Learn to take care of the Viola cornuta, a perennial flower of great beauty;)

The horned violet it is a lovely plant, especially during the fall when its flowers bloom. She is a first cousin of the viola x wittrockianawhich is much better known by the name of pansy, but although both are quite similar, our protagonist has a more compact appearance and a more abundant flowering.

The care it requires is not complicated at all; in fact, you can grow it both in pots and in the garden in hot climates and also in temperate ones.

Origin and characteristics of horned violet

It is a perennial herbaceous plant endemic to the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains, in Spain. It is popularly known as the Pyrenean violet, and we find it in grasslands, rocks and pastures, being able to reach a maximum height of 30 centimeters. The leaves are oval, sharp, petiolate, and hairy on the underside.

Blooms into fall (November-December in the northern hemisphere), and its 20 to 40mm flowers are composed of narrow violet or lilac petals, which measure 19 to 15mm, and are fragrant.

It is a species that is included in the red list of endangered plants of Andorra according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which you can consult here!.

What are their cares?

If you want to have a copy of horned violetwe recommend that you provide the following care:

Location

It is a plant that must be abroadif possible in an area where it is in direct sunlight throughout the day. In case you do not have any such area, you can grow it in semi-shade without problem as long as it receives more light than shade.

Earth

• Flower pot: universal substrate ‘of a lifetime’ (for sale here!) . If you want you can mix it with 20-30% perlite (on sale here!), arlita (for sale here!) or similar to improve drainage, but it is not necessary.
• the garden: grows in soils with good drainage, loose, and with neutral or alkaline pH.

Irrigation

Moderate to frequent. During the summer season it will be necessary to water frequently, an average of 3-4 times a week, but the rest of the year it will be enough to water an average of 1-2 times a week depending on the weather and the rainfall (the warmer and dry, the more followed the waterings will have to be).

Make sure to only moisten the substrate or soil, never the leaves or flowers, and that it is also well soaked.

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From early spring to late fall It is advisable to pay every 10 or 15 days with an organic fertilizer, such as guano (for sale here!) or a seaweed compost (for sale here!), or if you prefer universal compost (on sale here!).

In any case, it is important to follow the instructions specified on the product packaging to minimize the risk of an overdose.

Multiplication

The horned violet multiplies by seeds in spring or summerfollowing this step by step:

1. The first thing to do is put them in a glass of water for a few minutes to see which ones sink (which will be the ones that interest you) and which ones don’t.
2. After that time, a seedbed (seedling tray, flowerpot, …) must be filled with substrate for seedlings (for sale here!) and water.
3. Afterwards, the seeds are placed on the surface, ensuring that they are separated.
4. They are then covered with a thin layer of substrate.
5. Finally, the seedbed is watered and placed outside, in full sun if it is spring, or in semi-shade if it is summer.

Keeping the substrate moist they will germinate in a short time, about ten days.

Pruning

It does not need much pruning, You just have to cut off the withered flowers and the leaves that you see are dry, sick or weak. Do it with scissors – they can be children’s, or sewing – previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol, a few drops of dishwasher or with a wet wipe.

He thinks that disinfecting the tool, in this case the scissors, before pruning is essential to prevent viruses, fungi and / or bacteria from damaging the plant.

Planting or transplanting time

The ideal time to plant it in the ground or transplant it is in springwhen the risk of frost has passed. But if you have obtained it from seed, move it to a larger pot as soon as you see roots sprout from the drainage holes or when it has reached a height of about two to four inches.

Pests

It is very resistant, but can be affected by aphid y Caterpillars. In any case, you should not worry too much because they can be treated and even prevented with diatomaceous earth. This is a natural insecticide made up of fossilized microscopic algae that contains silica, which is what glass is made of.

It is a very, very light white powder that, as soon as it comes into contact with the insect, what it does is pierce its body so that it ends up dying of dehydration. From my own experience I will tell you that it is one of the best natural products that we can use to keep our plants protected. It is even great for removing fleas and ticks.

The dose is about 35g per liter of water, and you can buy it from here!.

Diseases

They are not frequent, but when it is watered in excess or when the leaves get wet it can have alternariasis o cercosporatwo fungal-borne diseases that cause dark-colored spots on leaves and are treated with copper-based fungicides.