Viola (Viola) is considered one of the brightest representatives of the genus Violet, which mainly grow in the highlands of northern latitudes, where a temperate calm climate prevails. In total, there are about 400-700 varieties of these plants. Some of them can be found in the Andes mountains in South America, others in tropical Brazilian forests, in Australia or New Zealand. Viola is also popularly known as pansies.
The history of this flower goes back to the distant past, when the first settlers in Europe learned to use it in the form of decorative elements in wreaths and garlands, which were used to dress up the premises for the holidays. The very first representative of the viola, which was bred by the breeders, is the fragrant violet, which was replaced by the mountain violet.
The cultivation of violets in gardens as a cultivated home plant began in the 17th century. It was at this time that breeding work began to create hybrid varieties. In the 19th century, Viola Wittrock, which was a hybrid of several species of this group of plants, gained its distribution in Europe. Today, viola is grown on many household plots and has a huge number of varieties that differ in color and structure.
Characteristics and description of the viola flower
Viola is a perennial herbaceous ornamental plant, the stems of which can sometimes grow up to 30 cm. The type of root system is fibrous, the structure of the shoot is erect. The leaves have split ends and stipules. They can be collected as a rosette or grown individually. Small single buds grow on long peduncles. The color of flowers is monochromatic, spotted or striped. Viola blooms in late May or early August. It depends on when the seed was planted. Some varieties can bloom throughout the season, others bloom only 2 times a year. The fruit of the plant looks like a box filled with seeds, which, if stored correctly, do not lose their germination property for several years.
Viola can easily tolerate low temperatures and poor lighting, but if the bush is in the shade, then the diameter of the flowers will be small. To grow viola, moist fertile soil is selected. On sandy loams, the flowers of the plant also become small and rare.
Growing viola from seeds
Sowing seeds
Viola seeds are planted directly in open ground. However, experienced growers prefer to trust the seedling propagation method as it is considered more reliable and practical. To observe the appearance of the first buds in the summer, then it is worth starting to grow seedlings already at the end of February. For these purposes, a ready-made potting soil mixture for growing violets, which can be purchased at any specialized gardening equipment and goods store, is perfect. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in Epin's solution.Then they are placed in shallow dug grooves and sprinkled with a little earth. The soil surface is leveled and watered abundantly. The growing container is covered with plastic wrap to retain moisture and stored at 15 degrees.
Viola seedlings
The first shoots may appear 1-1.5 weeks after planting. Seedling containers are freed from the film and transferred to a cooler room, in which there is natural or artificial light. However, one should beware of exposure to direct sunlight on young shoots. The main activities associated with caring for plants during this period are regular watering and complex fertilization of the soil twice a month. Such actions are enough for the plant to fully develop.
You can dive seedlings in different ways. Some growers do this several times, for example, when the first pair of strong leaves is formed, and also re-dive the plant after two weeks. However, other specialists in this field call the second pick directly transplanting the viola into the open ground. In any case, it is safe to transplant even a flowering plant. It will easily take root in a new place. When viola is grown from seed, flowering begins in late spring or summer.
Planting viola in open ground
The best time to plant
The time of viola planting in open ground is interrelated with the weather conditions that prevail in this area. The growing area should be well lit. A small amount of crushed coal, humus or bird droppings is added to the prepared soil in equal proportions. An equally fertile mixture is considered to be a composition of humus, sod land, peat and sand. To protect the root system of the viola from decay, you should not plant the plant in lowlands, near which groundwater flows.
Landing features
The planting process will not cause any particular difficulties, even for inexperienced and novice gardeners. The seedlings are placed in the holes, keeping the gaps between the individual bushes of about 10 cm. The holes are covered with earth, the surface around the seedlings is slightly compacted and watered with water. Mature plants need to be replanted every 3 years. This requires dividing the bush. If you do not pay attention to its growth, then over time, the viola will lose its attractiveness. The flowers will be small and barely visible among the lush foliage. Most varieties of viola are propagated by cuttings.
Viola care in the garden
It is necessary to constantly monitor the state of the area where the viola grows, to keep the soil moist. The structural features of the root system require regular loosening of the soil. The irrigation regime at normal climatic rates in the summer should be moderate. Natural humidification with rainwater will be sufficient. For hot and dry summers, the frequency of watering is increased, otherwise the plant may die. Weeds, fallen flowers and leaves are cut off in time as they will interfere with flowering. Every month, viola bushes are fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate or superphosphate. For an area of one square meter, you will need about 30 g of the substance.
Viola after flowering
Seed collection
After the plant fades, and this happens, as a rule, in late summer or early autumn, the seeds are collected. In place of wilted buds, seed pods are formed. They are considered fully ripe when they begin to turn upward. The boxes are cut off and the seeds are taken out of them, which are then dried and stored in a cool place. If you do not remove the seed pods from the bush, then self-seeding will occur and next season you will have to plant the bushes.
Perennial viols, which are bred today in summer cottages, can easily withstand low temperatures.Hybrid properties allow them to withstand severe frosts in our region. However, for the winter period, the bushes are covered with spruce branches and dry leaves so that the root system of the flower does not freeze. Annual varieties must be disposed of after flowering.
Diseases and pests
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that growing viola in a garden area should not cause any particular difficulties or questions if you carefully follow the care recommendations. Otherwise, you will have to deal with various plant diseases, for example, powdery mildew may appear on the bushes, which looks like a plaque covering the leaves and stems. Excessive nitrogen fertilization of the bushes can become the cause of this disease. As a remedy, a solution of soda ash is used with the addition of soap or foundation, which is sprayed on the diseased parts of the plant. To consolidate the effect, the procedure is repeated after a couple of weeks.
If the required temperature regimes are not observed, the soil is oversaturated with moisture, other more serious diseases arise, for example, gray rot or black leg. The spores of the affected areas quickly spread throughout the plant. Sick specimens are cut out, and the surface of the soil around is disinfected with a solution of foundation.
Spotting in bushes is rare. The appearance of dry leaves is considered to be signs of the disease. The viola gradually begins to weaken and eventually dies. To prevent the disease from spreading to other plants, it is necessary to collect all the infected flowers and burn them, and sprinkle healthy bushes several times with Bordeaux liquid for preventive purposes. After that, it is better to repeat this procedure after 2 weeks. Caterpillars and mother-of-pearl are common among viola pests, which eat up the green parts of the plant. Spraying the flower with chlorophos solution and tobacco infusion helps to get rid of them.
