One of the first places in floriculture among the earliest and beautifully blossoming ornamental plants is the viola, which in the people also has a gentle name for pansies. This low and abundantly flowering plant simply amazes the imagination with its variety of colors: from pure white to almost black with all sorts of shades of red, yellow and blue. Many amateur flower growers note the special unpretentiousness of this flower, however, like any other plant, the viola requires certain knowledge of growing and caring, which allows you to admire its beauty from early spring to late autumn.
Viola - planting and care
Viola is a fairly thermophilic plant, and therefore it is best to plant it in those places where the sun is most abundant. True, it should be noted that the flower is not bad enough tolerates penumbra, but in this case, its flowering can be much smaller. As for the soil, loamy, moist, loose and fertile soils are excellent for the viola. The timing of planting a viola is determined depending on when you want to get bloom. Thus, it may be the end of winter when seeds are planted in seedlings, or the beginning of summer when they are sown in open ground.
Care for pansies is more than simple. The main thing for him is a regular and abundant moistening of the soil, otherwise the plant will simply cease to bloom. However, excessive watering also detrimental to the viola, so do not forget about the timely weeding and loosening of the soil, which opens the access of oxygen to the roots. In addition, in order to provide a more abundant and long flowering, it is necessary to remove the faded flowers in time from the plant.
It should be noted that the viola reacts responsibly to complex mineral fertilizers, but absolutely does not tolerate organic fertilizers. Top dressing should be carried out directly under the root of the plant once at the beginning of budding and the second - at the beginning of flowering. In the event that the viola was planted in the open ground in the summer, then for the winter it must be covered with straw or dry leaves, which will protect the tender roots of the plant from freezing.
Reproduction of the viola
Grow this flower the easiest way seed method. If you want to get bloom in the first year, the seeds of the viola must be planted in boxes in late February - early March. Boxes with seedlings should be covered with glass or a film and put in a warm place. During the germination period, the seedling should ensure abundant watering and regular loosening of the soil. Just two weeks later, the first shoots will appear, which then need to be dived at a distance of about 5 cm. In May-June, when the threat of spring frosts probably passes, the viol is planted in the open ground at a distance of 10-15 cm.
Planting the viola seeds in the open ground produce in June and July, and in August the plant is transplanted to a permanent place. In this case the bloom of the viola will only be in the next year in the early spring, but many experienced gardeners say that in terms of the duration and fluffiness of the blossom, the viola grown in this way surpasses its counterparts grown from seedlings.
In addition, the reproduction of the viola is possible by spring self-sowing, however, the flowers are re-sprayed and lose their specific differences. Also reproduction of a viola is possible by cuttings. To do this, at the end of May, a damp soil is planted in a dark place
Viola diseases
In viola with improper care, it is possible to develop such diseases as black leg, stem and root rot, downy mildew , leaf blotch, aphids . However, all this can be safely avoided, if you do not allow the water to stagnate at the roots of the plant.