The substrate is the basis on which plants are grown. For example, vermiculite or perlite are substrates for rooting cuttings. The composition of the substrate may include various components: high-moor peat, lowland peat, sand, vermiculite, perlite, sphagnum moss, coconut substrate, humus, black soil, charcoal and etc.
Earth, soil mixture or soil - all pure components or their mixtures, which include natural organic lands. Their main property is a rich supply of nutrients, which ensures the growth of plants planted in them without additional feeding.
landless mix - is made on the basis of peat or coconut soil with the addition of inert rippers (perlite, vermiculite). Distinctive feature- practically does not contain the nutrients necessary for growth, but allows you to directionally manage nutrition with the help of top dressing. A big plus of the landless mixture is the absence of phytopathogens.
Substrate requirements: - lightness; - moisture capacity; - breathability; - sufficient content of phosphorus and potassium, as well as essential trace elements; - nitrogen content in sufficient quantity, but not in excess; - acidity close to normal pH 5.5-6.5; - the presence of a lively and favorable microflora that helps fight diseased bacteria; - absence of pests and their larvae;
One of the important indicators of soil favorableness is air capacity. Air capacity is the ability of soil to contain a certain amount of air. It depends on the porosity and moisture content of the soil. The higher the porosity and the lower the humidity, the greater the air capacity. The more structural the soil, the more large pores in it that are free from water, and, therefore, its moisture capacity is higher. There is little air in sprayed structureless soils.
It is necessary to buy soil containing reddish-brown, coarse-fibered high-moor peat. It is not advised to take “Police” substrate violet, Saintpaulia “Biotech”, Saintpaulia “Garden of Miracles”, For violets “Garden-garden” - the soil is based on low-lying peat, too black, caking. ASB GREENWORLD, Germany - this soil can be called the most optimal for violets
But on the basis of some of them, a suitable substrate can be prepared. For the cultivation of violets, land mixtures are usually used that contain minerals necessary for the growth and flowering of violets. In any case, you will need to add baking powders such as vermiculite, charcoal, styrofoam, perlite and sphagnum moss to suitable commercial soil. They absorb moisture well, and then gradually give it away. Better yet, make your own mix.
In general, two approaches to the preparation of land mixtures should be distinguished. The first is the use of an extremely simple peat substrate with rippers. In this case, constant feeding is necessary. The second is the preparation of a complex balanced mixture containing the nutrients necessary for growth over a certain period of time. Which option you choose will depend on the care of the plant.
Soil for violets should be airy and retain moisture well. Perlite is an indispensable component for growing violets, since it provides air access to the roots, while vermiculite makes the soil mixture loose and absorbs moisture. The peculiarity of sphagnum moss is that, while absorbing moisture, it gradually gives it to the roots of the plant. It is useful to add a small amount of finely ground charcoal. The number of rippers in the composition of the soil for violets should be 30-50% of the total volume.
Violet prefers loose, neutral soils with a pH of 5.5-6.5. The optimal substrate for its cultivation is high-moor peat, but not in pure form, but with adjusted acidity. Since in its pure form peat is an acidic environment, which is not suitable for the development of violets. If you transplant violets twice a year, changing the soil, then the plant will receive enough nutrients from the new soil and additional feeding is not required.
It is not the finished substrate that should be subjected to heat treatment, but those of its components that may contain eggs and larvae of pests - leaf, sod, manure humus, all purchased substrates, as well as land whose origin is unknown to you. It is not necessary to process those components that can be destroyed during processing (clean peat and peat soils, washed sand, perlite, vermiculite, moss, fertilizers)..
The most common ways of cultivating the land are pickling with chemicals, calcining in the oven at high temperature, spilling boiling water and steaming over boiling water, in the microwave. Put the soil in a small amount in a regular plastic bag. And in the microwave. 3 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other. And that's it. No bugs, no spiders, no worms or fungi.
All living things, as you know, are at least 70% water, which also heats up inside insects. At this temperature inside the body, no one survives. The temperature is deadly for animals, but not for the decomposition of nitrogen and trace elements. The earth is perfectly sterilized within 7 minutes at a power of 800 watts. But it is better to do two sessions of 2-3 minutes each. And the soil does not deteriorate, and does not smell, and what no, but sterilization.
Steamed in an old pan and a colander that enters it without gaps, a lid that closes it tightly. Put a double layer of gauze in a colander and fill it with slightly moistened earth, without tamping. Cover the colander with a lid and place it on the pan so that the water in it does not reach the bottom of the colander by 3-4 cm. At least an hour should pass from the moment the water boils to the end of steaming. After the earth has completely cooled down, you can add all the “clean” components to it - peat, various rippers and fertilizers. In order to restore the microflora, you can use ready-made biological preparations containing microflora useful for the soil, for example, Trichodermin, Gliocladin, Alirin-B, etc.
Sterile soil needs to be approached differently. It is empty in terms of population. And in nature, emptiness, if it happens, is very a short time. So, you steamed, calcined or spilled the soil with potassium permanganate or fungicides, thus destroying everyone - both good and bad. In a few days, the first spores of fungi attacking from the air, bacterial cysts, will begin to germinate in the soil. And here someone alone will take over, filling the entire soil space in a very short time. The ability to multiply rapidly in sterile conditions, the absence of competitors and a good food base will make its population a leader.
Post-steaming toxicosis is eliminated by spilling the soil with Trichodermin and others. These preparations contain billions of spores of soil "defenders" in one gram. It is possible to recommend Phytolavin-300 containing the strain-producer of phytobacteriomycin. The microorganisms with which these preparations are saturated suppress the initial explosion in the number of leader populations after steaming, preventing further activation of the pathogenic flora.
A good prevention of rot is to spill the substrate with solutions of fungicidal and bactericidal preparations. The most commonly used - 3% solution hydrogen peroxide, solution furatsilina light yellow and pink-raspberry solution potassium permanganate. Fungus development or growing point rot is less likely if you spill the substrate while cooking phytosporin or trichodermin. When cooking soil mixture you can use Fitosporin-M in the form of a powder, this version of it is also commercially available. Apply 10 grams per approximately 6-7 liters of soil with thorough mixing.
White plaque on the surface of the earth in a pot can be caused by the development of fungal microflora from excessive watering, and in order to get rid of it, you need to water the plant only after the top layer of earth in the pot has dried. Gather the top soil and sprinkle with crushed activated charcoal in the pot, this prevents rotting and mold growth. Mold, even with ordinary watering, in especially sad cases, grows and permeates the entire earth in a pot. Then you need to replant, completely change the whole earth, use fungicides.
Sciarids (mushroom mosquito) often annoy violet growers. These are small flies flying around the outlet. Their larvae are dangerous - white worms 3-8 mm long with a dark head, damaging young roots and breaking the soil structure. This is where Grom-2 helps. Just powder the soil when kneading. If you do this regularly, then there will be no mosquitoes.
An example of the composition of soil for violets:
Greenword soil and Peat - 50%.
Perlite and Vermiculite - 20%.
Moss-Sphagnum or Coconut fiber - 20%.
Nutrient soil - 10% with the addition of crushed charcoal.
If necessary, a deoxidizer is added (dolomite flour or finely ground egg shells, in extreme cases, fluff lime). Number of components approx. For Saintpaulia different ages, different varieties need different proportions. So the soil for rooting leaves and children should contain more baking powder.
Since the materials are bulk, you can measure them with any container - you can take liter jar, and if you need a little substrate, then you can take a glass or a mug. In other words, for 1 cup of nutrient soil, add 3 cups of Greenword soil, 2 cups of peat moss, 1 cup of perlite, 1 cup of vermiculite, 1 cup of sphagnum moss, 1 cup of coconut fiber, plus crushed charcoal. Remove all large fractions from purchased substrates with your hands: lumps, not rotted plant residues, sticks.
The above recipe is only one of many possible, it is not at all necessary to copy it with all care. So feel free to use this recipe as a starting point for your own compound soil. All these components can be mixed and their proportions and proportions in the mixture can be changed. The finished mixture should be light, airy and fluffy, well permeable to water and air, and so that as long as possible not caking.
Option for storing ready-made earth: they take a box from under the shoe (you can take any closed box), “dress” it in bags from the inside, and pour the earth into it. Close the box with a lid. Store so that the earth does not dry out and at the same time, so that there is air access.
For wick irrigation a soilless mixture based on peat is required, with the addition of a large amount of rippers. This is necessary so that the roots do not get stuck.
Continuation :
Uzambara (Uzumbarskaya) violet- a plant of the Gesneriev family, grows in the natural environment of tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Eastern Australia, South America and islands of the Indian Ocean.
Saintpaulia- a plant named after the father and son of Saint-Paul, who brought a plant unknown to Europeans from the Uzambara district (modern Tanzania) in the 19th century, presented for the first time at the international flower exhibition in Ghent in 1893.
Violet room- one of the most popular plants in indoor floriculture since 1927. By 1949, more than 100 varieties were bred, and today their number exceeds several thousand.
rooting- possibly in water, in the substrate, moss.
Priming- purchased soil or a mixture of leafy, coniferous, soddy and peat soil in a ratio of 3: 1: 2: 1 with the addition of baking powder (perlite, vermiculite, river sand, crushed sphagnum moss.
Lighting- it is best to put flower pots on the western or eastern windows. In order for the plant to be evenly lit from all sides, the pots are periodically rotated. In winter, when daylight hours decrease, you can use artificial lighting- fluorescent lamps.
Care- real art and serious painstaking work at the same time, including watering, fertilizing, creating a favorable humid climate. Water Saintpaulia as the soil dries. The soil should be regularly moistened, but excess moisture should not stagnate in the roots. When watering, it is necessary to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves. Do not water the uzambar violet cold water. Top dressing is carried out with a complex mineral fertilizer once in two weeks. Saintpaulia reacts negatively to a lack of nitrogen in the soil. The optimum air humidity is approximately 50%, the temperature is 20-22 ° C, without sharp fluctuations and drafts. The leaves of the plant should not touch the window pane. Removal of faded flowers and damaged leaves is carried out regularly.
reproduction- planting a leaf cutting, part of a leaf, a daughter outlet. The most popular method is rooting a leaf cutting. The formation of roots and the development of children lasts 4-8 weeks.
Pests- this is one of the problems of the grower. There are many various kinds pests, it is very difficult to classify them. Among the pests of saintpaulia, several groups can be distinguished: mites (spider, flat, transparent, etc.), insects (aphids, thrips, springtails, podura, mealybugs, whiteflies, scale insects, etc.), worms (nematode).
Diseases- distinguish between infectious gray rot, powdery mildew) and non-infectious diseases (rotting of the stem and root, wilting of the lower leaves, yellowing, leaf spotting, incomplete opening and premature drying, falling flowers) of plants. The causative agents of infectious diseases are bacteria, fungi, viruses. To prevent an infectious disease, watering regimes, temperature, humidity, and illumination should be strictly observed. Non-communicable diseases usually occur due to violations of agricultural practices. They may appear on one instance and not spread to others.
Uzambara violet is an incredibly beautiful houseplant with flowers of various shades and leaves of a simple and unusual shape. In indoor floriculture, this is one of the most popular plants, but to achieve lush flowering not always easy, for this it is necessary to create the right conditions for it. When grown at home Special attention and should be given to the choice of pot, soil and rack.
If you want the plant to please with stable flowering, you will have to pay attention to it.
How to properly care in a pot so that the violet blooms
When planting a violet, you need to choose the right pot or planter for it. In a container that is too spacious, it is difficult to achieve flowering at home, since all the forces will be spent on the formation of green mass. In addition, the land big pot does not have time to dry out, which causes rotting of the roots and root collar, and consequently, the death of the plant.
Old leaves are removed. They not only spoil appearance plants, but also take up nutrients.
In addition, damaged leaves cause the spread of disease. For lush flowering, faded flowers are removed.
In order for growth to occur symmetrically, the plant is periodically rotated. However, when the buds began to appear, it is better not to move from the usual place. You can only move it for a while, for example, if you need to decorate a festive table.
The difference in indoor flower care in summer and winter
This plant may continue to bloom. up to 10 months, but this is subject to availability enough light and the right temperature.
in winter after all, it is worth giving the plants a rest so that next season the flowering is plentiful, and the plants are not depleted. In the cold season it is important protect the plant from low temperatures and drafts. Violets are thermophilic and love comfortable conditions.
The soil should not be supercooled either, therefore, if the window sill is cold, it is better to make a heat-insulating stand for flowers, for which foam is suitable.
Dangerous for violets and dry air coming from radiators. Since these are plants of moist edges, dry air will spoil their appearance, and budding will not occur.
In winter time especially over watering is dangerous, which is usually neglected by novice flower growers without training. The death of the plant in this case is inevitable.
In summer, the plant begins to bloom and actively grow. At this time, good watering, a lot of diffused light and nutrient intake are required.
Proper watering of the plant
Violet loves water, but doesn't like to be flooded. important because both too much moisture or too little will lead to growing problems. At the violets rots easily root neck . Especially dangerous is the ingress of water into the outlet.
When the top soil dries out, water is poured into the pan. After a while, the top of the soil will become dark, which means that moisture is coming up. Another way is to dip the pot for a while in a large container of water just below the top level of the soil, then let the excess moisture drain. Water should be at room temperature or slightly warmer. It is better to take settled.
The best way for watering - from the pallet.
The need for watering is determined by the change in the weight of the pot - it becomes noticeably lighter, as well as the color of the earth.
Another convenient watering option - wick. It is often used for miniature varieties when there are too many plants or when you need to leave for a few days. You will need a permeable tourniquet (you can take thick gauze). One end of the wick digs into the ground, the other goes down in a bucket of water. The water should be just above the level of the pots. Moisture gradually enters the ground along the bundle, providing constant watering.
The flower is also demanding on air humidity. However, you can not spray it - this will lead to spots on the leaves. The best way to increase humidity is to place water containers or special humidifiers nearby.
Ideal home lighting and temperature
Most optimum temperature- 20-22 degrees. In the heat, when around 30, flowering may slow down. Bad for violets and low temperature air. Lighting required 10-12 hours a day, especially in winter and autumn, then the violet blooms actively and luxuriantly.
You can not put the uzambar violet in the open sun - the leaves get burned, turn yellow, die, and flowering is reduced.
The best location is north. The south window will not work, on this side the plant is placed in the back of the room. In the east and west should be shaded from direct sun, light curtains or blinds are suitable for these purposes.
Violet grows well under artificial light.
Backlight lamps usually use mercury 36 or 40 watts. Special lamps of the "flora" type are also suitable, containing the ultraviolet spectrum and having a pink glow, which is not always pleasant for humans, but useful for plants.
What kind of pot do you need
Abundant flowering in a large container is difficult to achieve. Violet blooms well if it is a bit crowded. For children, a pot of 5-6 cm is taken, for adults - 10-12 cm. This applies to varieties standard sizes. For a miniature, even in adulthood, you will need a small container with a diameter of 5 cm.
The pots themselves are better to take plastic where plants do best.
The choice of land and soil
Ready-made land for violets is sold in stores, but you can make it yourself.
If you take earth and sand from the street, they must be disinfected. To do this, the soil is calcined in the oven or spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The earth should be loose, retain moisture well and be breathable. To create friability, coarse river sand, perlite, fine expanded clay or vermiculite are added. The addition of coal is also useful - it additionally protects the roots from rot.
At the bottom of the growing container must have drainage. Small expanded clay is suitable for these purposes.
Soil composition:
- coniferous land
- sod land
- leaf ground
- Sand or other baking powder
The soil should be slightly acidic. If necessary, you can feed your plant with fertilizers. best score for violets - 5.5 - 6.5 Ph. You can find out the acidity with indicators that are sold in stores.
What they love
Uzambara violet is a plant that loves care and does not tolerate neglect.
How to prepare for winter
With the onset of cold weather, you should consider how to contain the plants so that they do not die, and in the new season the buds open.
- A place is chosen where there will be no drafts, cold in winter and radiators.
- Additional lamps are installed if there is very little light in winter.
- Old leaves are removed.
It is necessary to decide Do I need to bloom in winter or should I let the plant rest?. The second option is better for more enhanced laying of new buds.
What to choose from tools: shelves, racks
Professional flower growers keep Uzambara violet on special racks. This allows you to create ideal conditions, constant lighting and absence of drafts.
The racks should be such that it is convenient to take care of the plants, and the developing specimens do not interfere with each other. Usually on each level hanging fluorescent lamps or "flora", since natural light in such an arrangement may not be enough.
Lamps should be installed so that they do not burn the leaves, but at the same time there is enough light. Depending on the power - 20 - 30 cm from the plant.
put violets Can also be used on regular stands for flowers. This arrangement is convenient if the window is south. Coasters are purchased at the store - cast-iron options are beautiful, or you can make them yourself from wood.
On the north window, if it is sufficiently insulated, you can attach several shelves. So additional lighting is not needed, natural light will be enough.
How to prevent diseases and pests
Unfortunately, completely it is impossible to protect a flower from pests. Any new plant that is brought into the home is carefully inspected and quarantined for at least two weeks. They put it to the main collection only after it is certain that no insects have been brought with them.
In addition to pests, viral and bacterial infections are dangerous. If rot, strange spots appear on some specimen, it should be immediately isolated from the main collection.
Violets are very sensitive to excess moisture, especially miniature varieties.
It is impossible to flood these plants; as a rule, it is not possible to save a dying specimen.
Reproduction at home
Uzambara violet is easily propagated by stem cuttings, leaves and stepchildren.
cuttings
The sheet is taken not young, but not too old. A petiole 2-4 cm long is left on it, depending on the variety, the cut is made with a sharp blade at an angle.
The leaf is installed in a jar of water, but so that only the petiole is immersed.
The second option is planting a root-treated sheet in perlite
Another option is to sprinkle the cut with coal or Kornevin, plant it in sand, perlite or light earth to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Cover it with a transparent cap from above, which is periodically ventilated and wiped from condensate. It is necessary to water the soil very carefully, the humidity should be moderate.
Miniature varieties breed only by placing in sand or soil- it is almost impossible to achieve the formation of roots in water.
When new plants begin to form, violets transplanted to permanent place . In this case, the mother leaf should not be rushed to be removed, especially in variegated varieties. Babies appear in about a month and a half.
stepchildren
For this type of breeding, you will need an adult, well-grown specimen.
Over time, stepchildren are formed in violets, that is, several small plants next to the main. They are separated during transplantation and planted in a small pot. This method of propagation is faster than cuttings.
Leaf blades
For reproduction in this way use part of the sheet. The leaf blade is cut into fragments, while each piece must contain a vein, it is she who will form the roots. The parts are dried in air for 20 minutes, then planted in light soil.
A mixture of perlite, sand, with the addition of peat is suitable. Wet the soil slightly. Fragments deepen half a centimeter. From above it is covered with a greenhouse. It is better to make the lower cut straight, and not at an angle, so it is more likely that new children will appear from each vein.
Large specimens are sometimes re-rooted if they have lost their appearance or the trunk has begun to rot. To do this, cut off the top with a sharp scalpel, sprinkle with crushed coal and plant it in a hole filled with perlite. Water carefully at first.
Transfer
Manipulations with make in the spring, before flowering.
- Holding the outlet with one hand, gently pull it out of the pot with the other, tapping if the soil has become dense.
- Fall asleep in a new pot partially fresh soil, hold the violet over the center of the pot, gradually adding potting soil and shaking the pot.
- Water carefully.
Young sockets are transplanted when their size reaches about one and a half pot diameters.
A new plant is planted in a container of about 7 cm.
Violet - favorite plant many generations. It is the decoration of any room. It is also used on holiday table instead of bouquets. Growing a violet is not easy, but it thanks to its bright and unusual flowering, and there are so many varieties of it that the collection can be replenished endlessly.
Soil for violets: composition and preparation
Soil for violets can be prepared independently at home. Correctly select the components of the composition and observe the proportions. Flowers prefer moist soils, but do not tolerate stagnant moisture. When the soil dries out, the rhizomes become thinner, the plant withers and dries.
Compound
Nutrient soil for young violets consists of perlite, dry sphagnum moss, crushed charcoal and garden soil. Plant weakened plants in peat soil mixed with moist, fertile soil. Cuttings take root faster in a substrate of black soil and soddy humus.
Source: Depositphotos
Soil for violets must contain a drainage layer
The composition of the earth for adult plants:
- leaf ground mixed with dry fallen leaves;
- meadow soil;
- compost;
- biohumus.
It is permissible to add coniferous soil, river sand, moss, peat to the soil. As a baking powder, use perlite, vermiculite. If the air in the room is dry, add birch charcoal, a natural moisture regulator, to the ground. Use coconut flakes to retain moisture in the soil.
How to cook with your own hands
For transplanting plants, mix garden humus, compost and sand in equal parts, moisten with warm clean water without chemical impurities. Place the prepared soil in a dark place for 12-15 hours. Add perlite, moss, coal to the soil. Loosen the substrate before planting.
Rules for preparing a nutrient mixture for adult violets:
- Mix peat and leaf humus in a ratio of 5: 1.
- Add ½ parts perlite, charcoal, moss. Put in a cool shaded place for 1-1.5 days.
- Add ½ part of the Seramis stimulant, 2-3 peas of superphosphate to the resulting substrate.
- Moisten the soil with running water at room temperature.
Treat all components of the substrate from pests. Ignite moss and peat in the oven, soak coconut flakes in a solution of potassium permanganate. When making charcoal, be careful not to get plastic, paint and varnish products, petroleum products.
In the spring, add nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers to the soil. In acidified soils, mix eggshells, wood ash.
Nutrient land for violets should contain trace elements and substances necessary for the growth and development of the flower. Qualitative components of the substrate increase the duration of flowering and heal the plants.
Almost every housewife in a house or apartment has violets on the windowsill. Caring for these flowers is not at all difficult, if only certain recommendations are followed. Sometimes beginner flower growers are faced with the problem of what kind of soil is needed for violets so that they feel great and develop.
Saintpaulias are quite capricious about the composition of the earth, and if you take ordinary soil from the forest, then violets will not have growth and development. Saintpaulia soil can be bought at flower shop, for example, the special land "Garden of Miracles" or "Fart" is well suited for this. But if you do not want to buy the mixture, then you can cook it yourself, and how exactly to do this will be indicated later in this article.
The composition of the soil mixture
Suitable land for violets, such as the "Garden of Miracles", which contains leaf and sod soil, various fillers and baking powder, and even components for draining the substrate. leafy soil collect on garden plot under the trees. Such a mixture is very loose and acidic, since it contains a lot of hydrogen ions.
In addition to these components, the composition of this land includes fallen foliage of linden or birch, which has lain under a tree for several years.
Soddy soil contains rotted leaves and roots of plants. Similar land is found in meadows and near country houses, as well as in a special primer "Garden of Miracles". Useful material contained in compost or humus (humus).
The composition of the fillers includes such components as peat and forest litter from fallen needles. Expanded clay is used as a drainage, it is well suited for indoor plants, and also this material is contained in the soil for Saintpaulia "Garden of Miracles".
The substrate for violets "Fart" includes perlite, it is a baking powder, which is presented in the form of light white silica.
In order to successfully grow violets or other indoor plants, there should not be a lot of perlite. both in floriculture and horticulture. Best to use rock not as a powder, but in grains.
Perlite can be found in hardware stores called "Agroperlite". For planting young plants, hydromica is used, it contains a lot of water.
Thanks to hydromica, plants do not rot and breathe perfectly.
Sfangum is also included in the soil mixture for violets. Another component in the composition of the soil for saintpaulia is sphagnum. It is an excellent antiseptic, and perfectly increases the hygroscopicity of the soil. Moss-sfangum should be placed in a vessel with violet, pour over hot water then dry and grind.
When planting violets, charcoal must be used. It must be placed at the bottom of the tank in large pieces, and the crumbs are mixed with the soil.
Coal well regulates soil moisture and absorbs excess water from it. This component is certainly included in the composition of the soil mixture for indoor plants "Garden of Miracles".
What soil mixture is needed for Saintpaulia? Sometimes dolomite flour is added to the composition of the soil for saintpaulias, this is done in order to reduce the acidity of the earth, at the right time.
Plain sand serves as a baking powder, it is also part of the Garden of Miracles earth. In addition to sand, coconut milk is also present, it increases the friability of the substrate.
Or other indoor flowers, the composition of the soil is very important, and the "Garden of Wonders" is a suitable substrate for flowers.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that Saintpaulias grow excellently in soil with low acidity or in neutral soils.
If the acidity is not high (pH< 4), то ощутимо уменьшается поглощение азота и фосфора. Почки фиалок могут полностью не раскрыться и облетать, а lower leaves turn yellow.
The missing part of phosphorus and nitrogen can be replenished with crushed eggshell pour water mixed with ash into a flowerpot with plants or flowers (20 grams of wood ash per 2 liters of liquid).
If home flower placed in a highly alkaline soil (pH greater than 8.5), then the absorption of phosphorus and nitrogen by the Saintpaulias will significantly decrease.
In such a situation, it is necessary to transplant flowers onto a substrate, which includes leafy and coniferous soil, or use a special soil mixture for violets "Garden of Miracles".
In order to determine the acidity of the substrate, you should buy a special indicator. Thanks to him, you can easily determine what ailments a houseplant is experiencing.
Do-it-yourself substrate
What kind of soil is required for room saintpaulia so that it actively grows and develops? There are several methods on how to make a potting mix for growing violets yourself in an apartment environment.
The composition of the soil should be similar to the substrate for Saintpaulia, like the "Garden of Miracles", in order to prepare the necessary soil, the following methods must be used.
- First method: you need to take universal soil (1), peat (2 parts), perlite (1), moss-sfangum (1), and mix all the components. Then use charcoal and add a little of it to the composition. Such a substrate is ready and can be used.
- The second method: it is necessary to take nutrient soil (6 parts), vermiculite and perlite (1 portion), moss-sfangum and charcoal (one part each). Again, you need to stir everything, and such land is ready for use.
- The third method: for this you need peat soil (3), nutrient soil (1), vermiculite and perlite (1) and charcoal (0.5). The result is an excellent soil that can be used not only for growing violets, but also for other indoor flowers.
- The fourth method: peat soil (1), perlite and vermiculite (0.5), charcoal (a quarter of a part), superphosphate (literally a few peas), and Seramis clay granulate (0.5) are taken. The result is an excellent substrate for Saintpaulia.
In addition to these recipes for preparing the soil mixture with your own hands, there are many more similar ones, but you just need to take into account that young plants need fillers and baking powder, and adult flowers need nutritious soil ( large quantity), all these components are contained in the land of indoor plants and violets "Garden of Miracles".
