Pansies, or, as they are also called, viola are very beautiful flowers that are difficult to tear from. Thanks to the legends that go around, they evoke romantic and tender feelings. Therefore, the plant is very popular among gardeners, and it can be found in almost every garden.
Plant description
Pansies are scientifically called violets, are annual, biennial and perennial. It depends on the climatic conditions in which the flower will grow. He does not tolerate severe frosts. Especially detrimental can be a little snowy winter and spring thaws, alternating with night frosts. Therefore, for a long life, pansies in the cold season are carefully wrapped.
The plant first appeared in China and Japan.
Pansies
Note! At home, the viola is planted in early spring, and blooms depending on the variety in spring or summer.
This plant is characterized by a thin stem with rounded leaves and single-growing flowers. The bud that has appeared has five petals, two of which are larger in comparison with the rest. Blooming flowers can be of different colors: from white to black with a characteristic spot in the middle.
In addition to its decorative qualities, the viola is used for medical and cosmetic purposes. To do this, during the period of abundant flowering, the upper part of the bud is cut off, dried and placed in a container in which it can be stored for several years. The plant has many useful substances in its composition: insulin, ascorbic and salicylic acids, essential oil, polysaccharides.
For your information! Thanks to them, the flower is used in the treatment of skin diseases, bronchitis, colds, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In cosmetology, flowers are used as masks and face lotions and help fight rashes, acne and scratches, make the skin smooth and moisturized.
But, despite all the useful properties, pansies can be called a poisonous plant. Their inflorescences contain the natural dye E161, which is very harmful to the human body, can cause allergic reactions and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Persons suffering from hepatitis are contraindicated in treatment with violet decoction. In addition, some may have side effects such as vomiting, rash, and nausea.
The medicine
Growing violets
There are two ways to grow a flower - from seeds and from seedlings. In general, this is one and the same, since seedlings are obtained by germinating the seed. But specifically when choosing a method for your own garden, you need to be guided by the fact that seedlings in the open ground can be obtained closer to the end of summer, and a new plant will sprout in the fall and there will be no time to enjoy its appearance.
Note! The advantage of the seed planting method is that you can grow a flower at home at any time of the year in a pot or planter, and when the weather is warm, the plant is simply transplanted into the garden.
The most popular varieties of pansies
There are many types of viols that differ in color, size and shape of the petals. But the most commonly used in horticulture are just two varieties.
Yellow viola
- Yellow pansies. The petals on the flowers have a pronounced yellow color. The plant can reach a height of 15 cm, belongs to the class of Swiss giants and is a two-year-old. Yellow viola is a fairly unpretentious plant, propagated by seeds.
- Blue pansies. They have petals of pale blue color. Flowers grow small in size about 5 cm in diameter. Blue viola refers to perennial plants and can be planted both in open ground and in pots. Since it is a heat-loving plant, the place of planting should be chosen sunny.
These varieties are the most popular, but there are many more different species that are also often grown in gardens: white, ampelous pink varieties. Also known is wild or field viola, widely used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.
Blue viola
Pansies: planting and care in the open ground
After choosing your favorite plant variety, you should proceed to planting. In order for the violet to grow healthy and bloom well, it is necessary to properly prepare and plant it.
When to plant seeds for seedlings
If there is a desire to get a flowering plant in the first year, it will be better to grow seedlings from seeds. This should be done in February. For future sprouts, a small flower pot or container is chosen.
The choice of soil for seedlings
The easiest way to plant is to use a purchased substrate - peat and coconut tablets, special complex mixtures. If there are no shops nearby, then you can personally prepare a mixture for seedlings. It is enough in autumn to make a substrate from street soil, sand and peat and store it in a dry room. 20 days before planting seeds, the earth warms up well in a heated room.
Important! When collecting the mixture, it should be borne in mind that violets do not like soil with a high alkali content.
To start sowing seeds, it is recommended to prepare a substrate of the following composition: one part of sand and rotted compost and three parts of fertile soil. Before mixing, all garbage, dry blades of grass and twigs from the components are removed.
Seed preparation and sowing
After the soil for seedlings is prepared, you can begin to prepare the seeds for planting.
Since today more than 200 varieties of pansies are known, before the final choice you need to decide which plant you want to get. Pay attention to the height of the future bush, the size of the flowers. The color, flowering period and frost resistance will be important.
Note! You can choose varieties for decorative planting in the apartment or for planting in the open ground.
Selected seeds are soaked until the first sprouts appear and are planted in the soil a few pieces. It is important to note that violet seeds are stored for no more than two years, so you should not use those that were collected a year ago or more.
The seeds of the plant germinate fairly quickly and after a week the first shoots appear. In the future, they can be left in one container or planted in separate pots. From the beginning of planting to the time when the seedlings should be transplanted, it takes about four months.
Planting seeds
Seedling Care
From the moment the first sprouts appear and before transplanting into the open ground, the flower must be properly looked after:
- observe the irrigation regime and combine it once a month with top dressing with organic fertilizers;
- maintain temperature not lower than 25 ° С;
- maintaining sufficient humidity and spraying the plant if necessary;
- providing the necessary lighting.
A couple of weeks before transplanting into the open ground, if it is already warm enough on the street, seedlings begin to be prepared. To do this, it needs to be taken out daily. To begin with, you can leave it for half an hour, then for 4 hours. If everything is done correctly, then the flowers will appear earlier and will look better.
Important! Ready seedlings land in mid-May.
Planting seeds in open ground
Planting seeds in open ground is a more complex and time-consuming process. This method is mainly used in nurseries in which flowers are grown for sale.
To start the landing, a temperature of 20-22 ° C is required. Higher is fraught with the appearance of fungal diseases. If you start sowing in May, then the viola can begin to bloom in the summer, but the winter period will be difficult. When sown in June or July, flowers will appear only next year.
Note! In order for the young plants to take root, they need to provide sufficient lighting and regular watering, and weed the soil around the bushes from weeds.
Choosing a place to plant and care for plants
Whichever of the proposed cultivation options has been selected, when planting in open ground, it is necessary to choose the right place. This should be a well-lit area away from tall plants. The soil at the planting site should be fertile, loose and cleared of weeds. If all conditions are met, then you can proceed to landing, guided by the following sequence:
- The site is marked, and for planting holes are made with a depth of about 20 cm, the distance between the seedlings is chosen independently.
- The hole is well spilled with water, then a seedling is slightly sunk into it.
- The pit is very carefully sprinkled with peat or compost.
- After the seedlings are planted, she needs regular care and top dressing.
Landing place
It is necessary to water the planted seedlings a couple of times a week in the morning or in the evening, depending on weather conditions. Loosen the soil after irrigation should be even in very hot weather. With insufficient moisture of the roots, the flowers quickly wither and fall. You can feed the plant once a week. The fertilizer must contain phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen.
For your information! Withered flowers and shoots that are too long must be cut and watered immediately.
Disease Prevention and Pest Control
There are several types of diseases and pests that are dangerous for viola.
- Powdery Mildew It affects all parts of the plant, which subsequently die. You can get rid with the help of a water-soap emulsion.
- Gray rot. Completely destroys flowers. It is neutralized by a solution of copper dioxide.
- The black leg is a type of rot affecting the root of the plant. Appears due to excessive irrigation and dense soil. There is no cure.
The main pests for pansies can be aphids and spider mites. If you do not pay attention to their appearance on time, then the plant begins to wither and may die. Processing will help get rid of them by special means.
Pests
If you follow all the recommendations for planting and caring for the viola, next year the flowers of violets will please the eye in the apartment or on the garden plot.
