Soil for violets.

Violet refers to a variety of flowers that seem to be ordinary when compared with other specimens, but with close contact, it becomes an indispensable decoration for your windowsill. Moreover, the flower has a very long flowering period. Providing minimal-quality care, you can enjoy beauty for almost the entire season. The predecessor of the home violet is Saintpaulia, once native to the rocky terrain of the African savannah. Active breeding of this plant began at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, you can count 8,500 species and varieties of domesticated violets. This amount is very difficult to master. Each species has its own varietal characteristics and, accordingly, zoned cultivation methods. But the relationship of the plant to the soil composition and sufficient, proper nutrition remains the same in the territory of any country. Thus, having made the decision to breed violet plantings on your windowsill, you need to decide on the variety, and most importantly, familiarize yourself with the growing rules, in particular, what kind of soil for violets will be required. If everything is done correctly, this process will not be difficult, the plant will develop well, bloom abundantly and with high quality over a long period.

Our article is devoted to the direct rules of soil preparation for transplanting Saintpaulia, the nutrient composition of the soil for violets in general. There are varieties that are more scrupulous about the composition of the soil, some are completely undemanding, therefore, when choosing a variety, you need to familiarize yourself with all the varietal characteristics and select the best option for yourself. The most popular among flower growers, but also the most demanding to growing conditions, is the Dance of Galaxies variety.

What to look for when choosing soil for violets

photo: soil for violets

Choosing the right soil for violets is a responsible process. The life of a flower practically depends on your choice: the external indicators of future bushes, correct development, the ability to prosper abundantly and for a long time. Soil nutrition is of course an important point, but there are still points where several criteria must be taken into account:
—the soil must be well saturated with oxygen, that is, the necessary air permeability. How to achieve this, what actions to take: add a baking powder to the soil. This material can be purchased at a flower shop. For example, coconut fiber, perlite, vermiculite. Without such devices, the earth layer very quickly turns into a lump, and this is a direct provocation for the beginning of decay of the root system;
- moisture content in the soil. In other words, the ability of the soil to retain a sufficient amount of moisture. Lack or overabundance will lead to dire consequences;
- the need for the content of potassium and phosphorus. An insufficient amount will affect the process and quality of budding. That is, the violet loses its ability to bloom. The leaves begin to turn yellow, curl. The appearance is lost and the health of the plant is weakened.

The listed criteria are the basis for growing room violets. When a flower grows in the wild, the attitude to the composition of the soil is of a slightly different nature, the violet adapts to different conditions in order to survive.Home conditions are a slightly different parameter. In the rooms, we are already growing Saintpaulia hybrids and therefore the requirements for the conditions are changing. These varieties are the most vulnerable, capricious, delicate, poor soil composition can destroy the plant in a short period.

What soil is needed for violets by soil composition

Varieties of varieties suggest the presence of specific preferences, for each individual. Some species of wild violets give preference to hilly, mountainous terrain, sunny meadows, the other part thrives in shaded gorges, in thickets of various bushes. Some feel very comfortable in wetlands. Another small particle is able to perfectly take root in poor soils in composition, where an arid climate prevails. For hybrids of Saintpaulia, most of these conditions are simply unacceptable, the plant may grow, even be able to develop a little, but the effect of a beautiful violet will no longer be.

The distribution of Saintpaulia is large-scale, growing in the areas of the Arctic, then throughout the accompanying territory to Tierra del Fuego. It is from this spread that home violets have different requirements for the quality and composition of the soil. You can observe the wild growth of violets even in the coastal dunes and semi-desert.

There are a number of plant species, most differing in quality, abundance, duration and flowering efficiency - Duchess, Wedding Bouquet, Ice Rose, Amadeus.

Prepared soil for violets: Composition. Purposeful application. Minuses.

Almost every grower asks the question of how to choose the right soil composition so that the plant is comfortable, healthy development and excellent health. A very large selection of purchased material, but versatile recommendations to draw up the necessary soil yourself. What to choose. Consider both options. Experience shows that collecting the composition of the soil with your own hands is the most qualitative and effective method. When buying a soil mixture in a store, you can simultaneously purchase a number of problems.

Let's highlight a few problematic points:

• when preparing the soil in production, it does not undergo the high-quality sterilization that you are able to provide at home. When the manufacturer is completely inadequate in his business, then the soil treatment before packaging does not undergo any treatments at all. Therefore, a change in a number of chemical indicators occurs in the composition;
• it is not known in what way the soil was collected in packages, therefore there is always a risk of acquiring soil along with various parasites, diseases, especially since this substrate does not work. The contaminated land will simply destroy your plants, preventing them from even developing;
• the soil mixture in production is subjected to the introduction of a certain composition of fertilizers. But no one can guarantee a shortage or excess of constituent substances;
• the poor-quality attitude of the manufacturer leads to savings in money for the purchase of high-quality material, therefore, the almost black soil offered in the store has a peculiarity to acidify very rapidly;
• Take as advice: when there is no time to make up the soil mixture yourself and still get soil in the store, always pay attention to the color of the soil, brown with a red tint, coarse peat is the correct color and composition of the soil mixture.

The best soil for violets: varieties and varieties

Below we list the most popular store options for soil for violets.

1. ASB GREENWORLD, German-made, universal composition. Ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Acidity - according to the norms for growing violets. Average cost.
2. Fasco (flower happiness) -specialized soil for growing indoor violets. The soil is based on top layer peat. Ready material for planting. Average cost per package.
3. Classman TS-1, Germanic origin, good uniformity, no lump formation. For this soil, there is a need to add perlite. The disadvantage of such a composition is that there is no piece sale, only a small wholesale. The price criterion is quite inexpensive.
4. soil for violets Coconut- to be treated against parasites and various bacteria. At least this information is on the label. The composition is very compact, the period of use is at least 5 years. However, the problem is that there is no sale on the Russian market. This soil has a high salinity, and the cost exceeds the average statistics.

An important point !!! It is necessary to make sure before planting in high-quality soil treatment. Sometimes there is not enough information on the package, so it is recommended to always sterilize even purchased material. The simplest compositions also fall under this criterion: turf, leaf layer, manure, humus. All formulations must undergo home disinfection.

Soil mixtures such as Saintpaulia Biotech, Garden of Miracles, Garden and vegetable garden, consisting of peat of the low-lying layer, which have a feature of quickly caking, which will negatively affect the plant - it is strictly not recommended to use it for growing violets, despite the information from the package. But! This composition is perfect for the basis for the preparation of a home-made soil mixture.

Any, even the most high-quality soil for violets, tends to be depleted, because the plant continues to feed and develop. A useful composition on its own will not come from nowhere. Therefore, it is important to know which fertilizer and for which variety it is necessary to purchase and apply in a timely manner in order to avoid disturbing the correct development of the plant.

The necessary soil for do-it-yourself violets.

Whatever the quality of the soil mixture you have acquired, there is always a need to add baking powder. That is why it is recommended to make the composition yourself, so to speak with your own hands.

Consider two ways to obtain the required soil:

1) Baking powder and peat. For the bottom soil, it is necessary to systematically apply the entire useful composition.
2) Complex soil mixtures, including the entire list of nutrition necessary for violets.

It is important to remember that all components for the soil, of course, except for fertilizers, undergo mandatory sterilization. It is easier and more convenient to do this in the following way: treat with a chemical composition. A safer and more convenient way is to heat it in the oven, spill it with boiling water, and freeze it in the freezer. Of course, all these processes will take you more time, but it is environmentally safe for plants and humans.

After thermal treatment of the soil, it is necessary to use the spillage with a solution of Phitolavin-300 or Trichodermin. How to explain? Completely sterile soil can easily take in all microbes, bacteria, spores of various fungi from neighboring plants, and the reproduction of these parasites occurs most rapidly when the soil is sterile. These drugs are useful microorganisms with which you populate the soil, they are able to independently fight all pathogens.

Every seasoned grower has a number of excellent recipes for creating optimal soil.

Below we list the recommended formulations:

• peat + 50% of the required soil + 20% perlite + 20% moss + 10% soil of good nutritional composition + charcoal;
• soil enriched with nutrition 70% + moss 10% + perlite 10% + 10% charcoal;
• nutrient soil and peat in a ratio of 1: 3 + 1 part perlite and charcoal.

Many people use additional additives of folk origin: eggshell, ground, compost, dolmitic flour, soil with needles in the composition, river sand. All these components add a certain looseness to the soil, good air exchange, and excellent water permeability.Although without these ingredients, the listed formulations are capable of creating ideal conditions for growing violets. The rest is just an addition and is used at the discretion of everyone.

You can prepare the soil for the future, just observe the correct storage: place it in a box or other container, cover the inner layer of the container with polyethylene and then place the substrate there. Close the lid. Periodically, the soil should be checked to avoid drying out, and it is desirable to restrict the access of the air flow.

The need for additives.

Below we will try to describe as briefly as possible the need for any supplement, excluding fertilizers, that categorically affect the development of violets:

• Perlite is a volcanic glass, acidic in composition. What are the advantages, the thermal effect is preserved, when a temperature difference occurs, it will keep it from hypothermia.
• the drainage layer will significantly lower the acidity of the soil.
• loosening process - contributes to the timely absorption of the soil during watering.
  vermiculite.
• mulching.
• aeration. Reduces acidity in the soil, creates protection of the root system in case of sudden changes in temperature conditions. Promotes maximum rooting of cuttings.
• sphagnum moss-has the entire composition of properties that protect the plant from decay, the emergence and activity of bacteria, prevents the appearance of fungus. If the moss is chopped, cut, good looseness of the soil is created. The acidity is stabilized to a slightly acidic consistency. Also, moss creates the appearance and direction of a kind of rug to retain the necessary moisture. Promotes good rooting of leaves.
• peat is the basis for any soil composition, a substance of organic origin, for growing violets, it is advisable to use a lighter, top layer. What are the advantages: light, loose soil composition, good air permeability, creation of the necessary acidic environment, helps to remove limescale. In such a substrate, the percentage of bacteria is reduced.
• a dark layer of peat, low-lying, capable of retaining moisture, the richest in composition in organic matter. Negative - not recommended for use in undiluted composition.

Important points!
It must be remembered that all the beneficial properties of moss are contained only in a live form. Vermiculite and moss must be thoroughly rinsed before use.
All additives are only at your discretion, as is the amount of added composition. All the recipes given are also only a recommendation.
All the advice and advice on soil composition and nutrient loading will not be able to save the phiala, provided that you have done the wrong watering.

Conclusion! The health of the bush depends not only on the quality of the soil, there are several more points. In our article, we only consider the qualitative composition and nutrition during the growth process. You can find out the rest in additional materials.

Essential fertilizer for violets.

The presence of the required amount of moisture, light lighting, adherence to the temperature regime are all important indicators for the full-fledged cultivation of violets. But! One of the first criteria is high-quality, timely nutrition with the necessary elements (fertilizers).

Of course, the plant consumes the entire set through the root system from the soil composition, but over time, this amount of usefulness is depleted when consumed by a violet or is simply washed out during watering. This flower simply needs additional fertilization, without them violets slow down the developing process, the lack of elements affects the external and internal state of the plant.

There are two most consumed types of fertilizers:
1) minerals;
2) organic.

The texture of the additives is different - granular, in the form of sticks, in a liquid state. We ourselves choose which look is better and more convenient to work with.

An important point !!! It is strictly forbidden to use fertilizers without reading the instructions for use and the presence of restrictions on their use. Lack of awareness can lead not only to the death of a plant, it is possible to harm a person, internal or external. From skin disorders to body poisoning. For plant safety, it is necessary to adhere to the recommended dosages.

We will look at a few essential and easy-to-use organic and mineral supplements:
-NITROGEN-its presence is necessary especially for young violet bushes, it can enhance the green mass;
-PHOSPHORUS-plant needs an element during active budding and with abundant flowering;
-POTASSIUM - the presence of this drug contributes to the duration of the moment of flowering;
-Amino acids and vitamins - when such substances are introduced, the most productive intake of nutrients by the plant begins, and their assimilation also increases.

You must always follow the rules for making any type of dressing:
-only from above, add the entire nutritional composition;
- the process of applying top dressing and the choice of dosage matters even with the slightest deviation from the norm, therefore it is better to give the violet less fertilizer than to oversaturate it with this composition, as a result of which regression in development may begin;
-strict acquaintance with the instructions and mandatory observance of all points of such;
- it is necessary to establish a timely feeding system and adhere to this scheme;
- it is recommended to periodically change the soil by transplanting into a new one, since a set of fertilizers will not update the composition of the shabby soil. Do not forget about the need to disinfect new soil;
-the variety of all kinds of dressings is such that experienced florists recommend changing the composition periodically so that the plant does not develop habits. Then the substances will have a less expected effect;
-before applying top dressing, moisten the soil. It is not recommended to add additives to a dry substrate;
- if the plant is a little sick at the time of feeding, you should not apply fertilizers, leave this process until complete recovery. Already at that stage, the flower will need a dosage of nutrition to recuperate.

When you fully follow all the recommendations, follow the simple rules of care, you can easily grow a beautiful, strong, beautiful, healthy plant, even from children or leaves. Young bushes are capable of pleasing with their flowering for a long period.

Bottom line.

Violet, or Saintpaulia, is a lovely, slightly capricious plant. This only applies to indoor varieties. Correct, timely, high-quality care is needed for the full development of the plant. Without observing these rules, the plant is predicted to die. Only you are able to create comfortable conditions for the health of violets, unlike wild varieties that independently choose the conditions for growing.

A healthy, high-quality soil condition gives positive results in any scenario, and is also able to protect a vulnerable plant from the appearance of pests and diseases that become detrimental to violets, since medicines are not able to cure fungal and viral diseases of Saintpaulia. The correct composition of the soil is the key to plant health !!!