The violet leaves are withering, what should I do? Why do violet leaves become flaccid and curl inward? We save from diseases

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 is the result of the fact that root system stopped functioning.

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 charcoal powder, shake off the old soil from the roots and plant the violet in a fresh, slightly moistened, very airy, high content of 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 basic earthen mixture and more cultivators (perlite and vermiculite), takes a small pot, and keeps 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

Any houseplants require attention, care, proper care, and violets need this more than others, since they are very susceptible to external conditions.

If a violet withers, its leaves droop, it means that it doesn’t like something, but finding the reason for this state of the flower is extremely difficult, because there can be many factors.

Still, let's try to figure out what could be the matter if Saintpaulia suddenly shows signs of wilting or illness, and how to restore health to your favorite flower.

Violets are very beautiful ornamental plants, but at the same time they are also very capricious. Any disturbance to their habitat can affect the appearance of the flower. They are also susceptible to pests, especially fungi. Let's look at the most common reasons why Saintpaulias may wither.

Lack of light or excess of it

Violets need to receive at least 12 hours of daylight per day. In winter, when the days become short and cloudy, they may lack light. In this case, they must be illuminated with artificial lamps.

An excess of light radiation also negatively affects their well-being. In addition, they do not tolerate the sun's burning rays at all. It is worthwhile for the plant to stand on the windowsill in the summer, on south side, after just a few days you will notice that the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither.

The light should be moderate. Its deficiency or excess causes the flower to wither.

Improper watering

The Saintpaulia root system is located close to the soil surface. If you water the plant with strong pressure, the soil will wash away and the roots will begin to become exposed. You may not immediately notice this under the leaves, but the plant will definitely react to the discomfort.

Violet, in general, is very sensitive to watering: it needs to be moistened 2-3 times a week in summer and once in winter. Excessive moisture or, conversely, drying out will also cause the violet to become lethargic.

The quality of the water is also important: it is better to purify it through a filter or to settle it well. The temperature of the water when watering should not be lower than +18 degrees.

Lack of fertilizers or saturation with them

Violet leaves often wither because the plant lacks nutrients. This happens especially often in spring period when the flower begins to grow rapidly and especially needs feeding.

But if you “overdo it” with vitamins, you can cause serious harm to Saintpaulia. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the recommendations indicated on the drug that you use for feeding.

Bad soil

A flower bought in a store may look quite healthy. Typically, plants are flavored with nutritional compounds so that they maintain their presentation. But the quality of the substrate is not always good.

In any case, it is recommended to replant violets purchased in stores, since no one will tell you exactly what kind of soil they have and how long they have been in it.

For replanting, it is best to use a ready-made substrate designed specifically for Saintpaulias; it can be found in any flower growing stores.

Pests

If a disease is detected, you must quickly take action:

separate the plant from healthy ones,
treat with a medicinal preparation (in flower shops you can find remedies for any pests),
and then transplant the Saintpaulia into fresh soil.

Air temperature and humidity

Violets love warmth. They need a stable temperature around +18-25 degrees. At lower temperatures they freeze, and at higher temperatures they wither. They do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, it is worth keeping them in rooms where there is always an even, stable atmosphere.

The plant is also sensitive to air humidity. The optimal figure is 60-70%. But Saintpaulia will tolerate high humidity more easily than dry air.

Do not hold flowers over heating devices, and if the air in the house is dry, place containers of water near the pots.

Violets also do not like drafts, so place them near open windows, under an air conditioner or fan is not the best option.

What to do if the violet fades

Do not forget also that Saintpaulia needs annual replanting. If this is not done, it may stop blooming and will wither over time.

If the violet withers and no action can return it to its former healthy appearance, do not be discouraged. Remove all drying leaves and cut the rosette at the root. Place it in water and wait for it to sprout new roots, then transplant it into a pot. Perhaps this is how you will be able to save the plant.

Home violet - delicate flower, acutely reacting to any sins in growing conditions. Most often, correction of care allows you to save the plant. If the leaves have just begun to wither, it is urgent to establish the cause and eliminate it.

Why do violet leaves wither and how to help the flower

Among the causes of wilting of violet leaves, there are practically no fatal ones: most of them can be dealt with if you start fighting in time. Only diseases and pests will cause difficulties; other reasons are related to the conditions of detention.

Incorrect lighting

Violets should be illuminated by natural light at least 12 hours a day. And if in summer there is enough light on the windowsill, then in winter time violets necessarily require additional illumination with artificial lamps. The spectrum must be selected so that it is as close as possible to the natural, solar one. Both phytolamps and ordinary fluorescent ones with white light are suitable.

If lighting is to blame for the wilting of violets, it’s easy to fix

Violets can also begin to fade from excess lighting, or more precisely, from its intensity: the point is the scorching sun, which often happens in the summer in the case of southern windows. If things haven't progressed too far, moving the pot to a moderate light area can help the plant recover on its own. The burned areas of the leaves may need to be carefully trimmed.

Irrigation errors

The roots of violets are shallow, so you need to water them carefully. Even watering with a stream can cause exposed roots, which will affect the health of the plant. And excessive moisture will lead to their rotting and, possibly, death. But violets do not grow in dry soil. They are watered through a tray, little by little but often: 2–3 times a week in summer and 1 time in winter, clean water room temperature.

It’s even better if the violets take water from the pan through the wick

If the roots begin to rot from overwatering, the violet should be transplanted into a new pot with fresh soil, cutting off the damaged fragments. Well, if the leaves wither from drought, it’s not at all difficult: add water!

Improper feeding

Both lack and excess of nutrition can harm violets. The plant is especially demanding of nutrition in the spring, when intensive growth of green mass begins and preparation for flowering. Violets are not fed for a month after transplantation and if the soil is too dry. The rest of the time, fertilizers are given 2 times a month, using complex fertilizers, preferably specially designed for violets. But after the buds appear, nitrogen is eliminated. Overfeeding, especially with nitrogen fertilizers, can play a bad role: in this case, the leaves grow unnaturally, become loose, and a corresponding increase in root mass is not observed. As a result, the slightest changes in conditions can cause leaves to wilt.

If the owner knows that he has missed fertilizing, it is enough to add it (in the spring with an emphasis on nitrogen, in the summer on potassium). In case of excess nutrition, only replanting into fresh, slightly acidic soil will help, consisting of a nutrient part (turf soil with humus or compost), fillers (rotted pine needles, peat) and leavening agents (permite, verticulite). There are many recipes for making soil, but it is much easier to buy it in a store ready mixture.

Selected in special fertilizers optimal composition microelements

Air characteristics

Violets love a stable temperature within 18–25 o C and air humidity of 60–70%. And if they tolerate some increase in humidity, then dry air is harmful. Therefore, if the pot is near the radiator, you should purchase an air humidifier. Adjusting the temperature is easier; As a rule, changes caused by air conditions are completely reversible.

Diseases and pests

This is the worst option: it is difficult to recognize the disease, but it can be cured, although not quickly. Immediately the plant must be isolated from others, try to establish a diagnosis and apply the appropriate drug. A transplant will also be required. Most often, violets are overtaken by late blight and fusarium: fungal diseases that are treated, for example, with Fitosporin.

Fusarium initially appears as brownish spots

Many pests can be detected by examining leaves through a magnifying glass. These can be thrips, nematodes, mites. A number of pests settle in the soil, so replanting is required.

Photo gallery: pests on violets

The result of the action of almost invisible nematodes is swelling and unnatural growths on the roots. Thrips settle on the leaves and look like tiny white streaks. Among the mites, the most noticeable and harmful is the cyclamen mite.

But treatment without modern insecticides or acaricides is unlikely to be possible. Many drugs are suitable, but it is advisable to choose those approved for use at home. A number of drugs have a systemic effect, destroying both insects and ticks. These are, for example, Agravertin, Fitoverm and Vermitek: when used strictly according to the instructions, you can reliably destroy pests without causing harm to the owner.

Video: what to do if the plant cannot be saved

There are many reasons for the wilting of violet leaves, but we must not forget about the most basic one: perhaps the plant has been sitting on the ground for a long time. permanent place. And it needs to be replanted annually.

Filling with water - common reason death of violets. The waterlogged substrate begins to rot, infecting the roots with this process. The leaves of the plant lose their elasticity, become limp and drooping. Also, excess moisture entails fungal diseases and bacterial infections. In this case, it is completely pointless to spray or water the violet with healing solutions; it cannot save it from flooding.

If you have flooded your violet, you can save it by following the steps below.

First of all, you need to remove the violet from the pot. If from him there is a smell damp soil, it will be enough to remove excess moisture. To do this, the earthen ball together with the plant must be placed on a cotton cloth, toilet paper or paper towel, folded several times. They need to be changed as soon as they get wet. This needs to be done within 24 hours, after which you can return the violet to its original pot.

If the smell of rot and decomposition comes from a lump of earth, it is necessary to remove part of the soil and rotten roots. Healthy roots have a white or slightly brownish color. The roots are separated using a regular fork or a wooden stick with a pointed end. As a rule, the affected roots fall off with the soil.

Next, the remaining soil and roots are rinsed in potassium permanganate or the “Maxim” preparation, the excess moisture is allowed to drain and dried, as in the first case. The dried roots are rolled in river sand, previously thoroughly washed and dried, and vermiculite, mixed in equal parts.

All flower stalks, as well as the lower leaves, must be removed, and the sections sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated carbon. You will need a different pot, with a diameter slightly larger than the remaining earthen lump. First, drainage is poured into it, then substrate is poured 1 centimeter deep.

The diseased violet is carefully lowered into the pot and filled with nutrient soil mixed with sand and vermiculite 2:1:1. Around the circumference of the pot, you need to bury 5-6 pieces of charcoal into the soil (can be replaced with activated tablets).

After this, the pot with the plant should be placed in a warm place. You should refrain from watering until it dries out. upper layer soil. In the future, you will need to water the violet little by little, warm boiled water, very careful.

To improve establishment, the violet can be lightly sprayed with a solution of Zircon or Epin after planting. Then the pot must be placed in a dark, dry and warm place for at least 6 hours, after which it will be possible to move it to the light.

The surviving violet will give new leaves, and then it will be possible to transplant it into a normal substrate, shaking off the sand from the roots.

Most often, violets die from overwatering, i.e. too much frequent watering. A substrate that is too wet will rot, and with it the roots of the plant. With slight waterlogging, the leaves gradually turn yellow; with severe waterlogging, the leaves lose turgor: they become sluggish, inelastic, and sag. Excessive soil moisture causes whole line diseases caused by both fungi and bacteria. There is no point in making a diagnosis and trying to treat it by spraying or watering the plant with remedies for the disease - it is useless.

If a plant dies from flooding, you can try to save it:

Remove the earthen lump from the pot. If it just smells like damp earth, then you just need to remove excess moisture by placing it on several layers of toilet paper or cotton fabric, and change it as it gets wet. Return the plant to the pot after a day.
If the earthen ball smells of rot and decomposition, you need to remove some of the soil and decomposed roots. Living roots are white or light brown, while dead roots are black. Carefully, use a fork or a pointed wooden stick to separate the roots. More often, rotted pieces of roots fall off along with the soil.
Rinse the remains of the earthen lump in a solution of the drug "Maxim", in potassium permanganate, etc., let it drain excess moisture or dry, as mentioned above.
Roll carefully in dry mixture river sand and vermiculite 1:1.
Due to the loss of part of the roots, the plant will not be able to maintain flowering, so it is necessary to remove all flower stalks and lower large leaves, sprinkling crushed coal on the broken parts.
In a pot whose diameter is slightly larger diameter remains of the earthen clod, pour drainage, a layer of soil about 1 cm, lower the diseased plant into the pot and sprinkle on top. In the soil that is used for healthy violets, you need to add more vermiculite and clean river sand 2:1:1, then it can be used for replanting diseased plants.
Insert several pieces of charcoal (or activated carbon tablets) around the perimeter of the pot.
Keep the plant in a warm place, do not water it until the top layer begins to dry out, then water it very carefully with warm, boiled water.
After planting, you can spray with Epin or Zircon, diluted according to the instructions. After treatment, keep the plant in a warm, dry and dark place 6-8 hours. Then you can move it to the light.
If the violet survives and the growth of new young leaves begins, then it can be removed from the pot again, shake off the soil containing a large number of sand and plant in a more nutritious substrate.

How to avoid flooding of flowers

What can you do to avoid watering your plants, even if someone else is watering them in your absence:

1. The size of the pot must match the variety and size of the rosette. The diameter of the rosette should be 2.5-3 times larger than the diameter of the pot (see photo). Pots with a diameter of more than 9-10 cm are not suitable for violets, except for trailer varieties,

2. In pots from different materials, but a different probability of soil acidification. Ceramic pots are more likely to dry out. Collectors don't use them. Pots made of thick plastic do not deform when you take it in your hands, the soil does not peel off from the walls, on the contrary, it sticks to the walls. In such a pot there is the greatest danger of flooding the plant.

A container made of thin and flexible plastic deforms when slightly compressed, and a air gap, the soil dries out faster, the roots breathe better. In such a pot there is a greater chance of drying out. When watering, water often simply flows down the walls of the pot without wetting the soil. This is indicated by two factors: simultaneously with watering, water appears in the pan, and the pot remains light in weight as before watering.

3. Soil containing a sufficient amount of vermiculite almost never sours. All purchased soils contain insufficient or no content at all. Purchased soil of a very dark, almost black color is made on the basis of lowland peat, which turns sour very quickly; it is better not to use such soils at all.

You need to buy soil containing reddish-brown, coarse-fibered high-moor peat. Thus, in suitable purchased soil or garden soil you need to add vermiculite or perlite, per 5 liters of soil 0.5-0.7 liters of vermiculite. It absorbs moisture well and then gradually releases it. It is advisable to add a full handful of chopped (up to 0.5 cm) sphagnum moss and 0.5 cups of small pieces of charcoal as an antibacterial component.

4. You need to make drainage at the bottom of the pot, preferably from medium expanded clay.

5. The pan should be wide and not deep, then the excess water will spread in a wide but not deep layer, not exceeding the drainage layer. Excess water is drained 15-30 minutes after watering, but in such a pan, even if the water is not removed, it quickly evaporates without harming the plant, and the air humidity around it increases.

6. Soil acidification is often associated with hypothermia of the earthen clod. In the cold, dark season, even in warm room on the windowsill the temperature can be 10°C lower than in the room.

Excessive watering in such conditions is very dangerous. The air contained in the pores of the soil is a heat insulator, and by displacing the air, the water quickly cools on the windowsill, and the roots become supercooled.

Diseases in such conditions have a lightning-fast course. You can insulate from a cold window sill using polystyrene foam and other similar materials. And in cold weather you can only water with warm water (it should be lukewarm to the touch).

7. Watering should be carried out strictly in doses. To do this, it is convenient to use plastic bottles with a juice straw tightly inserted into the lids. The water flows out in a thin stream, so you won’t accidentally splash too much.

Water must be poured until it appears in a small amount in the pan. Before watering, it would be a good idea to check the weight of each pot: heavy - like those that have just been watered, and if the top layer remains wet from the previous watering. This plant needs to be taken under control. If the soil has not dried out even after 24 hours, it means there has been an overflow.

Let's save the flooded violet!

Overdrying the plant threatens to overwater, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. With severe drying out, small young roots die off (they simply dry out). When watered abundantly, the plant cannot absorb all the moisture due to loss of roots, and the soil turns sour and begins to rot.

When drying out, water the plant gradually, little by little, but more often. If, due to drying out, all the leaves, both old and young, have withered, it means that all the roots have also died, and it is no longer possible to save the plant.

What the violet doesn't like

Watering too much
Severe dryness
Uneven watering
Cold, prolonged exposure to ground temperatures below 16°C
Heat, prolonged exposure to temperatures above 27°C
Direct sunlight
Drafts
Too high concentration of nitrogen in the soil, watering with manure infusion, excessive application of fertilizers
Alkaline soil with high salt content
Too high humidity and too low humidity
Insect attack: thrips, scale insects. Ticks can only kill children
Heavy ground

If all of the above does not threaten violets, then they are very resistant to disease.

Is it possible to destroy pathogens by heat treatment of the soil or chemicals? No. Only pests can be destroyed by heating: earthworms, some insect pests.

It is known that after some experimentation, nematode larvae remained alive in the soil after two hours of soil cultivation at temperatures above 100°C.

Fungal spores and bacteria survive even in space. Therefore, heat treatment only partially disinfects the substrate. But the structure of the soil is destroyed during prolonged heating. It does not need to be processed for long, and at no more than 75°C. Most convenient way- in the microwave - as soon as the earth becomes hot to the touch, stop heating.

Death of the growing point of a violet. Reasons and what to do

Sometimes you can observe the following picture: in the center of the rosette of a violet, the place from which new young leaves appear suddenly darkens, dries out, or turns black, the young leaves do not develop or are severely deformed. The growth point dies. There may be several reasons for this.

Incorrect application of mineral fertilizers.

A lack of boron leads to the accumulation of phenolic compounds in plant tissues, which poison it. The youngest leaves suffer the most; they remain small, their edges curl down, then the leaves turn brown and die. The growing point dies, the cutting and leaf blade become fragile. Flowers fade, and young flower stalks with buds also die.

A lack of boron can cause excessive application of potassium during feeding; in this case, there is also a disruption in the normal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Lack of calcium also leads to inhibition and death of the growth point. If a fertilizer with too high a concentration of potassium was applied during watering, and at the same time it hit the growth point, then there is no option - it will die.

If the plant is transplanted into a substrate with excess potassium content, then symptoms of a high salt content will appear: the rosette becomes dark green, the leaves become smaller, and growth slows down. If you pay attention to this in time, you can prevent the growth point from dying off by pouring a warm, weak (slightly pinkish) solution of potassium permanganate (at least 0.3 liters per plant) over the earthen ball, allowing it to drain from the pot, then placing it on dry tray.

Attack and rapid reproduction of ticks.

Young leaves in the center of the rosette become deformed, curl, become hard and brittle. With severe damage, the center of the rosette, the growing point of the violet, may die. But this is not the only sign; if a violet has been infected by mites, then on the leaves you can see bite marks, tiny light dots. The ticks themselves may not be visible due to their small size. In addition, severe mite infestation usually occurs in a hot and dry room.

Damage to the central part of the rosette by fungal diseases.

In this case, the young leaves do not become hard and brittle, but, on the contrary, become lethargic, pale or brown. However, fertilizer poisoning and mite infestation can cause the disease. So gray rot- mushrooms of the genus Botrytis (there are many varieties), in order to infect a plant they must settle at least on small area dead tissue, feeding on which, it attacks neighboring healthy cells with toxic secretions, then the next ones, so the affected area gets bigger and bigger. The gray putrid spot grows and becomes covered with a gray fluffy coating - this is the mycelium of the fungus. They for a long time they can live in the soil on plant debris until they are brought in from the street with soil, vegetables and fruits brought from the garden, with cut flowers, and there they fall on the violets along with the dust. This also applies to other types infectious diseases caused by fungi.

Incorrect violet transplantation.

If you plant a violet incorrectly, too deep into the ground, then when watering, water will fall on the growing point, it will rot and die, then the whole plant may die. There are some tricks to help avoid the death of transplanted plants. When planting children in an earthen substrate, make a hole and fill it with damp, repeatedly washed (the last 2-3 times with boiling water) river sand. Then make a hole in the sand, lower the roots of the separated baby into it and sprinkle them with the same almost sterile sand. The roots will then grow through the sand, and will take food into earthen soil, but with such a landing, even if deepening occurs, the water will simply flow down through the sand, and the children will never die. This method is especially good when the pot is too big. If you need to replant an adult violet or add soil to a pot, and the stem is already bare, you have to remove the rotten leaves from the bottom row. It is necessary to separate all the “stumps” from the leaves with a fingernail, sprinkle the stem with crushed charcoal, make a small bandage of sphagnum moss soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or the “Maxim” preparation, only then add soil.

Contributes to the development of the disease: water entering the center of the socket, low temperature(below 18 degrees) indoors, drafts, the center of the outlet is closed from inflow fresh air with dense raised leaves of the middle rows or abundant bouquet flowering.

How to treat.

For treatment it is necessary: remove all affected parts of the plant, spray the violet with a solution of any fungicide (Fundazol, Skor, Vectra, Pure Flower, etc.).

For prevention: spray all plants located in the same room with the patient, promptly remove leaves with signs of rotting, control the number of mites, prevent the spread of other pests, do not store vegetables and fruits in the room with the violet collection, introduce a quarantine regime for all new specimens. Practice has shown that steaming the earthen mixture before planting does not give results in the fight against fungal infections; it is better to add the biological product “Trichodermin” to it or pour it with a solution of drugs such as “Zaslon”, “Barrier”. Before budding, spray violets with Zircon or Epin to increase disease resistance. Use all medications according to instructions.

What to do if the growing point of a violet has died.

If the growing point of a plant removed from a leaf has died, the prognosis is not good; the plant will most likely die.

If the growing point of an adult violet has died, then after all the amputations and drug treatments, you should try to root a healthy leaf, better than second from the bottom of the row, cutting off 2/3 of its petioles.

How to save a violet

Several growth points may appear on the section remaining after removal of the apex. Wait until they grow to 4 leaves, remove all but one, then it will grow. If you have experience, you can grow the stepsons a little, break them off by prying them with your own fingernail, and then root them in sterile river sand, as is done when breeding chimera violets.

It may turn out that the disease has spread through the vascular system deep along the stem and no fungicide can help, the leaves in the center will continue to die, turning black at the very beginning of the petiole, it is better to discard such a plant, boil the pot for 20 minutes. If the variety is very valuable, you can still try to root the leaf.

We hope that our advice will help you.

My violet suddenly lost its leaves...

Who among us has not encountered a similar phenomenon in our collection? It is of an off-season nature, but more often occurs either in 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 are faced with the first pair of negative factors. In summer and sometimes when growing violets on a shelf - from the second.

And if novice gardeners suffer from violets from the inability to water the plants correctly, as well as select the right pot size and suitable substrate, then experienced ones suffer from the inability to water correctly. 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?

Resuscitation for dryness

If, after a few days of keeping the leaves at high humidity, the turgor of the leaves is not restored, and the violet, when the bag is removed, drops the leaves again, it 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). Pour water into a glass jar (for example, a mayonnaise jar), place the plant with its leaves on the edges of the jar and place it in a transparent plastic bag, into which we inject a little warm water to create higher air humidity. 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

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 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.

Many amateur gardeners suffer from plants grown in pots that are too large. This problem especially often arises during transplants, when a young plant from a plastic cup or small pot is transplanted immediately into a large pot with a diameter of 12-15 cm. A small root system cannot master 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 fairly experienced gardeners can afford to “jump” one or two sizes, but with very loose soil and very careful watering for a month after transplanting.

Why does the violet die?

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 these are 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 experts, the ideal soil for violets should consist of one third soil, one third water and one third air. When making your own substrate, take soil only with a crumbly, granular structure, well processed by earthworms.

And the last reason leading to the depressed state of the plant is 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, a substrate that has different shades of color in dry, semi-dry and wet states. 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 the optimal size of the collection, so that the care of each plant is at least a little individual.

Your I.L. Danilina

Beginning flower growers are often concerned with questions about why violet leaves wither, what to do if the flower becomes ill, and how to save it from death. With proper care, a plant located in good condition, has thick shiny leaves with well-developed pubescence. Their petioles are straight, of medium length and directed upward at a slight angle.

Why do the leaves wither?

If violet leaves become soft and droop, the reason may be their natural aging and death. In this case, only the bottom 1-3 sheets are subject to changes.

Diseases affect the entire plant at once: the lower leaves wither, and the middle and upper ones are curled, their leaf blades become smaller, their petioles are shortened, and spots or plaque appear. A bush that bloomed profusely before stops flowering or forms too long or shortened arrows with a minimum number of buds.

Lack of light

Among the reasons why violets wither is insufficient lighting. For good growth And abundant flowering The plant needs about 12 hours of daylight. In winter, it is advisable to illuminate violets with phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.

A sign of lack of lighting is excessive elongation of petioles and peduncles. Sometimes they are more elongated on the side away from the window, and the flower looks skewed. With a prolonged lack of light, the leaves lose color, become yellowish, and often begin to wither.

Improper watering

When combined with low temperatures and insufficient lighting, it becomes especially dangerous. Under unfavorable conditions, the flower goes into a dormant state, but it continues to be watered as abundantly as during active growing season. Because of this, stagnation occurs in the soil and the violet withers, which prompts the owner to increase watering.

The result of such a mistake could be the death of Saintpaulia. When water stagnates in the soil, the roots of the flower begin to rot. External signs of this are:

withered leaves on the whole plant;
termination normal height and development: the leaves in the center of the rosette become small, with short petioles;
cessation of flowering.

If measures are not taken to save the flower, it may die.

For symptoms overwatering The signs of a lack of moisture when a flower overdries are similar: in both cases it lacks moisture and nutrients. Lack and excess of moisture are equally harmful to Saintpaulia. You can distinguish one condition from another by soil moisture.

Lack of fertilizer or satiety

With a lack or excess of minerals, the plant acquires a characteristic appearance:

lack of nitrogen compounds leads to pale leaves, they lose turgor and droop;
excess nitrogen promotes the formation of rough, dark skin leaf blades;
deficiency of potassium and phosphorus causes the cessation of flowering: flowers and buds fade even on formed arrows, and new ones are not formed;
Excess of these substances can resemble signs of nitrogen deficiency.

Deficiency of microelements (iron, sulfur, magnesium, etc.) often leads to discoloration of leaf blades, curling and deformity, and shredding of leaves and flowers.

Unprepared soil

Drooping leaves may be a sign that the soil is not meeting the requirements of the violet. The plant prefers acidic, moisture-permeable, light soil, which contains many nutrients and retains moisture well. When purchasing a flower in a store, it is best to replant it at home in Saintpaulia soil. If it is impossible to buy a ready-made mixture, then a good replacement would be a mixture of equal parts of leaf soil, peat and fine river sand. From such soil the plant can easily obtain the necessary nutrients.

Influence of pests

A common reason why violet leaves become soft is insect damage. Among indoor pests Thrips become the most dangerous for violets. They can be found on the soil surface - they are small, white, mobile creatures. They are sucking pests and, in large numbers, can cause the plant to wither.

If the air is too dry, the violets are damaged and spider mite. It is easier to detect small pests and their webs on the underside of leaves.

Fungal and bacterial microflora leads to the formation of stains and plaque different types and coloring. Sometimes the leaves become limp and take on a translucent, watery appearance, and over time begin to rot at the base. If signs of pests or diseases are detected, urgent rescue measures must be taken (how to save a violet is described in a separate chapter).

Air temperature and humidity

The temperature range acceptable for growing Saintpaulias is small. When it drops to +15°C, the plant stops growing and stops blooming. The upper limit of the interval is +25°C. If the room is too hot, the plant loses turgor and withers.

Sudden changes in temperature are undesirable. In the room where Uzambara violets grow, it is advisable to maintain constant temperature at +18… +22°С. Air humidity should be about 70%. To maintain it at a normal level, place wide containers filled with water near containers with flowers.

What to do?

If you find limp lower leaves on a plant, try to find the cause. If the room is hot and the soil in the pot is dry, then abundant watering combined with sprinkling can help the violet. At home, the flower is placed in a basin and watered from a shower or watering can with lukewarm water, washing all the leaves. The pot is left in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes.

In order for Saintpaulia to finally get stronger, you only need to keep the soil moist, but if the plant suffers from wilting even after this, the cause can be determined by the signs accompanying undesirable conditions (pests, waterlogging or low temperature). Once the cause is discovered, proceed as follows:

When the soil is waterlogged and too dense, the root system suffers greatly. In this case, it is recommended to remove the flower from the container, wash off the remaining soil from the roots and inspect them. Having found traces of rot, cut off the damaged parts and dust the sections with activated carbon powder. Transplant the bush into new soil in a small container (even a large Saintpaulia requires a container of about 1 liter).
If the rotting process has taken over the stem, remove the lower flaccid leaves and cut the rosette down to intact tissue. Healthy pulp has a light, slightly greenish color. It is easy to root the rosette again by deepening the cut into the soil by 2-3 cm.
If the cause of wilting is pests or diseases and proper care is not able to help, the only thing to do if the violet withers is to purchase a remedy for insects, fungi or infections at the flower shop. Spray the plant with the composition and keep it in a mini-greenhouse from the bag for 12-24 hours.

It is advisable to carry out fertilizing specifically designed for flowering plants mixtures where all elements are balanced. Subject to simple condition and dosages of the drug, violet will not suffer from an excess or deficiency of minerals.