To grow flowers at home, you must follow the rules: timely watering, choosing high-quality soil, and a suitable pot for growing flowers. Most plants do well in any type of soil. But there are also flowers for which special conditions must be created. These include violets. In order for these wonderful flowers to grow and smell fragrant on the windowsill, you need to properly care for them. Particular attention should be paid to pots for violets, on which the health of the flowers depends.
Features of the root system of violets
Under natural conditions, violets can be found in tropical areas where the soil is abundant in moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the root system of the plant is located closer to the surface and does not grow in depth, covering the soil.
Violets on the windowsill
At home, the plant feeds on microelements that are on the surface of the soil, and absorbs moisture from the lower part of the soil. Watering through a tray is considered optimal. You can water the plant superficially, but you need to make sure that moisture does not get into the core of the flower.
Note! When watering plants superficially, nutrients and minerals are washed out of the soil. The violet will receive these substances along with water, but their concentration will be different.
Flower growers are often interested in what kind of pots for violets should be so that the plants feel good. Before choosing a container, the size of the plant itself and its horse system are taken into account. The diameter of the upper part of the flower should be three cm larger than the diameter of the upper edge of the vessel.
The size of the root system depends on the age of the plant:
- in a flower that is not yet a year old, the roots grow no more than 8 cm in diameter;
- an adult plant has a root system with a diameter of 13 cm;
- there are varieties with roots reaching a diameter of 16 cm;
- the diameter of mini-flowers not exceeding 7 cm.
Planting and transplanting
Before planting indoor plants, it is recommended to know which pots to plant violets in. The containers must be selected correctly. Otherwise, the plant may get sick and die.
If the pot is too big, it will lead to problems:
- the process of rotting begins in the free space of the soil;
- the violet will not bloom until the root system has covered the entire soil;
- the leafy rosette grows too much.
The small size of the container causes diseases:
- the plant dies due to insufficient nutrients;
- the soil dries out quickly and the roots do not receive moisture;
- violets bloom faintly;
- There are few leaves on the rosette.
Important information! The flower does not take root well in a new place. To avoid problems, it is necessary to ensure that the earthen lump remains intact when transplanting.
Before planting, you need to choose the right pot
Watering
You should not water the plant with too cold water (read about how to properly water and feed the plant here). Water for irrigation should best be soft (slightly boiled, filtered, melted). The temperature for water should best be room temperature, warm
But the important thing is that if gloxinia is at a temperature of +18 degrees, this does not mean that it needs to be filled with water at a temperature of +25 degrees. The water should be 2-3 degrees higher than the ambient air temperature
20-30 minutes after watering, drain the remaining water from the pan.
To prevent rotting of the tubers of a flower, it must be watered carefully along the edge of the pot or from a tray in order to prevent water from getting into the center of the tuber and onto the leaves, since tuber rot often occurs from above, from the growing point, and not from the roots.
An important point in watering gloxinia is its uniformity. When irrigated, the entire earthen lump should be completely wet from the top to the base of the plant, and the pot itself should become much heavier. You cannot water them according to a schedule, but only when the plant really needs it. After the top layer of soil has dried slightly, the gloxinia can be watered. You must be careful not to overdry or overfill them.
Below is a visual video about watering gloxinia:
What are the different types of pots?
When choosing a container for a violet, you must take into account that the plant will need to be replanted several times as it grows. For this reason, you will need to buy new bowls. Pots vary in size and type of material.
Size
Pots for orchids: criteria and selection options
When choosing a bowl, take into account not only the diameter, but also the height. Most often, low containers are chosen. The size ratio is 2:1. The diameter of the pot is twice its height:
- for young sprouts and for mini violets, pots are selected with a diameter of 5 cm;
- for a plant that has bloomed for the first time, a container with an edge diameter of 10 cm is suitable;
- adult plants will feel good in a bowl with a diameter of 12 cm;
- Large violet bushes will do well in a pot with a diameter of 16 cm.
Material
Plant pots are made from the following materials:
- Clay. It allows moisture and air to pass through well. Flowers in such pots feel comfortable, but they are not suitable for growing violets.
- Ceramics is the same clay, only it has undergone additional processing by firing. The dishes have an attractive appearance, but do not allow oxygen to reach the root system. In such containers, roots are able to grow to the surface. When replanting flowers, the root system is injured.
- Plastic. This is the cheapest material, which has a wide color palette and a huge range of shapes and sizes. The surface of the dish is smooth, which does not allow the root system to stick to it.
Additional Information! The cost of a flower pot directly depends on the quality of the product, type of material and design.
Designer pots
When choosing a designer pot, it is important to consider the sensitivity of the plant to the container in which it grows. It is best to pay attention to the original colors and design of the outer surface of the bowl.
Specialized
This type of cookware is a container with holes in the bottom. Such options are used only for temporary flower growing.
Specialized pots for temporary growing of flowers
Planting Saintpaulia - choosing the “right” leaf
The subsequent survival rate of Saintpaulia and its further growth will directly depend on how correctly you can choose a leaf for propagation. Moreover, the quality of the color, or more precisely, the size of the bud and the color of the petals, depends on the planting material. It is necessary to select only healthy leaves, mainly from the third row (you can also take from the second if the plant is not too “old”)
Pay special attention to possible plant diseases, including spotting, powdery mildew and pests - often the leaf blade becomes a habitat for fungus or parasites
As for size, you should choose only dense, medium-sized leaves, since leaves that are too small do not have enough minerals and organic substances for a good “start.”
Color plays an important role when choosing. As you know, the main indicator of a large amount of accumulated chlorophyll is the dark green color of the plate. If they are yellowed, then there is nothing to hope for an excellent bush - basically it dies even before rooting begins. Even if this does not happen and any activity occurs, there may be no new children - the bush will remain dormant for a long time.
Which pot is best for a particular flower?
When replanting a plant purchased from a nursery, it is important to know what size pot is needed for the violet. It is best to choose a container, taking into account the parameters of the plant:
- a flower with a diameter of no more than 6 cm requires a container with a diameter of 4 cm;
- the leaves of the rosette have a diameter of up to 9 cm, the pot should be 8 cm in size;
- a flower that has a diameter of 15 cm can be planted in a bowl with a diameter of 10 cm;
- leaves have grown to 40 cm, dishes are chosen with a diameter of 20 cm;
- for large bushes, select a container 25 cm in diameter.
When planting young plants
How to treat violet diseases at home
Young violet bushes need to be replanted several times as they grow. Only then will the plant develop well and repay with lush flowering.
It is important to know! Each time before selecting a new container, you need to carefully measure the plant’s rosette.
When transplanting old
Mature plants need to be replanted from time to time. In this case, perform the following actions:
- remove young shoots;
- change the soil;
- select the pot according to size.
For different types of irrigation
When choosing a watering regime for violets, you need to know what pots are needed for violets for different methods of moistening the plant. If surface watering is planned, the plant is planted in a regular pot, which is supplemented with a small tray.
For watering through a tray, select products that have a large footrest. In this case, you can pour a sufficient amount of water into the pan. If a flower pot is placed in a flowerpot, you will need to lay out a layer of drainage.
Subtleties of container care
Keeping several violets in one pot is strictly prohibited. As the plants grow and develop, they will begin to squeeze each other and eventually both will become defective.
Containers used for planting plants do not require special care. To keep them looking neat, just wipe them with a damp cloth to remove dust and other contaminants. The tray under the crop should be washed periodically.
The pot is very important for the proper growth of the violet, so you should think carefully when choosing it. The future fate of the home flower depends on this decision and determines how much it will please its owner.
How to make a pot with your own hands at home
Most flower growers make their own pots. For this purpose, materials such as:
- clay;
- gypsum;
- polymers;
- cement.
The best varieties of violets - varieties with names
During the manufacturing process, you should not be upset because of the unevenness of the product. Such dishes add a special atmosphere to the interior.
On a note! Pots for violets can be decorated with rope or straw.
Available materials
The cheapest and most accessible are polymers. To make a pot, they can be processed at the same temperature as in a regular oven.
Pots made of polymer materials
If you use clay, you will need pottery firing skills. Otherwise the product will not be durable.
List of components
To make plastic utensils, you use:
- polymer;
- glaze;
- water;
- paints with brushes.
The finished product is dried in the oven at a temperature of 100 ℃.
Can the pot be reused?
The pots in which violets were grown can be reused. But it is important to process them correctly in order to prevent infection of the plant.
How to clean
You can clean the violet bowl with any detergent used in the kitchen. It is important to avoid aggressive chemicals.
Additional Information! Some types of containers must be heat treated before being reused. To do this, use a conventional oven preheated to a temperature of 200 ℃.
How to fix
Only products made of ceramics or clay can be repaired. To do this, the polymer is melted and all the parts of the pot are glued together using the resulting liquid. Other adhesives are not recommended as they negatively affect the condition of the flower.
If you take into account all the tips for choosing pots for growing violets, it is possible to grow a fragrant flower. These plants will be an excellent addition to the interior.
The Scarlet Flower
“Scarlet Flower” produced in Russia is convenient for plants, when watering which it is necessary to avoid getting liquid on the leaves: violets, streptocarpus, orchids. The product is well suited for bottom watering. The system consists of 3 parts made of plastic. From 2 parts you need to make a tray into which liquid for irrigation is poured. In the third, equipped with a large number of small holes, Saintpaulia is planted.
When choosing which pots for violets to purchase, you should take into account that the size of such a product is small and is better suited for young plants.
When planting, the rosette should not be buried in the soil mixture. There is no need for drainage. The container with Saintpaulia is located 1-1.5 cm above the tray. It is not difficult to remove the top part. “The Scarlet Flower” is easy to use and can serve for a long period of time.
