Any houseplants require attention, care, proper care, and violets need this more than others, since they are very susceptible to external conditions.

If a violet withers, its leaves droop, it means that it doesn’t like something, but finding the reason for this state of the flower is extremely difficult, because there can be many factors.

Still, let's try to figure out what could be the matter if Saintpaulia suddenly shows signs of wilting or illness, and how to restore health to your favorite flower.

Violets are very beautiful ornamental plants, but at the same time they are also very capricious. Any disturbance to their habitat can affect the appearance of the flower. They are also susceptible to pests, especially fungi. Let's consider the most common reasons why Saintpaulias may wilt.

Lack of light or excess of it

Violets need to receive at least 12 hours of daylight per day. In winter, when the days become short and cloudy, they may lack light. In this case, they must be illuminated with artificial lamps.

An excess of light radiation also negatively affects their well-being. In addition, they do not tolerate the sun's burning rays at all. As soon as the plant stands on the windowsill in the summer, on the south side, after a few days you will notice that the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither.

The light should be moderate. Its deficiency or excess causes the flower to wither.

Improper watering

The Saintpaulia root system is located close to the soil surface. If you water the plant with strong pressure, the soil will wash away and the roots will begin to become exposed. You may not immediately notice this under the leaves, but the plant will definitely react to the discomfort.

Violet, in general, is very sensitive to watering: it needs to be moistened 2-3 times a week in summer and once in winter. Excessive moisture or, conversely, drying out will also cause the violet to become lethargic.

The quality of the water is also important: it is better to purify it through a filter or to settle it well. The temperature of the water when watering should not be lower than +18 degrees.

Lack of fertilizers or saturation with them

Violet leaves often wither because the plant lacks nutrients. This happens especially often in spring period when the flower begins to grow rapidly and especially needs feeding.

But if you “overdo it” with vitamins, you can cause serious harm to Saintpaulia. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the recommendations indicated on the drug that you use for feeding.

Bad soil

A flower bought in a store may look quite healthy. Typically, plants are flavored with nutritional compounds so that they maintain their presentation. But the quality of the substrate is not always good.

In any case, it is recommended to replant violets purchased in stores, since no one will tell you exactly what kind of soil they have and how long they have been in it.

For replanting, it is best to use a ready-made substrate designed specifically for Saintpaulias; it can be found in any flower growing stores.

Pests

If a disease is detected, you must quickly take action:

separate the plant from healthy ones,
treat with a medicinal preparation (in flower shops you can find remedies for any pests),
and then transplant the Saintpaulia into fresh soil.

Air temperature and humidity

Violets love warmth. They need a stable temperature around +18-25 degrees. At lower temperatures they freeze, and at higher temperatures they wither. They do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, it is worth keeping them in rooms where there is always an even, stable atmosphere.

The plant is also sensitive to air humidity. The optimal figure is 60-70%. But Saintpaulia will bear it easier high humidity than dry air.

Do not hold flowers over heating devices, and if the air in the house is dry, place containers of water near the pots.

Violets also do not like drafts, so place them near open windows, under an air conditioner or fan is not the best option.

What to do if the violet fades

Do not forget also that Saintpaulia needs annual replanting. If this is not done, it may stop blooming and will wither over time.

If the violet withers and no action can return it to its former healthy appearance, do not be discouraged. Remove all drying leaves and cut the rosette at the root. Place it in water and wait for it to sprout new roots, then transplant it into a pot. Perhaps this is how you will be able to save the plant.

Who among us has not encountered a similar phenomenon in our collection? It is of an off-season nature, but more often occurs either in cold winter or very hot summer. And it is the result of the fact that the root system has ceased to function.

And the main reasons causing such a deplorable state of plants are re-:

overdrying;
waterlogging;
hypothermia;
overheat.

It is especially destructive for plants if these factors are summed up: hypothermia and waterlogging, overdrying and overheating. In the cold season, when keeping plants on the windowsill, we encounter the first pair negative factors. In summer and sometimes when growing violets on a shelf - from the second.

And if novice flower growers’ violets suffer from the inability to properly water the plants, as well as select right size pot and a suitable substrate, then for experienced ones - from the inability to properly water va There is no such thing as each specimen due to their huge number and inconvenient conditions for care (when plants are placed under the ceiling, and they are watered while standing on tiptoe on the top step of a rickety stepladder, or even simply blindly).

How to save violets damaged by improper care?

First of all, you need to figure out what exactly happened to the plant: was it flooded or dried? The phenomena are diametrically opposite, but the clinical picture is almost the same: drooping leaves that have lost turgor.

If during your next watering you find a wilted plant in your collection, under no circumstances should you water it automatically, especially with a double portion of water, wanting to make up for the obviously missed watering. After all, if the cause of wilting is waterlogging of the soil, then another portion of water is guaranteed to kill the affected plant.

First of all, you need to take the wilted plant in your hands and determine what’s wrong with it. If the soil in the pot is absolutely dry, light reddish in color, often slightly moving away from the walls of the pot, and the pot seems weightless, the plant is overdried. When the soil is wet to the touch, its color is dark, and the pot has noticeable weight, it means the plant is flooded (overmoistened).

Resuscitation for dryness

If the plant is slightly wilted and you are sure that you accidentally missed it during the previous watering, simply water the violet as usual. As a rule, this is enough and after a few hours she will fully recover.

When the substrate becomes very dry, the root hairs and part of the thin roots that provide the suction function of the roots die (dry out). Therefore, the first watering after drying out should not be very abundant.. To quickly and completely restore a very wilted plant, it is advisable to place it in a plastic bag for 1-3 days. The results will be better and appear faster if you squirt warm water into the bag several times. When the turgor of the leaves is completely restored, remove the bag from the violet, carefully water the soil in the pot, and place the plant somewhere in plain sight so that it is convenient to observe its condition. Since the complete restoration of a partially dead root system takes one to two weeks, watering must be careful and careful during this entire time.

If after a few days of keeping high humidity The turgor of the leaves is not restored, and the violet, when the bag is removed, drops the leaves again, which means that the root system has completely died due to severe drying. Then the plant will have to be cut out. That is, delete underground part stem, along with the lobe of old, dead roots, and re-root the plant. In order for roots to form faster and better, we remove the three lower leaves (if the plant is mature and very leafy, much more is possible). IN glass jar(for example, from mayonnaise), pour water, place the plant with its leaves on the edges of the jar and place it in a transparent plastic bag, into which we inject a little to create higher air humidity warm water. After 2-4 weeks, a powerful layer of young roots forms in the water. We plant the violet in a loose pot, airy earth, water lightly and place it in a bag again for two weeks. This way the plant will take root faster and more reliably. Then we make several holes in the bag, or untie it, but do not remove it completely, in order to gradually accustom the leaves to air with lower humidity. After 1-2 weeks, the package can be completely removed. The plant is restored, and at the same time rejuvenated.

Resuscitation for waterlogging

In the case of a plant that has suffered from waterlogging, you must first try to remove excess water from the ground as quickly and completely as possible. Paper napkins and towels are good for this, or at worst newspapers (not glossy ones). Wrap the pot tightly and regularly replace wet paper with dry paper. To speed it up, you can remove the plant from the pot and dry the lump of earth with roots with paper.

Then we determine how damaged the root system is, and whether the plant can be restored to its previous quality or needs to be re-cutted.

If the petioles of the lower leaves have rotted at the place where they are attached to the stem, then the old root system We remove it without delay - there are definitely no living roots, and there is nothing to save. When the roots fall off with a slight twitch, it means they are dead and must be removed as soon as possible. If none of this is observed, you can risk restoring the plant without removing all the roots. First we need to make sure that the root rotting process has not affected the plant itself. We make a cross section of the underground part of the stem, retreating 0.5–1 cm from its end. We carefully examine the cut. If it is clean, green, without signs of rot, dust it with powder charcoal, shake off the roots old land and plant the violet in a fresh, slightly moistened, very airy, high content of perlite, in a small pot.

It is advisable to place the reanimated plant in a greenhouse or a plastic bag for some time. The first waterings are very light; adding Fitosporin is helpful. 1-2 weeks after the complete restoration of leaf turgor, we begin to accustom the violet to the drier air of the apartment. And after some time we return it to the windowsill.

If the root system is damaged but not rotten, you can try to restore it by wrapping the entire plant in a cylinder of newspaper for 1-2 weeks.

However, the surest and most reliable way to resuscitate (save) a flooded violet remains its re-rooting, and the vast majority of experienced collectors prefer not to take risks, but to immediately cut off the roots of a wilted violet and re-root it. And they do it in different ways. Yulia Andrusenko roots a plant in sphagnum (in a bag). When it has grown a decent amount of roots, remove the moss if possible, and plant the violet in a small pot in light soil (as for planting leaves). Larisa Galitskaya pours loose soil into a pot and places a layer of sphagnum on top. The violet rosette is placed on top, and the stem partially passes through the sphagnum and almost touches the substrate. The rooting process occurs in plastic bag. If after 3-4 weeks the plant does not move when lightly pressed, it means it has taken root. Larisa unties the bag, but removes it after 2-3 weeks or later. Some of her violets even manage to bloom in a half-opened bag.

Tamara Kopeikina roots immediately in the substrate, simply adding her basic earthen mixture and more cultivators (perlite and vermiculite), takes a small pot, and keeps the plant in the greenhouse for quite a long time. Violetta Katkova uses either pure vermiculite or a mixture of vermiculite and sphagnum as a loose rooting substrate. Roots form easily, grow quickly, vermiculite is easily shaken off the roots without damaging them before planting the plant in a nutrient substrate. Tanya Kuzina and Olya Aksenkina are rooting plants using the unique capabilities of wick watering. insert a wick into a small pot and plant a plant without roots in it, place it on a container of water. The rosette of leaves is covered with a transparent bag on top and secured. If after 2-3 weeks the violet does not move when pressed, it means that the roots have grown into the ground. After this, the bag at the bottom can be untied, and after a few days it can be removed completely.

In winter, plants' leaves sometimes wilt if they are located on an icy windowsill. At extremely low (for this crop) temperatures, the healthiest and strongest root system cannot function normally. But it is enough to place such a plant in a warm place, for example, on a rack with lamps, and it will come to its senses quite quickly. Try, as far as possible, to seal the windows, caulk and seal all cracks with foam rubber. To be on the safe side, you can keep plants in winter in boxes with high sides, preferably in foam plastic boxes. It doesn’t look very aesthetically pleasing, but the plants are reliably protected from icy blowing, and at the same time from dry hot air rising from the battery.

Many amateur gardeners suffer from plants grown in pots that are too large. This problem especially often occurs during transplants, when a young plant from a plastic cup or small pot is transplanted immediately into a large pot with a diameter of 12-15 cm. A small root system cannot master such The huge volume land. After watering, the substrate does not dry out for a long time, so the roots do not breathe for too long and die. Remember! Violets cannot be grown in very large pots, as they have a small, not very powerful root system. And to fully provide the plant with nutrients, it is better to take the path of more frequent transplants and replace the old substrate with a new one. And never plant a plant in a pot “to grow.” Its volume should always correspond to the size of the root system. And the next container size can be used only after the roots have completely mastered the volume of the old pot. Only fairly experienced gardeners can afford to “jump” one or two sizes, but with very loose soil and very careful watering for a month after transplanting.

The root system also suffers from growing plants in pots that are too small. If you are doing this specifically to miniaturize your plants, be sure to water them regularly. Because watering errors in this case lead to regular drying out. And, as a consequence, to the partial death of the root system. And dead roots are an open gate for infection and a breeding ground for pathogenic fungi. This is especially destructive for plants in the summer, when drying out occurs very quickly, and this is accompanied by severe overheating of the small pot. And fungal diseases develop rapidly in hot weather. The solution, as in the previous case, is the optimal size of the pot for this specimen. For young rosettes these are plastic cups or pots with a diameter of 6-8 cm. For adult plants - a diameter of 9-10 cm. For very large violets with a huge root system, a diameter of 11-12 cm is acceptable, but this is perhaps the limit.

Growing violets in a clay substrate that is too heavy also leads to problems with the root system. The roots of Saintpaulias are thin and delicate; they cannot develop in such an environment. The situation is also aggravated by poor aeration of such soil, but according to research by American specialists, ideal soil for violets it should consist of a third of earth, a third of water and a third of air. When making your own substrate, take soil only with a crumbly, granular structure, well processed by earthworms.

And the last reason leading to the depressed state of the plant is its old age. Such violets have a long, often curving stem, at the end of which there is a faded rosette of discolored leaves. Old roots do not cope well with all their functions; they easily break off, rot and die. They feel like bast. And the only way to save such a plant is to rejuvenate it, that is, to recut it. And in six months your violet will be unrecognizable! But it is more correct, of course, not to bring the plant to such a state and, with each planned replanting, to carry out partial rejuvenation, namely: deepen the neck (stem) that formed to the lower leaves, and shorten its underground part by 1/4-1/3 of the length, so as not to increase the size of the pot and stimulate the formation of new young roots in the upper part of the stem.

So, the main reasons for plants wilting:

overdrying;
overheat;
waterlogging;
hypothermia;
pot too big;
the ground is too heavy;
pot too small;
very old plant.

I hope that knowing this will help you avoid care mistakes and minimize the loss of plants in your collection.

Afterword

It helps a lot not to flood the plants and to control the amount of water measured when watering each specimen; a substrate that is dry, semi-dry and wet has different shades of color. If you are in doubt whether you need to water this plant, just touch the surface of the earth with your finger. This is an excellent indicator of the degree of hydration that will never let you down. Watering is not carried out on wet and moist soil. If in a hurry you watered a violet that didn’t need it, it doesn’t matter: wash it several times plastic pot, loosen the soil, fill it with air - and the plant will cope. Or place a paper napkin under the pot. Those who like to water, add more perlite to the substrate - this will help the plant endure your passion. And try to find the courage to control optimal size collections so that the care of each plant is at least a little individual.

Your I.L. Danilina

Danilina Irina Leonidovna

Phone number for contact and orders: 8 495 430-63-59 , 8-917-545-6727 (mobile)

Details about ordering plants and their delivery throughout Russia in the section

The violet is loved by many flower growers, which is not surprising, because it always pleases its owners delicate flowers and a pleasant aroma. But sometimes it happens that violet leaves wither, and this process happens quite quickly. What to do if the beauty who recently made the flower garden a real decoration suddenly began to fade? How to save a violet from death?

Sometimes you can observe a situation when they begin to wither and disappear lower leaves at the violets. Moreover, at a time when the lower leaves become limp and soft, everything may be in order with the upper part of the plant (sometimes Saintpaulia may even bloom). Why is this happening? There may be several reasons why violets disappear:

various fungal diseases that can enter through the soil or through wounds that form due to mechanical damage;
harmful insects sucking juices from violets;
Not proper care behind the violet - non-compliance temperature regime, excess moisture or even root burns.

When violet leaves wither, you should immediately understand the reasons for this phenomenon, and not wait until the process goes too far.

Violet resuscitation

Before saving the violet, you need to find out why the leaves of the plant have become limp. It is not recommended to revive violets without finding out the exact cause. By your actions you can harm the flower. So study the issue carefully and eliminate the cause, not the symptoms. So, what to do if your violet has limp leaves?

We save from diseases

Death of the lower leaves of violets can occur due to a number of diseases. These include late blight and fusarium. Both of these diseases are extremely dangerous for the plant, so if you don’t take timely measures, you can say goodbye to the flower.

With late blight, the leaves become lethargic and lose their elasticity, in addition, they appear rust spots. The reanimated plant should be immediately rid of soft leaves. In addition, since fungal bacteria affect the root system, it is necessary to remove the flower from the pot and remove the damaged roots.

After the surviving part has been removed, transplant the Saintpaulia into a new pot and lightly water it with phytosporin. Select pots for which are slightly smaller than the previous one. If the root system has been completely destroyed, you can cut the cutting and try to grow a new plant from it.

When violets are affected by fusarium, the leaves wither, turn brown and fall off. A characteristic feature This disease is caused by the darkened roots of the plant. You can try to treat your pet in the same way as for late blight, but you should not have high hopes for the flower’s recovery. In most cases, Saintpaulia will die.

Getting rid of pests

Most often, Saintpaulias suffer from attacks by root scale insects, nematodes and thrips, but there are many other insects that pose a danger to your flower garden. They are usually gotten rid of with the help of special preparations – acaricides. But it is worth remembering that they settle mainly in the soil. Therefore, in order to protect the flowers, it is recommended to transplant them into new pot with complete replacement of soil.

Eliminating the consequences of improper care

Despite everything, the most common reason that a plant becomes lethargic is still the wrong one. What are you doing wrong?

Lack of light. Flowers often disappear due to the fact that they were not provided with enough light. They need it 12 hours a day, so winter period When natural light becomes insufficient, it is recommended to replace it with artificial light.
Excess light. In this case, the leaves may get sunburned and quickly turn yellow. To restore the flower, you need to put it in a place where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Incorrect watering. Excess or lack of moisture is equally harmful to Saintpaulias. Due to excess water, its roots may begin to rot, and in this case it is recommended to remove the flower from the pot, remove the rotten roots and replant it in a new one. If the plant is suffering due to lack of water, then you can simply water it (but be careful not to flood the flower). The plant is important. Some people do it wrong, watering Saintpaulia from above - the water needs to be poured into the pan.
Excess or lack of fertilizers. Typically, the plant becomes lethargic due to a lack of potassium or nitrogen. If in this case it will be enough to compensate for the lack of nutrients by applying, then with an excess of fertilizers the situation is much more serious. It is necessary to transplant your beauty to a new place, and continue to monitor the amount of feeding.
Bad soil. Saintpaulias prefer slightly acidic soil, so if yours is not so, you need to change it by replanting the violets.
Poor water quality. Water for irrigation should be settled (at least a day) and warm. Cold tap water causes significant damage to the flower.
Failure to comply with temperature conditions. Optimal temperature for Saintpaulias – 18–25 degrees. If it is too low or too high, the flowers begin to fade. Move the Saintpaulia to a warmer (or cooler) place. Do not leave the flower in a draft or near heating appliances.
Untimely transplant. Remember to repot your plants once a year, and also replant newly purchased Saintpaulias in new soil.

Video “If the violet is flooded”

From this video you will learn what to do if you accidentally spilled a violet.

Apr 27 2018

Diseases of violets and their treatment

Indoor violets, so popular among many flower growers in our country, unfortunately, often suffer from improper care and are quite difficult to tolerate various kinds of diseases. You should carefully look at your pets, pay attention to the slightest deviations in growth, development, appearance violets for the worse. Then you will not miss the problem and begin to correct the situation as soon as possible. In this article we will introduce you to common problems in the life of indoor Saintpaulias, their diseases, preventive measures and treatment methods.

Once again, we draw your attention to the fact that the main way to protect indoor plants from diseases is proper care and timely preventive measures.

If everything is fine with the purchased violet and it does not require replanting, take it to a prepared place in the apartment and begin to care for it according to all the rules. After all, it is numerous violations of the rules for caring for indoor violets that become the causes of problems. Let's start dealing with them in order.

Common problems

Why have violets become small and dull?

If the flower lacks natural light, then new generations of leaves, compared to old ones, grow smaller and look duller. Their petioles lengthen, the edges of the leaf blades bend upward. You should move the flower pot to a windowsill illuminated by diffuse sunlight. In the autumn-winter period, additional artificial lighting for up to 12 - 14 hours will not hurt. Just protect it from direct sunlight and drafts. You will see that the violet will soon recover and return to normal.

Why do violet leaves rise up?

Ideally, violet leaves are positioned horizontally relative to the stem. True, some varieties of violets, for example, King’s Ransom, Neptune’s Jewels, Happy Feet, are predisposed to some lifting of the leaves upward. If you have a violet of a different variety, and its leaves suddenly begin to rise and curl, there may be several reasons:

Incorrect lighting. It should not be weak or excessive. On a southern sunny windowsill there must be light cover in the form of curtains or blinds, otherwise Sun rays will burn the tender leaves of the violet and, to protect itself from the sun, it lifts the leaves up. Western and eastern directions are the most preferable, and on northern windows the violets will not have enough light. The cuttings will begin to lengthen, the leaves will stretch towards the light and stretch upward. The rosette becomes like a large spider with disproportionately tall and thin peduncles.
Move the violet pot to a suitable place, well lit by the scattered rays of the sun. If daylight hours are short, organize additional lighting up to 12 hours a day. Then the new cuttings will be of normal size, the leaves will spread out to the sides, as they should be, and the rosette will gradually become beautiful and compact again. Just remember to remove old leaves.
The leaf rosette is too thick. Many leaves suffer from a lack of light, reaching for it and stretching out.
The violet should be thinned out and excess leaves removed.
Lack of indoor humidity. If the air in your room is too dry, the violet leaves will rise up and begin to curl. Try by all means to increase the humidity of the surrounding air.
Heat from heating appliances. The leaves of violets rise when the pot is on the windowsill, directly under which there is a radiator, from which powerful streams of heat emanate upward. The violet tries to protect itself from the heat and lifts its leaves up. It will be worse if the leaves begin to turn yellow and yellow-brown spots appear on them. It should be remembered that violets love stable air temperatures (18 - 26 degrees). Close the radiators, ventilate the room, but avoid drafts.

If you analyze possible mistakes and correct them, your violets will be back to normal.

Why do violet leaves curl inward?

If the leaves of a beautiful violet suddenly begin to wither, and the entire rosette is about to wither, you should hurry up and find out the reason for this disgrace. And there may be several of them:

Banal violation of flower content. Low or too heat, weak or too intense lighting, excess moisture, stagnation of water in the pan, hard or cold water, burns of the root system due to exceeding the dose of fertilizing and others.
Insect pests, which settled on the underside of the leaves and suck the juices out of them. They can help special drugs– acaricides. (About pest control).
Fungal diseases. The fungus can appear in the soil or enter the violet tissue through wounds in the stem or leaves that appear mechanically during pruning, propagation or transplantation of the violet. Below we will describe diseases of violets that lead to its leaves withering and disappearing.

Why do violet leaves turn yellow?

Perhaps you water it carelessly - water gets on the velvet leaves of the violet and spoils them. Yellow spots appear and sunburn, if the violet is in the sun. Ring spots can be from cold drafts in winter time of the year.

Why do violet leaves turn black around the edges?

If the edges of the leaves of a violet begin to turn black, it is necessary to find the cause of this phenomenon and eliminate it. Let's figure it out in order:

The main reason for leaves turning black around the edges is excessive moisture of the substrate. Stop watering the plant temporarily and let the soil dry. Feel the damaged areas to the touch - if they are soft, the root system may have begun to rot. Then we recommend removing the affected leaves, peduncles and shoots. Remove the violet bush from the pot and inspect the roots. Remove brown ones. Treat the sections with crushed activated carbon. Transplant the violet into a new substrate according to all the rules, water it and spray it with phytosporin, and do not allow violations during watering in the future.
Tender leaves of violets are not tolerated drafts. At any time of the year, drafts can lead to the appearance of light or brown spots. But a few seconds in the cold air when ventilating the room in winter is enough for the green velvet leaves of the flower to begin to darken at the edges. Gradually, spots from the edges spread to the entire surface of the leaves. Violet in this case does not require treatment. Simply remove damaged leaves to prevent them from spoiling appearance flower.
Lack of nutrients in the soil leads to the appearance of brown spots on violet leaves. During the process of growth and flowering, violet actively selects all nutrients from the soil. They should be renewed regularly, feeding the plant twice a month with special liquid fertilizers for violets (Saintpaulia). Also, do not neglect the annual replanting of the plant in fresh substrate. If the flower is not replanted for a long time, harmful salts accumulate in the soil, interfering with the absorption of beneficial substances. In this case, fertilizing will not be effective.
Appearance on Saintpaulia leaves white plaque or spots of white or gray, can mean any disease - fungal, bacterial or viral. We will talk about diseases of this nature later.

Why do violet flowers and buds wither?

If the buds do not open completely and the violet flowers dry out prematurely, the sin may be due to the following reasons:

The room is too dry. It is necessary to increase the air humidity - the flower suffocates.
The room is too hot. In summer the sun shines through the window glass, in winter the radiators under the window sill fry. There's no time for flowering here.
There is not enough natural light. In winter, due to the short daylight hours, artificial lighting is required.
Soil not suitable for violets, too acidic, with a pH below 4.5
Excess nitrogen in the soil.
Drafts. When airing, take the violet away from the flow of cold air.

Why doesn't the violet bloom?

If the violet has lost its turgor, its color has become duller, most likely you have flooded it. The root system began to rot and stopped supplying the stems and leaves with moisture and nutrients. This disease is called root rot. The flower needs urgent treatment. Take it out of the pot, free the root system from the substrate, and inspect it. Most likely, you will find softened brownish roots affected by spores of a harmful fungus, which in a humid environment quickly multiplied and scattered throughout the pot. Low acidity of the soil could also contribute to this disease.

What to do in this case? Remove rotten and damaged roots. Treat the plant with Fitosporin and replant it in new soil. If you use an old pot, wash it well and disinfect it (calcine, steam, treat copper sulfate). However, if the disease is advanced and the damage is too severe, the mother plant will have to be destroyed. First try to select healthy leaves from a diseased violet and root them, after pre-treating them with phytosporin or other fungicide to prevent and treat rot.

Violet stems are also susceptible to rotting. Most often this happens in the following cases:

during the division of an adult bush into parts during reproduction;
when trimming leaves or cutting the top of a flower for rooting;
during the separation of children.

The causes of infection can be different:

a dirty tool was used;
large wounds were inflicted on the violet, and they were not allowed to heal;
did not treat the sections with antifungal agents (crushed charcoal or cinnamon powder);
excess watering was carried out after transplantation, and weak roots did not have time to absorb all the moisture;
missed the attack of insect pests on a fragile plant.

If your indoor violet lives in conditions of high humidity and reduced to 15–20 degrees. temperature, she may get sick leaf rust. The reason is the appearance of rust fungi on the plant. When the disease occurs, orange tubercles on the upper part and brown pads below are observed on the leaves. As a result, they crack and spores of rusty fungi are released and spread to healthy parts of the plant. Violets rarely suffer from this disease. If your beauty does become infected, treat her with some fungicide or a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture. Dusting with sulfur dust will also help.

Brown rot

Very young rosettes, rooted leaves and children are often affected by a disease such as brown rot. You can guess this disease by the brown-brown base of the stem, which thins and softens. On the ground under the rosette you can find whitish threads of mycelium. Urgent measures are needed to prevent the spread of the disease to neighboring plants.

To prevent this, for preventive purposes, treat rooted leaves, cuttings or children with a contact fungicide. Don't bury them. Irrigate the area under the stem with phytosporin or similar chemicals. Use loose soil that does not retain too much moisture. Water infrequently, but abundantly.

Gray mold (botrytis)

If you notice softening and weakening of the green parts of the violet, and a gray fluffy coating begins to appear on the surface of the leaves, most likely the plant is sick with gray rot. Correct name This disease is botrytis. Gray plaque will gradually cover all parts of the plant, and they will rot. Urgently remove diseased leaves and other parts of the flower, preventing them from getting into the substrate. The fungus enters the flower through the soil. Old soil that is stored on your balcony and may have already been contaminated before should be thoroughly disinfected (freezed, calcined, treated with manganese or a fungicide) before use. You should also treat the violet with one of the fungicides (Skor or Fundazol according to the instructions). If you delay treatment, the affected violet will die.

To prevent this disease, it is extremely important not to spray plants in the cool season, not to allow air humidity to be too high, sudden changes in temperature, not to overwater the flowers, not to allow water to stagnate in the pan and condensation to form in the greenhouse during propagation (rooting).

Powdery mildew

If you find something that looks like flour on the violet leaves and flower corollas, most likely the flower has been attacked by powdery mildew. This is one of the most common fungal diseases indoor violets. Typically, infection of Saintpaulia occurs through fungal spores in the soil.

Powdery mildew most often affects weakened plants:

who have recently been transplanted;
which have just taken root;
if they lack natural sunlight;
if they are constantly in a room with high (above 60%) humidity;
if they grow in a dirty pot and are covered with dust;
if the soil in which they grow contains an excess of nitrogen and a deficiency of other elements, for example, phosphorus and potassium;
if the violets have just bloomed;
if they are forced to live in a cool place, below 18 degrees. heat, room;
if they are too old.

For preventive purposes, protect such plants from sharp fluctuations temperatures, water them correctly, use fertilizing on time. Wipe the flower leaves occasionally with a slightly damp cloth, wash the pot and the tray underneath. Ventilate the room.

If you still find traces of powdery mildew on the violet, treat it with the fungicide benlat or foundationzol.

Late blight

If you notice brown, drying spots on the leaves, which, as the disease progresses, begin to spread to all parts of the plant, most likely your violet has developed late blight. The cause is fungi that penetrate the violet’s body through microcracks in the leaves and roots. As a result, the root collar begins to rot and the leaves become covered with brown spots. The affected tissues undergo necrosis, the rosette withers. Even after watering and fertilizing, the elasticity of the foliage is not restored.

It will not be possible to save such a flower. If the apical part of the rosette is not yet damaged, try cutting it off clean tool and root, just be sure to treat the cut with an antifungal drug, removing all tissue affected by the disease. A healthy cut should have a light green tint. You can also choose healthy violet leaves for rooting, and destroy the rest of the rosette along with the soil. After each cut, dip the tool into a glass with potassium permanganate or alcohol. For prevention, treat all plants adjacent to the diseased violet with phytosporin. Fungal spores can survive in the soil for quite some time for a long time, so be sure to handle it well flower pot copper sulfate or other fungicide.

Fusarium

If you notice that the roots of the violet have begun to rot and soften, and then the disease has spread to the stem and leaf petioles, then most likely you cannot save the violet - it has contracted the most dangerous disease of Saintpaulia - fusarium. From roots infected with the fusarium fungus, the infection quickly spreads through the vessels to all parts of the plant. Most of the old foliage in the lower level quickly fades, the stems and edges of the leaf blades become watery, and then die completely. Most often, weakened plants get sick - after flowering, with a lack of nutrients in the soil, and also at temperatures below 16 ° C.

Most likely, it will not be possible to cure a plant affected by fusarium - it will have to be urgently thrown away along with the soil. If you value the pot, disinfect it with copper sulfate or an available fungicide. To prevent the disease, monitor the watering schedule, and also water the violet with a phytosporin solution once a month. Do not plant your violet in a larger pot than it needs in heavy, moisture-retentive soil. Sudden changes in temperature, drafts and watering with cold water are contraindicated.

Vascular bacteriosis

If during the hot season, usually in summer, the lower leaves of your violet become covered with mucus and begin to die, most likely the plant has been affected by vascular bacteriosis. Urgently cool the surrounding air, ventilate the room, and establish constant ventilation. For treatment use chemicals– fungicides: foundationazol, previkur and immunocytophyte.

Any indoor plants require attention, care, and proper care, and violets need this more than others, since they are very susceptible to external conditions.

If a violet withers, its leaves droop, it means that it doesn’t like something, but finding the reason for this state of the flower is extremely difficult, because there can be many factors.

Still, let's try to figure out what could be the matter if Saintpaulia suddenly shows signs of wilting or illness, and how to restore health to your favorite flower.

Violets are very beautiful ornamental plants, but at the same time they are also very capricious. Any disturbance to their habitat can affect the appearance of the flower. They are also susceptible to pests, especially fungi. Let's look at the most common reasons why Saintpaulias may wither.

Lack of light or excess of it

Violets need to receive at least 12 hours of daylight per day. In winter, when the days become short and cloudy, they may lack light. In this case, they must be illuminated with artificial lamps.

The light should be moderate. Its deficiency or excess causes the flower to wither.

Improper watering

The quality of the water is also important: it is better to purify it through a filter or to settle it well. The temperature of the water when watering should not be lower than +18 degrees.

Lack of fertilizers or saturation with them

Violet leaves often wither because the plant lacks nutrients. This happens especially often in the spring, when the flower begins to grow rapidly and especially needs feeding.

But if you “overdo it” with vitamins, you can cause serious harm to Saintpaulia. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the recommendations indicated on the drug that you use for feeding.

Bad soil

In any case, it is recommended to replant violets purchased in stores, since no one will tell you exactly what kind of soil they have and how long they have been in it.

For replanting, it is best to use a ready-made substrate designed specifically for Saintpaulias; it can be found in any flower growing stores.

Pests

If a disease is detected, you must quickly take action:

separate the plant from healthy ones,
treat with a medicinal preparation (in flower shops you can find remedies for any pests),
and then transplant the Saintpaulia into fresh soil.

Air temperature and humidity

The plant is also sensitive to air humidity. The optimal figure is 60-70%. But Saintpaulia will tolerate high humidity more easily than dry air.

Do not keep flowers above heating appliances, and if the air in the house is dry, place containers of water near the pots.

Violets also do not like drafts, so placing them near open windows, under an air conditioner or fan is not the best option.

What to do if the violet fades

To find the cause of plant wilting, you will need to eliminate all factors one by one. We will have to reconsider everything: watering, maintenance conditions, fertilizers, and check the flower for pests.

Sometimes, after adjusting the care rules, the violet returns to normal. If, in your opinion, you are doing everything right, and the Saintpaulia continues to wither, replant it in fresh soil and a new pot.

Do not forget also that Saintpaulia needs annual replanting. If this is not done, it may stop blooming and will wither over time.