Violet Fire moths: photo, description of the variety, care and cultivation at home

This article is devoted to:

Care;
History of the appearance of the variety;
Recommendations for watering and fertilizing;
And also the secrets with which you can achieve cap flowering of the Fire Moth variety.

The article will be useful for those whose collections already have this bright variety , as well as for those who just want to purchase it. Below you will see a photo and description of the Fire Moth violet.

Mysterious violet Fire moths.

CAREFULLY! Improper care or failure to follow recommendations can lead to disease or further death of the plant.

Photos and description of the Fire Moth variety

The author of the violet variety Fire Moths is breeder K. Morev. The violet rosette consists of medium-sized leaves (about 3-4 centimeters in diameter), with a wavy edge, rich green color, with small fibers on a shiny surface. The rosette of the variety develops symmetrically, so it always looks neat.

The flowers are semi-double or single, dark red in the center and white on the edge. The border of the petals tends to increase as the bud opens. The edge of the petals is decorated with a greenish ruffle. Flowering is long-lasting, from spring to late autumn.

History of the appearance and selection of violets

The discoverer of the violet is Governor von Saint-Paul, who accidentally discovered the violet flower while walking with his bride.

He sent it to his father, an avid gardener and collector of different types of orchids - Ulrich. Which, in turn, sent the flower to Hannover, the director of the botanical garden, for identification. Herman Wendland attributed the violet to the Gesneriev family.

Officially, the year of birth of the flower is 1893. At this time, the plant visited various exhibitions and was described for the first time in magazines.

The history of selection begins in 1898. Saintpaulias with red-violet flowers were obtained. In 1920, violet cultivation began on an industrial scale and therefore selection gained momentum. Flowers with spots on the petals and the first double varieties were obtained.

By 1946, the violet family already included over 20 varieties of various colors - from pink to blue, including pure white ones. Saintpaulia appeared in the neighboring countries in 1960 and almost immediately became everyone’s favorite.

Conditions for keeping the variety

Violets do not require special attention or any special care if comfortable conditions are created for them:

Temperatures are 20-25 degrees during the day and 18-19 degrees at night. This temperature difference allows violet to slow down the respiration of tissues and save organic matter. In winter, violets are also kept cool, but at a temperature of at least 17 degrees.
Good lighting. The plant should be placed on western, eastern, southwestern or southeastern windows. On southern windows the flower can only be kept in winter or in cloudy weather. In autumn and winter, the plant needs additional lighting with fluorescent or phytolamps.

Description of Rosemary violet and necessary care.

Read about growing the Macho variety of violets.

Fire moths are contraindicated for violets:

The temperature is below plus 10 degrees and above plus 35 degrees. Moreover, if in the cold the plant stops developing, but remains viable, then in the heat it will get sick and die.
Leaves exposed to direct sunlight. Tender leaves will suffer from the sun and get burned. This is why you should not install the violet Fire Moths on south-facing windows in spring and summer.
Spraying to maintain air humidity and clean leaves. Violets love air humidity, but it must be maintained by installing artificial fountains or humidifiers. Spraying will cause spots on the leaves. The cleanliness of the leaves is maintained by “bathing” the flower once every 20-25 days. The plant is placed in a bath and washed with a gentle stream of warm water. Violets can be placed on the windowsill only after the leaves have completely dried, so that the sun's rays do not cause burns.

How to propagate at home

Saintpaulias can be propagated in the following ways: cuttings, stepsons, seeds and rooting of flower stalks. Let's look at each method in more detail.

Cuttings

This is the most common method. The leaf (cutting) is cut with a sharp tool at an angle to the stem of the mother plant. The length of the cutting should be about 4 cm. The cut is washed and dried for a quarter of an hour.

Important! The leaf for subsequent rooting is chosen to be bright green, without spots, yellowness or defects that will lead to the death of the planting material.

Video: propagation of violets by cuttings

Stepchildren

The process of propagating Saintpaulias by stepsons is the same as by leaf cuttings. To do this, choose strong, healthy, 4-centimeter shoots grown in the axils of the main plant. Young rosettes are planted in individual flowerpots when they have grown sufficiently.

Seeds

This method of propagating violets indoors is the most complex of all known methods; it is used in breeding work and is carried out as follows:

The container in which the seeds are to be sown is filled with perlite.
Saintpaulia seeds are mixed with sand, and the resulting mixture is poured into an even layer on the surface of perlite soil.
The seeds are irrigated with water from a sprayer.
Cover the top with film or transparent glass and place it under a lamp.
Condensation from the inner surface of the covering material is wiped off daily, the plantings are ventilated, preventing the top layer of the substrate from drying out.
When the sprouts reach a height of 5 cm, they carry out the picking procedure into individual cups and continue to grow until they can be transferred to permanent pots.

Video: violet propagation by seeds

Rooting flower stalks

This method consists of the following manipulations:

A full-fledged or faded flower (buds are not suitable!) with large stipules is separated from the main plant with a sharp tool.
It is rooted in moistened perlite (sphagnum) and covered with film on top.
The appearance of a young rosette near the stipule means that the rooting process has occurred.
When the young plant gets stronger, it is transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Necessary care

Caring for Violet Fire Moths includes watering, fertilizing, and pruning. The plant should be watered moderately and carefully, with warm, settled or melt water at room temperature. You should not water with too warm water, since temperature changes are stressful for the root system.

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The soil is moistened only after the top layer has completely dried, avoiding stagnation of water, but the earthen ball should not be overdried. Overmoistening is very dangerous for violets, as it causes rotting of the root system.

Important. When watering, water should not get into the center of the rosette, otherwise the plant will begin to rot.

To ensure that the earthen ball is moistened evenly and water does not stagnate on the surface, experienced gardeners advise using bottom watering. The flower pot is immersed in a container of water, where the soil absorbs the required amount of moisture. As soon as water appears on the surface of the soil, the pot is removed and placed on a tray. Many gardeners use wick watering of violets.

Once every 2 weeks from spring to late autumn, the violet needs to be fed. During active growth of foliage, nitrogen fertilizers are used, from the beginning of the formation of buds and during flowering they switch to phosphorus-potassium compounds. For violets, it is recommended to use liquid fertilizers, since granular fertilizers are absorbed by the roots much more slowly.

Violets are fed with special mixtures intended for these flowers.

For fertilizing, it is recommended to use special fertilizers for violets or universal mixtures for flowering plants. When organizing fertilizing with universal mixtures, the concentration of the solution is reduced by half from that recommended by the manufacturers.

The appearance of violets is maintained by trimming dried, rotting, old leaves and removing faded flowers. To properly form a rosette, from time to time you need to change the position of the plant in relation to the light source. If the violet constantly stands in one position, babies form only on the window side and the rosette becomes deformed.

Violet Shulamith: characteristics of the variety

Shrub - if the violet LE Shulamith is still without buds, then it looks like any type of violet. After the plant develops, it grows and becomes larger. When the plant has finally grown, the shape of the bush changes and becomes rounded; this condition can remain for a long time.
Buds and inflorescences bloom in the tassels of the plant. In appearance, the bud consists of five petals of different sizes. Inflorescences that grow higher are always larger than those below. In the middle there is a pair of stamens, a pair of carpels and a pistil. The color of the buds can be compared to sunsets.
The leaves are large, oval, sometimes heart-shaped, with velvet along the edges. The color of the leaves is green or light green, and can also be emerald. In each bush, usually, the flowers are arranged in rows, and in each row there are five or seven inflorescences.
The stem is small in size, growing from bulbs, powerful and strong. Near the buds it is thinner and more tender.
Seeds grow in flower buds, there are a lot of them. Small size.

Transplanting violets Fire moths

Transplanting indoor violets and replacing the soil is an important condition for its full development. Young plants are replanted twice a year; from the third year of life, an annual spring replantation is sufficient. The replanting procedure cannot be ignored, since the soil in the pot is depleted, loses its looseness and becomes salty.

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The transplantation procedure is carried out in the spring, for young plants in the spring before flowering and in the fall after it. An unscheduled transplant in summer or winter can be carried out if the plant begins to rot due to waterlogging or is attacked by parasites. After purchasing a violet, replanting is carried out no earlier than a month after it has been “settled” in the apartment. The plant must first adapt to new conditions.

Transplantation of violets Fire moths must be carried out taking into account the following conditions:

Violets do not like pots that are too large.
The earthen lump is moistened, but not soaked through. The soil should remain crumbly so that it can easily separate from the roots. It is recommended to completely shake off the soil from the violet roots. Replanting with partial soil replacement is possible only if the procedure is carried out twice a year.
To replant the plant, select a pot 2-3 centimeters larger in diameter than the size of its roots. It is best to use plastic pots for growing violets, as they retain moisture in the soil longer.
A layer of drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles, pieces of foam plastic) and several pieces of charcoal are placed at the bottom of the pot to disinfect the soil. Sprinkle a little on the drainage
To grow violets, use a loose, nutritious substrate. With good air and water permeability. The most suitable option is a commercially available special soil for violets. A mixture for planting violets can be prepared independently from leaf and turf soil, peat, sand, vermiculite in a ratio of 5: 3: 1: 0.5.
The violet is placed in the pot strictly in the center and they begin to gradually add soil, tapping on the edges of the container. After complete filling, the surface is lightly pressed down and moistened. After transplantation, the plant is covered with a plastic bag, but in such a way that air can flow inside.

Important. A pot used to plant violets that is too large will result in no flowering. The violet blooms only when its roots have completely mastered the soil in the pot.

Transplant rules, rejuvenation

Replanting is an excellent reason to rejuvenate a plant . They try to carry out the transplant procedure every 1-2 years. Ideally - every spring. If you leave a violet in old soil for more than 2 years:

It will stop blooming profusely;
The foliage will fade.

Typically, violets are transplanted in March . The size of the pot does not change. The main task of replanting is to stimulate the growth of young roots; they will provide water and nutrition for new leaves and peduncles.

rules :

It is better not to water the violet before transplanting. Dried soil easily falls off the roots and will not damage them;
Carefully remove the roots, free them from most of the soil;
Cut off old, diseased roots and leaves;
Place the roots in new soil, cover with soil up to the leaves;
Water the flower and add soil.

Methods and methods of propagation of the variety

Violet Fire moths propagate by seeds, rosettes and leaves. The seed method is quite long and requires certain skills, therefore it is mainly used in industrial cultivation.

Violet variety Fire moths can be propagated by leaves or rosettes.

At home, vegetative propagation methods are used:

Department of sockets-stepchildren. This method should be combined with violet transplantation. Even if stepchild rosettes are not needed to produce new specimens, they cannot be left in a pot with the mother plant, as the rosette will become thickened and will stop actively blooming. For full development, the daughter rosette must have three or four leaves. You need to separate the socket using a sharp knife. The cut is treated with charcoal, then the baby is placed in a pot with soil and covered with a transparent cap. Rosette - the stepson blooms 4-5 months after separation from the mother plant.
Rooting a leaf. A healthy, large leaf is cut from a middle-aged plant. It is recommended to take a leaf from the second row, since the lower ones are already old and do not produce full-fledged children, and the upper ones are still young. You can root a violet leaf in a glass of water or in a soil mixture. In any case, a leaf is planted in a pot for permanent cultivation only after roots have formed. A violet grown from a leaf blooms 7 months after rooting.

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Violet propagation activities, regardless of the method, are carried out in the spring (March-April).

Possible diseases and pests

If the soil in which the violet grows is too wet, the plant may suffer from fungus.

Diseases and pests actively pursue the violet Fire moths if the rules for keeping and caring for it are violated. Excess moisture leads to the development of fungal diseases and root rot, while lack of moisture leads to damage to the plant by spider mites. Drying of shoots and dropping of buds.

The plant can be attacked by whitefly, scale insects, mealyworms, and aphids. The plant must be rid of insects immediately, at the first sign of their appearance. The violet should first be washed with warm water with the addition of laundry soap, and then sprayed with a systemic insecticide (Aktara, Aktellik, Alatar, etc.).

Conditions for growing violets at home

To grow beautifully flowering Saintpaulias at home, you need to know the conditions for their proper development.

Location and lighting

Under natural conditions, these plants grow in hot, sunny climates, but they are protected from direct sunlight by bushes and tall vegetation. It is not easy to create such a microclimate at home, so gardeners recommend placing pots with light-loving plants on window sills oriented to the northwest or northeast, which are not exposed to direct aggressive light.

Did you know? Violets with large large flowers grow in soils rich in zinc. This botanical fact contributed to the discovery of a large zinc deposit in Europe.

In the case where the windows in the house are located differently, forced darkening is used, covering the lower part of the window space with loose fabric or paper. If there is not enough lighting in the room, then artificial illumination is used with any additional light source (phytolamps, LED, fluorescent, ordinary incandescent lamps).

Temperature

The best temperature regime at which adult Saintpaulias bloom profusely and for a long time is in the range of +20...+24°C. For immature young plants, higher temperatures in the range of +24...+26°C are preferred. Violets quite steadfastly tolerate large temperature deviations from the norm, but their growth slows down and flowers drop. Drafts are especially harmful for them. In addition, it is preferable to ensure that the night temperature in the room with flowers is 2-3 degrees lower than the daytime temperature.

Air humidity

For full growth and development, violets require an air humidity level of at least 50%. During the heating season, when the air in apartments is dry, use humidifiers or place containers with water near plants. But high humidity levels (more than 70%) have a detrimental effect on violets, since this creates a favorable environment for the development of fungal diseases.

Tips from flower growers

If all conditions and care recommendations are met, the Fire Moth violet will bloom almost all year round.

For this she needs:

Fresh nutrient substrate, replaced once a year.
The pot is the optimal size with a small space for the development of roots, but not too large so that the soil does not become acidic or salty.
Optimal schedule for watering and fertilizing.
Sufficient illumination.
Optimal room temperature.
Comfortable conditions for the rest period.

By observing all these conditions, you can grow a charming flower with an unusual, original color.

Reviews from flower growers about the variety

Lucy. I love this variety. The wavy ruffles along the edges of the petals add a special charm to the flowers. But so far we are not getting the abundant flowering that other Fire Moth violet owners talk about. I spent a long time choosing a window for my flower: sometimes the leaves were burning, sometimes they were rising up. Now I rearrange it periodically. On a cloudy day and in winter I put it on the south window, and in summer on the east. Now my violet has fresh leaves and no burns.

Violets of the Fire Moth variety are sensitive to light conditions.

Natalia. The violet variety Fire Moths reacts sharply to lighting and air temperature. In the heat, the greenery around the edges of the petals becomes narrower and the charm disappears. In the sun, the white border becomes narrower. The most beautiful flowers are obtained in diffused light and an air temperature of 22-23 degrees.

Alyona. I am simply delighted with the Fire Moths variety. The rosette is neat and small, but the bouquet blooms large, all covered in ruffles. The shape of the flower and the ruffles along the edge are just the bomb. And the greenery around the edge is a total brain explosion. I can’t even believe that I own such a masterpiece!

About the breeder S. Repkina

Svetlana Repkina became interested in violet selection after meeting the famous master B. Makuni. Having purchased the “Lovely Mother-in-Law” variety he bred at the Lugansk flower market, she was inspired by the idea of meeting the person who bred this variety (you can learn more about the breeders, the Makuni spouses, and see photos of the violet varieties they bred here). Boris Makuni, a fan of his work, hospitably greeted Svetlana and after several hours of inspired conversation, she realized that violet selection is a true calling and the work of her life.

Fascinated by the beauty of these flowers, Svetlana set to work with great dedication, patience and attention. Repkina began cross-pollination with precisely the same fateful variety Makuni, which this wonderful acquaintance foreshadowed. Repkina's first varieties, inspired by the discovery of a whole world of fabulous birth of flowers, are Transparent Brook and Favorite.

You may be interested in our articles about varieties of violets with the names of the people who raised them and other breeders:

Tatyana Pugacheva;
Natalia Skornyakova;
Evgenia Arkhipova;
Korshunova Elena;
Natalia Puminova;
Elena Lebetskaya;
Tatyana Dadoyan;
Konstantin Morev.