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According to violet lovers, these plants reproduce easily, so that, having an adult bush of varietal Saintpaulia, you can very soon grow dozens of young plants. In this case, vegetative methods are most often used, with the help of which it is possible to preserve all varietal characteristics.

Saintpaulias are propagated by leaf cuttings, dividing the bush and even flower stalks. When developing new varieties of violets, they are propagated by seeds.

In the article you will learn everything about propagating violets at home by leaf, cuttings, dividing the bush, etc. and about the subsequent care of indoor flowers.

Propagation of Saintpaulias by leaf cuttings

Let's look at how to propagate violets by cuttings. Leaf cuttings take root best in spring and summer. For rooting, choose a healthy violet leaf with a fairly long petiole (at least 4 cm in length).

You need to take leaves that are not young, but not old either. They should be large and without yellowness. Old and very young leaves usually die without taking root.

The leaf should be cut as close to the plant stem as possible. If part of the petiole still remains on the mother violet, it must be removed. Such a petiole can rot and destroy the entire plant.

The petiole of the cut leaf is cut diagonally so that the cut surface is as large as possible. After this, the leaf is rooted and planted in the ground. Leaf cuttings allow you to obtain a plant that completely corresponds to the mother. Only a few varieties lose their varietal characteristics when propagated by leaves.

Methods for rooting cuttings

Root leaf cuttings in water, soil or sphagnum. Rooting in water is the easiest way. Pour cooled boiled water into a glass and place the leaves there, petioles down. The temperature during rooting should be maintained from 20 to 24ºС. Under these conditions, roots should appear within 2 weeks.

You should not rush to plant rooted leaves in the ground. You can wait another 2-3 weeks until sprouts begin to appear on the petiole. Now the leaves can be planted in separate pots with Saintpaulia soil. There is no need to deepen them; they are planted no deeper than 10-15 mm. After planting, the rooted leaf blades are watered like adult plants.

Sometimes a freshly cut leaf is immediately planted in the ground. After this, it is watered as usual, without covering it with glass or a jar.

Roots and young leaves appear after 1-1.5 months. Rooting in the ground is associated with the risk of leaf rotting and this method is considered not very productive.

Rooting leaf cuttings in sphagnum gives good results.

They do not rot in this substrate, since sphagnum moss has bactericidal properties. You can use either dry soaked or live moss.

Rooting violets directly in the soil mixture

Very often, violet leaves are rooted directly in the soil. To do this, choose large and healthy leaves without defects or damage. It is not recommended to take limp, rotten or broken leaves, as they quickly disappear without taking root. The leaf stalk is shortened, leaving no more than 3 cm. The lower cut is made at an angle so that the area for root formation increases.

Leaves are rooted in small plastic pots up to 5 cm wide. A drainage layer equal in thickness to 1/3 of the height of the pot is placed on the bottom. A moist substrate is poured on top for rooting. It consists of an earthen mixture for violets and perlite in equal parts.

The leaves are not buried deeply - no more than 2 cm. To ensure that the heavy leaf holds tightly and does not fall out of the soil, it is fixed with sticks or matches. To speed up rooting, place it under a glass jar or place it in a plastic bag along with the pot.

The temperature for rooting should be within 22-25ºС. Leaf lighting is diffused, at least 12 hours a day. As the substrate dries, it must be moistened, and the leaves must be opened and ventilated. In these conditions they take root much earlier than in water.

Propagation of Saintpaulia by part of a leaf

A violet can be grown not only from a whole leaf blade, but even from a fragment of a leaf. To do this, it is necessary to properly prepare the planting material. The leaf is cut in half and the central vein is removed. Then it is cut into fragments that have at least one vein.

The planting material is dried for 15-20 minutes to allow the sections to dry. Then the leaf fragments are planted on the ground. They should not be buried. The pieces that take root best are those that are not buried, but simply in close contact with moist soil. Sticks are used to fix them.

The planted parts of the leaf are covered with glass jars. The substrate is moistened as it dries.

The temperature for rooting is maintained at least 22ºС. Under these conditions, you can get a lot of young plants from one leaf, since a baby grows from each vein.

Practice shows that leaf pieces take root best not in the soil mixture, but in pure sphagnum moss. This material is very moisture-absorbing and has bactericidal properties. When rooted in it, planting material rarely rots, takes root well and forms children.

Only experienced gardeners propagate violets using leaf fragments, since any mistake leads to rotting or drying out of the planting material. But sometimes this method of reproduction is the only possible one.

This happens when the valuable violet leaf begins to disappear. Then all its diseased parts are removed, the leaf is cut into fragments and they are rooted.

Dividing a violet bush

All varieties of violets are propagated in this way, even those that lose their varietal characteristics when propagated by leaves. This is how Saintpaulia chimeras are usually propagated. When grown from leaf cuttings, young plants often lose their unique coloring.

Dividing the bush can be done when replanting a very overgrown plant with many shoots in the spring.

Separate the shoots that grow from the base of the bush and already have their roots. Such rosettes are carefully cut off so that a sufficient number of roots are separated from them.

When propagated by peduncles, the varietal characteristics of violets are preserved. This method also makes it possible to propagate all varieties of indoor violets while maintaining their varietal characteristics. Choose a peduncle that has recently faded or together with flowers so that it has small leaves.

The peduncle is cut above the leaf and below by 1.5-2 cm. Then it is rooted in water or in sphagnum and planted in the ground to such a depth that the leaf is on the surface.

Sowing Saintpaulia seeds

Varietal seeds of indoor violets can be purchased at flower shops or garden centers. Sometimes you can get them at home.

During flowering, violet flowers can be pollinated, and sometimes they themselves are pollinated if pollen from a neighboring flower falls on the pistil. After this, a box with seeds is formed, but the seeds ripen within 6 months, and in some cases even longer.

Before growing violets from seeds, you need to prepare everything you need for seedlings. Violet seeds are very small, each box contains from 100 to 300 pieces.

Seeds are sown in late March or early April. They are not covered with soil, but only pressed to the ground. Water with a moisture sprayer.

The temperature during germination must be maintained at least 22ºС. The container is covered with glass, but is regularly ventilated to avoid the growth of fungi. Under such conditions, seeds germinate within 2 weeks.

Seedlings dive 3 times as they grow. During the third picking, they are planted in separate pots. Propagating violets by seeds is not an easy task.

Soil for violets

The substrate for violets should be nutritious and at the same time loose and breathable. You should also take care of the sterility of the soil mixture, since violets are susceptible to various fungal infections and rot easily.

Soil for violets is sold in flower shops in an assortment. Every potting mix manufacturer provides customers with substrates for these popular houseplants. To sterilize purchased soils, heating or freezing at low temperatures is used.

It is difficult to prepare soil for violets yourself. But if you really want it, you can try it. The soil for violets should contain:

• Leaf soil from under a birch or linden tree - 2 parts;
• High-fiber coarse peat – 1 part.

Humus is added to the resulting mixture - 1/10 of the total volume.

Perlite and vermiculite are used to loosen the soil. They are mixed in equal parts and 1-2 cups are added to 1 bucket of soil mixture.

Ready soil for violets must be steamed. This procedure destroys pest eggs, harmful bacteria and fungi.

Caring for violets after propagation

Violet babies appear at the base of the leaf stalk. If the leaf was rooted in the ground and was covered with a glass jar on top, it is gradually opened. While the children are too small, they are not touched, but only moisten the soil as it dries. Young plants need diffused light; the sun's rays can burn them.

As soon as the young rosettes reach a diameter of 5 cm, they are planted in separate pots.

By this time, the rooted old leaf has already dried out. For miniature varieties, the diameter of the rosette for transplantation can be 2-3 cm. Children ready for transplantation should have 2-3 pairs of leaves. If there are fewer of them, there is a high probability that the young plant still has a very weak root system.

When replanting, you need to prepare several plastic pots with a diameter of 6-8 cm. Drainage is placed at the bottom, and 1-2 cm of soil for violets is poured on top. Young rosettes are removed from the pot and carefully separated. Each child should have well-developed roots. They are planted in a new pot, sprinkling the roots with soil on top. The soil in the pot is compacted a little.

If some children have very weak roots, they are also planted in new pots and covered with glass jars on top. In conditions of high humidity, young rosettes quickly take root. When they start to grow, the cans can be removed. If the leaf produces only one baby, it is transplanted into a larger pot by transferring it.

After transplanting, young rosettes need to be watered. Then they need to be cared for like adult plants. After the violet grows 5-6 large adult leaves, the old small leaves can be carefully trimmed.

For the first 2-3 months after transplantation, the rosettes are not fed. Then you should start fertilizing with liquid complex fertilizers for flowering plants. Typically, young violets, rooted in late spring, begin to bloom in early autumn.

Now you know how to propagate violets at home correctly. You can read about basic care for Saintpaulias here.

dom-florista.ru

How to breed new varieties of violets yourself

How to breed new varieties of violets to please a girl on her birthday) Anyone who has already done this or who knows who has done this, please post photos in the comments)

The work of a breeder to develop a new variety of violets requires enormous patience, experience and knowledge. The process of how to develop a new variety of violet has been described and studied for more than one millennium. Its principle is based on the repeated process of crossing different varieties of violets and requires years of painstaking work. To develop a new variety of violets, you must first acquire a solid basic knowledge of growing different varieties of violets and be able to grow healthy flowers of various varieties. Then you need to learn how to pollinate them correctly. To properly pollinate a violet flower, you need to apply pollen to the pistil, which is borrowed from the yellow anthers of the plant. The anther is opened in advance using a sterile needle. Pollen is ready for pollination after ripening, 5-6 days after the flower opens. After maturation, it remains active for three months. The ripening of the pistil can be determined by the characteristic droplet of liquid protruding, thanks to which the pollen is well attached to the surface of the pistil. After pollination, the amniotic ovary begins to form a capsule, in which, as it matures, small, dust-like seeds with a dark brown color are formed. After 5-7 months, when the seeds reach their maturity, the stem will wither and the capsule can be easily separated from the plant. The ripe capsule must be removed from the plant, dried for several days and opened with a needle. The seeds are placed in paper bags and stored in a dry and dark place. Seeds can be sown 2-3 weeks after ripening, although depending on the variety, they can remain viable for six months or more. Transferring the characteristics of parental pairs to a new species of violet is extremely difficult. For example, if you cross a purple and pink violet, you can produce offspring with blue and purple shades of flowers. If you cross a violet with simple flowers and a double one, the probability of getting offspring with simple flowers is extremely high. Over the course of repeated pollination, it is possible to develop new, previously uncreated varieties. But it will take time to grow a new variety, more than one year.

Well, perhaps for a girl’s 50th birthday... It’s VERY DIFFICULT AND VERY LONG. If your girl loves violets and collects them, then go to any website dedicated to the trade of varietal violets and order planting material for cool varietal violets, receive them in the mail and hand them to the girl. You can open the catalog and ask the girl to choose the violets that she liked. The main thing here is to stop in time...

This is a very long and painstaking task, if you start now, maybe in five years you will delight her with a new variety. But this is if you are already an experienced gardener and growing violets from seeds is not a problem for you.

Buy it ready-made at the exhibition. I think your girlfriend will be happy with any violet if there is none in her collection

indoor-plants-tips.ru

How violets reproduce at home - K-dou18.ru

Also, during the formation of buds, you can fertilize with fertilizer containing phosphorus, and for young plants - with a large amount of nitrogen. Fertilizer for violets can be used no more than once a month, alternating between different types.

For good growth, only one plant can “live” in a pot, so when growing, excess rosettes must be planted, but with care so as not to touch the roots. This makes it possible to get another plant without spending extra money.

There are several ways in which the Uzambara violet propagates. Care at home will make it quite easy to prepare planting material for its propagation and even growing new varieties:

• pieces of leaves;
• sockets or stepsons;
• seeds (the longest process).

The optimal time for this is spring and summer, because in winter the plant is dormant and requires specific conditions for care.

Propagation by cuttings (leaves)

The easiest way to grow many plants of the Uzambara violet species at home is propagation by cuttings. For this, the largest leaves are used, which must be cut with a very sharp knife at a slight angle (so as not to crush the stem).

There are 2 ways to root leaves:

• in water, where a small piece of the stem of a leaf is dropped, root germination usually takes 10-14 days (water must be added little by little, maintaining the same level);
• in a special soil (peat mixture) at a depth sufficient to hold the leaf in a standing position at a slight angle, while the most important point is to maintain the microclimate above the surface of the earth using a plastic bag, a jar or a cut piece of a plastic bottle, the soil must be maintained with sufficient moisture, The mini-greenhouse is removed after the cuttings have rooted.



Reproduction by rosettes

When an adult violet has already grown well, daughter rosettes (stepchildren) begin to appear next to it, which will also help propagate this plant. To plant the rosette, you need to wait until it grows to at least 5 cm in height. After this, it is very carefully separated from the main stem, trying not to harm the roots.

It is better to plant in the same soil; after rooting, within a month the violet will produce fresh young leaves and the formation of buds will begin.



Varieties and varieties of Saintpaulia

Varieties of Uzambara violets include a great variety of different colors and leaf shapes, which were specially bred by professional biologists or even by amateurs completely by accident. Moreover, when propagated by cuttings, any gardener can grow a completely new variety (degenerate varieties).

Saintpaulia varieties are divided into several groups according to the size of the rosette, the variety of flowers and the shape of the leaves.

Thus, varieties with a uniform color or with a border naturally inherit the traits of their parents with the leaf method of propagation, and the border can appear only during the second flowering.

Fantasy species (decorated with spots, stripes, dots) are recommended to be propagated by peduncles or with the help of stepsons, then they will inherit this color. “Chimera” violets, which have a pattern on the flowers in the form of rays, are also propagated in the same way.

Ampelous varieties, which have a long stem and grow at several points, are distinguished by a large number of flowers and many rosettes.

Osa type varieties are one of the new and original types of violets, in which the flower has 2 short upper petals and 3 lower, longer and narrower petals, forming an exotic appearance.



One of the currently popular varieties is the blue violet, bred in Russia. It has large, up to 10 cm, bright blue flowers, and the plant itself is highly branched and up to 40 cm high. There are several such varieties of violets with different flower shapes:

• Blue mist - soft blue fluffy balls with wavy edges.
• Blue Danube - has many blue flowers up to 5 cm in diameter.
• Blue dragon - pale blue stars with a blue center, a wide red border with a white-golden edge, flower size up to 6 cm.
• Blue Lagoon is a bright blue violet with a blue spot and a red ruffle around the edge.



Diseases and treatment of Saintpaulia

Violets are very fastidious plants that require certain air and soil humidity, a lot of light, but not direct sunlight, certain care and feeding. But even when all these conditions are met, it happens that the plant gets sick.

The main task in such a situation is to learn to determine the cause of the disease and distinguish between infectious diseases of Uzambara violet and non-infectious ones, i.e. caused by a lack of some useful substances or improper conditions of detention.

One of the common problems is yellowing of the leaves of the plant, most often caused by improper soil acidity, too much sun or strong shade.



Infectious diseases of violets:

• Fusarium (rosette rotting) - the causative agent is the Fusarium fungus, which penetrates into young roots under improper conditions (heavy soil, regular overflow of water, especially cold water, a very large pot). As a result of the disease, the petioles of the leaves turn brown and begin to fall off. To prevent the appearance of this fungus, it is recommended to water the plant once every 2 months with a solution of foundationazole. To treat violets, they should be treated with fungicides, after removing dried or rotten stems and leaves.
• Powdery mildew - manifests itself in the form of a whitish coating on all surface parts, spreads with insufficient lighting, improper humidity, dust or dirt in the air. The cause may also be a deficiency (potassium and phosphorus) or an excess of trace elements (nitrogen). For treatment, you can use spraying with foundationazole or benlate (usually 1 time is enough, but can be repeated if necessary). To prevent the Uzambara violet from getting powdery mildew, caring for it at home should consist of the following: for prevention, wipe the leaves with wet wipes, ventilate the room and prevent excess moisture in the pot;



• Late blight is rotting of the root collar of a violet and the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, which is caused by a fungus penetrating through the roots or wounds on the stems. The danger of late blight is that fungal spores settle in the soil, and therefore the only way out is to destroy the plant and sterilize the pot. To prevent the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, you should add superphosphate to the soil and keep the humidity in the room no higher than 60%;
• Gray rot, which is caused by the fungus botrytis, manifests itself as a gray-brown coating on all upper parts of the plant, and then rotting and death of the violet. The fungus often gets in with contaminated soil, so before planting each plant, it is recommended to freeze the soil in the freezer and then water it with a manganese solution. All diseased parts of the violet must be destroyed and the plant treated with fungicides. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to avoid excessive watering and sudden changes in room temperature.

Pests of violets

The most common pests that attack Saintpaulias are:

• scale insects - attack leaves and young peduncles, deforming them and causing the appearance of red spots; Treatment with Actellik or Fitoverm helps against them;
• aphids are usually brought into the house from fresh flowers, insects eat flower buds, using the plant juice as food; to get rid of aphids, you need to use “Moskpilan” or “Aktellik”;
• mites (several types) - spoil young leaves; to combat them, plants are treated with Akarin, Fitoverm, etc.



Usambara violet, or Saintpaulia, is a very beautiful ornamental plant, diverse in colors and varieties, which is successfully grown on windowsills by many amateurs and professionals of decorative floriculture.

Propagation of violets by leaf

Violet is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, which has more than five hundred varieties, differing in color, shape and size of leaves and flowers. Since it blooms in early spring, its flowering seems to mark the end of winter. It is believed that the birthplace of violets is Australia.

Violet: care and propagation at home

This flower can be grown in a greenhouse or at home. The violet reaches a height of 30 cm and is characterized by active growth.

Caring for flowers is quite simple and does not take much time. Violets love good lighting, but should not be placed in direct sunlight. The best side for growing will be the north, in extreme cases - the east or west.

In order to ensure uniform growth and development of the violet on all sides, it is periodically necessary to turn it in different directions in relation to the light.

It is advisable to add coarse sand and peat moss to the soil with the pot. Is it necessary to prepare the drainage in advance so that it takes up at least? pot.

Violet loves water, so the soil in the pot should be constantly moist. However, do not pour too much water, otherwise the roots may begin to rot.

Violets need to be replanted once a year. However, you should not take a larger pot. It is enough to change the soil and plant the plant in the same pot.

How to propagate violets using leaves?

Violets are propagated by leaves or their fragments, that is, part of a leaf. Rooting of the leaf can be done in water or soil.

Rooting a whole leaf in water

• We pinch off a leaf with a cutting from a bush at an angle of 45 degrees. The length of the petiole should be no more than 4 cm.
• . Let the cut area dry for 15 minutes.
• For rooting in water, a dark glass container is best suited. You can take medicine bottles. Little water is needed. Pour the liquid to a level no more than 1.5 cm from the bottom of the container.
• We create greenhouse conditions for the leaf by covering it with a plastic container.



Rooting a whole leaf in the ground

Rooting a leaf fragment in water or soil

If you use “tight” varieties of violets during the growing process, then children may appear no earlier than four to six months from the moment of planting. In this case, you can stimulate faster growth of children if you deliberately damage the leaf plate. Using a sharp knife, cut off one third or one quarter of the leaf. The cut can be made obliquely, cutting out a triangle along the veins, or in a straight line, as shown in the photo below.

The technique for planting part of a leaf is the same as for the whole.

If you follow the rules for caring for and propagating violets at home, you will be delighted with luxurious caps of beautiful flowers.

Propagation of violets at home

There are several ways to propagate indoor violets and they cannot be unambiguously called simple or complex, just like the process of their propagation in general. Violets are whimsical and delicate plants, but those who have been growing them for a long time confidently claim that with experience it becomes absolutely simple. We will tell you further what the subtleties are, what the features are, and which method gives the greatest probability of rooting a new plant.

There are vegetative methods of propagation: by leaf, whole or part thereof and peduncle, or by sowing seeds. Each has its own pros and cons, so that everyone understands how it will be easier for him, we will describe each method in detail.

Violet propagation by leaf

Propagating violets by dividing a leaf or a whole leaf is the most common and simplest method. Everything here is primitive and simple: a healthy leaf is cut or carefully torn off from the mother plant and planted in the ground. You can wait for the roots to grow in water and only after that, knowing for sure that the roots are already there, plant them in the ground. This is individual for everyone. For germination, the store selects special soil for violets (may also be called “for Saintpaulia”). If germination took place in water, then the rooted cuttings are planted in the soil with great care, since the root is very fragile and sensitive.

If it is not possible to root a whole leaf, or you want to get several rosettes from one leaf, then there are options for dividing the leaf. The upper part is cut off from it, but not horizontally, but along the veins (a triangle is cut off) and this part is planted to form rosettes.

You can divide the entire leaf into several segments according to the veins and plant them all in a kind of greenhouse, then much more borings will be created. This, of course, is somewhat of a jewelry job that requires accuracy, skills and a very sharp tool (the use of which also requires accuracy and skill), but if you really want to, it’s worth a try. The first time may not work out, but with each subsequent time everything will become much easier.

It is worth noting that not all violets undergo this method of reproduction. The widespread and beloved “violetcomanamas” of Saintpaulia reproduce very well with this method, but it is not suitable for chimeras; varietal characteristics are not transmitted when the leaves are separated.

Propagation of violets by peduncles

We immediately warn you that not all peduncles are suitable for propagation, so you should first carefully examine them, and then decide whether to use them in this way, or cut off the leaf. So, if there are small leaves on the peduncle slightly below the flowers, then it can become the basis for a new violet.

Here again, there are two options: you can simply bend such a peduncle to the ground, giving it the opportunity to grow roots, or carefully cut it off and root it like a leaf. When choosing an option, you should be guided by how the peduncle is located and whether bending will injure the plant.

During reproduction, therefore, varietal characteristics are always transmitted, which is a plus, but there are two minuses. Firstly, flower stalks with leaves are rare, and secondly, not everyone wants to deprive their beauty of its main decoration - flowers.

Propagation of violets by seeds

Propagation of violets by seeds is also practiced, but not too often, and there are two good reasons for this. The first is that this process is long, painstaking and unreliable, and the second is that when sowing seeds, the original variety of the plant is not preserved, that is, the violet multiplies, but not the same one. The method is used mainly for breeding new varieties.

The method of sowing seeds, as you can already understand, is used by breeders. To prepare enthusiasts for future results, we note that no more than 1-3% of newly bred plants will continue to grow after the first flowering, all the rest will become unusable and discarded. In addition, sprouted sprouts will require constant supervision, control and care, so at home this method is not considered appropriate or even realistic, so we recommend choosing any method of vegetative propagation of violets.

Vegetative propagation of violets

The article provided two options for vegetative propagation of violets: a peduncle and a leaf or part of it. They are used most often and give good results. There is a third option - propagation by side rosettes, children.

Children grow up quite often. This may be caused by injury to the plant, removal of a mature plant stem, or may be a species characteristic. The babies can grow in the axils of the leaves or on the stem, but either way they are quite easy to separate. Separation of the children is generally recommended so that they do not interfere with the development and growth of the main plant. The clear advantage of this method of reproduction is the absolute repetition of species characteristics and simplicity, especially since the children take root quite quickly.

How to grow a violet from a leaf, video

And finally, a useful video on growing violets from leaves.

How to propagate violets by leaf at home?

Violet propagation by leaf at home is possible. However, there are a number of nuances that need to be taken into account. There are certain requirements for choosing a seedling, and there are also rules for its primary processing. In order for a leaf to begin to take root, it must be properly planted in soil or water. In the first case, we must not forget about the watering regime so that the plant will soon take root, and about the harm that bacteria can cause to seedlings.

Propagation of violets by leaves takes place in several stages. They consist of:

1. Selection of strong leaves. This is an important point, since the success of reproduction depends on the correct selection. The main thing is to ensure that the leaves are healthy (not infected with bacteria).

2. Preparing the seedling. It is necessary to create favorable conditions for it in which it can take root. There are two ways to prepare a seedling: in soil and in water.

3. Planting the cutting and further care. At this stage, it is worth observing the conditions associated with the choice of soil, pot and watering regime.

The best time of year to propagate the plant by leaf is spring and summer, since during this period there is enough light and heat. But if propagating a plant with leaves is the only way to save a rare variety, then an experienced gardener will be able to carry out his plans during the rest of the year. To do this, greenhouse conditions must be created. The temperature in the room should be at +22…+26 °C, air humidity is considered optimal at 50–60%.

Before you start replanting a plant, you need to study the planting material. Choose juicy, dark green leaves without defects. Tips for choosing material for flower transplantation:

k-dou18.ru

How to propagate violet leaves at home

Uzambara violets are attractive for home keeping due to their long flowering, variety of varieties, unpretentiousness and the possibility of easy propagation. These flowers do not need much space on the windowsill; sometimes they are even kept on racks next to the window, illuminated by fluorescent lamps. Saintpaulias are considered a symbol of home comfort; they are found in almost every apartment. Let's talk about how you can propagate these delicate plants using just one leaf.

Description of Uzambara violet (photo)

Violet belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. This plant was first discovered in East Africa. Saintpaulia is classified as an herbaceous plant with a very short stem and a bushy rosette of leaves. The leaves are most often heart-shaped, they can be rounded and more elongated. The upper side of the leaf is pubescent and its color can be different shades of green. The lower part of the leaves is lighter, greenish or purple. The leaves look quilted due to the pronounced veins.

From 3 to 7 medium-sized flowers are formed on one peduncle. When an adult rosette is in full bloom, up to 100 flowers can be present on a violet at the same time. Under good conditions, Saintpaulias bloom continuously for 8-9 months a year. Currently, almost 1,200 new hybrid varieties are registered. Their difference can be seen both in the size of the leaf rosette and in the shape and color of the flowers.

Violets with simple, semi-double and double inflorescences have been bred. Chimera violets are becoming increasingly popular. Their gene structure is changed in such a way that the synthesis of pigments occurs differently in different parts of the petals and the color turns out to be very unusual. Unfortunately, the varietal characteristics of such plants are lost during leaf propagation, being preserved only in the stepchildren.

Propagation of violets by leaves correctly (step by step)

The ability to root is greatly influenced by the quality of planting material. If you decide to propagate a violet with a leaf, choose it from the middle layers of the leaf rosette. The lower old leaves are already weaker and have less vitality. Their proximity to the ground increases the risk of pathogenic microflora and fungal spores being found on them. And if you cut a leaf from the crown of the rosette, it is easy to damage the growing point, in which case the plant will stop developing.

On a note! The leaf selected for propagation must be fully formed, have good turgor and sufficient size.

If you received a leaf received by mail or brought by your friends, which has become slightly limp, soaking it in warm boiled water with the addition of a few crystals of potassium permanganate will help. It is advisable to keep it in the solution for about 2 hours, this will restore elasticity and at the same time kill pathogenic flora.

After this, the sheet must be blotted with a napkin and the edge of the cutting must be cut with a sharp knife so that its length is 3-4 cm. The cut can be made either straight or at an angle of 45 degrees. Next, they begin the rooting process, which can be done in two ways: in water and in the substrate.

Rooting in water

The “water” method is more suitable for inexperienced gardeners, since with this rooting method it is easy to observe the process of root growth and the condition of the cutting. It is advisable to use boiled or filtered water so that it does not spoil quickly. It is better to use dishes made of dark glass. To root in water you need:

• Thoroughly wash and rinse the glass for the leaf cuttings with boiling water and fill it with water.
• Place the leaf in a container so that the lower part of the petiole is immersed in water by 1-2 cm. You can hold it in the required position using a lid or a piece of thick paper with a hole. The stem should not touch the walls of the glass.
• Throw an activated carbon tablet or small charcoal into the water to prevent rotting processes.
• After this, monitor the water level, constantly adding it to the original level.
• When the roots reach a length of 1-2 cm, plant the violet leaf in the substrate.

If the process goes as it should, the appearance of roots can be seen in 2-4 weeks. Sometimes it happens that the end of the leaf petiole still rots. In this case, you need to immediately cut off the affected tissue to a healthy place and put the leaf back in the cup for rooting. In this case, the dishes are treated with an antiseptic, and then fresh water is poured in.

Attention! Some violet lovers, using the “water” rooting method, leave the leaf in water until a young rosette appears. We do not recommend doing this, as in this case the shoots may be weakened, which will impair their further development.

When planting a leaf with roots in the soil, keep in mind that you cannot deepen it too much, otherwise it will be more difficult for the rosette to break through to the top. The pot for planting is filled 1/3 with expanded clay, on top of which a loose soil mixture is laid. The planted leaf is covered with a glass jar, having previously moistened the substrate. The jar is raised daily for 5-10 minutes for ventilation, this is necessary. Remove the cover after 2-3 weeks when a young rosette appears.

How to propagate violet leaves in water: video

Rooting in the substrate

If the leaf cuttings are planted directly into the ground, rooting will occur even faster than in water. It is better to resort to this method if the leaf is not quite mature or, on the contrary, is old and has lost its turgor. When planting in the ground, the leaf petiole is cut a little shorter, to 1.5 centimeters. It is enough to take a very small pot, 5 cm in diameter. It must have a drainage hole. A drainage layer is poured onto the bottom, and then soil consisting of fertile soil and perlite. Perlite will help retain moisture in a small volume of soil and at the same time facilitate air access to the roots.

Helpful advice! For an antibacterial effect, you can add sphagnum to the substrate.

• Before planting, the substrate should be slightly moistened.
• Leaf cuttings of miniature hybrids are buried to a depth of 0.5 cm, while standard cuttings are planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm.
• If you have a lot of planting material, you can plant several leaves at once in one cup.
• In order not to get confused in the varieties, markings are stuck on the outside.
• After planting, cover the leaf with film or a jar, creating a greenhouse. This will provide increased air humidity inside and protect the seedling from drafts. Periodically moisten the soil and ventilate.

Some gardeners share their experience of planting leaf cuttings in peat tablets. They claim that, due to the availability of nutrients, with this method of planting, roots and young rosettes are formed very quickly. For successful rooting in the substrate, warmth and light are important. Daylight should be at least 12 hours, and the room temperature should be 22-26 degrees.

Rooting a violet leaf cutting in a substrate: video

Caring for violets

In order for violets to remain healthy and bloom for a long time, they need to create comfortable conditions, providing the necessary temperature, lighting, humidity, and timely feeding and replanting. Let's dwell on these important points.

Temperature and lighting

Violets are thermophilic. The minimum temperature of their maintenance should not fall below 18 degrees, the optimal indicators are 20-24 degrees Celsius. Plants must be protected from drafts. If the window sills are too cold in winter, place the pots of violets on insulated stands to prevent the roots from getting too cold.

Saintpaulias need bright and diffused lighting, without direct sunlight. In summer, it is better to place them on northern and eastern windows, and in winter, move them to southern and western window sills. On very sunny days, it is necessary to organize shading on the windows; in winter, the plants, on the contrary, receive additional light. To prevent the socket from bending, it is periodically turned to the light with the other side. You can grow violets under completely artificial lighting, this does not affect their growth in any way. Fluorescent lamps are quite suitable for this.

Humidity and watering

Violets do not like dry air. Flowers especially suffer from it during the period when the central heating is on. However, you cannot spray the leaves because they are pubescent. The villi can retain water, and as a result, rot will develop on the leaves. To humidify the air, it is advisable to use special humidifiers or place containers of water on the windowsill.

You can water violets from above using a syringe or watering can with a narrow spout; this type of watering is called drip watering. In this case, you need to be careful with the amount of water and make sure that it does not fall on the leaves. If it is difficult for you to regulate watering in this way, water the Saintpaulia through a tray.

Clean, settled water is poured there, the soil is allowed to soak in moisture, after which the remaining water is drained. This method is considered safer in terms of waterlogging. Some people use wick irrigation, but it is not suitable for all varieties and has a number of disadvantages. This method is best used when necessary, for example, while going on vacation or a business trip.

Feeding and transplanting

For feeding, you can use superphosphate granules, which are placed in the soil when transplanting. This supply will last the violets for some time. After 1-2 months, you can begin to apply complex and organic fertilizers weekly, alternating them with each other. Only adult and healthy specimens assimilate organic matter well. The complex fertilizer is diluted in water according to the instructions and the solution is watered onto the moistened soil.

You should not plant violets in large pots, otherwise you may not wait for flowering. The new pot should be 2 cm larger in diameter than the old one. It would be better if it was made of plastic. You can plant the violet in the same container. In this case, they take it out of the pot, cut off the old and dead roots, shake off the old soil, and then plant the flower in place, adding a little fresh soil. It is better to rinse the inside of the pot well with a brush to disinfect it and remove fungal spores.

As a soil, you can take special soil for Saintpaulias, adding a little perlite and vermiculite to it.

Before planting, it is necessary to place a drainage layer of expanded clay on the bottom. The soil should be moist, but not soggy. Plant the plant so that the leaf rosette does not touch the ground. The first watering is carried out two days after transplantation.

Flower growers advise starting to breed violets with simpler varieties; capricious hybrids require experience in maintenance. If you provide the plant with ideal conditions, it will not create any problems for you. As you gain experience, you will make fewer and fewer mistakes and learn to “understand” your flower. After this, it will be possible to begin to contain and propagate more exotic varieties.

Source

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When choosing a variety, you should pay attention not only to color. Plant acclimatization plays a very important role. Now in flower shops you can find many new varieties imported from America and Europe. They have slightly brighter petals and sometimes smell better, but an inexperienced gardener is unlikely to be able to propagate the plants.

That is why it is better to choose the usual violet variety Chimera or Standard. If you want more “exotic”, then you can consider new varieties such as: Streptocarpus, Columnea, Saintpaulia. They also reproduce well at home, and their appearance is quite different from the traditional blue flowers. They differ not only in color, but also in the number of petals, shape and length of the stem, and smell.

Breeding violets at home - a few planting secrets

After you have chosen a variety and bought it at a flower shop or market, the plant needs to be replanted. The sooner you do this, the better it will be for the plant, since the root system is weak and quickly dies without moisture. The following rules must be observed:

1. If you bought Saintpaulia in seeds (as most gardeners often do), you need to place it in a dry vessel, after filling it with sand (of course, also dry).
2. When choosing a place for sowing or planting, you must take into account that the flower cannot compete with weeds, since it takes a long time to germinate. Therefore, the soil must be selected without weeds or in advance, 2 weeks in advance. treat with continuous action herbicide like " Frigate" or " Hurricane"(dose 5 grams per 10 liters of water).
3. It is best to fertilize the soil in advance with organic fertilizers. If it is not possible to do this, then after planting, add ammonium nitrate or phosphorus fertilizers (scatter 30-40 grams around the bush).
4. The flower loves shade. Keep this in mind when choosing a place for her.
5. The seed planting depth is 2-3 cm. Shoots should appear within 10-12 days. But, if the sprouts do not appear within this period, do not rush to try again. Sometimes it takes about a month for the first shoots to appear in the pot.

How to grow violets

In order for the flowers to grow actively and delight you for a long time, it will be necessary to provide proper care and create optimal conditions for them. First of all, you need to take care of the correct temperature conditions.

If you grow violets in the garden, then it is impossible to regulate the temperature, but for greenhouses and indoor keeping there are the following standards:

• from + 20 to +24 °C – only at this temperature will the plants bloom;
• the temperature difference between day and night should be 4-5 degrees, and if you manage to do this, the flowering will delight you with its duration;
• For recently separated flowers, a slightly higher temperature is required - up to +27 ° C.

Flowers can easily withstand temperatures of +10 °C and heat up to +35 °C, but their growth and development will be significantly delayed.

Light also plays a major role in growing violets. The peculiarity of these flowers is that each variety requires different room illumination. Plants with dark green leaves need more light, while light green leaves can grow in almost complete shade. Avoid direct sunlight on leaves in summer– there is a high risk of flowers “burning”. When keeping Saintpaulias indoors, it is best to place them on window sills on the south side of the house in winter, and vice versa in summer.

By the color of the leaves you can determine whether they have enough light or not. If they begin to darken and dry out, there is a lot of light, they “burn.” If the petioles are longitudinal in shape and the leaves are light green in color, they do not have enough light and need to be placed in the sun.

Be responsible when it comes to watering. Remember: a violet is not a cactus, and watering it once every 2 weeks will not work. Young plants need to be watered at least 2 times every 7 days, maybe a little more often. Focus on the top layer of soil - if a dry crust forms, you need to water it.

Propagation of violets

There are 2 generally accepted methods of propagating Saintpaulias: planting cuttings directly in the ground and germinating cuttings in a jar of water. In both the first and second cases, no special effort is required and the plant is well accepted.

Let's take a closer look at the seating process in the first case:

1. First, we cut off a leaf on an adult plant from the middle row; you need to choose a large and healthy-looking (dark green) leaf.
2. Use a sharp object (secateurs, knife) to make an oblique cut and plant the cutting in previously prepared and loosened soil. You can use a special mixture of chernozem with fertilizers, which you can pre-purchase at the store.
3. Water the soil generously and ensure the temperature is +27 °C around the clock.

The second method is more complicated, but many believe that the leaves take root much better if they are germinated in water in advance. To do this you need:

1. Select a leaf of the plant and make the same cut with a knife as in the first option.
2. Place the cutting in settled water so that its root (lowest point of the cutting) is 3-4 cm from the bottom of the jar.
3. Wait 25-30 days until the cuttings take root 2-3 cm, then plant them in the ground as in method No. 1.

If you follow these simple but important rules for growing plants, your violets will grow well and delight you with color for many years!

At first it seems complicated, but in fact everything is very simple.

When your violets bloom, pay attention to the flower. 5 - 6 days after the flower opens, the pollen matures and pollination can be carried out.

If you have several violets and they bloom at the same time, there are no problems with pollination. But if you want to pollinate violets at different times, the anthers can be collected and stored for several weeks - they retain their properties.

When the stigma of the pistil ripens, a drop of liquid appears on it, which glitters. At this time, we select the necessary stamens with pollen (papa), break them with our nails and dip the pestle into it (mother). Pollen remains at the tip of the pistil. We repeat the procedures for several days.

After this, the seed pod will gradually fill. It will ripen for quite a long time - depending on the season, from 2 to 6 months. Then you need to dry the box in a dry, warm, bright place for another 1-2 months.

Then the seeds can be sown.

To do this, pour them out of the box onto white paper, mix them with sifted sand and carefully sprinkle them on top, like salt.

I did not add sand, but simply carefully bent a sheet of paper, and, lightly hitting it with my fingers from below, I evenly poured the seeds into the ground.

There is no need to cover it with soil. Close the top (we make a greenhouse.)

You can cover it with a bag or cling film; the ground must first be sprayed with water. We plant and wait for shoots. In 10-14 days they will definitely appear.

When pollinating, be sure to record the date of pollination and the mom and dad (varieties).

After the seedlings have sprouted and produced 4 true leaves (the first two leaves of the seedlings are not considered real), the seedlings can be picked.

The soil must be made very light and airy, watered while stirring the earth mixture, and under no circumstances in the planting container, otherwise the soil will be too wet and the seedlings will die. When watering after planting, a crust may form on the ground - it will interfere with delicate sprouts, the ground will not be so light, it will become compacted, which will also have a bad effect on the germination of plants.

The seedlings must be planted very carefully, without damaging them; I used a regular toothpick to loosen the soil and plant. Separate the sprouts from each other without damaging the roots. The leaves of the seedlings are quite strong, so you can dive by holding the plant by the top leaf.

We cover it with film and place it under a lamp, or, if daylight is already normal (more than 10 hours), just on the window.

So far I have only conducted my first experiment in breeding, cross-pollinating 3 varieties of violets. I started doing this a year and a half ago (in 2010), so I can’t say that everything is happening quickly.

The seeds took quite a long time to ripen; I planted them in the fall and the plants grew for almost 7 months. Now I see that during the week of sun, they caught up with what they had been missing for all 7 months. Those. Next time, I will sow the seeds somewhere in February, March, so that they grow over the summer to flowering. In winter, seedling growth is greatly delayed. I don’t have expensive lamps and the ability to illuminate them with the required spectrum.

You need to water violet seedlings very carefully, this is how I do it:

To prevent the violets from “floating” in the water, otherwise the small roots will rot or the stem will rot, I take a small syringe and transfer the needle from it to a large syringe - then the water pressure (trickle) will be very small.

I take water from the filter, otherwise sediment will form.

My first pollination experience showed that industrial violets are very easy to pollinate; it is much more difficult to pollinate and grow seed pods on varietal ones. Out of 10 pollinated simple flowers, all 10 boxes ripened; out of 10 pollinated varietal flowers, only one ripened.

I also found a lot of data on the Internet about which traits are dominant (transmitted) and which are recessive when crossed.

My experiments in violet breeding

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Copyright 2012 Reprinting of materials with written permission from the site owner.

A florist who is passionate about violets will sooner or later try to grow them from seeds. It is known that seeds can only be obtained by pollination of plants, which precedes fertilization.

Pollination occurs when pollen (a speck of dust or pollen grain) from the anther of a flower of one plant (the paternal form) is transferred to the stigma of another (the maternal form). Under natural conditions, pollen carriers are mainly insects, wind, water, etc. Depending on the pollination agent, experts distinguish between anemophily (pollination by wind), zoidophily (pollination by insects) and hydrophily (pollination by water).

Depending on the nature and agents of pollination, botanists divide the plant into three large groups: anemophilous, entomophilous and hydrophilic. Under natural conditions, pollination occurs at different times of the day: for some plants - early in the morning, for others - before sunset. If, during the flowering period, cross-pollination does not occur with the help of a pollination agent for one reason or another, the plant self-pollinates.

During cross-pollination, the hereditary inclinations of different parental forms are combined in one Saintpaulia. In nature, self-pollination of violets is less common than cross-pollination, however, it is biologically necessary. Alternating with cross-pollination, self-pollination helps to consolidate the genotype in the offspring. Under natural conditions, violets are mostly pollinated by insects and therefore belong to entomophilous plants.

In nature, many plant species, including violets, were formed through natural selection. The basis of this long process is the joint and continuous action of variability and heredity. Thus, natural selection is the leading factor in the formation of new plant species. In violet culture, new varieties are created through artificial selection. However, in this case, to one degree or another, the action of natural selection is manifested in the new variety of violet.

Violets form reproductive organs - flowers - at 7-9 months of age. The flower develops from a flower bud, similar to an ordinary bud of a future shoot. This suggests that the leaf and flower buds have the same origin. Indeed, almost all botanists believe that phylogenetically a flower is nothing more than a greatly modified, shortened shoot, and all its parts, with the exception of the receptacle, are leafy in nature.

When a shiny droplet appears on the stigma of the pistil, the stigma becomes sticky and pollen easily sticks to it. All it takes is one speck of dust for fertilization to occur. Pollen from the burst stamen is transferred to the stigma in natural conditions by insects. In the culture of Saintpaulia in laboratory, greenhouse or room conditions, the agent of such pollination is a person.

The process of artificial cross-pollination of a plant is not just a mechanical operation, but, on the contrary, a creative work that requires strict adherence to certain rules, skillful, one might say, jewelry skills and the necessary conditions for this work. Our advice: you should not be scattered and at the same time carried away by many species and varieties; you need to choose two or three species or varieties as the object of pollination and carry out systematic, targeted work with them. In addition, you should clearly understand the purpose of the work: enlarging the size of the flower, changing the shape of the petals, increasing the density of color, obtaining an intermediate or new color, shifting the timing of flowering, lengthening or shortening the peduncle and petioles, obtaining doubleness, elastic peduncles, etc. It is necessary to learn pollination technique (select and prepare parent pairs for the experiment, ensure forced pollination, raise the resulting hybrids).

If the paternal and maternal violets bloom at different times, the timing of their flowering should be artificially brought closer by delaying them in one and accelerating them in the other. Flowering can be accelerated by fertilizing with phosphorus, increasing the temperature and increasing the intensity of light, for which Saintpaulia is placed under red fluorescent lamps (temperature 20-21°C). You can delay flowering by placing the violet in a cooler place illuminated with a fluorescent lamp of daylight or blue light. But in this case, unilateral pollination is possible, whereas mutual pollination is advisable. However, it also happens that with mutual pollination (parental violets bloom at the same time), only one form (paternal or maternal) is capable of setting seeds. It is impossible to foresee this in advance, so we recommend carrying out both direct and reverse pollination, achieving simultaneous flowering of the selected pair. In addition, the biological differences between the parents should be understood. Young, first-blooming violets are the strongest; they have a greater ability to perceive “foreign” pollen. Older Saintpaulias are weaker and their ability to pollinate and bear fruit is also weaker. Therefore, it is advisable to select parental pairs of the same age.

In some Saintpaulias, the pistil is long, with a stigma located above the stamens; in others, it is hidden in the depths of the flower, and the pollen stamens are visible from above. In the first plants, self-pollination is almost impossible, in the second, on the contrary, it is very convenient. Cross pollination is convenient in the first case and difficult in the second. It is also necessary to know which flower organ ripens first - the stigma or the stamen. The time of castration, i.e. removal of stamens, depends on this. The most common method of artificial pollination is to apply mixtures of pollen and stigma moisture from one violet to another.

Applying moisture. The essence of the method is that the moisture of the stigma of the paternal form is transferred to the stigma of the mother's pistil. This procedure is carried out immediately before pollination using a sterile scalpel or razor blade.

Applying a mixture made up of pollen from different plants. The method is based on the selective ability to fertilize. The mother plant is given the opportunity to choose between the pollen of several plants, which may belong not only to one variety, species, genus, but even to different genera. However, it should be remembered that the pollen mixture cannot be composed of incompatible components. Successful application of the method requires a comprehensive cytological examination of the internal structure of the flower. In this case, botanists and flower growers have wide possibilities for remote pollination of violets with plants of the genus Gesneriaceae and the possibility of obtaining Saintpaulia not only yellow and red in color, but also with aroma.

The florist begins pollinating the violet. In a convenient order for work, he places on the table the parent forms of Saintpaulia selected for pollination, a cutting instrument (a small surgical scalpel, a penknife, a razor blade), a magnifying glass (magnifying glass), an etherizer, desiccators with and without stamens, glass test tubes jars, glasses with sterile cotton wool and pieces of bandage, glass, a white foam plastic or plywood board covered with Whatman paper, labels for recording pollinated varieties of violets, several simple pencils, etc. All items must be thoroughly sterilized.

First, the yellow stamens should be separated from the corolla of the flower, placed on a white board and carefully opened, then the pollen should be collected with the tip of a cutting instrument and, with extreme care, applied to the stigma. Pollination is carried out in the middle of the day, when the air in the room warms up.

For reliability, pollination should be carried out in the next two to three days, using the stamen with pollen that was used during the first pollination. Opened stamens with pollen should be stored in a desiccator or glass tube.

After each pollination, use a magnifying glass to check whether the pollen has stuck to the stigma or not. If it sticks, you need to put the violet in a bright place and wait patiently and observe. If fertilization has occurred, after a week the ovary begins to gain weight: a seed capsule is formed, which gradually increases in size. The fertilized violet should be watered at the prescribed time and other necessary work should be done. As the box enlarges, the flower stalk bends and even somehow twists. Days, weeks, months pass. The stalk of the peduncle and the grown capsule become brown and begin to dry out. This means that the seeds are ripe. It took seven months! If pollination is carried out in the spring, seed ripening can take a little over five months, if in the fall it will take up to nine months.

There are times when for some reason the peduncle with the seed pod falls off. In such cases, how to preserve the seed box? It needs to be dried for two to three months and the seeds sown. If germination is not one hundred percent, pollination has occurred incompletely.

If the seeds are successfully ripe, the box is removed and dried in a bright, air-dry place for a week, two, or even a month. Then the box is carefully opened, the seeds are poured onto white paper, and from it into pre-prepared paper bags with records of the varieties of the parent pairs, the date of pollination, sowing, the appearance of cotyledons in the seedlings, the first and second pairs of leaves. It is necessary to describe in detail the appearance of the seedlings, the nature of their growth, the date of the first picking, transplantation, care regimen, record the time of the first flowering, the color of the flowers, their shape, etc.

Similar records should be kept during subsequent crossings of new generations of the collection. The bag of seeds is stored for two to three months in a dry place in a clean desiccator or test tube. Remember that wet and moldy seeds will not germinate.

“Saintpaulia”, Vilnius, Mokslas, 1982

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Breeding violets at home

Traditional flowers (garden and indoor):

Exotic in Tyumen:

A very good idea: write down your goal so that you can later compare the practical result with the intended one.

Checking the table of dominant and recessive traits will help in planning the results and choosing parents.

There is no set size for seedlings to be considered fit for picking. Some may work with small seedlings no larger than 1/4 inch in diameter, while others wait until they are much larger.

- the best parents - seed producers - usually single or semi-double;

- if you use a plant with blue or purple flowers as a parent, the vast majority of seedlings will also come out with blue or purple flowers;

- when using a plant with pink, red, white or fantasy flowers, get lighter colors;

- to obtain star-shaped flowers, both plants in the pair for crossing must be carriers of the star shape;

— when crossing a plant with girl foliage, half of the seedlings will repeat this type of foliage;

- when crossing yellowish flowers with white ones, 50% of the seedlings will show yellowness to one degree or another.

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The most useful tips for violet selection!

The choice of "parents"

1. Determine the target for crossing. What desirable traits do you want to see in the proposed plant?
A very good idea: write down your goal so that you can later compare the practical result with the intended one.2. When planning the desired pollination, it is necessary to select parents with the desired characteristics.
Referencing the table of dominant and recessive traits will help in planning results and choosing parents.3. If you are in doubt about which traits are inherited, choose parent plants with strong rosettes, good symmetry, a high number of flowers and other desirable traits.4. The mother plant parent must be healthy and free of pests. It is not advisable to use plants intended for participation in exhibitions, because... The ripening of the seed capsule takes quite a long time.

Pollination

1. Use pollen from a freshly opened flower. Give preference to simple or semi-double flowers.

2. The anthers should be dense, dry, the pollen from them should be powdery. Wet or soft anthers rarely contain viable pollen and are best avoided.

3. The stigma of the pistil becomes receptive to pollination a few days after the flower opens. If moist, shiny discharge appears, it means the stigma is ready for pollination.

4. Pollinate several flowers on one peduncle. If several seed pods are formed as a result of pollination, the chance of their preservation and ripening will increase.

5. High humidity often has a beneficial effect on seed pod setting.

6. Be sure to label each cross, not forgetting to indicate the pollen producer and the date of pollination.

Ripening of seed pods

1. The seed pods grow to their maximum size in a month. The size of the capsule depends on the number of seeds it contains, as well as genetic inheritance from the parents.

2. Allow the seed pod to ripen and dry on the mother plant. Bolls that have been drying for less than four months are unlikely to contain full seeds.

3. When the seed pod is completely dry, remove it from the mother plant and then keep it in a warm, dry place for several days.

4.After drying, the seeds can be sown immediately or left for storage. If you are going to sow after some time, it is better to store the seeds in a seed box. Place the seed pod in a container or bottle. Don't forget to make a note. When stored in the refrigerator, Saintpaulia seeds remain viable for several years.

Germination of seeds

1. Seeds need a closed container with high humidity to germinate. Clear plastic food containers are convenient to use. If necessary, you can use a rubber band to hold the two parts of the container together. Other transparent, sealable containers are also suitable for germination.

2. The mixture for germination can be made from different materials. The fine fraction of vermiculite, to which a little perlite has been added, has proven itself well. Your favorite mixture for germinating leaf cuttings will also work well; the main thing is that it does not contain too large particles that can block the growth of seedlings.

3. It is advisable to sterilize the substrate for germination to eliminate the possibility of fungal diseases.

4. Open the seed pod over a small piece of paper on which a fold was previously laid (later it will make it easier for you to sow). On paper, the seeds are better visible, and it will be easier for you to sow more evenly.

5. Viable seeds are very small in size and appear black and shiny. Light brown or dull seeds germinate extremely rarely.

6. Sow the seeds evenly using a fold of paper over the surface of the substrate. Adding a small amount of sand to the seeds will help prevent the seed from becoming too crowded.

7. DO NOT FILL THE SEEDS, otherwise they will not germinate. They should remain on the surface of the substrate.

8. Gently mist the seeds (the water should be either a mist or a very fine mist). Excessive moisture will stimulate the growth of algae, which will choke the crops.

9. Make sure you remember to label the container. It is necessary to indicate the origin of the seeds and the date of their sowing.

10. Place the container under bright light. Bottom heating will also be favorable for faster germination. Often, to do this, it is enough to place the container on a shelf above a lamp, which illuminates the underlying shelf of the rack (the shelves are slightly heated by the lamps).

11. Shoots from viable seeds appear 7-28 days after sowing, but some seeds will require an even longer time. The seedlings look like small green particles on the surface of the substrate. During this period, it is important to protect them from drying out of the substrate.

12. Albino seedlings from a variegated leaf cross may need to be fed lightly with a nitrogen-containing fertilizer to green them up. Pure white seedlings will not survive.

Transplanting seedlings1. Let the seedlings grow enough so that you feel comfortable working with them.
There is no set size for seedlings to be considered fit for picking. Some may work with small seedlings no larger than 1/4 inch in diameter, while others wait until they are much larger.

2. Never hold the seedling by the base. Always hold them by the leaves, otherwise you will kill them.

3. Canapé forks or pointed sticks are excellent tools for replanting seedlings. Place the base of the seedling in the cut of the fork or between two sticks and carefully lift the plant by its leaves.

4. Lightly loosen the soil around the seedling before removing it - this will protect the roots from excessive damage, which could inhibit growth.

5. Separate each seedling from its “neighbors”. Don’t worry if the roots are slightly torn off along with the soil when separated. If they are at least partially preserved, the plant will survive.

6. For the best growth and formation of the plant, each seedling needs an individual pot. For starters, plastic “stacks” are quite suitable.

7. Seedlings do not require a special composition of the soil mixture. The one you are used to is quite suitable, the main thing is that it does not contain too large particles.

8. Water the seedlings with warm water using a spray bottle, this will help the roots spread faster into the soil.

9. Place all pots with seedlings in greenhouses until they are sufficiently rooted.

10.Feed the seedlings with a weak solution of a balanced fertilizer (for example, 20-20-20). For variegated plants, you can increase the amount of nitrogen to encourage greening (otherwise they won't have enough green space to produce enough chlorophyll to support their growth).

11. Place the greenhouse with the seedlings close to the light source to stimulate their rapid growth.

What plants should I leave?

1. If you prefer a good exhibition form of plants, leave seedlings with clearly defined symmetry and leaves that overlap each other without gaps. Seedlings with insufficient symmetry will only aggravate this problem if they are not removed from the crop (discarded).

2. Pay attention to those seedlings that have strong peduncles rising above the rosette of leaves. Avoid plants with lodging flower stalks.

3.The number of flower buds is a hereditary trait. Seedlings that have 5 or more flower buds on their first flower stalks will likely produce more flowers than those that have 2-3 buds.

4.Discard all seedlings with single flowers.

5.When choosing miniatures, exclude any seedlings that quickly grow too large. It will be difficult to keep them within the required “overall” limits for exhibitions and displays.

6.Look for plants with unique characteristics or combinations of traits. Try not to make exact duplicates of existing varieties.

7.If you are not displaying a trailer, avoid the appearance of stepchildren too often. It is unlikely that the seedlings will “outgrow” this deficiency in the future.

8. Even if your seedling seems worthy to you, think about whether those around you will also appreciate it? Be prepared for the fact that 95-99% of seedlings are discarded.

9. Remember to keep and keep clear records indicating the origin of the seedling, as well as other useful information.

10.Check the repeatability of traits in three generations.

11.REGISTER YOUR VARIETIES IN AVSA!

The following are notes that were made several years ago. It is believed that they belong to Jeff Smith, but it is not 100% certain.

Initial colors when crossing: percentage distribution of color in offspring
1. pink X pink = 100% pink
2. pink x coral = 100% pink
3. red X red = 75% red, 25% pink
4. white X red = 50% white, 37% red, 13% pink
5. Blue X Pink = 50% blue, 50% red
6. red X pink = 100% red

Sometimes it happens that some fancy or edged Saintpaulia variety, not chimeras, suddenly blossoms with chimeric flowers coloring. Consider yourself lucky if all the flowers on all the flowers have a clear chimera color around the entire circumference of the violet, i.e. from all sides of the plant.
Then, after testing the chimera violet with several blooms, you can propagate it by cutting off the top and growing stepsons. If the top and stepsons of the violet, when they grow up, also bloom with chimera flowers, we can say that you have developed a variety of Saintpaulia chimera. You can give the new chimera a name, or simply add the prefix “chimera” after the name of the violet variety.

It happens that some fancy or bordered variety of Saintpaulia, not a chimera, suddenly blooms with just one or two peduncles with the color of a chimera. Consider yourself lucky, too, but in this case, in order to develop a new variety of Saintpaulia chimera, you will have to work with violets a little longer.
Saintpaulia EK-Field of Miracles bloomed like this in its first flowering:

In the next flowering, the violet “froze”:

But not all of its flower stalks have a clear chimeric color. To bring a stable chimera violet out of this sport of Saintpaulia, you need to work hard.

The most valuable material in this case is the chimera-colored peduncles. Having rooted the flower stalks and grown stepchildren from them, we have a high percentage of the probability that a chimera violet will grow from them. This process is long, you need to be patient.

We choose the ideally correct peduncle, i.e. peduncle on which absolutely all flowers have a clear chimeric color:

We cut off all flowers and unopened buds with a sharp scalpel over a pair of the largest leaves on the peduncle. Below, under the leaves, leave a stem about 1 cm long.

We bury the chimeric violet flower stalks into the substrate almost to the level of small leaves.
Place chimera violet peduncles planted in a moistened substrate in a greenhouse. The easiest way to create greenhouse conditions for chimera violet flower stalks is to put a transparent bag over a glass with flower stalks. You can plant several chimeric flower stalks in one glass.

In a few weeks, when the peduncles of the chimera violet take root, dormant buds will awaken in the axils of those small leaves, from which stepchildren will grow in the future.

Having set the chimeric flower stalks to take root, we will begin the operation on the violet itself. On the side of the violet pot where chimera-colored flowers bloomed, write “Right Side” with a felt-tip pen. In the future, it is from this side of the violet that the stepchildren will have the greatest value for us.

We cut off the top of the violet, the so-called. “head”, we root it - there are chances that when it becomes an adult violet again, it can give us more flowers with the color of a chimera.

Here it is worth recalling that, both in the first case and in the second (and in all cases when the “head” is cut off), the violet must be old enough, have as many rows of leaves as possible, so that the top can be separated without damaging it . You need to cut off the top of the violet carefully, leaving the leaves on the stump intact, above which the chimera peduncles have grown. It is from their bosoms that the stepsons we need will be born.

And so, we waited for the moment when the stepsons of the violet where we marked “Right Side” on the pot grew enough so that they could be carefully separated from the violet and planted in separate cups.

Rooted stepson of Saintpaulia chimera from the EK-Mother's Heart variety:

In a few months, the stepsons will become adult violets, bloom, and we will see whether they turned out to be chimeras or not. Peduncles on the stepsons may have a clear chimera color throughout the entire circumference of the violet. It also happens that only one stepson of all has peduncles with the color of a chimera, and even then it blooms unsteadily: with chimera peduncles and non-chimera ones. With such a violet you can repeat the entire path described above. So, until we get a violet with a stable chimera color. The entire process of breeding a chimera can take several years.

The photo shows Saintpaulia chimera Bomba, bred from the EK-Pink Carnation variety: