To give plants an attractive appearance, they are generously fed with biostimulants during pre-sale preparation. Indoor violets are no exception. Therefore, before adding them to your collection, they are repotted. But this isn't the only necessary procedure after purchase—the new plant needs to be quarantined. This capricious flower can become ill if growing conditions change.
Transplanting violets
Soil for Saintpaulias can be purchased at the same store where you bought the plant. transfer It must be baked in the oven at 150°C for about 20-30 minutes or watered with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate. When commercially prepared, the soil is not disinfected. However, you can create your own soil mixture:
- 1 part each of perlite, charcoal, peat and 3 parts of garden soil;
- 7 parts of nutrient soil, 1 each of sphagnum, perlite and charcoal.
The soil is also disinfected beforehand. To improve looseness, mix in dried eggshells, river sand, and pine needles. Add a drainage layer to the bottom of the container, then a small amount of potting soil. Remove the plant from its original pot and clean the roots as much as possible. Place it in a new pot, removing any damaged parts. Hold it horizontally with a dusting of soil. Water it and cover it with plastic wrap for 2-3 days if the room is cool. Then, place it on its own to determine if the plant is healthy. To determine this based on its appearance, it's best to consult a Saintpaulia catalog, which lists common violet diseases with photos.
The most common diseases - symptoms and treatment options
These delicate plants not only suffer from various fungal and viral infections but are also attacked by insect pests. Determining the cause of wilting can be challenging, even for experienced gardeners.
To treat violet diseases, you need to normalize care measures:
- normalize the watering regime;
- extend or shorten daylight hours;
- increase or decrease the room temperature;
- replace the soil.
The flower doesn't tolerate drafts, direct sunlight, or acidic soil. However, even with optimal conditions, signs of disease may still occur.
Rotten
The main cause of these common bacterial infections is high humidity due to improper watering. The following types of infections are distinguished:
- Stem rot. It spreads through the above-ground parts. First, the violet's leaves wilt, and the stems lose their turgor. A dark gray or brown coating appears on the surface of the leaf blades. In addition to overwatering, the disease is caused by dirty tools, pests, and damage. There's no cure for this type of violet, but you can try cutting off the top part and rooting it in new soil under plastic.
- Root rot. The first sign is a change in color, which becomes dull. The lower leaves then rot, fall off, and become unpleasant to the touch, soft, and watery. Additional causes of the disease include heavy soil and highly acidic soil. If you remove the plant from its pot, you'll notice that the roots have also softened and darkened. To save the violet, remove the soil, treat the underground portion with Fitosporin, and repot it in new soil. Thoroughly disinfect the container beforehand.
- With brown rot, the bases of young rosettes and cuttings turn brown, then lose turgor. Traces of mycelium, resembling mold, are visible on the underside of leaf blades. Treat the plant at the first sign of the disease: treat all parts with fungicides, such as Fundazol. Then replant in loose soil, after watering with Fitosporin and Fitodoctor. You should also adjust the watering schedule to frequent and gentle applications.
- Gray mold is characterized by spots on the leaves and softened stems. The plant quickly becomes moldy and wilts. It can be saved as long as only individual leaf blades are affected. Treat all parts and the soil with the same fungicides as for brown rot, and then repot the plant.
To prevent rot: Monitor watering, avoiding moisture from reaching the above-ground parts. Avoid condensation on the leaves, and avoid placing pots too close together.
Rust
Signs of infection include yellow or brownish spots on the leaf blades, firm and raised to the touch. These are caused by cool indoor air and high humidity. The disease is rare. If caught early, reducing watering and maintaining a comfortable temperature (around 18°C) can prevent spore germination. Treatment includes foliar spraying with a 1% Bordeaux mixture or dusting with sulfur dust.
Powdery mildew
The disease gets its name from its characteristic white coating. It appears as if the violet is covered in flour or dust. It develops due to high humidity, insufficient light, excessive nitrogen fertilization, phosphorus deficiency, and improper care. It is impossible to restore the violet without chemical treatments. The following are used:
- at the initial stage - Topaz, concentration 0.5-0.75%, or Saprol - 0.1%.
- when the plaque has spread to the entire flower - 0.5% Bayleton.
Spray all parts of the plant, including healthy ones, starting from the underside of the leaves, working from the bottom up. Prevention: promptly wipe dust from the leaves and ensure adequate ventilation.
Fusarium
With this disease, violet leaves first turn black at the edges and then rot. The root system is simultaneously affected. In the acute stage, the entire plant turns black. The fungus spreads from contaminated soil. It is activated by excessive watering with cool water or a drop in the room where the violets are kept. A temperature of 16°C is sufficient for its development.
Algorithm for eliminating the disease:
- the flower is placed in quarantine;
- the affected parts are excised with a sharp knife;
- healthy ones are sprayed with Fundazol or Fitosporin;
- transplanted into a new pot.
The prepared soil should be disinfected with boiling water or a manganese solution, then treated with the same fungicide as the Saintpaulia. Water as needed, not based on whether the surface has dried out, but rather by checking the root system's moisture needs. Increase the room temperature to 20°C, ensuring adequate ventilation.
Late blight
This fungal infection is activated by overwatering with cool water, drafts, and insufficient light. It's difficult to immediately determine the cause of the disease, as brown spots appear on the surface of the lower leaves, and the violet initially appears to be drying out. However, the stems then lose their turgidity, and the leaf edges curl downward.
Treatment is the same as for fusarium wilt. However, rooting should be done on the upper, undamaged portion of the rosette, not the entire plant.
Bronzing or mottling
This is a viral disease. It can only be stopped at the first signs of wilting. It is transmitted by pathogenic microorganisms called thrips. These small insects can be carried in soil or by air currents, although they are poor fliers. They can be carried on clothing if you tend to outdoor plants first and then indoor ones.
As the virus spreads through the plant tissue, it slows growth. Favorable conditions for the development of the pathogenic microorganism:
- high humidity, drafts, hypothermia;
- drops falling on leaves;
- direct sunlight causing overheating.
The first signs: a yellowish or reddish tint appears on the foliage. Before the foliage darkens, you can try to save the plant. Quarantine it, remove the affected parts, repot, protect it from bright light, and avoid exposing the above-ground parts to moisture.
Vascular bacteriosis
Fungal spores become active due to overheating, oxygen deprivation, and excessive humidity. Spores in the soil attack the roots and then begin to produce toxins. Instead of providing nutrients, the poison spreads throughout the violet's tissues. The warmer the room, the faster the plant dies. It can't be saved. However, if the other pots are spaced apart, the other violets won't become infected.
Pests of violets
Beginning gardeners think that if a plant is grown indoors, the risk of insect infestation is low. But this is incorrect. Most often, insects are introduced by mixing potting soil or on the sleeves of clothing. Most species do not fly, but are carried by air currents.
Mealybugs: When infested by coleopteran insects, a fluff-like coating appears on the surface of the rosette. Yellowish or reddish spots then develop underneath. Violets' leaves rise upward, making it difficult to immediately spot the pests congregating in the axils or flower stalks. However, if signs of infestation are noticed, immediate action should be taken—treat with Aktara, Fitoverm, or Actellic. As a preventative measure, add a pinch of Bazudin to the potting mix when repotting.
https://youtu.be/kufeEyRZ5p8
When thrips infest the leaf surface, light spots appear, which then enlarge. The insects, despite their small size (5–14 mm), are visible to the naked eye. To get rid of the pests, spray the plant with Dantop, Vertimek, or Agravertin.
Signs of aphids include a sticky, sweet coating on the leaves and fragments of webbing. These pests can be eliminated with any insecticide or home remedies, such as treating with tobacco infusion or laundry soap. Another option, if the plants are on a balcony, is to introduce ladybugs.
Chemicals that can help get rid of spider mites include Akarin, Fitoverm, and Actellic. Symptoms of infestation depend on the type of parasite. Red spider mites leave burgundy, dry spots on the foliage, cyclamen spider mites leave yellow spots near the petiole, closer to the rosette, and spider mites leave brown spots near the outer edge.
Preventive measures
Prevention is better than cure, especially since viral infections cannot be cured. To prevent Saintpaulias from becoming infected:
- For replanting, only sterilized instruments are used, and the soil is first disinfected;
- provide reliable drainage;
- create comfortable conditions - humidity, temperature;
- normalize watering;
- use biopreparations to boost immunity;
- replanted twice a year;
- ventilate daily, avoiding drafts
Remove dried parts of the plant, including leaves and petioles, and buds and flower stalks. At least once a month, wash the shelves or windowsill where the pots are kept. Wipe dust off the leaves with a damp cloth and then dry thoroughly. In the fall, conduct a sanitary inspection and then reduce the frequency of watering. With preventative care, violets will remain healthy and will delight you with their blooms.
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