of about 5-7 cm between neighboring plants. When weeds appear, it is necessary to weed the beds. It is also recommended to periodically loosen them, giving access to air.
Levkoy flower, planting and care, "secrets" and cultivation features
Levkoi is grown from seeds. They can be immediately planted in flower beds and beds, or they can first be sown in special containers and only after the appearance of young plants, they can be transferred to the beds or flower beds.
The second method of growing flowers is considered the most preferable, since, firstly, flowers planted in the ground in the form of seedlings will bloom faster. And secondly, you can adjust the density of planting and even make certain compositions of flowers.
If you sow flowers directly into the ground, then there is a great risk of being left without them at all - despite the long-lasting germination, for a number of circumstances, the seeds may simply not germinate.
Considering all of the above, it is worth taking a closer look at the method of growing seedlings and with the procedure for their subsequent transfer to open ground.
Seed preparation
To improve germination, seeds should be prepared before sowing. To do this, they are first soaked in water for a day, and then removed for several days in a refrigerator, after wrapping them with wet gauze, for stratification.
Planting a flower levkoy
The most suitable time for sowing seeds of Levkoy is the end of March-beginning of April. For them, containers or boxes are prepared, which are filled with a substrate consisting of 1 part of a stove and 3 parts of sod land. Before placing the seeds in the soil, the substrate must be moistened.
When planting seeds, they are deepened by half a centimeter and a sufficient distance is left between them. After planting, the container with the seeds is covered with plastic wrap and removed to a warm, but dark place (the temperature should be about 20-22 ° C). If all the conditions are met, the first shoots are shown as early as 4-5 days. But sometimes plants for germination may take much longer - up to 2 weeks.
How to care for seedlings
When sprouts appear, the film covering the container can be removed, and the container itself can be exposed to the sun.
In order for the Levkoi to continue to develop, they need a sufficiently bright sunlight. But he should not be direct, but absent-minded.
In order for the plants to stretch out strongly, the air temperature should be lowered in the room in which they will be located. The most optimal indicator will be 10-12 ° C. Alternatively, a container with seedlings can be placed on an unheated, but closed balcony or veranda.
Watering the seedlings begins 2-3 days after the sprouts appear (this will be the first watering since the seeds are planted). After a week and a half, the seedlings must be dived. Young plants are planted in separate pots filled with soil, consisting of 1 part of sandstone, 2 parts of leaf and 2 parts of sod land. The pots must have a drainage hole.
Late flowering levkoi, planting and caring for which in general does not differ from other varieties, can be dived directly into the beds.
When replanting flowers in the ground, it is also recommended to add a little hydrogel, which will strengthen the root system of the levkoes. During the period when the first two true leaves develop in plants, they are fed with a solution containing micronutrient fertilizers. The latter should consist of zinc and manganese sulfate (0.1 gram each), 0.3 g of copper sulfate and the same amount of boric acid. All these components dissolve in 1 liter of water.
When breeding seedlings, it is important not only to water and feed with levka, but also to harden them before taking them out into the street. To do this, in the room where the containers with seedlings are located, open a window or window
First for a short time, then the hardening time is gradually increased, and then the window can be kept open at all.
Seedlings begin to harden 10-14 days before their intended planting in a flower bed.
Description of nocturnal violet nocturnal
The plant is classified as biennial; it begins to bloom in the second year after planting. A representative of the cruciferous family, the inflorescences are collected in a bouquet, and the leaves are in the form of thin lines. There is a slight resemblance to phlox - the same inflorescences with bright flowers. They can reproduce by self-seeding, therefore, it is cramped for them in the flowerbed, and they move to nearby territories.
- Height: hesperis is a herbaceous bush that can grow up to a meter over the summer. Better to plant in a flowerbed as an accent or background.
- Stem: erect, branching towards the top, where several panicle-inflorescences are formed.
- Leaves: oblong, pointed at the ends, dark green, extending down to the inflorescences. Each leaf has a slight pubescence, which gives a slight blue to the plant.
- Flowers: small, oblong four-petal with a yellow stamen. The color scheme is scattered from lilac to white. There are double varieties, but those with smooth flowers are more popular.
- Flowering: the buds begin to open at the end of May, which delight the eye before the arrival of the first frost.
The long flowering period made the night violet a welcome guest on city and park flower beds, private garden plots.
You can recognize Hesperis by its bright panicles and a light but persistent fragrance.
How to prepare seeds before planting
It is recommended to start planting violets with seeds in early spring or late in winter. For breeding, it is worth buying special containers with drainage holes. The latter serve to eliminate excess soil moisture. The primer can be used commercially available universal. Although you can choose a special one for violets.
The seeds can be used for two years. This time they are able to maintain the properties for growth.
After the container is filled with soil, it is moistened with a spray bottle. Seed distribution is ensured evenly throughout the container. Before sowing, it is better to grind the seeds with sand in a small amount. This will remove a light oily layer. They will sprout faster.
Then everything is covered with a small layer of soil or vermiculite. Then the container must be placed in a plastic bag and tied tightly. Place in a warm place. After a while, you will be able to see the first shoots of the viola.
When and how it blooms
How it blooms
The flowering period for small violets begins earlier than for standard species: 5-6 months after planting, the young stalk will bloom. Despite their small size, their peduncles are strong, form large caps of flowers and do not fall on the leaves.
The onset of the flowering period can be accelerated by increasing the daylight hours and the intensity of lighting for the babies, feeding with fertilizer with phosphorus, and cutting off the stepsons.
The appearance, shape and color of flowers
Since there are many small varieties of Saintpaulia, the appearance of their flowers is very different.The petals can be smooth or double, the shape of the flower can resemble a bell or a star. There are usually several flowers on one pedicel.
The color range of the petals is also wide enough. It is interesting that the petals are monochromatic, sometimes they have one shade or another. The most common colors in mini saintpaulias are white, white with a lilac shade, pink, pure blue or blue with a purple tint, red-burgundy, blue.
After the flowering period is over, seed bolls form on the peduncle.
When they bloom (using the example of popular varieties)
If optimal conditions are created for mini, then their flowering period will last from 9 to 12 months. It is noteworthy that the flowering period is not related to the season - the babies bloom in both summer and winter. However, most varieties start flowering in early spring.
Changes in care during flowering
During the flowering period, the babies are looked after in the same way as during the rest period: they are watered, the necessary air humidity is maintained. You just need to remember that pests and diseases are not treated during the flowering period.
In addition, a characteristic feature of small species is that during the flowering period they have many stepsons that need to be cut off in order to prolong flowering and prevent the transition to the standard.
Night violet use
An evening party, planted near the resting place, will become a decoration of a garden or a summer cottage. This will allow you to enjoy its evening aroma while walking and at home, creating a mood of joy and relaxation, combining visual pleasure with the benefits of aromatherapy.
Night violet flowers are suitable for cutting, keep for a long time in bouquets, and are used in flower arrangements. On the flower bed, the nocturnal is advantageously combined with bright annuals, biennials, contrasting in color, suitable in height. Night violets are adorable as a component for monochrome plantings by colors, for example, a flower bed in lilac-lilac tones, pink or white.
Having become acquainted with the abundance of varieties of night violet flowers, each gardener will be able to choose a plant depending on his preferences and capabilities. The night violet on the site will become an undoubted favorite, delighting the owner with its unpretentiousness and fragrance. Breeders recommend experimenting and trying to plant a nocturnal in a place where other ornamental plants do not take root. Having wild representatives that grow in nature in natural conditions, the night violet is sometimes able to populate and refine even the backyards of the garden.
More than a century of history of the night violet flower does not end at present. The popularity of Hesperis continues to grow. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, every year new varieties and varieties of night violets, already familiar and loved by gardeners and summer residents, appear.
Possible growing problems
The fragrant flower practically does not cause problems, resisting unfavorable factors to the last. This makes him one of the leaders in survivability.
Diseases
Among the infectious diseases of garden violets, there are:
- rust;
- blackleg;
- gray and root rot;
- powdery mildew;
- spotting.
Note! Unnatural plaque and stains on the leaves are a signal for urgent action. It is best to urgently remove the affected plants, or try to save them by treating them with a specialized preparation: Topaz, Fundazol, Fitosporin.
Fitovlavin, etc. The intensity of watering violets for this time should be reduced
It is best to urgently remove the affected plants, or try to save them by treating them with a specialized preparation: Topaz, Fundazol, Fitosporin. Fitovlavin, etc. The intensity of watering violets for this time should be reduced.
Pests
The nibbled edges of the leaves are a symptom of the defeat of the violet mother-of-pearl and clover scoop. They are treated with tobacco infusion or karbofos.
Common pests such as thrips, slugs, aphids, and spider mites are also found on garden violets. Treatment with specialized insecticides helps against them, as well as spraying the planting with an ash solution.
Other problems
Withering and spots on the leaves are a signal that the plant is bad at this place.
Probable reasons:
- too dark;
- too hot;
- excessive watering;
- lack of nutrients.
Advice! You can try to transplant to a more illuminated area, feed, adjust the irrigation regime.
Common cultivation mistakes
The shallow root system means that loosening can easily damage the violet. However, the looseness of the soil is good for her. This is achieved by mulching and structuring the soil.
The second common mistake is thickening. Plants should be 15-20 cm apart from each other.
A street violet white or of another color is an excellent purchase for a garden, a rabatka, a flower bed. It is grown in hanging containers and pots. Everywhere, her lovely and brightest flowers look appropriate and extremely aesthetically pleasing.
Description of the species
Botanists call the horned violet Viola cornuta. It is a perennial plant with branched stems that form cushions. The birthplace of viola is the mountainous regions of France and Spain. Depending on the variety, the height of the bushes is 10-30 cm. The leaves are dark green, simple, pointed at the ends. Their length is about 4 cm. Thanks to the creeping root, the plants quickly form a carpet. Its flowers have a small diameter - 3-5 cm. They are solitary, each with its own long petiole. In the middle of the flower there is a yellow or orange eye. Up to 60 fragrant flowers bloom on the bush at the same time.
The plant does not require special care, grows on loose soils with an acidity of pH 6.8-7.2. It needs moderate watering and good drainage. Flowering occurs from spring to autumn. The most abundant is in the first half of summer. In August, the number of peduncles and the size of the buds decrease. Horned violet is resistant to frost; in central Russia, it remains in the ground for the winter.
The optimum temperature for plant development is 16-19 ° C, in spring they come to life when it warms up to 8 ° C. Before wintering, peduncles are removed, the leaf outlet is cut off every two to three years. Viola blooms well in one place for up to 5 years.
Germinating seeds in boxes
Planting violets in spring begins with germinating seeds in greenhouses. The favorable period for this is from February to April. Boxes with nutrient soil mixture are used as containers. The soil is preliminarily disinfected. To do this, the earth must be calcined with a high temperature, and then treated with a fungicide solution. So you will protect the seedlings from being affected by fungal diseases. The seeding order is as follows:
- grooves are made in the prepared soil into which the seeds are placed;
- the seed is covered with soil, sifting it into the grooves through a sieve;
- the crops are watered, glass or film is laid on top;
- labels with the date and the name of the variety are attached to the boxes and left in a cool place - with an air temperature of about + 12 ... + 18 ° С.
Make sure that the soil is moist enough and does not dry out. The seedlings will hatch in 3-5 weeks. After that, the seedlings are moved to warmer conditions - in the range of + 18 ... + 22 ° С. Young plants need to be hardened; for this, the covering material that created the greenhouse effect is removed. When the first 2-3 true leaves are formed, the seedlings dive at a distance of 5 cm.
The finished seedlings are planted in a sunny place protected from wind and drafts.
