Violet, despite its simplicity, the plant is difficult to care for. The flower does not tolerate drafts, cold water, irregular soil. The general condition of the flower, growth rate, frequency and abundance of flowering depend on how correctly the soil for violets is selected.
What soil do violets like
The ground for violets should in its parameters meet all the needs of a delicate plant. Not only the presence of certain nutrients is important, but also a number of other indicators, and one of the most important is acidity.
The right soil is the key to successful violet growth and its regular flowering
Senpolia soil must contain the following nutrients without fail:
- potassium salts;
- iron;
- zinc;
- calcium;
- boron;
- phosphoric compounds;
- chlorine.
The content of mineral elements should be in small quantities.
Additional information! In order for the violet to please the beauty of its flowering, you need to know what soil is needed for indoor violets and what properties it should have. This is sufficient moisture permeability, lightness and friability, breathability.
What are all the elements of the soil for?
Soil-forming elements in the soil are needed so that the roots of the flower, holding on to them, maintain a vertical position.
The nutrient substrate, which includes minerals, potassium salts and phosphorous substances, is responsible for the photosynthesis of the plant, it nourishes and saturates the violet, responsible for its full development.
Soil acidity
Violets love the average pH. It should be in the range from 5.5 to 6.5. If there is no electrolyte balance, the plant will not be able to absorb nutrients, and this will lead to its death.
Additional Information!You can check this indicator in the soil using special test strips.
In 1 glass of water, 2 tbsp. l earth, after which the indicator strip falls into the liquid. The degree of its staining determines the pH level. If it exceeds the norm, you can reduce it by adding dolomite flour to the soil. For raising lowland peat is used.
The pH level is one of the main indicators in the soil for violets
Negatively affects the plant, both the excess of pH, and its lack. If the pH level is insufficient, the plant will not be able to carry out photosynthesis, its leaves will become dull.
Choosing a ground for violets
To determine what kind of land is needed for violets, you need to know the plant variety. One type of senpolia, for example, purple, is demanding on the amount of phosphorus in the earth, and pink flowers are considered the most unpretentious. They will grow well and bloom profusely even on humus.
What soils exist
The soil for violets can be prepared independently, taking into account all the necessary parameters.
And you can purchase universal soil suitable for many home and garden plants. When choosing which soil is best for violets, you need to focus on the pH indicator.
Ready-made professional primers
All soils have a similar composition. They without fail contain the following components:
- acid or lowland and rotted or high peat;
- baking powder - can be represented in the form of different components, most often it is sand;
- complex of minerals.
Additional Information!The composition of the soil is coconut or coconut peat. Available in briquettes, tablets or bags. As part of the nutrients, the soil itself is sterile. It does not contain insects or bacteria. Its service life is up to 5 years without replacement.
There are many purchased primers that provide all the needs of violets.
Common professional primers:
- "Violet" from GreenUp - universal primer. The composition of dolomite flour, phosphorus, rare minerals.
- Universal Greenworld primer - as a part of perlite, pH can vary depending on the required limit.
- "Garden of miracles for the seniors" - contains river sand, agroperlite and vermicompost. This type of soil is used in nurseries for breeding work.
Ideal land for the whimsical flowers "Gardens of Auriki." In a bag with soil, all the main components are stacked in layers:
- turf land;
- peat with 5% humus;
- river sand, necessary for good drainage;
- sphagnum moss - an antibacterial component;
- vermiculite crumb - is the basis for soil texture;
- coal, aspen or wood birch - an antiseptic;
- trace elements.
If you take individual layers of soil, you can qualitatively update the soil in a pot with a violet.
Average prices
To compare prices, packages with soil of 5 l were taken (prices are current as of November 2019.):
- coconut mixture is the most expensive, its price is about 350 rubles;
- universal soil Greenworld - 200 rubles;
- soil with peat "Violet" - 185 rubles;
- "Klassman TS-1" - 150 rubles;
- "Flower happiness" - 90 rubles.
Attention!Soil quality may vary by lot. Affects the earth and the condition of its storage. If moisture enters the packaging, it is salted.
How to prepare the soil yourself
If it is difficult to choose a suitable land substrate or there is no confidence in its quality, you can prepare the ground for violets with your own hands. The basis for such soil is compost, forest or garden soil.
It is not difficult to make the soil yourself, if you have the necessary ingredients at hand
Nutritional components
As a nutrient base, one of the components is selected:
- leaf land - overripe foliage mixed with rocks and sediments in the earth's crust;
- vermicompost - plant residues processed by worms;
- compost;
- turf land - a fertile soil layer with particles of perennial grasses.
It is necessary to collect land for violets in ecologically clean areas. Suitable for the base is land from a summer cottage, rested, on which nothing has been planted for several years. It has a high concentration of macro and trace elements.
Fillers
Peat for violets is the main filler. You can use instead of it vegetable fibers, which are cross-reacted in the absence of oxygen.
To regulate the pH level, lowland peat is used. It can be replaced with coniferous soil - a mixture of earth with coniferous rotted needles.
Baking powder
If you do the soil yourself with your own hands for violets, you must include the baking powder in the composition. Its function is performed by:
- river sand;
- foam balls;
- vermiculitis;
- perlite.
The baking powder is necessary so that the soil is loose, which means that it passes a sufficient amount of oxygen.
Moisture retainers
Components such as leaf and compost soil and peat are well absorbed by the earth. To retain moisture, you can use vermiculite.
But sphagnumum best copes with the task.
Proper land sterilization
Picture 5 Soil sterilization before planting violets plays an important role
To disinfect the soil, you can use the thermal or chemical method of processing it.
Sterilization of the soil will destroy insect larvae, help disinfect the earth, which is one of the best preventive measures for many diseases in a plant.
The chemical method consists in treating the earth with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Heat treatment - heating the soil for 30 minutes in a microwave or oven.
Attention!It is necessary to process not only independently prepared soil for violets at home, but also purchased soil. It may contain eggs of insects and flies, their larvae.
Ratio of components
To make the right, nutritious soil, you can use one of the three proposed options for the ratio of soil components:
- 2 parts peat, 1 part perlite, sphagnum moss and universal purchased soil. On 1 sheet of the mixture is added 1 tbsp. l ground charcoal.
- 1/6 of its volume of moss, vermiculite (can be replaced with perlite), coal is added to the soil taken from the garden.
- 3 parts of peat, 1 part of any baking powder, turf or compost earth, add ½ part of coal.
Attention! If the prepared mixture will consist of a part of the moss, it must first be crushed and dried, avoiding exposure to sunlight.
The main mistakes in soil preparation
Being engaged in self-preparation of soil for violets, many gardeners, especially amateurs and beginners, forget to check the most important indicator at the soil - the pH level.
Another common mistake is the wrong amount of the mixture with nutrients. When compiling it, you need to consider what kind of watering method the plant has. If moisture enters the flower in a wick manner, the basis of the mixture should be a baking powder, preferably vermiculite.
Gardeners make such a mistake as the unbalanced distribution of fertilizers or their inappropriate choice. Soddy or leafy land needs potassium and phosphorus, fertilizers with nitrogen in the composition are suitable for peat, it needs dolomite flour.
What to do with the old land
Old soil, when replacing it with a new one, no need to rush to throw it away. It can be used again for the next violet transplant.
To do this, you need to sterilize the earth, add suitable fertilizers and nutrients, humus.
Violets are demanding on the soil. If you choose the right soil for your favorite indoor plant, enrich it with mineral elements and monitor the necessary pH level, the flower will thank you for comfortable conditions with frequent and plentiful flowering.
