Violet Macho

This article will focus on the LE - Macho violet. This is a variety of violets that has a large number of shades and has a very beautiful flowering. This culture will never be ignored, because during the flowering period it looks just amazing. Violet Macho is considered a very beautiful and spectacular plant that can easily decorate any room.

Violet Macho: variety description

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

Violet LE Macho belongs to the Gesneriev family and belongs to the genus Saintpaulia. Although the people continue to refer it to the genus violet. The homeland of this culture is Africa, its eastern part. Saintpaulia is very often called the Uzambara violet, although botanists are against this term. The plant is so called for the reasons that it looks very much like a violet. That is why the people continue to call this plant that way.

Violet LE Macho is considered an evergreen herb that most often grows on rocky soil in Tanzania. The upper shoots of the plant's root system are able to hold onto stones in the upper layers of the earth. The stems of this plant are quite strong and can reach 10 cm in height. The rosette itself is up to 20 cm in diameter.

This genus contains a very large number of species and varieties, approximately several tens of thousands. All of them are bred by the fruitful labor of breeders, as well as by chance by the method.

The culture referred to in this article is called Violet LE - Macho. The plant was bred by the famous breeder Elena Levitskaya, who calls all her hybrids with the prefix of the abbreviation of the name and surname. From the side, the bush looks like a collected bouquet, since it contains a large number of flowers located on a rosette of leaf plates.

The flowers of the Macho violet variety have a very beautiful, noble purple color, as well as a fairly large size. At the edges of each petal, you can observe a contrasting white border, which has a wavy shape. The flowers are considered double, and their size is about 76 cm.

The leaf plates are slightly elongated here and have the shape of an oval. The color of the leaves is a rich dark green, and they also have a glossy surface. In general, the combination of flowers and leaves creates a very beautiful decorative bouquet. If you create all the optimal conditions for a given plant, then it will bloom all year round, from time to time changing old buds to new ones.

Violet Macho: description of cultivation

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

Violet Macho cannot be called unpretentious, because if basic rules are not followed, the plant will stop blooming or lose its decorative effect. However, knowing the characteristics of the plant, you can achieve long and abundant flowering. Here, the main thing from a florist is patience, as well as love, in order to surprise loved ones and neighbors with your unusual plant.

Important choose the right pot in which the violet will be grown, since the roots of the plant are developed and not large in size. The root system is located on the surface, and does not reach depth, therefore the optimal size of the container in which the Le Macho violet will grow should be 3 times wider than the size of the bush itself.

It is necessary and to choose a suitable soil for the plant. The best option would be light, loose soil so that air circulates freely in the root system. It is also important that it contained a large amount of nutrients necessary for the growth and development of the violet.These are phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Also, the soil should not be acidic. It is best to purchase ready-made soil from a specialty hardware store that is made up for Saintpaulias. Then you can add to it, for example, foam, charcoal or moss to retain moisture in it more.

Violet LE Macho: video about the variety

You can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, mix the following components: black soil, peat, mineral fertilizers, coal and biological products to create an optimal microflora.

In order for the LE Macho violet to perform its decorative functions, it is necessary to properly care for it and create conditions that will be similar to the natural conditions of the area where the violet grows in the wild.

Care rules

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

The room should be bright and warm enough. The correct irrigation regime should be created so as not to dry out the earthen clod and not overmoisten the soil. In addition, the violet needs periodic feeding and preventive measures against diseases and pests.

Light

The ideal place for growing the LE Macho violet variety will be the east, north-east and west side of the apartment, since this variety needs a lot of sunlight to hit the leaves and flowers of the plant for about 12 hours. Therefore, in the cold season, when the daylight hours are short enough, it is necessary to create additional lighting with the help of special lamps. It is important to keep the sun out of the leaves as this can burn the plant. It is highly discouraged to grow violets on the south side. If the leaves of the plant began to stretch out, this indicates a lack of sunlight and the plant must be rearranged to another window sill or additional lighting must be created.

Temperature

Speaking in detail about the temperature, you should keep this indicator in the range from 20 to 25 degrees, since the LE-Macho violet variety is very fond of warmth. The unsightly appearance of the plant will indicate that the violet is grown sufficiently in cold conditions, when the air temperature is below 18 degrees. In this case, the flowering will be short, or it may not start at all. Drafts and cold air negatively affect the plant, therefore, during the cold season, you should rearrange the violet on a heated stand or place in a warm room.

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

Watering and moisture

Violet LE Macho will react negatively to both lack and excess of moisture. It is necessary to control the level of soil moisture. The optimal watering regime will be every three days. Experienced flower growers use bottom watering. To do this, the tray is pre-filled with water, and a pot with a plant is already placed there. In this case, the pot should be closed to the brim with water, but the water should not flow onto the soil. Water for irrigation should be warm and previously settled. After a while, the plant is removed from the pallet and excess moisture is drained.

Violet Macho loves rather humid air. If the plant is young, then the moisture level should be at least 50%. A 30% moisture level will be enough for an adult plant. Everything will depend on the room temperature.

If the air in your apartment is too dry, especially in winter, when radiators and other heating devices are working, it is best to put the violet in a pallet filled with wet expanded clay or moss. The violet leaf plate is covered with fluffy pile, so you should not spray the plant from a spray bottle.

Feeding

Speaking of feeding, it should be noted that the procedure is carried out regularly. It is best to use liquid fertilizer solutions rather than dry ones. You should feed the Macho violet, alternating fertilizers, and dilute them according to the instructions.

After a while, the soil loses its nutrients, so the violet needs to be repotted periodically, namely twice a year. For this, the transshipment method is used, preserving the earthen lump as much as possible. The capacity must be chosen each time a little more than the previous one. For an adult plant, it is sometimes enough to replace the top layer of the earth.

Diseases and pests of violets

                                                    Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

Like any houseplant, the Macho violet is often affected by various diseases, as well as insect pests. The most harmful of these are nematodes, thrips and strawberry mites. Not so often, a violet can be attacked by scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies, spider mites and other pests. If you find these insects, you should use insecticides sold in hardware stores.

Also, if the necessary growing rules are not followed, then the plant may become unstable to various diseases. The popular ones are powdery mildew, late blight, fusarium, and rust.

If the plant shows signs of a disease, which are usually expressed in dark spots or wilting of plants, then it is necessary to treat with a foundation or another fungicide. Everything here will depend on timeliness. Therefore, it is better not to delay the treatment so that the disease does not move to the stage when any procedures will be useless, and the culture will undoubtedly die.

How the LE Macho violet reproduces

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

The Macho violet is usually propagated by vegetative methods: it is by leaf cuttings or by dividing the bush.

• For propagation by cuttings it is necessary to take leaves from the middle of the bush and cut them by 3 cm, after which the planting material is placed in a glass of water. After the cutting has started new root shoots, you can transplant it into new soil. After the seedling is planted, it is necessary to create the conditions for a mini greenhouse, covering it with a film or a glass jar. From time to time, the shelter is removed to water and check the plant.
• For reproduction by division adult plants that are at least 4 years old are suitable, as well as those on which young shoots have already appeared. You just need to separate them and place them in a container with suitable soil. Also, children need to do the usual care, keep them in a sufficiently warm, humid room. If you did everything correctly, then a young plant in 6 months can already give color.

Pruning

Also, in order for the plant to perform its decorative functions, it is necessary to shape it from time to time. Usually, three tiers of leaf blades are left, and the lower old leaves are removed to make the violet look more neat. You should also remove dry yellow leaves, as well as those flowers that have already finished their flowering. In addition, sometimes you should help the peduncles to wade through the leaves, from time to time pushing them away.

Conclusion

Violet LE Macho: photo of the variety

Violet LE Macho is considered a very beautiful and spectacular plant that can easily decorate any room. All that is required from a florist is patience, adherence to the elementary rules of care and devotion to his hobby. If all conditions are created for the culture, then it will delight the eye throughout the season.