Gentle and heat-loving violet is the favorite of all gardeners for unusual colors, shapes and unpretentiousness in growing. The bright and very effective variety called Isolde, which is distinguished by its amazing appearance and duration of flowering, stands out among all. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules of plant cultivation, useful recommendations for home care, as well as possible difficulties in growing and methods of dealing with them.

Botanical description of the plant

Violet began to be cultivated at home only at the beginning of the 20th century, and before that it was considered to be capricious and even unsuitable for growing by a plant. This perennial, which came to us from Africa, is characterized by many useful and medicinal properties, and is still widely used for use in cooking and cosmetology.

Did you know? Due to its rich chemical composition, violet, widely used in medicine as an extract, is an effective tool in the fight against skin and inflammatory diseases, it also relieves pain syndromes and serves to relieve fatigue and stress.

Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, a huge number of varieties and hybrids designed for cultivation in indoor and greenhouse conditions have been bred. Among these is Isolda - a variety of amateur breeding that immediately settled on the windowsills of gardeners who fell in love with the plant for its beauty and ease of care. This variety was released in a pair of Tristan, so these two instances of breeding activity were named after the legendary characters of the well-known chivalrous novel “Tristan and Isolda”.

The flower is characterized by its resistance to coolness and the perfectly round shape of the outlet, which the other varieties cannot boast of. The leaves themselves are dark green in color, wavy, with a patterned border, which gives them an artsy and decorative look. Their small size (about 5 cm) is perfectly compensated by the quantity. Isolde flowers are openwork lush balls of white color with a pink frame at the edges.

After some time, most of the flowers begin to completely cover with pink, which is one of the main features of the variety. At first, their size does not exceed 7 cm, but after the first flowering, this figure drops to 4-5 cm. Right in the center of the outlet is a fancy bouquet of terry or semi-double roses of a delicate pink tint. A border of the same pink color. The flowers hold for a long time - about a month, and Isolde's bloom is observed all summer.

What conditions do you need to create at home

Isolda is a rather unpretentious variety, but in order for it to please its amazing flowering for a long time, it is necessary to provide it with certain conditions for growing. Among the mandatory requirements for breeding at home include lighting, placement, humidity, as well as the correct temperature. Let us dwell on each item in more detail.

Placement and lighting

In order for Isolda to grow and develop correctly, care must be taken to choose a well-lit place, since caring for a violet involves providing it with a sufficient amount of light. The plant responds best to bright, slightly diffused light. For this purpose, the eastern and western sides of the windowsill are perfect, however, it is necessary to periodically change the location of the flower so that the light falls on it from all sides.

Despite the photophilia, Isolda does not tolerate direct sunlight, so in the summer she will need to be shaded, covering the windows with curtains. Experienced flower growers recommend installing fluorescent lamps in a room with a flower so that the plant is exposed to the light 14-15 hours per day.

Temperature and humidity

The temperature, due to which it is possible to both accelerate and slow down the vital processes of the plant, has a great influence on the development of violets. The ideal temperature regime for Isolde in the warm season should be at least + 24 ° C, and in winter - +15 ... + 20 ° C, at lower rates, flower development stops.

Important! In the case of placing violets on the windowsill, its leaves should not be allowed to come in contact with glass, otherwise they may freeze during severe cold on the street.

The content of the plant in such temperature conditions is due to its tropical origin and natural habitat, in which the average annual temperature can reach +26 ... + 30 ° С. Despite the tolerance of coolness, Isolda still develops better at a stable temperature of + 20 ° C - then growth will be more active, and flowering longer, and flowers larger.

The most favorable air humidity for growing varieties is at least 50%. It is also important to consider that violets categorically do not tolerate drafts, therefore it is impossible to take the plant to the balcony. Spraying for violets can also be fatal, since flowers get spoiled and fade faster when water leaves the leaves.The best way out of the situation is to place small containers of water around the plant or install a humidifier in the room. The most suitable place in the house, in terms of humidity, for Isolde is the kitchen, so it is recommended to place it there.

How to care at home

Caring for a violet is quite easy, because the process of growing it is almost no different from other indoor plants. If you properly follow all the rules and take into account the peculiarities of plant cultivation, it will certainly please you with long colorful flowering and good development. Flower care consists primarily of watering, regular dressing and transplanting. We will analyze each item in more detail.

Watering

One of the first skills that beginners need to learn is to properly water the violets. The fact is that the plant is rather capricious in relation to water - it does not like frequent watering, drying out, or waterlogging.

Did you know? In ancient Greece, violet was considered a symbol of sadness and death, and therefore it was decorated with the death boxes and graves of young, prematurely dead boys and girls.

Most experienced gardeners recommend watering the violet 1-2 times a week, however, taking into account the season and humidity in the room, this indicator is adjusted. In no case should cold water be used for this procedure; only standing room temperature water is suitable.

Difficulties also arise during the irrigation process itself - here, too, it is necessary to adhere to some plant characteristics. A big mistake is watering violets, like other indoor plants, directly into the ground. In this case, this must be done very carefully, preventing water from entering the leaves and flowers, since stagnation of moisture will provoke their decay.

The most suitable way is the so-called lower watering, when water is poured into a pan, left with the plant for 15-20 minutes, and then allowed to drain. During this time, the substrate has time to soak in moisture, while allowing the roots to breathe rather than swim in the water. Fans of this method fill the tray itself with expanded clay, peat or pebbles and place a flowerpot in it with a hole made from below to provide free access to moisture.

Fertilizer application

Violet is fed only during flowering, that is, in summer, and in the cold season it is undesirable to “overfeed” a plant with an excessive amount of minerals. Fertilizers previously dissolved in water are applied once every two weeks. Most violet needs phosphorus, which promotes active growth and development, and potassium, which is responsible for the duration of flowering.

It is also necessary to take into account Isolde's need for nitrogen - with a catastrophic lack of it, the flowers begin to change their color. The alternation of organic and mineral fertilizers will also be beneficial to the plant. It is recommended to purchase ready-made fertilizers labeled “For violets” in a specialized store, since it is extremely difficult to make fertilizers in the correct proportions of these components at home.

Transfer

It is recommended to transplant the violet no more than once every several years, while the compulsory conditions for this procedure are compaction of the root system and an oppressed type of plant starving in depleted soil. A transplant is carried out in the spring, during the period of the most favorable state of violets for this process, but it is also permissible to transplant the plant in the fall.

The choice of capacity should be approached responsibly: it should not be too spacious, since the roots of the violet take up little space, but not too tight, otherwise the flower will not be able to fully develop. For young plants, it is advisable to use a pot with a diameter of 6–7 cm, and for adults - 11–13 cm. The height of the pot should not exceed 9 cm, the presence of a drainage hole is also necessary.

Violet substrate prefers nutritious, with an average level of acidity.

You can either purchase ready-made soil, or make it yourself, by including the following components in its composition:

• chernozem - 4 parts;
• peat - 2 parts;
• sand - 2 parts;
• brick chips - 1 part.

Obtained or purchased substrate must be decontaminated. For this purpose, a solution of pink manganese is suitable, in which it will need to be disinfected immediately before transplantation. It is very important to moisten the soil 2-3 hours before the procedure so that the flower can be easily removed from the pot.

A step-by-step transplant instruction is as follows:

1. Remove the flower from its original capacity by gently brushing off the ground and being careful not to damage the roots.
2. Carefully inspect the plant - if rotted roots are found, they must be removed along with yellowed leaves and peduncles, and the sections should be powdered with powdered charcoal.
3. Pour the prepared pot into the drainage layer, then top with fresh nutritious soil and place the violet roots in it.
4. Next, you need to add more substrate - to the very bottom leaves, and in order to better fit the ground, gently tap the pot on all sides.
5. After some time, most often in a day, moderate watering of the flower is allowed. It is also advisable to add some more soil so that the stem does not become bare.

Video: Violet Transplant

How to breed at home

At home, violets are propagated by dividing the bush, seeds and leafy cuttings. The most suitable time for this procedure is the warm season, but experienced gardeners can afford to reproduce even in winter.

Important! Every 2–For 3 months, you can gently wash the violet from dust under the shower, but after that it is necessary to let the plant dry completely: pour out the water, thoroughly blot the leaves several times and make sure that there is no moisture left on the plant.

Cuttings

For propagation by cuttings, it is advisable to select a leaf from the very center of the outlet, gently tearing or pruning it so as not to leave a “stump”, which subsequently decays.

Since Isolda is a varietal violet, plants propagated in this way will not preserve the color and shape of the leaves, which novice gardeners should also consider. Dishes for this procedure does not matter - both disposable glasses and glass jars 5-7 cm deep are suitable.

Rooting perfectly occurs both in water and in the soil - if we are talking about the first option, carefully monitor the condition of the sheet and prevent its decay. It is advisable to use water at room temperature, but in no case is it hot.

In this case, the roots will appear a few weeks later, after which it is allowed to plant sprouts in the ground. However, for rooms with a low temperature, the sprouting of cuttings in water is completely unsuitable, since they quickly decay from long standing, therefore they use rooting in the substrate. This method is characterized by landing of the sheet immediately after cutting.

The soil for this purpose is the same as for transplanting. The first sprouts will appear only after a few months, and all this time the earth must be regularly watered with warm, settled water and not allowed to dry out. Once the sprouts are strong, they can be transplanted into a pot.

Dividing the bush

Division of the bush also involves the separation, but not of the leaf, but of rosettes, which in most cases take up too much space and interfere with the full development of the main bush. They are carefully dug with a knife so as not to damage the plant itself, and then planted in small pots.

Watering is done regularly, without flooding the plant. Avoid direct sunlight. Using this method implies a high probability of maintaining varietal characteristics of the flower.

Seeds

The seed method of propagating violets is a rather risky and time-consuming process, therefore it is less popular. Growing a flower in a similar way is similar to the seedling principle, when seeds germinated in peat are grown until the first leaves appear, and then they are transplanted into a flowerpot.

It is quite difficult to obtain seeds on your own, therefore, most often, purchased ones are used for this purpose. In the future, the seeds are germinated in the same way as seedlings, observing regular watering, air humidity and the correct temperature regime.

Possible growing difficulties

One of the most pressing problems that flower growers encounter when cultivating a flower is diseases and pests, which significantly damage the appearance of the plant, and even if it is severely damaged, they can die, therefore, at the first signs of their presence, urgent measures must be taken .

There are also other difficulties that arise as a result of improper care, we will consider them in more detail:

1. The violet does not bloom. The most likely cause is improperly selected soil or watering, as a result of which the flowering process either slows down or stops completely, while twisting of the leaves is also characteristic. The way out of the situation is the regulation of irrigation procedures, restoration of the balance of mineral composition and temperature conditions.
2. Light spots appear in large quantities on the leaves. This is a clear sign that the plant was irrigated with cold water or burned due to sunlight on moist leaves. In this case, it is urgent to review and correct the implementation of this procedure - use exclusively warm water for irrigation and water the violet in the late afternoon, when the risk of burns is reduced.
3. Diseases and pests. Most violet is susceptible to fusarium, the cause of which is the incorrect separation, cutting and transplantation of rosettes, after which bacteria form on the damaged areas, which have a detrimental effect on the roots and stems of the plant, and it begins to rot quickly. In this case, treatment should be provided immediately - the decayed segments must be removed and the violets rooted with a healthy leaf that can form new outlets. The flower also suffers from root rot and powdery mildew, which provokes an excessively low acidity of the substrate. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering and treat the plant roots with the chemical drug Fitosporin. Insect pests are also the worst enemies of violets, because of which its growth and development ceases. Powdery mildew and root rot: The most dangerous pests include cyclamen mites, aphids, mealy worms and sciarides. Insect control is carried out by spraying with insecticides and establishing procedures for caring for the plant. With a severe defeat, any treatment is useless and the flower in this case is destroyed along with the soil, and the container and tray are thoroughly disinfected.Cyclamen tick, aphid, mealybug and sciarida

An unusually beautiful variety of violets called Isolda fell in love with flower growers for their delicate, very elegant coloring and unpretentiousness. Adhering to the simple rules of growing this unusual variety, you can get violet flowering from the violet, and Izold will also serve as an excellent decorative decoration and bring a touch of comfort to your home.