Planting & caring for horny violets: expert tips

Horn violets can be bought in autumn and spring. Here you can find out how to care for them and what to watch out for when growing horned violets.

The horned violet owes its name (Violoa cornuta) a small horn perched on the end of its flower. You can also admire these flowers with their incredible variety of colors in your own garden from April onwards. Planted in the right location and with a little care, you can even get a second bloom from your horned gardeners.

Plant horny violets in the garden

There is plenty of leeway when planting horned violets. The plants can be put into the ground from March to October. However, it is advisable not to plant them while they are in bloom. This can overuse the plants. Horned violets look best when planted in large groups. Then a huge color palette of flowers can be enjoyed. The many young plants that will show up around your planted horned violets over time can be transplanted all year round. Only a frost-free floor should be ensured.

Location for horned violets 

Horn violets are originally found in the Pyrenees on rocky meadows and alpine meadows at altitudes of up to 2500 meters. So that the plants feel comfortable, you should choose a partially shaded location and avoid full sun. The soil should be rich in humus, loose and permeable to prevent waterlogging. In the bed, humus-rich garden soil is sufficient, including a special organic potting soil such as our peat-free one Plantura organic potting soil is very suitable. If the soil is too heavy, sand is mixed in. Garden compost and horn meal can be incorporated for a long-term supply of nutrients. A neutral to acidic soil pH value guarantees ideal absorption of the nutrients.

Plant horned violets correctly in pots and beds 

Due to their origin, the plants are ideal for rock gardens and perennial beds. Since horned violets feel comfortable in a partially shaded location, they are also great as underplanting for trees or potted tall trunks. In pretty planters such as clay pots, tubs or bowls, horned violets can not only whitewash the garden, but also the house in your favorite colors. Good water drainage must be ensured here. If you choose the right location, nothing stands in the way of the horned violets in your own garden. Whether in a tub or a bed - simply proceed as follows when planting:

• Bed: Rake the earth thoroughly and remove weeds and stones
• Pot: drainage layer made of potsherds, perlite or gravel; Fill with suitable soil
• Planting hole: twice as large as the root ball
• Plant spacing: 20 cm
• Slightly loosen the root ball with your hands
• Plant horned violets and pound the soil into place
• Water well; Irrigation water with liquid fertilizer

When planting in beds, if there is a risk of waterlogging, a layer of gravel or chippings can be laid on the bottom of the planting hole.

Note: As underplanting of fruit trees, horned violets attract bees to pollinate the fruit tree blossoms.

Socialization

Horned violets are suitable as a floral replacement for early bloomers such as crocus (Crocus), daffodil (Narcissus) or primrose (Primula). For a varied flower experience in summer, you can use asters (aster) or Zinnias (Zinnia) be combined. For a second partnership in autumn, chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum) or dahlias (Dahlia) can be used.

Propagate or buy horned violets yourself

Horned violets are perennial, herbaceous plants that convince with a long flowering time. If your horned violets feel really good, they tend to run wild. They would sow themselves, form runners and take over your bed piece by piece with their flowers. Who does not want to let the propagation succumb to the will of nature or his garden with new varieties If you want to spice things up, you can harvest the fruit capsules, multiply them using sinkers, or buy seeds and young plants in stores to buy.

If you grow horny violets from seeds, the plants are less persistent in terms of flowering time. However, the adult seedlings do not lose their ability to flower. As a rule, they have more flowers than the plants that have been propagated via subsets or cracks. If you prefer a long flowering period, you should therefore use your horned violets propagate vegetatively or buy young plants in stores. If you prefer a lot of flowers, the plants are propagated generatively using seeds. The only decision left is whether to use your own plants as an outlet for the new generation of horned violets or buy seeds and plants. Purchased seeds and young plants save work and time, and the money saved can go into the holiday budget when you propagate them yourself.

Buy horned violets: what to look out for

Horn violets are available from specialist retailers in spring. The young plants were grown from cuttings. The plants are planted directly after purchase. It is important to note whether the plants come from the greenhouse. The young plants are then not used to frost. If they are planted before mid-May, Father Frost can still visit them at night. Therefore, the plants should be accustomed to colder temperatures before planting out or you should buy plants that have been grown in a cold house. Greenpeace also recommends buying the young plants from specialist retailers. In 2014, bee-endangering pesticides were found on many flowers and ornamental plants from the hardware store or supermarket, and also on horned violets.

Propagate horned violets from seeds yourself

In the case of propagation via seeds, either commercially available seeds can be used or the seeds are harvested from adult horned violets themselves. You can find out how to best proceed when harvesting the seeds in our article "Buy horned violets or sow seeds?“. The seeds available in stores are guaranteed to be of the correct variety. This is very difficult to achieve with the self-harvest due to the cross-willingness of the varieties. Horn violets are also cold germs. Self-harvested seeds should therefore be sown immediately after harvesting in late summer, as they need the cold temperature period of winter. This is the only way for the seeds to germinate well and evenly. The seeds available in stores are artificially cold-treated and can also be sown and grown indoors in January. When sowing horned violets, the procedure is as follows:

• January - March: sowing the seeds
• Fill the open seed tray with seed compost
• Sow seeds on soil, just press lightly (light germinator!)
• Location: shady and protected
• Keep evenly moist
• Germination temperature: 15 - 18 ° C
• Germination time: 8 days - 4 weeks
• Dark until germination, then lighter
• Prick out into small pots when the first leaves can be seen
• May: transplant

The self-harvested seeds rest outside over the winter and are otherwise treated as listed above. The first leaves appear in spring and the plants can be pricked out. Horn violets can also be sown directly into the bed until the end of September. If the seeds are sown directly in the bed, there should be a distance of 20 cm between the seeds.

Summary: Propagate or buy horned violets yourself

• Advantage of seeds: more flowers, cheaper
• Advantage of young plants: more persistent flowering, less time and space required
• Purchased seeds: artificially cold treated; Sowing: January - March
• Self-harvested seeds: cold germinator; Sowing: late summer

Caring for horny violets

Horny violets, with their height of 20 to 30 cm, are more delicate and smaller than pansies, their relatives. Even so, they are more durable and bloom longer. With the right care, the length of the flowering phase can even be maximized. Regularly cleaning out withered inflorescences extends the flowering phase because the plant does not put any energy into seed formation. Once the flowering is over, one pruning supports a second Your horned violets bloom in autumn and a bushy growth. Here the plant is cut back in half. In this way you not only do something good for your plant, but also give your eyes pleasure in the splendor of the flowers for longer. After the last flowering in October, the plants are cut just above the ground in preparation for winter.

Pour horned violets 

Horned violets like it moist. Waterlogging, on the other hand, is not tolerated at all. With potted plants, too dense a root ball can mean that the plant does not get enough space to breathe. Plants have a lot to do during flowering and therefore use more water. During the winter months, when the metabolism goes down, watering is stopped. Only roofed plants are lightly watered even in winter.

Fertilize horned violets 

Horned violets have only moderate nutritional requirements. With too much fertilization, they tend to grow tall and become spindle-shaped. For a lush spring bloom, fertilize once in March. In order to keep a green thumb, organic fertilizers like ours are best suited for this Plantura organic flower fertilizer. They are more environmentally friendly and save more resources than mineral fertilizers. The slower release of the nutrients leads to better dosability, so that the nutrients can be ideally made available to your plants.

Young plants that were planted in spring or summer should also be fertilized with liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water. Our Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer is a purely organic organic liquid fertilizer that contains all the important nutrients for horned violets. For older plants, a second fertilization after flowering is sufficient to support the second flowering in autumn. There is no fertilization in the winter months.

Summary: caring for horned violets

• Watering: keep the soil moist, no waterlogging
• March and after the spring bloom: Apply fertilizer
• Liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water of violets planted in spring or summer
• Pruning: cleaning out withered flowers, pruning after the spring bloom
• Winter: lightly water only roofed plants; no fertilization

Horned violets in frost

Horned violets originally come from windy heights of up to 2500 m. The plants, which live for a short to two years, have to do a lot in winter. Most varieties can withstand temperatures as low as -15 ° C without any problems. Only the bloom stops at frosty minus temperatures. The varieties of the 'Ice Babies' series are particularly robust. You can find out how to play it safe and protect your plants from freezing temperatures in our article Horned violets in frost.

Horny violets are closely related to pansies, but they still have some differences. This article describes the properties of Pansies and horned violets in comparison.