One of the most beautiful flowering bushes can rightfully be called weigelu. This heat-loving plant was brought to Europe from Southeast Asian countries. Violently flowering bush quickly gained popularity among gardeners. Beautiful flowers and the lush greenery of the bush becomes a decoration for any garden. So that the plant constantly pleases with its beauty, important role plays proper cultivation weigels, but also of course timely pruning. In our article we will talk about autumn pruning weigels.
It would seem that winter is a time of rest for gardeners; until spring they can relax after all the troubles of the last season. But they stopped making noise new year holidays, the fuss subsided, and an itch of impatience appeared in my hands - I already want to start gardening. And not in vain - many flowers need early boarding. A grower's lunar sowing calendar for January 2020, indicating the days of the new moon, full moon, quarters of the moon, the location of the moon in the signs of the Zodiac, as well as favorable and unfavorable days for planting plants, including indoor plants. Moon calendar florist will allow you to almost always be aware of what the this moment Moon. The florist's lunar sowing calendar for January 2020 will be able to assist you in planning work with flowers and will be able to help you determine favorable and unfavorable days months for sowing plants and caring for them.
Eustoma never ceases to gain attention thanks to its decorative qualities, thanks to long-term storage cut flowers. It is not surprising that more and more new varieties, as well as hybrids, are appearing on sale. But, as everyone knows, in order to grow such beautiful flower, you need to work hard. This should be done especially at the beginning, when seedlings are grown. How you will grow the plant depends on initial stage his future depends. This is exactly what will be discussed in this article. You will learn about when and how to sow eustoma seedlings, as well as how to care for it after the first shoots appear.
Covering roses for the winter in the Moscow region - what materials to cover roses for the winter, when is the best time to do this and at what temperature. If roses do not overwinter well, then next season they will be weakened and susceptible to infections. How to cover roses is a task that worries gardeners on the eve of winter. The more difficult question is: how and when to cover roses for the winter in the Moscow region?
Almost all gardeners know about the wonderful effects of succinic acid on plants. What is it? Succinic acid is a colorless crystalline substance. IN natural environment it is found in amber, resins, brown coal, and is also present in all living organisms that use oxygen for respiration. First succinic acid It was isolated from amber in the 15th century, and that’s where its name came from. Now acid is obtained not only during the processing of amber, but also through chemical synthesis. The acid obtained by processing amber is expensive, but its composition is no different from that obtained artificially. Inexpensive drugs are available for sale chemical production, which are odorless white crystals. Release form: tablets or powder. In this article we will tell you how to use succinic acid for orchids.
Viburnum is a beautiful shrub and a valuable healing plant: its fruits are a real storehouse of vitamins! Prepared from viburnum delicious jams and marshmallows, fruit drinks and compotes, rubbed with honey and made into jelly. An aromatic healing tea is brewed from dried berries. It is very important to prepare viburnum correctly so that the dish is not only healthy, but also tasty - without bitterness. It's easy to do if you know a few secrets and follow simple rules preparations, which will be discussed now. Simple recipes from viburnum for the winter, read our article.
Why does the violet soft leaves? This question often arises for many gardeners. The leaves suddenly begin to wither, curl, and sometimes become covered with spots, but the upper part of the plant may look quite healthy and even produce flowers. What becomes the reason in this case?
Causes
The main reasons for violet leaves to wilt are:
And before starting any treatment, it is necessary to find out what exactly happened. Otherwise, all measures may be ineffective and the plant will die.
Important! Under no circumstances should you let the situation go, thinking that the problem will go away on its own. The process may go too far and the consequences will be irreversible!
Diseases
There are several diseases that lead to the wilting of foliage in violets - late blight, fusarium and root rot.
Late blight
When infected with late blight, the above-ground part of the plant quickly loses its elasticity, becomes lethargic and becomes covered with rusty spots. What to do if the violet leaves become soft due to such a disease? The scheme of events is as follows:
- cut off all soft leaves;
- take the plant out of the pot, shake off the soil and remove all damaged roots;
On a note! Late blight is a fungal disease that affects not only top part flower, but also its root system!
- we transplant the surviving part of Saintpaulia into new pot, which should be slightly smaller than the previous one;
- lightly spill the soil with Fitosporin.
If root system was completely damaged, then in this case you can cut the cuttings and try to grow a new plant.
Fusarium
Fusarium is the most dangerous disease for violets. The picture of its manifestation is as follows: first the rhizome begins to rot, then the petioles of the lower leaves and, finally, the sheet plates. They wither, become watery and then die.
On a note! Unfortunately, with fusarium the plant dies very quickly, especially if it suffers from a deficiency of fertilizers and is kept at a temperature less than +16°C!
So, what to do if one of the violets has soft leaves due to Fusarium infection:
- it is very important to remove immediately sick plant away from healthy specimens;
- then we destroy it, along with the soil;
- disinfect the pot in which the diseased Saintpaulia was previously located with a solution copper sulfate or any available fungicide;
- For prevention, we set up a watering regime and water the violets with Fitosporin once a month.
Root rot
The answer to the question of why violets have soft leaves may well be a disease such as root rot. The main symptoms: dull coloring of the above-ground parts of the plant and its sudden wilting. Moreover, if you remove Saintpaulia from the substrate, you will find that its roots have also softened and acquired a brown color.
On a note! In this case, the rhizome is affected by fungal spores, which multiply very quickly in humid environment! If the acidity of the soil is low, the infection will dissipate quite quickly!
In order to help the violet, you need to do the following:
- reduce the frequency of watering, but rare portions should be plentiful;
- carry out root treatment of infected specimens with the drug “Fitosporin”;
- if necessary, replace the substrate with one that will not retain moisture for too long.
Pests
Wilting of foliage in Saintpaulias can be observed as a result of the activity of pests such as insects and mites. “Having taken root” on the plant, they begin to feed on its juices and thus take away everything useful material. Most often found on violets:
- root scale insects;
- nematodes;
- thrips;
- ticks.
Plants can also be damaged by sciarids and whiteflies.
If we talk about insect pests, they can often be seen with the naked eye. Ticks, on the other hand, are much smaller in size, and therefore are found, as a rule, only when there is an overcrowding - in most cases, their appearance is indicated by the sickly appearance of the plant.
Improper care
But despite the fact that the violet is susceptible to quite a large number of diseases and can be attacked by many pests, in most cases it becomes lethargic precisely because proper care.
How can she be harmed?
- Place on a dimly lit shelf - Saintpaulias should receive sufficient light for 12 hours daily. IN winter period It is recommended to replace sunlight with artificial light.
- Place it on a shelf where the plants are constantly exposed to direct sunlight - this situation can cause burns and yellowing on the foliage.
- Improper watering, both abundant and meager.
On a note! Don’t forget that violets should not be watered from above, but should be poured exclusively under the bush - ideally into a tray!
- Incorrect feeding. If you find withered leaves, then this may indicate that the plant lacks nitrogen and potassium. Here it is simply necessary to compensate for the deficiency of these minerals. If Saintpaulia has suffered due to excess fertilizer, then it should be immediately transplanted into a new substrate and in the future monitor the amount of fertilizer introduced.
- Unsuitable temperature regime– violets feel best at temperatures that range from +18..25°C. When the thermometer readings change in one direction or another, the plant's foliage begins to fade.
We hope that you have found the answer to the question of why violets have soft leaves, and now you can solve the current problem. Take proper care of your green pets, and they will definitely delight you regularly lush flowering and healthy appearance.
Houseplants are living organisms that require proper care and attention. Violets are no exception. Their lives are darkened by pests that entered the house through the window, outerwear, shoes. Diseases brought into the house from a flower shop or spontaneous market affect. Let's look at what to do and why leaves may be limp and curl inward.
The most common houseplants are viral diseases . The table presented will help determine what exactly affected the plant and select treatment.
By the shape of the lesion you can determine what exactly is bothering the flower.
Powdery mildew: how to save it at home
| Problem | How it manifests itself | What to do |
|
The leaves become whitish in appearance, as if they had been sprinkled with flour. When trying to wash off - result is zero. It first appears on the stems, then spreads to the leaves and rosettes. Black dots appear. |
Remove affected areas (cut off leaves, flowers, stems, shoots). Treat all plants in the house gentle means: dissolve 2.5 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water; 50 g soda ash 40 g laundry soap, 10 liters of water; 15 g of chopped garlic, pour 1 liter of water, leave for 24 hours in a dark place; spray sulfur powder directly onto the plant, wrap it with the pot in a plastic bag at 12 o'clock; 1 tsp baking soda, 2 – 3 drops liquid soap, 1 liter of water (first try this mixture carefully on small area each plant, since it is perceived differently by indoor “dwellers”); In advanced cases, you should use fungicides(sold in flower shops). They are diluted with water and sprayed according to the instructions. Create an accurate watering schedule. Ventilate your home daily. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer. Increase phosphorus and potassium in the soil (fertilizers are available in specialized stores). |
Powdery mildew attacked the violet Fusarium: what care is needed
No less dangerous for violets. Manifestations of the disease include the following:
- The petioles turn brown and quickly fall off.
- Dark roots, easily lifted off the ground.
- The ground is wet and heavy.
To treat, you need to remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If healthy ones are partially visible, separate them with the flower. Tear off anything unhealthy and leave the sockets intact.
Transplant into dry, fresh soil. It is better to throw away a severely affected violet completely (for the safety of other flowers).
The last step is to pour diluted “Fundazol” (1 g dissolved in 1 liter of water) over the entire vegetable world in the house.
Fusarium infection of the plant Late blight and gray rot: when to disinfect the pot
| Late blight |
Soil too wet. Drooping leaves. Brown color small drying out spots. |
Cut off the healthy top of the rosette at an angle, treat it with an anti-fungal preparation (buy at garden center), leave in a separate bowl with water for rooting. All the rest - throw away. Neighboring flowers and pots must be treated in the same way as a rosette. |
|
The tissues are soft and watery to the touch. Viden gray plaque. The violet seems to be fluffy. Different parts die off quickly. |
Throw away anything that looks or touches bad. Replant into dry soil (first freeze the soil at minus 18 in the freezer, thaw, and dry). Reduce watering. Monitor the air temperature ( optimal for violets– 16 – 23 degrees). |
Rust
The next disease on the list is rust. When it is infected, the violet leaves become covered yellowish spots, from below - with rusty pads (when pressed, spores fly away). Subsequently they fall off with the stem.
Late blight Gray mold Rust
Vascular bacteriosis
Manifestations of the disease: in different places almost visible clear spots, sometimes the plant will lick it off.
Appears at elevated air temperatures, so it must be reduced to a maximum of 25.
- Throw away old plants(to continue the genus of a favorite species, a couple of young healthy leaves are enough to root).
- Ensure good air ventilation in summer.
- Treat with special medications designed for this disease.
Bronzing viruses: how to treat at home
With such viruses, the leaf blades of violets change color, the leaves take on an ugly shape, the plant does not bloom and is lethargic.
Treatment at home is simple: it is necessary remove weak areas flower and begin pest control (they are carriers of the virus).
When replanting, make sure there is a drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. excess moisture. The bottom layer should always be expanded clay; water will not accumulate there.
Vascular bacteriosis Mosaic virus Necrotic spot virus
The main pests of violets
Aphids, mites and scale insects
| Name | How to find out | What to do |
| Aphid | Green midge located in the buds, drinks all the juice from them. With numerous colonies, sticky discharge is observed everywhere. |
At the initial stage - assemble by hand; Can be washed off with soapy water. At large quantities – apply the drug “Actellik” (add 1 ml to 1 liter of water, process twice). |
| Ticks | Old lower leaves become brown, as if depressed. They multiply quickly and move to the growth point, destroying it. Violet stops blooming. The appearance resembles a plant pricked with a needle. |
Sprinkle with plenty of water. There are 2 options here: - throw away - handle chemicals 2 hazard classes ( harmful to humans, therefore, when spraying, wear a protective mask and gloves, work only in fresh air). |
| Scale insects and false scale insects |
Small sticky ones stand out. Soak a cotton swab in soapy water and thoroughly clean all areas, changing the tool periodically (can be simplified: dip the plant upside down in a basin of warm soapy water, hold, rinse, change the pot and soil). |
Aphids Mite-affected leaf Springtails
Thrips: how to deal with plaque
These are small dark insects with an oblong body that enter the house with particles of poplar fluff. They live and reproduce in anthers.
Thrips move quickly, fly over, changing their location. They lay eggs in delicate rosettes and anthers. They quickly hatch into larvae that devour young shoots.
Manifestation of infection: the flower looks eaten away, pollen is visible on the peduncles.
You need to get rid of thrips as fast as possible.
For this:
- Immediately cut off all flowers with buds.
- Treat with chemicals with a low hazard class (number 3 on the package).
- Safer for people apply a decoction of ash(300 g of dry product per 10 liters of water, boil for 10 minutes to make it stick better, add a little laundry soap).
- To enhance the effect, apply a small amount of dry ash directly to the soil.
Springtails: treatment
These insects crawl along the ground, processing it. They reach the plant with the soil and do not harm the plant itself.
However, if there are a lot of them and you can see that the roots are eating up the violet transplant, having previously drained the earthen lump.
Nematodes: why the plant withers
Nematodes are worms that live in the soil and eat roots, releasing toxins. The affected plant is weak, may wither, is poorly developed, and has no flowers.
You can see the pest by examining the roots (they will be thickened, like unevenly round beads strung together).
There is only one solution - discard the affected plant, disinfect the pot. It is not possible to save.
Woodlice, mosquitoes and midges, whitefly
| Woodlice | Oblong crustaceans, they settle only when there is moisture and uncleaned dead remains. | We'll have to clean and dry the house. To do this, wipe the window sills, shelves with flowers, floor chlorinated water(in a small concentration). Inspect wet rooms - kitchen, bathroom, pantries (this is their habitat when it is wet and there is something to eat). Ventilate the room dry the air. In dry, warm, clean house Wood lice don't live. |
| Mosquitoes, midges | If you see flying pests, inspect the violets carefully. Adults are harmless, but their black-headed larvae are dangerous. |
Walk along the edge of the pot with a pencil to prevent cockroaches. Hang Velcro to catch flying insects. Change the earth. When leaving, do not over-moisten. |
| Whitefly | Infects with mushrooms, leaving a whitish discharge. Then these places darken and dry out. | Catch adults with sticky tape. Fight the larvae with a 1% soap solution (wash the leaves from below several times a day). Spray garlic infusion(pour 1 cup of peeled tines completely vegetable oil, leave for a day, take 2 tsp of liquid per 0.5 ml of warm water). |
Always monitor the temperature of the water you use when caring or processing. It should be warm, the same as body temperature.
Thickening on the roots - a manifestation of a nematode Invasion of woodlice Midges Whitefly
We have repeatedly looked at ways to help plants with illnesses and insect damage. For example, .
Symptoms: white coating, leaf flaccid, may curl inward
When there is a great desire to have healthy Saintpaulias in the house, you should study the technology of cultivation and care, so as not to harm by your actions.
Many people are interested in the question: why can leaves curl? In addition to insects, viruses and fungi, other symptoms are present.
- Spots on leaves. They say there is a lot of moisture. Drain the soil. When watering, do not pour on sockets. Keep away from direct sun rays.
- White plaque. Indicates drafts. When you ventilate the room, check how much the air temperature changes. Sharp fluctuations are bad.
- Wilting violets. Cut off the shoot - the brown ring will tell you about the fungus, try to look for healthy shoots, root them. If there is no darkening, she is very sick. To avoid infecting others, throw it away.
- Leaves curl downward and inward. Diagnosis: overflow. Try to revive it: remove the roots from the damp lump, rinse in warm water, place in a small pot.
Do not lead to a painful state, do prevention:
- Bring certified products into your home.
- Inspect when purchasing. If you doubt the health of the purchased product, do not buy it.
- Bought – quarantine(will take three weeks). Let him get used to it, and when you examine him, make sure he is healthy.
Caring for bright violets is not difficult. The species created by breeders are resistant to damage. No wonder they occupy a leading position among indoor species. By following the rules, be sure to make friends with them.
Among the many most beautiful and original house flowers, a special place is traditionally given to violets. Saintpaulias are cute and bright plants, which decorate the window sills in an original way. However, these are quite whimsical flowers. Improper care and lack of attention from the grower lead to diseases and other problems, one of which is leaf wilting.
Common causes of violet wilting
Despite the unpretentiousness of this flower, problems sometimes arise when growing it. Elastic, dense, slightly velvety violet leaves begin to fade. What could be causing this problem? There may be several reasons why a flower gradually fades. The most common ones are listed below.
1. Violet leaves often wither due to the presence fungal disease. The bacteria that cause Saintpaulia disease can infect the soil through tools used for loosening.
3. Excess moisture- another reason why violet leaves begin to fade. You should not water the plant daily. This will only bring him harm. IN winter time Just one (at most two) watering per week is enough. It is very important not to allow water to stagnate in the tray of the pot. After watering the flower excess liquid need to be drained after 30 minutes. It is recommended to water only after upper layer the substrate will dry out.
Untimely watering also leads to loss of turgor in leaves. There is only one solution - water the plant as soon as possible. However, after drying for a long time, the plant cannot be watered abundantly - this will lead to its death. Moderate watering should be carried out or even a mini-greenhouse should be built for the flower in order to increase air humidity.
4. Plant wilting often occurs due to root system injuries or other factors that negatively affect it. So, the problem is often caused by strong root growth. Small flowerpot in this case leads to serious illnesses violets.
However overly large pot will not give good results– the diameter of the pot should be three times smaller than the diameter of the leaf rosette. Otherwise, air exchange is disrupted. With a large volume of soil, the root system is not able to absorb all the moisture - as a result, the soil becomes sour and the roots begin to rot.
5. Poor quality soil- another common reason for violets to wilt at home. These indoor flowers react extremely negatively to the content in the soil: mold, aggressive chemical substances, pathogenic microorganisms, large debris, plaque. Sometimes violets wither due to the presence of foreign impurities in the substrate. In rare cases, the soil is not suitable for the plant in terms of acidity level or its general composition.
6. Wilting of Saintpaulia in some cases is a consequence burn of the root system. If you overdo it with fertilizers, the plant can become very sick. It is very important to avoid excessive use of fertilizers. For a flower, fertilizing only once a month will be sufficient. At the end of autumn and winter, violet does not need nutritious “cocktails” at all.
7. Lack of light- another factor leading to flower wilting. During the day, the violet should be well lit for 10 - 12 hours. In winter, when the days become short and cloudy, this time is reduced. In this case, it comes to the rescue.
Too much light also negatively affects the well-being of the plant. It is not advisable to place Saintpaulias on southern window sills - they do not tolerate scorching sun rays. This leads to leaf wilting. If you have no other choice and have to grow plants in a south-facing window, you should use shading.
8. The cause of wilting may be low temperature air, which results in shutdown central heating, excessive ventilation of the room in winter. And if at the same time the plant has a damp earthen lump, then Saintpaulia hypothermia is likely to occur. It should be understood that in a plastic pot a flower will survive this cooling better than in a clay or ceramic one, because the less moisture evaporates, the less cooling.
How to stop withering?
If you notice the wilting of the leaves of a flower, do not despair. This phenomenon is completely preventable. If the cause of the disease is a poor substrate, the plant should be replanted. It is necessary to thoroughly shake off the root, rinse it in a solution of potassium permanganate and use healthy, quality soil. When the cause of wilting is an excess of moisture, you only need to reduce watering. In any case, it is recommended to trim sagging, weak, too soft leaves to a healthy area. In many cases, the violet can be saved by digging a small hole near the stem. Providing oxygen will allow you to quickly revive Saintpaulia.
If you are unlucky and the roots of your violet have completely rotted, you need to strip the stem to healthy tissue and root the plant in water, after adding crushed activated carbon to the water. You can also try to root healthy-looking leaves in water to give the plant a better chance of recovery.
Who among us has not encountered a similar phenomenon in our collection? It is of an off-season nature, but more often it occurs or cold winter or very hot summer. And it is the result of the fact that the root system has ceased to function.
And the main reasons causing such a deplorable state of plants are re-:
- overdrying;
- waterlogging;
- hypothermia;
- overheat.
It is especially destructive for plants if these factors are summed up: hypothermia and waterlogging, overdrying and overheating. In the cold season, when keeping plants on the windowsill, we encounter the first pair negative factors. In summer and sometimes when growing violets on a shelf - from the second.
And if novice flower growers’ violets suffer from the inability to properly water the plants, as well as select right size pot and a suitable substrate, then for experienced ones - from the inability to properly water va There is no such thing as each specimen due to their huge number and inconvenient conditions for care (when plants are placed under the ceiling, and they are watered while standing on tiptoe on the top step of a rickety stepladder, or even simply blindly).
How to save violets damaged by improper care?
First of all, you need to figure out what exactly happened to the plant: was it flooded or dried? The phenomena are diametrically opposite, but the clinical picture is almost the same: drooping leaves that have lost turgor.
If during your next watering you find a wilted plant in your collection, under no circumstances should you water it automatically, especially with a double portion of water, wanting to make up for the obviously missed watering. After all, if the cause of wilting is waterlogging of the soil, then another portion of water is guaranteed to kill the affected plant.
First of all, you need to take the wilted plant in your hands and determine what’s wrong with it. If the soil in the pot is absolutely dry, light reddish in color, often slightly moving away from the walls of the pot, and the pot seems weightless, the plant is overdried. When the soil is wet to the touch, its color is dark, and the pot has noticeable weight, it means the plant is flooded (overmoistened).
Resuscitation for dryness
If the plant is slightly wilted and you are sure that you accidentally missed it during the previous watering, simply water the violet as usual. As a rule, this is enough and after a few hours she will fully recover.
When the substrate becomes very dry, the root hairs and part of the thin roots that provide the suction function of the roots die (dry out). Therefore, the first watering after drying out should not be very abundant.. To quickly and completely restore a very wilted plant, it is advisable to place it in a plastic bag for 1-3 days. The results will be better and appear faster if you squirt warm water into the bag several times. When the turgor of the leaves is completely restored, remove the bag from the violet, carefully water the soil in the pot, and place the plant somewhere in plain sight so that it is convenient to observe its condition. Since the complete restoration of a partially dead root system takes one to two weeks, watering must be careful and careful during this entire time.
If after a few days of keeping high humidity The turgor of the leaves is not restored, and the violet, when the bag is removed, drops the leaves again, which means that the root system has completely died due to severe drying. Then the plant will have to be cut out. That is, remove the underground part of the stem, along with the lobe of old, dead roots, and re-root the plant. In order for roots to form faster and better, we remove the three lower leaves (if the plant is mature and very leafy, much more is possible). IN glass jar(for example, from mayonnaise), pour water, place the plant with its leaves on the edges of the jar and place it in a transparent plastic bag, where to create more high humidity air, inject a little warm water. After 2-4 weeks, a powerful layer of young roots forms in the water. We plant the violet in a pot in loose, airy soil, water it lightly and place it in a bag again for two weeks. This way the plant will take root faster and more reliably. Then we make several holes in the bag, or untie it, but do not remove it completely, in order to gradually accustom the leaves to air with lower humidity. After 1-2 weeks, the package can be completely removed. The plant is restored, and at the same time rejuvenated.
Resuscitation for waterlogging
In the case of a plant that has suffered from waterlogging, you must first try to remove excess water from the ground as quickly and completely as possible. Paper napkins and towels are good for this, or at worst newspapers (not glossy ones). Wrap the pot tightly and regularly replace wet paper with dry paper. To speed it up, you can remove the plant from the pot and dry the lump of earth with roots with paper.
Then we determine how damaged the root system is, and whether the plant can be restored to its previous quality or needs to be re-cutted.
If the petioles of the lower leaves have rotted where they are attached to the stem, then we remove the old root system without delay - there are definitely no living roots, and there is nothing to save. When the roots fall off with a slight twitch, it means they are dead and must be removed as soon as possible. If none of this is observed, you can risk restoring the plant without removing all the roots. First we need to make sure that the root rotting process has not affected the plant itself. We make a cross section of the underground part of the stem, retreating 0.5–1 cm from its end. We carefully examine the cut. If it is clean, green, without signs of rot, dust it with powder charcoal, shake off the old soil from the roots and plant the violet in fresh, slightly moistened, very airy, with high content perlite in a small pot.
It is advisable to place the reanimated plant in a greenhouse or a plastic bag for some time. The first waterings are very light; adding Fitosporin is helpful. 1-2 weeks after the complete restoration of leaf turgor, we begin to accustom the violet to the drier air of the apartment. And after some time we return it to the windowsill.
If the root system is damaged but not rotten, you can try to restore it by wrapping the entire plant in a cylinder of newspaper for 1-2 weeks.
However, the surest and most reliable way to resuscitate (save) a flooded violet remains its re-rooting, and the vast majority of experienced collectors prefer not to take risks, but to immediately cut off the roots of a wilted violet and re-root it. And they do it in different ways. Yulia Andrusenko roots a plant in sphagnum (in a bag). When it has grown a decent amount of roots, remove the moss if possible, and plant the violet in a small pot in light soil (as for planting leaves). Larisa Galitskaya pours loose soil into a pot and places a layer of sphagnum on top. The violet rosette is placed on top, and the stem partially passes through the sphagnum and almost touches the substrate. The rooting process takes place in a plastic bag. If after 3-4 weeks the plant does not move when lightly pressed, it means it has taken root. Larisa unties the bag, but removes it after 2-3 weeks or later. Some of her violets even manage to bloom in a half-opened bag.
Tamara Kopeikina roots immediately in the substrate, simply adding her base earth mixture more cultivators (perlite and vermiculite), take a small pot, and keep the plant in the greenhouse for quite a long time. Violetta Katkova uses either pure vermiculite or a mixture of vermiculite and sphagnum as a loose rooting substrate. Roots form easily, grow quickly, vermiculite is easily shaken off the roots without damaging them before planting the plant in a nutrient substrate. Tanya Kuzina and Olya Aksenkina are rooting plants using the unique capabilities of wick watering. insert a wick into a small pot and plant a plant without roots in it, place it on a container of water. The rosette of leaves is covered with a transparent bag on top and secured. If after 2-3 weeks the violet does not move when pressed, it means that the roots have grown into the ground. After this, the bag at the bottom can be untied, and after a few days it can be removed completely.
In winter, plants' leaves sometimes wilt if they are located on an icy windowsill. At extremely low (for this crop) temperatures, the healthiest and strongest root system cannot function normally. But it is enough to place such a plant in a warm place, for example, on a rack with lamps, and it will come to its senses quite quickly. Try, as far as possible, to seal the windows, caulk and seal all cracks with foam rubber. To be on the safe side, you can keep plants in winter in boxes with high sides, preferably in foam plastic boxes. It doesn’t look very aesthetically pleasing, but the plants are reliably protected from icy blowing, and at the same time from dry hot air rising from the battery.
Many amateur gardeners suffer from plants grown in pots that are too large. This problem occurs especially often during transplants, when young plant from a plastic cup or small pot they are transplanted immediately into a large pot with a diameter of 12-15 cm. A small root system cannot develop such a huge volume of soil. After watering, the substrate does not dry out for a long time, so the roots do not breathe for too long and die. Remember! Violets cannot be grown in very large pots, as they have a small, not very powerful root system. And to fully provide the plant with nutrients, it is better to take the path of more frequent transplants and replace the old substrate with a new one. And never plant a plant in a pot “to grow.” Its volume should always correspond to the size of the root system. And the next container size can be used only after the roots have completely mastered the volume of the old pot. Only enough experienced flower growers can afford to “jump” one or two sizes, but at very loose soil and very careful watering for a month after transplantation.
The root system also suffers from growing plants in pots that are too small. If you are doing this specifically to miniaturize your plants, be sure to water them regularly. Because watering errors in this case lead to regular drying out. And, as a consequence, to the partial death of the root system. And dead roots are an open gate for infection and a breeding ground for pathogenic fungi. This is especially destructive for plants in the summer, when drying out occurs very quickly, and this is accompanied by severe overheating of the small pot. And fungal diseases develop rapidly in hot weather. The solution, as in the previous case, is the optimal size of the pot for this specimen. For young rosettes this plastic cups or pots with a diameter of 6-8 cm. For adult plants - a diameter of 9-10 cm. For very large violets with a huge root system, a diameter of 11-12 cm is acceptable, but this is perhaps the limit.
Growing violets in a clay substrate that is too heavy also leads to problems with the root system. The roots of Saintpaulias are thin and delicate; they cannot develop in such an environment. The situation is also aggravated by poor aeration of such soil, but according to research by American specialists, ideal soil for violets it should consist of a third of earth, a third of water and a third of air. When making your own substrate, take soil only with a crumbly, granular structure, well processed by earthworms.
AND last reason, leading to a depressed state of the plant - its old age. Such violets have a long, often curving stem, at the end of which there is a faded rosette of discolored leaves. Old roots do not cope well with all their functions; they easily break off, rot and die. They feel like bast. And the only way to save such a plant is to rejuvenate it, that is, to recut it. And in six months your violet will be unrecognizable! But it is more correct, of course, not to bring the plant to such a state and, with each planned replanting, to carry out partial rejuvenation, namely: deepen the neck (stem) that formed to the lower leaves, and shorten its underground part by 1/4-1/3 of the length, so as not to increase the size of the pot and stimulate the formation of new young roots in the upper part of the stem.
So, the main reasons for plants wilting:
- overdrying;
- overheat;
- waterlogging;
- hypothermia;
- pot too big;
- the ground is too heavy;
- pot too small;
- very old plant.
I hope that knowing this will help you avoid care mistakes and minimize the loss of plants in your collection.
Afterword
It helps a lot not to flood the plants and to control the amount of water measured when watering each specimen, such a substrate, which in a dry, semi-dry and wet state has different shades colors. If you are in doubt whether a given plant needs to be watered, simply touch the surface of the soil with your finger. This is an excellent indicator of the degree of hydration that will never let you down. Watering is not carried out on wet and moist soil. If in a hurry you watered a violet that didn’t need it, it doesn’t matter: wash the plastic pot several times, loosen the soil, fill it with air – and the plant will cope. Or place a paper napkin under the pot. Those who like to water, add more perlite to the substrate - this will help the plant endure your passion. And try to find the courage to control optimal size collections so that the care of each plant is at least a little individual.
Your I.L. Danilina
Danilina Irina Leonidovna
Phone number for contact and orders: 8 495 430-63-59 , 8-917-545-6727 (mobile)
Details about ordering plants and their delivery throughout Russia in the section