Do you know which soil will suit your violets? Indeed, it depends on the correctly selected soil how well the plant will develop.
It must combine the necessary nutritional value and the correct acidity. The soil must be loose enough to provide the roots with the necessary air exchange.
If the soil mixture is chosen incorrectly, the plant can be very painful, and also completely die. Further in the article, we will analyze what kind of soil is good and how to make it up correctly.
What Potting Mix to Use for African Violets?
Choosing the right soil is quite simple if you know what kind of soil is needed for flowers, what acid-base balance is required, what composition should be in order to provide the necessary looseness.
Soil composition
The soil at home for Saintpaulias should consist of leafy and coniferous land, which conducts moisture and air well, turf or high peat.
It is imperative to add nutritious vermicompost, which provides the plant with all micronutrients. But it makes the soil heavier, vermiculite or perlite will help fix it.
A small addition of river sand will help to retain moisture well. Many began to add coconut substrate to increase moisture and air exchange.
Acid-base balance
When studying what kind of soil a violet loves, you should pay attention that the pH level of the soil must adhere to 5.5 – 6.5. With a decrease or increase in the indicator, the vital activity of the plant is disrupted. It will not get enough minerals.
Ready-made earthen mixtures for Saintpaulias have the required pH level, which is indicated on the package. To determine the acidity of the earth, special test strips are sold.
Determination of soil acidity.ADVICE! If the test strips have identified alkaline soil, it can be adjusted by watering with a vinegar-based solution (4.5 liters of room temperature water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar). Watering a solution based on dolomite flour can reduce the acidity of the soil (4.5 liters of water at room temperature with 1 tablespoon of flour).
Looseness
What kind of soil is needed for violets to grow well? Primarily breathable and permeable. To increase these indicators, you can add to the soil mixture:
- granular perlite;
- vermiculite;
- sphagnum moss.
Here is the best time, method, pot, Care, and Transplanting African Violets guide.
Ready made Potting Mix to Use for African Violets contained
The range of the flower shop is replete with a variety of soil mixtures for Saintpaulias, which have a varied composition. But they are all based on:
- horse peat;
- low-lying peat;
- baking powder;
- mineral fertilizers.
Let’s take a closer look at what kind of land is good and how growers say about them.
how to make African violet soil mix?
Despite a large number of ready-made soil mixes, many growers prefer to prepare their own soil mixture by mixing the components in a suitable ratio.
The individual components can also be purchased from specialized stores. Thus, you do not have to run around the shops, looking for which land is right for violets.
you can make African violet soil mix at home from the following components:
- high-moor and low-moor peat . This component is mined in swamps. Low-lying peat is 70% organic, a set of nutrients. It is very nutritious, but dries quickly, so moisture-retaining components are required. Features a neutral pH. High-moor peat consists of organic matter, mainly sphagnum moss, located on the surface of a swampy area. But unlike the lowland, it has a low nutritional value and an acidic reaction;
- vermiculite or perlite. Both components are of volcanic origin. When using one of them, the soil for room violets will not cake, the formation of a surface crust is excluded. But it is worth giving preference to vermiculite, since it has moisture-retaining and disinfecting properties, some mineral additives;
- sphagnum moss. It will be a useful addition to the mix. It is an excellent baking powder, absorbs moisture, and then gradually gives it to the plant, but at the same time it passes air well, does not rot. How to use sphagnum moss for violets? Chop finely and add to the mixture;
- biohumus. It is a natural fertilizer that nourishes and stimulates plant growth. Consists of compost, recycled organic raw materials and manure;
- charcoal. It is wood that has been charred in an airless environment and has retained its structure. It has antiseptic properties, prevents the formation of rot, absorbs excessive moisture. Powder of charcoal treats plant slices;
- coconut substrate. It is made from a hard coconut shell, in which there are many useful substances, there are no pathogens. It is a natural, environmentally friendly filler. Good moisture retention.
Purchase these components before preparing the ground yourself.
ADVICE! It is more convenient to enrich store substrates with additional components since they are optimally matched in terms of pH.
Composition of soil for violets at home based on ready-made soil. The addition of these substances helps to enrich the ready-mix:
- 6 tablespoons of the purchased mixture;
- 2 tablespoons of vermiculite;
- 1 tablespoon of sphagnum;
- ½ tablespoon of crushed charcoal.
Another recipe based on ready-made soil:
- 4 tablespoons of the purchased mixture;
- 1 tablespoon of vermiculite;
- 1 tablespoon chopped sphagnum
- ½ tablespoon of coconut substrate;
- 2 tablespoons of chopped charcoal.
Recipe based on pH neutral universal potting soil mix for indoor plants:
- 6 tablespoons of all-purpose mix
- 1 tablespoon of perlite;
- 1 tablespoon of vermiculite;
- ½ tablespoon of coconut substrate;
- 1 tablespoon chopped sphagnum
- 1 tablespoon of chopped charcoal.
The recipe for how to prepare soil based on lowland and high moor peat:
- 4 tablespoons of high-moor, low-lying peat, mixed in equal amounts;
- 1 tablespoon of vermiculite;
- 1 tablespoon chopped sphagnum
- 1 tablespoon of chopped charcoal;
- ½ tablespoon of vermicompost.
Want to know about the best Size Pot For African Violet.
Sod and leafy soil mix for african violet flower
Sod and leafy soil can serve as a nutrient base for the soil. They replace the universal primer. Unlike peat, they can be obtained independently in field meadows. To do this, remove the topsoil by 2-5 centimeters.
Leafy soil is the topsoil with fallen rotted leaves under linden trees, fruit trees, or maple trees. Used as an additive to sod land.
ATTENTION! It is better not to collect soil under an oak or willow tree due to the high content of tannins.
Sod, leafy soil is used instead of universal soil or peat. But before using it, it is necessary to warm it up in the oven for several hours in order to disinfect it from parasites and bacteria.
can i add sand to african violet soil?
River sand does not carry obvious nutrients, but it makes the soil loose and retains moisture well. In many mixes, it is already included in the composition, so there is no need to add it to ready-made potting mixes. If the soil is prepared independently, then add 1 part of sand to 4 parts of peat.
prepare soil mixture for different growing methods
If you decide to make soil with your own hands, study the composition that is necessary for different cases. For example, in the case of wick irrigation, special requirements will be imposed on the soil.
For wick irrigation
We have already determined what kind of land the violets love, but we will not forget to repeat that the soil used for wick irrigation must:
- have high friability;
- good air flow;
- retain moisture.
Therefore, it is worth enriching the purchased mixture with vermiculite, agroperlite, sphagnum moss.
Disinfection
The ready-made store mix is completely sterilized before being sold, so it does not need to be disinfected, but you can add a little crushed charcoal to it.
If the soil was collected on its own, it must be calcined in the oven for several hours..
Here is proper solution African Violet Leaves Curling Upwards.
Growing methods in landless soil: pros and cons
Studying the question of which land to choose for growing violets, some growers stop at a landless option. This mixture is based on peat or coconut substrate with the addition of leavening agents.
Coconut substrate.
It is distinguished by the complete absence of nutrients, which are applied independently with the help of fertilizers. It is often used in the wick cultivation of Saintpaulias.
The advantages include the complete absence of pathogens of diseases. But due to the lack of nutrients, they must constantly be sacrificed from the outside, therefore this method is suitable only for wick irrigation.
Conclusion
It is extremely difficult to collect turf or leafy soil on your own. And despite a large number of ready-made store mixes, many of them are not of good quality and correct composition.
However, you can enrich the ready-made mixtures with additional components yourself, then your plants will develop and grow correctly. The main thing is to know what kind of soil the violets need.
