Saintpaulia, or another name - Uzambara violet, is a beautiful plant that can decorate any living room or office. Breeders have bred a large number of varieties of this plant. Caring for him is very simple.
The story of the appearance of a home flower
Senpolia is a species found in the wild in Africa. The plant has the name Saintpaulia because at the end of the 19th century, Baron Saint-Paul noticed it near the Uzambara mountains, described it. After some time, the flower attracted attention during the international exhibition.
What does Azambar violet look like
For a long time, breeders worked with the plant and bred a large number of varieties. They are happy to breed amateur gardeners as a house flower.
What does uzambar violet look like
Amateur gardeners are interested in knowing what the senpolia is. Saintpaulia violet leaves no one indifferent, because its flowers have a huge number of shades. The flowering period is long, which is important in indoor floriculture. Classification of a plant - it belongs to the Gesneriaceae family.
Common varieties of senpolia
Widespread are the following varieties of senpolia:
- The beauty queen. It differs in petals of the same size, evenly spaced around the core. The flowers are purple-violet.
The beauty queen
- Violet zephyr varieties give large terry buds of a cream or white color, with pink spots. It is distinguished by large and large peduncles and light green leaves. It blooms very quickly.
Violet Marshmallow
- Variety Pauline Viardot is distinguished by large flowers of wine color. The edge of the petals has a white border. The socket is very compact and bright.
Pauline Viardot
- The Black Pearl variety is distinguished by its dense and large double flowers. The purple, purple color of the petals is also surprising. The leaves are oval and dark green in color.
Black Pearl
- Fine Creole is a variety with velvety dark blue flowers. At the end of the petals is a white border.
Beautiful creole
- Viscount - a sort of violets of senpoly with large flowers of blue color, with corrugated edges.
Violet Viscount
The leaves are saturated green.
Care
Caring for the uzambar violet at home consists in observing the proper temperature regime, lighting, humidity, watering, top dressing.
Temperature
For Uzambara violet, a temperature of about 24 degrees is suitable. It is necessary to ensure that the thermometer does not differ much day or night.
Lighting
For the plant, you need to choose a place where there is a sufficient amount of sunlight. In summer, violet grows well on the east or west window.
Important! The plant is exposed to the southern window only in winter, when the sun is not enough. In summer, the violet can get burned by the bright sun.
If the apartment does not have an east window, then in the south you need to shade the plant at noon. A good option is to use a side table.
Watering
Saintpaulia can be watered with distilled tap water. Melt melt is also suitable. Rainwater can only be used in ecologically sound areas. During watering, make sure that water does not fall on the leaves and on the outlet of flowers. This can be achieved by watering the plant under the root.
With increasing air temperature, the number of irrigation increases. On the contrary, if the weather has become a little cooler, then you need to water the plant less often.
The plant itself signals the need for watering the state of the leaves. If they are elastic, then the violet is normally provided with water. If they are sluggish to the touch, then the number of watering should be urgently increased.
Watering Saintpaulia
If the earth is overdried, then the roots of the plant absorbing moisture die. When the soil is waterlogged, the root system of the plant rots.
Spraying
Spraying Saintpaulia violet is not recommended. If the room has very dry air, then you can direct the stream of spray from a distance of about 2 meters.
Humidity
It is necessary to ensure that the room has a high relative humidity. In dry air, it is not recommended to spray the plant. You can increase humidity by placing water containers near it or using humidifiers. This is especially true in winter.
Priming
There are certain requirements for the soil into which the uzambar violets are transplanted. All of them consist in providing access of oxygen to the root system.
The soil must always be loose. This helps to retain sufficient moisture. It must include:
- humus leaf;
- turf land;
- sand;
- sphagnum moss.
As a filler, coconut substrate and perlite are added in small quantities. You can collect some land from the coniferous forest.
Top dressing
Use complex fertilizers containing not only nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, but also trace elements. They contribute to the normal flowering of the plant, the development of leaves.
Fertilizing an uzambar violet is prohibited in such cases:
- within a month from the day when she was transplanted;
- in extreme heat or, conversely, cold;
- when it is affected by pests;
- if she is standing in the sun.
The frequency of fertilizer application is 1 time for 2 weeks. Carefully adhere to the concentration of the substance indicated on the label.
Important! Experts recommend fertilizing the flower 1 time per week, but at a concentration 2 times less than indicated on the label.
For young violets, fertilizer enriched with nitrogen should be given. From this, the plant will have bright, strong and green leaves.
When and how it blooms
There are a large number of flower options, depending on the variety. They can differ in shape, shade of petals, size.
Types of flowers
The flowers of this plant are numerous, have a diameter of up to 4 cm. They are collected in inflorescences, in which there are from 2 to 7 flowers. They can be simple, semi-double and terry.
Depending on the variety, the color changes: from snow-white and cream to blue, dark blue. There are two-tone varieties.
Powdery mildew of violets
Flower shapes
The flowers of this violet have 5 petals collected in a brush. There are 2 stamens. There is a pestle in the flower. The calyx has 5 sepals. After flowering, a box with a large number of seeds is formed.
Flowering period
With proper care, the uzambar violet can bloom for about 10 months a year. She has a rest period only on the hottest days of the calendar.
Flowering Care
During flowering, carefully adjust the amount of water for irrigation, carefully ensure that the soil is not flooded. It is important to ensure the constancy of the temperature regime. In the winter, cold air should not enter the pot, so you need to insulate the windows.
During flowering, do not overdo it with fertilizers. The plant should be carefully and regularly fertilized if the leaves fade, and the number of flowers has decreased.
Important! A flowering plant does not tolerate dry land. It is necessary to ensure that the soil is always moist.
How do uzambar violets propagate
Reproduction occurs by seeds, pinching, rooting.
Seed germination
Uzambara violet is rarely grown from seeds. The following actions must be performed:
- sift the topsoil;
- pour fungicide solution on the ground;
- make small furrows in the ground, sow seeds in them;
- fill them with earth;
- water the earth.
Rooting cuttings
Cuttings are taken from leaves from healthy plants. The leaf is cut obliquely with a sharp knife. The length of the handle is approximately 5 cm. The place of cut must be sprinkled with activated charcoal and put in water. After about a week or 10 days, the first small roots appear on the stalk.
Leaf propagation
Then the stalk needs to be planted in a glass with earth. After a month, the first leaves appear in a young plant.
Other options
Often used division of the bush. The detachable outlet must have a kidney. Further, the separated part of the plant is rooted, planted in the ground. The first days for a seedling need plentiful watering.
Transplant after purchase
The plant is small, so it is grown in appropriate pots. As the violets grow, she needs to give more space.
Planting is complicated by the fact that the Uzambara violet has delicate roots, so it is difficult to tolerate a complete replacement of the soil. The plant needs to be reloaded in another container and topped up with the right amount of land. Replant only when it became noticeable that the violet slowed down. Do the same if the plant has rotted roots.
Note! Saintpaulia grows poorly and blooms in large pots. Its diameter should not exceed 13 cm.
Possible problems
Due to improper care, the plant can get sick and be affected by pests.
Disease
Most often, the houses of the senpolia are affected by such diseases:
- rot of leaves and roots;
- gray rot;
- powdery mildew;
- Fusarium infection
- late blight;
- bronzed.
Pests
In the process of growing violets, the following pests are able to infect:
- aphid;
- nematode;
- thrips;
- mealybug;
- sciarides.
Other problems
Sometimes the leaves of the plant may become dull and yellow. The problem is solved by the inclusion of additional lighting, feeding.
Uzambara violet is the real queen of the windowsill. Its beautiful and long-blooming flowers gives positive emotions, decorating any room.
