Violet (Saintpaulia) Chanson will surely appeal to flower growers who like not too demanding flowering crops. To preserve and enhance the decorative qualities of the flower, he needs to provide suitable conditions for growth and development, not forgetting about well-organized care. What you need to know about the nuances of growing such a senpolia and how to prevent mistakes in this matter - this will be discussed later.
Did you know? The smallest violet is the micro-mini Dainty Dinamo, whose adult leaf is only a few millimeters larger than the size of the match head.
Botanical description of the plant
The author of the Chanson variety (not to be confused with the EC-Russian Chanson variety) is not exactly known, although many breeders are inclined to believe that Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses, headed by Paul Sorano, is directly related to its appearance. Be that as it may, but this flower really deserves attention, largely due to its original color and high dark green leaves. All leaf plates are rather large, uniformly colored and rounded in shape (located on high legs, up to 10 cm in height). On the inside of the sheet, the surface is slightly pubescent, and the outside is always smooth and shiny.
By texture, they are juicy and fragile, assembled in a socket. Flowers - double, dark blue color, collected in inflorescences of 5-6 pieces. The edges of their petals are slightly wavy, scalloped, but the central part is densely strewn with pink peas. Flowering can be observed throughout the warm period of the year, and when suitable conditions are organized, even in late autumn. Breaks in flowering are insignificant, but to increase the splendor of each wave, it is worth periodically removing the buds that are forming, artificially slowing down this process.
The conditions for growing violets at home
Before planting a violet in a pot, it is worth choosing the most suitable place for it, with the obligatory consideration of the level of lighting and temperature values.
Important! For the uniform development of the Chanson Saintpaulia, the pot with it must be periodically rotated around its axis, each time exposing one of the sides to the sun. On average, the plant must be rotated 45 ° every two to three days.
Location and Lighting
Senpolia Chanson is very sensitive to sudden changes in lighting, so do not constantly rearrange it from place to place. If possible, it is advisable to place the flower on the southeast or southwest window sill, and with insufficient lighting in the winter, fluorescent lamps will help to fill it. On average, violets should be lit for at least 10 hours a day, because only in this way it will be possible to achieve lush and plentiful flowering.
However, it is desirable that the rays falling on the plants be scattered, so if you have to leave pots with a senpolia on the southern windowsill, you need to shade them, especially in the daytime. When placing a flower on the north window, an additional illumination is installed, and not only in winter.
Temperature and humidity
Ideal for growing violets are considered temperature indicators within the range of + 18 ... + 25 ° C, therefore, for the Chanson variety such values will be most suitable. In winter, the maximum temperature drop is allowed not lower than + 16 ° C, otherwise the leaves of Saintpaulia will quickly wither, and frozen violets are rarely able to be saved. In addition, any extreme temperature jumps should be avoided, since the described variety tolerates both extremely high and very low values equally poorly.
Important! If the violet leaves are very dusty, you can bathe it under a warm and very weak shower, however, after the procedure, all the leaves need to be dampened well with a towel and only after completely drying, return the pot to its original place.
Also, do not leave the violet in the draft, so when ventilating the room, it is advisable to take it out of the room. The ideal humidity level in this case is indicators at the level of 50-60%, and if it is necessary to increase them, it is better to place open containers with water next to the plant.
Basic rules for home care
Caring for a Chanson violet at home is simple and is based on standard actions: timely watering, top dressing, transplanting and pruning. Each of these processes has its own characteristics, which should be taken into account when growing the above varieties.
Watering rates
The rate of irrigation and the regularity of applying liquid to the soil largely depends on the season and temperature in the room. In the summer heat, the soil in a pot with Senpolia is kept moist, watering the plant 2-3 times a week. You can also place the pot on a tray with water and expanded clay, but in such a way that the bottom of the landing container does not come into contact with the liquid (the pot is perfectly held on expanded clay).
In winter, especially if the flower is put to rest, the amount of watering should be reduced, up to 1 time in 1-2 weeks. In order not to make a mistake and accidentally not fill the violet with water, always focus on the state of the top soil layer: the next watering should be done only after the substrate has dried at least 1 cm.
As for the method of irrigation, you can infuse the liquid only under the root, excluding its contact with the leaves or their outlet. A watering can with an elongated nose will help to ease the task, and an enema with a large pear can be used to water young plants. If water does get on the sheets, try to remove the drops as quickly as possible with a paper towel.
Fertilizer application
An excessive amount of fertilizer is not required for the Chanson violet, therefore, during the period of active flowering, it can only be fed several times with complex mineral compositions, combining their use with the next watering of the plant. A good solution in this case would be phosphorus-potash fertilizers; however, for the first time they can be used no earlier than two months after a flower transplant.
Organic compounds can be applied only during the formation of the leaf rosette, and then, reducing the concentration indicated on the package by about half. During budding, such dressings should be avoided so as not to drown the flowering with a riot of foliage. In winter, top dressing can be completely excluded, since the plant is in a state of complete rest.
Pruning
Chanson senpolia pruning is performed exclusively for sanitary purposes, when it is necessary to remove wilted buds or get rid of dried leaves. In some cases, the root system also needs to be trimmed: rotten roots are subject to cutting (it is not difficult to notice them during the next transplant).
All manipulations are performed only with a sharp, pre-sanitized knife, which will not leave any burrs on the remaining parts. After trimming the place of cuts, it is advisable to powder with crushed coal.
Transfer
Senpolia Chanson does not like frequent transplants, therefore it is recommended to change the pot only as the flower grows, that is, about 1 time in 2 years. The transplant process is simple: you need to remove the plant (along with an earthen lump) from the old pot and move it to a new one, filled with drainage and a small amount of suitable substrate. The finished mixture for violets or independently prepared soil, which includes peat (3 parts), leafy soil (5 parts) and sand (1 part), is perfect for the role of the latter.
Important! When choosing a flower pot, always adhere to the 3: 1 principle, that is, the diameter of the selected option should be exactly three times less than the diameter of the plant.
In addition to these components, you can pour a little charcoal or sphagnum moss into the pot, which will add additional looseness to the soil. As for the choice of pot, the ideal option for any violet is shallow, as if flattened containers, which are great for the surface root system of such plants. A small tank with a diameter of 6-8 cm will be enough for children and flowers of mini-varieties.
And for large specimens, you will have to purchase 10 or 12-cm landing tanks. As the plant grows (after about 2-3 years) it can be replaced with a large pot. The material for making the Chanson violet pot does not make any fundamental difference - the main thing is that it has drainage holes and does not contribute to moisture stagnation.
Video: violet transplant
How to propagate at home
Propagation of violets of the described variety is carried out in several ways, so that each grower can choose the most convenient for himself. It’s easier for someone to just sow the seeds and wait for their germination, and someone prefers not to waste time and root some part of the mother plant. Each option has its own characteristics, which you should definitely know about before performing the procedure.
Cuttings
Cutting violets involves cutting and rooting a healthy leaf. It is good if it is a second-line specimen, without the slightest sign of illness or wilting. As always, the cut is done with a sharp knife and at an angle, leaving a small stump on the donor plant, which is useful to dust with powdered charcoal to prevent rot.
The cut-off specimen is placed in water and the formation of its own root system is awaited, and as soon as the roots are 0.5 cm in length, all that remains is to transplant the stem into the soil and observe its further development. It is important not to overexpose the leaf in water and not to deepen its lower edge (only petiole) into the liquid, otherwise it will not be possible to avoid decay. The soil and the method of planting a new plant are no different from transplanting an adult senpolia.
Stepsons
Pasynkovanie is considered one of the most effective ways to propagate room violets, whether it be Chanson or some other variety. To complete the procedure, you will need only a few new landing tanks with soil and free time.
The process of separating stepsons consists of several simple steps:
- Extracting a donor plant from a pot (convenient to perform with the next transplant).
- Separation of formed outlets (they must have their own, well-developed root system).
- Placing each outlet in a new pot and backfilling with soil.
- In conclusion, you can moisten the soil, if this has not been done before.
There are many rosette-stepsons on the violet, they are all in the leaf sinuses and should be easily separated. If you can’t separate them manually, you can remove the children with tweezers, carefully biting them off at the attachment points. To preserve heat and moisture, a glass (pot) with a new plant is covered with a plastic bag, and after rooting the young senpolia immediately removed.
Did you know? Every year, breeders display hundreds of new varieties of violets, and a single register of these flowers still does not exist. A few years ago, about 16,000 were officially registered in America. varieties such indoor plants, but according to the estimates of the flower growers themselves, there are 2-3 times more of them.
Seeds
The seed method of propagating violets is the most time-consuming and painstaking of all proposed, so they resort to it only in the case of growing rare varieties and species, or when breeding new plants. Self-collected seeds are not suitable for germination, and in order to achieve the germination of purchased planting material, you also need to properly prepare it: in particular, disinfect and treat it with a growth stimulator. Also, do not forget that hybrid varieties propagated by seed method may not receive the main parental characteristics, which means that the new Chanson violet will not necessarily become what it should be.
Video: propagating violets by seeds
Rooting flower stalks
The rooting of flower stalks cut from the mother plant is another good way to vegetatively propagate the senpolia. When choosing a suitable planting material, make sure that small leaves remain in the lower part of the plant, then the peduncles and unopened buds themselves can be cut. An ordinary disinfected knife will help to separate them from the mother plant, after which it remains only to move the stalk to perlite (be sure to deepen to the bracts themselves) and cover with a film, creating a small greenhouse.
As soon as your own strong roots appear on the seedlings, you need to transplant them into the prepared soil mixture mixed with river sand. Emerging young outlets can be planted in small pots, 5-7 cm in diameter. There is also another way to propagate violets using peduncles. It is not necessary to immediately cut them off from the plant - you can simply remove the buds and flowers, thereby contributing to the active growth and development of stipules.
After they reach their maximum size, it remains only to cut off the selected parts and root them in the manner described above. Alternatively, you can wait for the flowers to dry themselves, and a small rosette will form on the stipules, which must then be rooted.
Growing difficulties
All possible difficulties in the cultivation of the Chanson senpolia are associated with infection of the plant with pathogens or the activity of pests on the flower. Most often, the variety suffers from fungal, viral and infectious ailments; however, usually they hit weakened violets. The most common problems include powdery mildew, fusariosis, late blight and gray rot, which may appear white on the surface of the leaves or in the form of spots of the wrong size.
Important! It is strongly not recommended to feed the plant during the disease. This will not give him strength, because a weakened flower will not be able to properly absorb nutrients and they will only harm him. The first top dressing of the senpolia after treatment is carried out no earlier than a month after full recovery.
At the first symptoms of ailments, appropriate measures should be taken immediately:
- replace the upper part of the substrate or completely transplant the plant into a new pot (pathogenic spores are best preserved in the ground);
- remove rotten parts and damaged leaves;
- spray the violet with special fungicidal preparations, the most popular of which are “Previkur”, “Beyleton”, “Fundazol”, “Fitosporin-M”.
Of the insects, the variety Chanson is harmed aphids, scale insects and mushroom mosquitoes, also dangerous spider mite and nematode. You can get rid of the plant from them with the help of insecticidal preparations like Actellik, Alatara and Aktara, using them in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations (always indicated on the package). From nematodes, “Fitoverm” is effective (when applied to the soil). Paying due attention to the Chanson violet, you do not have to worry about its appearance. A healthy flower always pleases the household with its bright and unusual appearance.
