Violet can be bought in autumn and spring. You can find out here how to care for them and what to consider when growing horned violets.
The horned violet (Violoa cornuta) owes its name to a small horn that sits enthroned on the end of its flower. You can also admire these flowers with their unbelievable variety of colors in your own garden from April. Planted in the right spot and with a little care, you can even coax a second bloom from your horned gardeners.
Planting Horned Violets in the Garden
There is plenty of scope when planting horned violets. The plants can be brought into the ground from March to October. However, it is advisable not to plant them during flowering. This can overstress the plants. Horned violets look best when planted in large groups. Then a huge color palette of flower variety can be enjoyed. The many young plants that will appear around your planted horned violets over time can be transplanted all year round. You should only make sure that the ground is frost-free.
Location for Horned Violet
Horn violets are originally found in the Pyrenees on rocky outcrops and alpine meadows at altitudes of up to 2500 metres. So that the plants feel good, you should choose a semi-shady location and avoid full sun. The soil should be rich in humus, loose and permeable to prevent waterlogging. Garden soil rich in humus is sufficient in the bed, and a special organic potting soil such as our peat-free Plantura organic potting soil is also very suitable. If the soil is too heavy, sand is mixed in. Garden compost and horn meal can be incorporated for long-term nutrient supply. A neutral to acidic soil pH value guarantees ideal absorption of nutrients.
Plant horned violets correctly in tubs and beds
Due to their origin, the plants are ideal for rock gardens and perennial beds. Because horned violets atfeel comfortable in a partially shaded location, they are also great as underplanting for trees or potted standard trees. In pretty planters such as clay pots, tubs or bowls, horned violets can not only paint the garden, but also the house in your favorite colors. Care must be taken to ensure good water drainage. If you choose the right location, nothing stands in the way of the horned violets in your own garden. Whether in tubs or beds - simply proceed as follows when planting:
- Bed: Thoroughly rake the soil and remove weeds and stones
- Pot: drainage layer of potsherds, perlite or gravel; fill with suitable soil
- Planting hole: twice as big as the root ball
- Planting distance: 20 cm
- Lightly loosen the root balls with your hands
- Plant horn violets and pat down the soil
- Water well; Irrigation water with liquid fertilizer
Even when planting in a bed, a layer of gravel or grit can be laid out on the bottom of the planting hole if there is a risk of waterlogging.
Note: Horned violets used as underplanting for fruit trees attract bees to pollinate the fruit tree blossoms.
socialization
Horn violets are suitable as a floral replacement for early bloomers such as crocus (Crocus), daffodil (Narcissus) or primrose ( Primula). Combine them with asters (Aster) or zinnias (Zinnia) for a varied flowering experience in summer. For a second partnership in autumn, use chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum) or dahlias (Dahlia).
Propagate or buy horn violets
Horn violets are perennial, herbaceous plants with a long flowering period. If your horned violets feel really comfortable, they tend to go wild. They grow on their own, form runners and gradually take over your bed with their flowers. If you don't want to let the propagation be subject to the will of nature or want to spice up your garden with new varieties, you can harvest the fruit capsules, propagate them with planters or buy seeds and young plants in stores.
If you grow horned violets from seeds, the plants are less persistent in terms of flowering time. However, the adult seedlings do not lose their willingness to flower. As a rule, they have more flowers than plants propagated using layering or cracklings. If you prefer a long flowering period,you should therefore propagate your horned violets vegetatively or buy young plants in stores. If you prefer a lot of flowers, the plants are propagated generatively via seeds. The only decision left is whether to use your own plants as a starting point for the new generation of horned violets, or to buy seeds and plants. Purchased seeds and young plants save work and time, and if you propagate them yourself, the money saved can go into the holiday budget.
Buying horn violets: what to look out for
In the spring, horned violets are available in specialist shops. The young plants were grown from cuttings. After purchase, the plants are planted directly. It is important to note whether the plants come from the greenhouse. The young plants are then not used to frost. If planted before mid-May, Father Frost can still visit at night. Therefore, the plants should be acclimated to colder temperatures before planting out, or you can buy plants that have been grown in a cold house. Greenpeace also recommends buying the young plants from specialist retailers. In 2014, pesticides that are harmful to bees were found on many flowers and ornamental plants from hardware stores or supermarkets, including horned violets.
Propagating horned violets from seeds yourself
When propagating via seeds, either commercially available seeds can be used or the seeds can be harvested from adult horned violets. You can find out how best to harvest the seeds in our article “Buy horned violets or sow seeds?”. The commercially available seeds are guaranteed to be genuine. In the case of self-harvesting, this is very difficult to achieve due to the cross-breeding of the varieties. In addition, horned violets are cold germs. Self-harvested seeds should therefore be sown immediately after harvest 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 commercially available seeds are artificially cold-treated and can also be sown in January and grown indoors. Proceed as follows when sowing horned violets:
- January - March: sowing the seeds
- Fill open seed tray with seed compost
- Sow seeds on soil, press only lightly (light germinates!)
- Location: shady and sheltered
- Keep evenly moist
- Germination temperature: 15 - 18 °C
- Germination time: 8 days - 4 weeks
- Dark until germination, then turn lighter
- Prick out in small pots when the first leaves appear
- May: planting out
The self-harvested seeds are dormant outside over the winter and are otherwise treated as listed above. The first leaves appear in spring and the plants can be pricked out. You can also sow horned violets directly into the bed until the end of September. If the seeds are sown directly into the bed, there should be a distance of 20 cm between the seeds.
Summary: Grow or buy horned violets
- Advantage of seeds: more flowers, cheaper
- Advantage of young plants: more persistent flowering, less time and space required
- Bought seeds: artificially cold-treated; Sowing: January - March
- Seeds Harvested: Cold Sprout; Sowing: late summer
Caring for Horned Violets
At a height of 20 to 30 cm, horned violets are more delicate and smaller than pansies, their relatives. Nevertheless, they are more durable and bloom longer. With the right care, the length of the flowering phase can even be maximized. Regularly cleaning out wilted inflorescences prolongs the flowering phase because the plant is not putting any energy into seed formation. When the flowering is over, a pruning supports a second flowering of your horned violets in autumn and a bushy growth. The plant is cut back in half. Not only do you do something good for your plant, you also give your eyes more pleasure in the splendor of the flowers. After the last flowering in October, the plants are cut back to just above the ground in preparation for winter.
Watering horn violets
Violets like it moist. Waterlogging, on the other hand, is not tolerated at all. With potted plants, a root ball that is too dense can mean that the plant does not have enough room to breathe. During flowering, the plants have a lot to do and therefore an increased water consumption. Watering is stopped during the winter months, when the metabolism slows down. Only plants standing under a roof are watered lightly even in winter.
Fertilize Horned Violet
Horn violets only have moderate nutritional requirements. If fertilized too much, they tend to grow tall and become spindly. For a lush spring bloom, infertilized once in March. In order to keep a green thumb, organic fertilizers such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer are best suited for this. They are more environmentally friendly and resource-saving than mineral fertilizers. The slower release of nutrients leads to better dosing so that the nutrients can be made available to your plants in an ideal way.
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. In the winter months there is no fertilization.
Summary: Caring for Horned Violets
- Watering: keep the soil moist, no waterlogging
- March and after spring flowering: fertilizer application
- Liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water of violets planted in spring or summer
- Pruning: cleaning out faded flowers, pruning after spring flowering
- Winter: only lightly water covered plants; no fertilization
Horn violets in frost
Horn violets originally come from windy heights of up to 2500 m altitude. The short to biennial plants have to do a lot in winter. Most varieties can withstand temperatures down to -15 °C without any problems. Only the flowering stops in frosty sub-zero temperatures. The varieties in 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 on horned violets in frost.
Violet horns are closely related to pansies, but they still have some differences. In this article you will find a comparison of the properties of pansies and horned violets.