Among indoor plants there are close relatives of tropical fruits. One such representative is bromeliad, similar to pineapple. This is the common name for epiphytes growing in tropical conditions on the bark of other trees, although they are not parasitic species. The family includes about 50 species of plants. The article below describes how to organize the care of bromeliad, taking into account the need for high humidity and maintaining the temperature.
How to choose a healthy plant in the store
Determining that the purchased plant is healthy is not difficult. Green fleshy leaves form a rosette. Some species have a marbled pattern on the surface. The bromeliads do not have a trunk; the peduncle rises above the rest, it is always bright in color.
Based on the ideas about the appearance of a healthy plant, it becomes clear: the presence of spots, plaque on the leaves, their softening ensure that the flower is sick.
Appearance of Bromeliad
Bromeliad: home care
Bromeliad indoor plants have an impressive terrestrial part, but a weak root system. Therefore, they do not need a large pot for transplanting. There are requirements for the quality and composition of the soil, as well as the irrigation regime.
Some gardeners recommend replanting the plant immediately after purchase in order to examine the root system for disease and pests. Most experts insist that the flower should adapt to new conditions for several weeks. After this, you need to move the sprout to a new pot, of suitable volume.
Transplanting a plant into a new pot
Soil selection for bromeliad
Soil for bromeliad should be loose, light, airy. To do this, add crushed coniferous bark, coal to it. The soil should have a low acidity. The optimal composition of the substrate should be as follows:
- 40% leaf humus;
- 20% sand;
- 20% peat;
- 20% of the land with humus.
A drainage layer of porous pebbles or broken fragments of pottery is laid at the bottom of the pot.
Important! The drainage should fill a volume of 30-50% of the capacity.
How to water
Plants of the Bromeliad family require proper care at home. The primary task is to ensure proper watering. Epiphytes take the necessary moisture from the surrounding space, and also absorb it through the surface of the sheet and outlet. Therefore, you need to properly water, filling the central part with water. It should be warm after settling. It is best to take filtered or distilled. Additionally, you can also spray the pot from the spray bottle.
Note! A rosette of leaves is a reservoir where water should be kept at all times. Insects get there, after death they serve as organic fertilizer for the plant.
Bromeliad bloomed what to do next
Bromeliad is a flower that produces a receptacle only once in a lifetime. After a long active period, the mother plant dies. Therefore, an incomprehensible situation arises when bromeliad has faded: what to do next?
If the epiphyte is kept in comfortable conditions, up to this point it releases lateral shoots, which can subsequently take seats. To create suitable conditions for vegetation, you need to cut it off at the outlet before the flower dries. This stimulates the growth of daughter processes.
Propagation at home
The flower of the bromelique shoe propagates by germinating the processes that form near the main individual. The parameter of readiness for separation is the shoot height in half of the main growth.
After the active period, you need to use a sharp knife to separate the new process, place it in a nutrient substrate, consisting of a mixture of peat and sand. The containers are covered with glass or polyethylene. Sprouts need to be kept at a high temperature of 26-28 ° C, as well as a constant source of light and humidity.
Note! After 2-3 weeks, the new processes are transplanted into a permanent soil.
Bromeliad can also propagate by seed, but this is a more complicated way. Ready-made hybrid varieties in a bag are purchased at the store, soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Next, the material is placed in a nutrient substrate, create optimal conditions. After germination, a sprout of several centimeters is expected, which occurs in 2-3 months. Six months later, the plant is transplanted into a larger pot.
How to care for a bromeliad mix
This is the common name for the entire family. In flower shops you can see pots of different appearance that have the same name bromeliad mix. This includes guzmania, tilandsia, ehmeya, neoregelia, etc. All varieties are characterized by the same requirements for watering and maintenance.
Bromeliad mix, appearance
Bromeliad flower mix: home care
Like all tropical plants, bromeliads mix require high humidity and temperature. Knowing how to care for them, you can get several generations of children, which will allow you to constantly grow flowers at home.
Watering, daily care and moisture
Watering the plant is necessary as the substrate dries. Stagnation of water in the sump should be avoided. A container of liquid must be placed next to the pot so that bromeliad can receive the required amount of moisture. In summer, periodically, you need to wipe the leaves with a cloth, preventing their dusting. Once every 2 weeks, the water from the outlet is drained and replaced with a new one.
Diseases, pests and methods of dealing with them
Looking at the plant, you can see signs of the disease and the presence of parasites:
- dried edge of leaves;
- spots on the surface;
- cessation of growth and softening of leaves;
- the surface of the appendix becomes dark.
When drying the vegetative part of bromeliad, liquid deficiency should be excluded. As a rule, there is no water in the outlet, the soil is dry. If the shoot has darkened and become evenly dark green, this indicates the content of the pot in low temperature conditions. The cessation of shoot growth indicates an excess of moisture.
In addition, pests attack bromeliad. More often than others, a spider mite, thrips, scab. The first can be recognized by the appearance of cobwebs or small white dots on the inside of the leaf.
Thrips are small insects that start on the inside of a sprout. If left untreated, the leaf dies. Scabies are small insects, like flakes covering the surface.
Note! In the fight against all pests, you can use chemicals, insecticides (actellic, fosbetsid, acarin, bicol).
Bromeliad disease due to lack of moisture
Fertilizers and fertilizing
For fertilizing plants, only the mineral version is suitable. Frequency of feeding - 1 time every 3-4 weeks during flowering, less often in winter. The concentration should be 2 times lower than indicated in the instructions.
Bromeliad Moore
The plant is distinguished by lanceolate leaves 22-25 cm long, up to 5 cm wide. There are thorns at the edges, in the center the surface is bronze-green, which gradually turns into a reddish color. The inflorescence is spike-shaped and yellow.
How to water, humidity
Watering conditions do not differ from other representatives of bromeliads.
Note! For the growth of the plant in the outlet must be water, next to the pot is also a container with liquid. But in the pallet where the container is standing, it should not stagnate.
Optimum temperature
The optimum temperature for the plant that is going to bloom is 24-25 ° C. When the buds open, it is lowered to 20 ° C.
Location and lighting
There should be a lot of light in the place where the flowerpot stands, but direct rays should not hit the surface. On the windowsill of the western or eastern side, bromeliad will be most comfortable.
Substrate for the plant
A young plant requires a rich substrate of several types of humus. After a couple of years, the soil mixture can be changed to acidic.
Thus, bromeliad is a collective concept of a whole family of plants growing in South America. For decorative applications, only some species are suitable. Because of its wild relatives, the plant loves high humidity, temperature and ambient light. Different species differ in length, height, color of leaves, but the principle of cultivation is the same.
