Violet "Isolde": description, planting and care

This variety began to be cultivated at home only in the 20th century, since until that moment it was believed that growing a flower was not so easy due to the high requirements for care. The breeders have tried to make sure that the plant can delight us with its beauty.

The growers owe the appearance of the Isolde violet to Elena Lebetskaya. The general description of the variety indicates the presence of a variegated rosette and terry on the petals. Not all subspecies are pink. The plant is classified as variegated, but despite this, it grows rapidly. The rosette is formed even and neat on all bushes, there is not a lot of foliage, but it is slightly twisted.

Le Isolde is a sport. One of the distinguishing features of this violet is its tolerance for coolness. Unlike other varieties, this rosette has an ideal round shape. The foliage during the period of active growth becomes dark green, there is a border. There are few leaves, but they are very beautiful, as delicate as flowers.

The flowers are dominated by a white shade, pink dusting is present only closer to the edges of the petals, there is a corrugated green edge, the usual "Isolde" flower is completely pink. Terry flowers are very voluminous; with careful care, the plant can delight with abundant flowering. The first buds reach 5 centimeters in diameter, the subsequent ones are slightly smaller. A large hat forms on the bush, which lasts for about a month. Flowering continues throughout the summer.

Variety "KZ-Izolda" has a different color of flowers - dark blue with a white border. The flowers are larger and can be up to 6 centimeters in diameter. A lot of foliage is formed on the bush, it has a very dark, saturated shade of green.

If you give Saintpaulia, that is, as they say in the common people, a room violet, worthy of care and provide it with the necessary amount of light, then the variety can delight with year-round flowering. If the lower leaves become damp, they must be removed. It is a good practice to preserve the flower. It is a natural process for older leaves to die over time. They will be replaced with new shoots.

Violets love light in abundance, the only way they will bloom profusely. From October to April, a flower is grown on the east window. From May to September, move the pot to the north side or install fluorescent lamps. Otherwise, the harsh summer sun will burn the leaves. It is required every Thursday to turn the bush with the other side to the window so that all its leaves receive the required amount of light.

You should always remember that the leaves of the flower should not come into contact with the glass, so they are placed at a distance of several centimeters from it. On average, violets need up to 16 hours of sunshine a day to bloom year-round. Some growers say violets need room temperatures above 70 F in order to flower. In fact, this is not the case, it is enough to maintain 55 to 65 F.

This indoor flower will not bloom when indoor humidity is low. It is enough to maintain 50% humidity, which is not always easy to do in winter, since the heating season begins. In this case, there are several ways how you can get out of the situation.

• To increase moisture, some growers group plants together. Better yet, place the pots on trays filled with pebbles with a little water. From time to time you need to make sure that they do not dry out.
• You need to grow plants in clay pots. This material absorbs moisture, then releases it through evaporation into the air.

For watering violets, use water only at room temperature or a little warmer. Watering from above or from below is allowed. Bottom watering is sometimes better as moisture does not get onto the leaves, so the violet will be healthy. From below, fill a saucer or plate with water, allow the plant to absorb as much moisture as it needs. Stand for 30 minutes, then drain the excess.

To remove dust from leaves, as well as to scare off pests, including aphids and red spider mites, experts recommend watering plants once a week with a shower with water at room temperature or slightly warm. After that, the violet is protected from the direct sun until its foliage is dry.

Since the violet grows in pots with a good drainage system, minerals and vitamins are quickly washed out of the soil and the plant begins to suffer from a lack of them. Therefore, it is important to frequently and in low doses to make top dressing with a high content of phosphorus and nitrogen. On the market you can find special liquid and dry mixtures for the described indoor flower. It is best to use a water-soluble fertilizer balanced with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. If not flowering, it is worth trying a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content, such as 1: 2: 1.

It is easy to find ready-made soil on sale that is ideal for growing violets. The grower is required to use a light, humus-rich, well-draining mixture. Nearly all commercial indoor plant soils are suitable for violets. Even if the flower was bought already in a pot, sooner or later he will need to change the container, since the root system is growing.

Better to choose earthen and plastic containers, but with drainage holes at the bottom. They should be wide but shallow. The size is selected in such a way that no more than 2 centimeters remain from the roots to the wall.

The easiest way to propagate an existing violet bush is to use leaves or flower stalks as planting material. The procedure will require the following items:

• 3 strong, healthy leaves or peduncles;
• small plastic pots;
• perlite;
• vermiculite;
• soil mixture for African violets;
• blade or knife;
• alcohol.

First you need to prepare the culture medium. For this, a mixture of vermiculite and perlite is used. The goal is to create a light soil that retains moisture without getting too wet. Fill the pot, sprinkle with water and allow excess moisture to drain. The process looks like this:

1. to achieve the best result, take leaves from the third row from the center of the plant; young leaves are small and often unsuitable for propagation, and old outer leaves often have hard or woody shafts that are difficult to root;
2. the easiest way is to use a scalpel, it gives a clean cut; the instrument must be disinfected with alcohol after each cut;
3. the planting material also needs to be properly prepared - they put the sheet on the table with the front side up, cut off the stem, leaving about 7 mm in length, while the cut should turn out to be angular;
4. using the end of a pencil, make a hole in the ground, immerse the stem of the leaf there and sprinkle it a little; many plant breeders advocate the use of water for germination, but as numerous experience shows, the roots that grow in this way are too bad to take root in the ground;
5. after planting, it is necessary to cover the sheet with a film to create greenhouse conditions, but do not forget to air it once a day and water it when the soil becomes dry;
6. in the future, it is required to maintain stable conditions, avoiding any sudden changes in temperature, light or moisture;
7. after 2-3 months, you can see small green balls appearing at the soil level, they will grow into new stems and leaves; when there are already at least four strong leaves, you can transplant the violet into the ground.

Despite the fact that Saintpaulia grows indoors, it also suffers from insects and diseases. Bacterial lesions are considered the most serious, they do not heal, and all that remains is to throw out the flower. To avoid such a problem, it is important to monitor the moisture content of the soil and not let the violet stand in the water for a long time. Ticks, bugs and aphids can appear on foliage and stems. The best prevention is a monthly shower with warm water, which will remove the insects. If they have already appeared, you can use a soap or alcohol solution.

You can find out how to grow a violet from a leaf below.