Violet Black Pearl

It is not just that a culture like violet is preferred by a large number of gardeners. These flowers have their own difference in compactness, and hybrid varieties delight with their abundance of beautiful inflorescences. Novice gardeners often make the mistake of thinking that all these plants are violets, with round and fluffy leaves on the surface and clustered buds. In fact, real violets are representatives of the violet family, and Saintpaulias are Gesneria, that is, hybrid varieties that require special care. Violet Black Pearl, which we will talk about in this article, is saintpaulia, for convenience we will call it as usual.

Violet Black Pearl: variety description and characteristics

Violet Black Pearl: photo of the variety

Let's start with the characteristics of this subspecies. Violet Black Pearl appeared thanks to breeder Elena Korshunova, in 2003. The main difference between this subspecies is a lush and long flowering period. The leaves of this plant are egg-shaped, with a wide base and a narrowed upper part, but not sharp, they are also fleshy and have veins. There are no waves or notches along the edge of the leaves of this variety. The foliage is collected in a rosette, which can be about 40 centimeters in diameter. They are endowed with a dark green tint and their surface is covered with a small fluff of whitish tint, which has the ability to shine in the light, thereby creating the appearance of a glossy surface. The fluff also covers the petioles, which are located at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the surface of the earth. The main difference between the EK Black Pearl violet variety is its flowers, which have a spectacular and stunning appearance. They have a terry structure and are large enough in size, in a circle they reach about 6-7 centimeters. They are also endowed with a dark purple color with an intense and deep overflow of black. In the center is a bunch of stamens of a rich yellow hue, which stand out quite clearly against the background of such dark petals. Up to 8 buds can form on one peduncle. They are round in shape and unfold rather slowly, thus forming a solid mass of a terry structure. The rosette of that plant is compact and does not disintegrate, even though the flowers are large. The flowering period of the Black Pearl violet variety is quite abundant and the bouquet may not fade for a long time. It is worth noting the fact that in hybrid varieties, children are able to partially inherit the shade of the petals from their parents. The new flower is called a sport. It happens that this subspecies gives birth to such offspring, and it is officially registered and has the name "Gray Ocean". Its flowers have the same double structure, although they are light in color, even almost white, with an overflow of a light lilac-blue hue.

Violet Black Pearl: planting varieties

Violet Black Pearl: photo of the variety

The very first and most important thing to pay attention to is sufficient lighting, without direct sunlight. Therefore, the best option would be to grow this variety on a windowsill facing the east or west side. When a container with a plant is found on the south side, this flower should be provided with partial shade.Without natural light, this subspecies will not grow a green mass, and an excess of light can lead to irreversible wilting and death of the plant. When growing this plant, the temperature regime should be maintained at around 23-24 degrees, and the humidity level should be a maximum of 60 percent. Another important note is warm soil. Its temperature should be in the range from +20 to +30 degrees. This culture does not tolerate stuffiness, therefore, it is required to carry out the procedure for airing the room, but this must be done with caution so that the flower is not exposed to a draft, since sudden changes in air temperature have a rather negative effect on this violet. It is very important to make high-quality and correct watering for this flower. In their natural environment, the root system of these plants is found in moist and warm soil. In order to create conditions close to natural conditions in the house, it is required to water the culture with the wick method. For this, a synthetic cord is taken, approximately five millimeters in diameter, and placed in a container with a plant. The end of the cord is pulled through the soil and out through the hole in the bottom of the pot. After that, the container with the flower is placed on a container with water, and the end of the cord is lowered into the water. Experienced gardeners advise watering with another method - top watering. To do this, you need to use a watering can with an elongated thin spout. Due to such a spout, it will be quite convenient to get under the leaves when watering and distribute the liquid along the edges of the container. It is categorically impossible to pour water directly into the center of the outlet, as this can cause a decay process and the plant will eventually die. The simplest watering method is bottom watering. You just need to lower the container with the plant in a container of water for about 30 minutes. In this way, exactly as much liquid as required will enter the soil through the drainage holes. Also, like other crops, this violet requires feeding. During the formation of the rosette, organic fertilizers with nitrogen content should be applied. During the formation of buds, it is worth adding fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, which contain phosphorus and potassium. The composition should be diluted in water and it is applied strictly after watering. If this is done on dry soil, it will burn the root system. It should be noted that two grams of the substance should be taken for one liter of liquid. It is absolutely impossible to carry out this procedure if the culture is sick, the flower has been exposed to pests, the plant was transplanted less than 45 days ago. Also, processing should not be carried out in a room where the air temperature is too low or high. Depending on where the culture is located, the frequency of top dressing also depends. When a flower is found on the windowsill, fertilizing is applied for 9 months with an interval of 20 days, more precisely from March to November. When a flower is on a shelf that receives artificial lighting, fertilizing should be carried out throughout the year, at intervals of 14 days. Once every 45 days, you need to wash the leaves, but you should not allow liquid to get into the center of the flower, as the decay process may begin.

Violet Black Pearl: variety care

Violet Black Pearl: photo of the variety

• Transplant features

A mandatory procedure for the EK Black Pearl violet variety is pruning. This is done every year in the spring. At the beginning, we pick up the soil, for this the best option would be to purchase a ready-made mixture in the store, since this soil has already been specially created for this flower. But you can also prepare the right soil with your own hands, for this you need to mix three parts of peat, one part of sand, five parts of turf, deciduous and coniferous soil, as well as 10 percent of the total volume of baking powder, such as ordinary wood ash, perlite or sphagnum moss.After that, the correct capacity is selected. It should be small in size, because this plant is endowed with not very developed roots. The container should have a circumference of no more than 13 centimeters. A drainage layer is poured into the container, half of the entire space, and there should be holes in the bottom of the pot. Mature crops during transplantation should be cleared of adhering lumps of soil, while young plants should be transferred together with the soil clod on the root system to a new pot.

• Pruning procedure

The Black Pearl violet variety has one feature - after a certain amount of time, you can notice the dead lower foliage on it. These leaves should be removed using a pointed knife. Places of cuts must be sprinkled with charcoal. If this procedure is not applied in a timely manner, rot can affect the entire plant and it will, accordingly, die. There are times when the trunk of this subspecies becomes bare. If the plant has reached the age of about 4 years, then you need to cut off the top of it. After that, the flower should be transplanted into sandy peat soil. As a result, the plant will begin to form many new processes.

• Reproduction methods

The Black Pearl violet variety is propagated by grafting. The length of the handle in this case should be about three centimeters. A stalk cut at an acute angle should be placed in a jar of water, but half of the crushed activated carbon tablet must be added to this liquid in advance. When the cuttings form roots, approximately two centimeters long, it moves into the soil. For this, a hole is prepared in advance, the depth of which should be about one centimeter. It is worth noting an important fact that the landing should be done at an angle of 45 degrees. After that, the planted shoot needs to be well watered and covered with a plastic cup or transparent plastic bag. The culture must be given enough warmth and light. The processes should be ventilated once a week, for this you need to remove the bag or glass for two minutes. After about one month, the leaflet adapts and takes root, and after two months this leaflet will give out new children. You can plant them in separate containers at the moment when about 5-6 leaves are formed.

Diseases and pests

Like all plants, the EK Black Pearl violet is subject to some unpleasant and dangerous diseases, the most common of which are:

• Powdery mildew. It manifests itself in the form of a white coating on the leaves. The cause of this disease can be a high level of air humidity, low air temperature and an insufficient amount of nitrogen. To combat this ailment, agents such as, for example, Fundazol are used. Treatment should be carried out twice, with an interval of one and a half weeks between procedures.
• Late blight. The causative agent of this disease is a fungus that loves high humidity very much. The disease manifests itself in the form of brown spots on the foliage. Fighting this disease is useless, you will not be able to save the culture, so you can only try to root the top of the flower if it did not suffer, initially cutting it off.
• Gray rot. It manifests itself as a bloom on the leaves of a brown shade and foliage fall. The reason for the infection of the Black Pearl violet variety can be the cold watering procedure and the temperature drop. In this case, you need to transplant the flower as soon as possible and process it with Bordeaux liquid.

Another unpleasant moment when growing EK Black Pearl violets can be attacked by harmful insects such as aphids, thrips, wood lice, ticks and scale insects.When small holes appear on your plant, a coating of a sticky and white shade, and other spots, urgently apply special chemicals, such as Fitoverma or Actellika, then you will be able to save your beautiful violet of the Black Pearl variety.