Often in the summer in the flower beds you can find beautiful, bright flowers of different shades. They resemble small faces or funny children's dresses. What is more remarkable viola?
The origin and appearance of the viola plant
Viola is a tricolor violet, or pansy, - a grassy ornamental plant from the Gesneriaceae family. There are up to 400 species.
Homeland flower Africa. Distributed in Japan, the Andes, North America. According to history, Baron A. Saint-Paul, when walking with his beloved among the stones, found a flower of incredible beauty with blue petals and a yellow core. He sent it to his father, who collected rare plants. This was in 1892, and in 1893 the viola was first shown at the exhibition.
What does it look like
According to another legend, the girl Anyuta fell in love with a rich guy who promised to marry her and could not keep his words. The girl died of grief, and flowers grew on her grave, called pansies.
Description of viola plant flower
The viola has lowered, hairy leaves on short stems, are oval or round. To distinguish it from the classic violets, the colors help: simple, five-leafed, most often three shades are combined in their petals. One pedicel is capable of dissolving 5-7 flowers. The color is varied: lilac, blue, pink. They can be monophonic and multi-colored (there are colored spots or stripes on the petals). Depending on the variety, the edges of the petals are flat or wavy. The height of the viola is 18-30 cm.
Viola - perennial or annual flowers
There are annual and perennial varieties. Perennials bloom mainly in May, sometimes earlier. Most often they are grown as two-year-olds.
For your information! There are some differences in the maintenance and care of an annual or perennial specimen.
Types and varieties of viola
The most popular varieties:
Viola Valentino
Common view. Subspecies - morning. Viola Valentino flowers are small on elongated stems. There are white, purple, blue, lavender.
Viola Wittroka
The most popular view. It grows up to 30 cm in height. The flowers have an irregular shape, there are veins or spots on the petals, rarely are monophonic. A popular garden variety is Terry Lace, Swiss Giants.
Important! The ampoule litter of viola Wittrock has recently been bred. Their whips grow up to 40 cm, and flowers - up to 5 cm. They are grown in hanging pots or to create a flowering pillow.
Viola Da Gamba (horned viola)
The flowers are small purple and lilac shades. Also there are varieties with yellow, orange, red color. Winter hardiness of this species depends on the variety: species winter well, but hybrid species can die.
The main difference between the species is a spur 10-15 cm long from the back of the flower.
Note! Viola horned is easily pollinated, and the resulting plants may have a completely different appearance.
Viola Davis
Leaves are wavy and bent. The flowers are bright pink, terry on short stems. Grow slowly. Species features of flowers appear in the second and third flowering.
Viola large-flowered
In height reaches no more than 30 cm. The leaves have stipules. On long peduncles flowers up to 7 cm in diameter are formed. They vary in color and shape. There are monophonic, two- or three-color with stripes or spots.
Wittrock
Growing viola from seeds
The life span of a flower depends on the time of sowing. There are several ways to plant seeds:
- for winter. Sowing is carried out in September, so that the young sprouts have time to grow stronger before the cold and can winter. The viola will begin to bloom in April;
- spring in the open ground. Seeds are sown in late May, they will bloom around August - September, winter in the snow and continue to delight the eye for the next year;
- spring seedlings. It is believed that the viola sown in spring can only bloom the following year. To prevent this, seeds for seedlings are sown in February - March, and flowers may appear in May. Flowering lasts all summer.
Planting seeds for seedlings
As a container, any convenient pots, drawers or containers are suitable. There should be enough moisture in the soil. Shop soil is chosen precisely by this criterion. You can make the soil yourself by mixing the soil, peat and humus in the proportions of 2: 2: 1.
For your information! Peat is mandatory in the soil, as it retains the heat and moisture necessary for seed germination.
5-7 days before sowing, fertilizer is added to the soil, universal for flowers is suitable.
Landing can be carried out in two ways:
- shallow furrows are made in the soil (0.5 cm deep). The distance between the seeds must be maintained 1-2 cm. To create a greenhouse effect, the containers are covered with glass or polyethylene;
- the soil is watered with warm water. Seeds are sown at a distance of 1-2 cm and create a greenhouse effect.
Important! For germination, the seedlings are left in a dark place.
Sprouts appear after 7-10 days, at the same time remove the bag or glass from the pot. Small seedlings are placed in a cool place with diffused light. The air temperature should be around 10 ° C.
Seedlings
Once every two weeks, mineral fertilizers are added. As necessary, the soil is moistened. When watering, two factors are taken into account: drying of the upper layer and overmoistening of the lower one should not be allowed. Although the plant loves moisture, it dies if it is in excess.
You can transplant the sprout into a convenient pot and leave it in the house on the windowsill, or you can plant it in open ground in the country.
Planting viola seedlings in open ground
When the first leaves are formed, the plant is ready for planting in open ground. Two weeks before the pick, the sprouts fertilize. Seedlings are also tempered by regularly opening the window and leaving containers on the closed balcony.
In the second week, seedlings are taken out onto the street, leaving it first in the shade, then in the partial shade, gradually increasing the time. The day before planting, the sprouts should spend a day on the street.
Planting viola seedlings in open ground
Before planting seedlings, the soil is fertilized, ammonium nitrate or superphosphate is suitable. If the soil is heavy and clay, it is dug up with the addition of peat, sand and mineral fertilizer.
Important! Do not fertilize the viola with organic fertilizers.
Wells are made at the landing site at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Their size should be slightly larger than an earthen coma seedlings. As a tool for creating holes, you can use a spatula, a small rake or a chopper.
Choosing the best place
The place is chosen in partial shade, young trees with a sparse crown or a tall flower bed are suitable. During the sun, the flowers need to remain in the shade.
Note! Viola loves the cool, but the sun needs a lot. At the same time, it should not be too much, otherwise there is a risk of burns.
Scheme of planting a viola on a flower bed
Planting sprouts, gently fix the stem so that it does not fall over. If the root system is slightly damaged during transplantation, it’s okay, the plant will not die from this.
Planted sprouts must be loosened and watered every day. Twice a month, seedlings are fertilized with mineral fertilizers.
Step-by-step landing process:
- Make holes at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other.
- Add vermicompost into them and mix lightly with the ground.
- Lower the seedlings into the hole, fill the voids with earth and gently compact it.
- Water and mulch the soil with sawdust or dry grass.
Disembarkation
Viola Care
Viola - a flower that is not particularly susceptible to pests and diseases. Due to possible infections, the leaves begin to turn yellow and stain, white plaque or rot appears. Why it happens? Basically, diseases are manifested from improper care, in particular, a lack or excess of moisture.
Proper care helps the seedlings get used to the new environment and begin to bloom more quickly.
Watering mode
It is necessary to maintain optimal soil moisture: drying out or overmoistening is unacceptable.
Important! After watering, it is necessary to carefully loosen the soil (but only if it is not mulled).
Weed growth must not be allowed to adversely affect the plant.
Watering
How to feed a viola for plentiful flowering
Mineral fertilizers are used as top dressing (agricola, luxury fertilizer).
Features of care during the flowering period
In the dim sun, the flowers will be larger than in the shade. Faded peduncles should be cut so that the plant grows further and retains decorativeness. Do not forget about regular watering, since without it, flowering can stop completely.
Features of care at rest
After flowering, a dormant period begins. At this time, most of the processes in the plant slow down or stop completely. At this stage, the stems of the plant are cut, leaving about 5 cm above the ground, and fed.
Before pruning, seeds are harvested: they are formed in small boxes in place of flowers. They are collected, dried indoors and stored in the refrigerator.
Note! If you do not collect the seeds, the plot will grow overgrown with viola worse than weeds either in the same autumn or next spring. But you can turn the situation in the other direction and use the plant’s self-seeding as a propagation, removing the extra sprouts.
Winter preparations
Annual viols before cold weather are simply removed from the soil, and perennial viols are covered with dry grass or spruce branches. In this form, they are able to survive even severe and long frosts.
Winter
Growing a viola requires a lot of attention and time, but careful care will result in beautiful flowering worth the effort.
