The decorativeness of echmea leaves and the splendor of flowers won the love of plant growers. Its popularity is not destroyed even by the fact that it blooms only once. Growing echmea at home is not difficult. The main thing is to be attentive to the information about the features in growing and follow them correctly.
Content:
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Description
Homeland exotic flower - Central and South America
Aechmea is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Bromeliad family. This is an epiphyte, i.e. grows, attaching to the old stem part of trees, stumps. Rarely, but you can also find terrestrial species growing among stone or rocky hills.
The stem of the plant is short - in height no more than 50 cm. In its family, echmea is distinguished by leaves. They are elongated, wide, rigid and with needles along the edges. Some species have foliage with a soft, leathery texture. The green mass forms a kind of rosette with a funnel-shaped depression in the central part and, under natural conditions, can reach up to 2 m in diameter.
The color of the deciduous mass can vary from green to gray-green, and there are also striped leafy plates.
natural habitat
The plant has a poorly developed root system. Her main goal is keeping its upper part on the reference object. Little is involved in nutritional work. This role is played by the leaves.
In appearance, the inflorescences are diverse: an ear, in the form of a head, a panicle. The color of the bracts is pink. They are similar in shape to the tips of a lance. In their recesses are flowers that come in red, blue, purple colors.
The flowering period lasts several months. Pollination of the inflorescence will contribute to the ripening of the fruit. These are small juicy berries containing small oblong-shaped grains inside.
The rosette is able to bloom only 1 time, and then dies. In addition to the main outlet, during its growth, additional shoots form on the sides, which in 3-4 years will also be able to please with their flowering.
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Among the brothers of this genus, there are about 283 species.
Below are the names and a brief description of the most common ones that gardeners breed.
Ehmeya two-row (Aechmea distichantha)
Aechmea distichantha
Another name for two-row platyechmea (Platyaechmea distichantha). Meet epiphytic and terrestrial representatives. The deciduous depression is not compacted and sprawling. It reaches up to 100 centimeters in span.
The foliage is green, narrow (≈3 cm), elongated (up to half a meter cm), pointed at the top, with a dark brown prickly border. The peduncle is more than 60 cm high. The bracts are bright red, the flowers are purple.
There is a species Variegata, in which the crown is painted along the edge with light stripes.
Ehmeya sparkling (Aechmea fulgens)
Aechmea fulgens
The leafy rosette is belt-like and has a green color. Foliage - up to 6 cm wide, up to 50 cm long. Their top is rounded, and teeth are located along the edge. The flowers are coral red, the bracts are pink. The number of flowers in the inflorescence is up to 100 pcs.
Professionals cultivate the Discolor species, in which the foliage from the inside has a red-purple color, from the face - olive green.
Ehmeya bearded (tailed) (Aechmea caudata)
Aechmea caudata
Closely spaced leaves of the variety rush up a little at an angle. They have a bright green color and are framed by a creamy yellow edging. Peduncle elongated. The inflorescence is complex, branching and bearing simple inflorescences at the ends of the branches. Flowers are golden.
Echmea striped (Aechmea fasciata)
Aechmea fasciata
Another name is striped bilbergia. The leaves are belt-shaped, located close to each other and their recess is tubular in shape. Outlet diameter - up to 1 m. Their color is greenish gray with marbled white stripes running perpendicular.
The surface of the peduncle is scaly. The inflorescence is not simple pyramidal, capitate. It reaches a length of 30 cm. In the inflorescence there are pink leaves. Flowers during flowering change their color from blue to reddish-blue. The covering of the sepals of fasciata is covered with hairs (fluff).
Echmea Primera
Echmea Primera
This is a subspecies of striped echmea, reaching a height of 65 cm. The leaves are located close to each other. They are curved, dense and rigid. The color of the flowers is red-lilac, the bracts are bright pink.
Ehmeya curved (Aechmea recurvata)
Aechmea recurvata
It occurs as an epiphyte and terrestrial species. There are 6-12 leaves in the rosette. Their length is less than 50 cm, their width is about 15 cm. They have spines along the edge (2 mm long), and are rolled into a tube towards the bottom. The inflorescence is low - about 20 cm. Flowers and bracts are painted red. Flower petals are 25 mm long. The flowering time of this species is spring.
Aechmea recurvata has a subspecies Ortgiesii. The height of the leaf rosette is 15 cm. The leaves have a skin-like structure and are directed upwards at an angle. There are also small spikes along the edge. The width of the leaves is 1.5 cm, the length is up to 30 cm. The bracts are painted red, the flowers are pink.
Ehmeya Walbach (Aechmea weilbachii)
Aechmea weilbachii
Another name for Weilbach's lampococcus. The foliage is soft, equally narrow throughout its length, with sharp ends, with a skin-like surface. Its length is 50 cm. Small spines are located along the edge. The color of the deciduous part is greenish-red.
Peduncle elongated (50 cm). It has many small crimson leaves on it. Inflorescence in the form of a brush. The shade of the bracts is bright red. Lilac-blue flowers with a light edging along the edge. There are 1/3 fused sepals.
Ehmeya shaggy (Aechmea comata)
Aechmea comata
It may be known by another name for Aechmea Linden. The shape of the leaf blades is belt-like. Their length is up to 1 m, width - up to 5 cm. They are located close to each other, connecting into a kind of funnel.
The top of Aechmea comata is spinous with a rounding, along the edge there are small spines. Inflorescence in the form of an ear. The colors of this species are rich: bracts are red, flowers are bright yellow. Shaggy aechmea blooms in winter.
Matte red echmea (Aechmea miniata)
Aechmea miniata
A large number of green leaves form a funnel-shaped depression. They have a narrowing at the base. Here the color is different - lilac. There is a short sharpness at the top. The width of the sheet is up to 2 cm, the length is about 50 cm. Its surface is scaly, and the edges are prickly.
The peduncle is red in color and directed upwards. The apical inflorescence is pyramidal. The sepals are the same color as the peduncle. The flowers are blue, the fruits are bright pink. Miniata blooms for quite a long time.
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Basic conditions
Beautiful flowering in favorable conditions
Growing a plant in a confined space is easy. Aechmea is able to adapt well to its environment. In order to avoid disorder from its unsightliness, the following features of care must be observed.
echmea
- Lighting
The best option for landing - these are windows on the west or east side. Direct exposure to bright light is harmful. If it is impossible to place the echmea away from the southern window sills, shading will be needed.
In summer, if it is warm, it will be useful to move to an open space, at least to a balcony. Accustoming to a new one does not occur abruptly, otherwise damage from high temperatures may appear on the crown. This rule should be followed for recent acquisitions, so that bright light does not harm him, or if it has been rainy for a long time.
Aechmea sparkling is most intolerant of bright and burning rays. For her, it is better to choose shaded corners. Echmea curved is demanding on a large amount of lighting. With its deficiency, the foliage is less saturated in color, and the flowers are not very beautiful.
Echmea striped
- Temperature regime
Ehmeya is thermophilic. In warm seasons, she needs a temperature of + 22 ... + 260C, in winter - +12 ... +180WITH.
At the initial stage of flowering, it is necessary to prevent the temperature from dropping below +230WITH. After full blooming of the buds, the acceptable temperature in the room will be the range + 15 ... + 210WITH.
To stimulate flowering and the peduncle is normally formed, a temperature difference between day and night is recommended. But it is worth avoiding a sharp decrease or increase in temperature so as not to cause a stressful state.
echmea
- Airing
Where the flower is located, if possible, there should be fresh air, so the room should be regularly ventilated. But drafts are not allowed.
Specifically for sparkling echmea, air exchange is not necessary and its wintering is permissible even in hot rooms.
Echmea striped
- Watering frequency
When the plant is watered, water flows under the crown and into the deepening of the foliage. The water used is settled and, if it is very cold, slightly warmed up.
In warm seasons, you will need to irrigate abundantly and on top of the flower. This is carried out when the top of the soil composition dries.
In the cool off-season, irrigation is required infrequently and in small quantities. Water ingress into the foliage is unacceptable.
If the winter is very cold, watering should be treated with great care. If necessary, using a sprayer with non-cold water, only the surface of the leaves is moistened.
After the pet has faded and during the rest, it is not allowed to get water into the outlet. This will contribute to the appearance of rot and destroy it.
echmea
- Ambient humidity
The reduced level of moisture in room conditions from a working heating is not a terrible indicator. For the full growth and development of a green friend, it is better to control this level and, if possible, try to increase it.
For this purpose, the flower is often sprayed, and a tray is placed under the pot, into which moistened light porous material is poured. This will help in the problem when the tips of the leaves dry.
echmea
- top dressing
The plant is fed throughout the year. This helps its normal development. As a vitamin remedy, liquid mineral preparations are used.
Feeding frequency:
- Spring - summer - 1 time / 2-3 weeks
- autumn – 1 time/month
- winter - 1 time / 6 weeks
- Transplantation
The flower has unpretentiousness to the choice of containers in which it will grow. A not very thick layer of drainage (expanded clay, crushed brick) on the bottom of the pot is required.
Ehmeya at home, transplantation and reproduction
The earthen composition is taken store-bought or prepared independently. Soil mixture that meets the requirements of the plant - peat rock, sand, deciduous soil (1:1:2). It is possible to use a composition of equal parts of humus and leafy soil and moss.
For the 2nd option, the mandatory addition of sand and finely ground shards to the soil is required.
Repotting is necessary every spring. Flowering should be over by then. At this point, all faded bushes are removed.
- pruning
Trimming the flower is not required. Only faded rosettes that have withered are cut. The peduncle can also be cut off if it has not fallen off on its own. In the case of the death of the leaves, they are also removed.
- rest period
Winter is the resting time for the plant. During this period, the laying of the future peduncle takes place. The temperature should not fall below +160WITH. Ehmeya is watered carefully. It will be more useful to spray it, while preventing water from entering the central part of the flower.
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Reproduction by shoots
There are 2 ways, how to propagate echmea: sowing seeds and seedlings of daughter children.
- shoots
This vegetative method, i.e. reproduction by shoots, is used most often. For this purpose, developed shoots are separated from an adult plant in early spring. After transplanting into a separate container, they will soon take root.
To avoid the appearance of rot, all sections are treated with coal powder. The selected capacity should not be large.
- seeds
This method has its drawbacks. It is difficult, long and seedlings that grow from seeds do not always retain varietal qualities.
Step by step process:
- Crushed fern roots, peat or finely chopped sphagnum are prepared. The container chosen for sowing is filled with this mixture.
- Planting is easy to care for. They are placed in a shaded place with a temperature of +22…+240C. Crops are regularly watered and the room is ventilated
- After 3 months seedlings dive. They are planted in soil, which consists of leafy and heather soil.
- After 12 months small sprouts need to be transplanted into soil suitable for growing adult plants
- Throughout the year, the sprouts are provided with moderate watering, foliage moistening and a temperature of + 20 ... + 260WITH
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Conditions depending on the season
Fresh air is good
If you follow all the nuances of seasonal care, you can prevent all difficulties in growing:
- Spring and summer periods
It is required to water well, fertilize monthly, provide enough light. Required temperature – +22…+260WITH. It is advisable to move to an open space if possible.
If the bush has grown, in the spring, when flowering is over, it is recommended to propagate by offspring, because. the mother plant will soon wilt. Also, during transplantation, the procedure for removing dried parts is carried out.
- Autumn and winter periods
With the onset of cold weather, they rarely begin to water. Required temperature – +15…+170WITH. Cold for bromeliads is fatal. Feeding is undesirable.
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Regular thorough inspection will prevent possible problems
If you take care of echmea incorrectly, this will lead to its weakening and create favorable conditions, in which fungal and viral diseases will develop. The plant requires regular careful inspection. Thanks to this, it will be possible to identify the pest in time and begin treatment.
The most common problems that flower growers have:
- Incorrect watering frequency, waterlogging - can completely destroy the plant. It is important to ensure that there is no stagnation of water in the outlet. Otherwise, it will lead to decay. A characteristic sign of the disease will be the brown color of the leaves. The same symptom appears for a reason when the flower grows under cold conditions.
- Leaf lethargy - indicates a lack of moisture
- Dry leaf tips - a sign of low humidity around
- The unwillingness of the plant to bloom - occurs in low light. Often this is in the nature of species with variegated foliage. Also, with a lack of light, the foliage fades.
- The appearance of pests another reason for the possible ailment. Method of disposal - treatment with specially designed solutions that can be purchased in specialized stores
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Various factors can influence the lack of flowering.
The reasons for not flowering echmea can be various factors, and sometimes care errors. Consider the most popular of them:
- The plant will never bloom before the due date, no matter what favorable conditions are created for it. A seedling grown from a seed will be able to bloom only after 5 years. The shoot, planted from an adult flower, will open with bright flowering after 3 years. Flowering is possible only 1 time in the life of the plant. A suitable period for this is the end of May. Aechmea blooms until October
- It will delay the flowering period for a long time if the temperature is unfavorable around. In summer, the temperature should not be lower than +22…+260C. In very hot summers, the flower will need daily spraying. In autumn-winter time (November-March), a bud begins to form. During this period, the plant prefers coolness (+17…+210WITH). It needs to be watered less often, and it is better to refuse fertilizer.
- Due to the fact that the echmea does not have a clear dormant period, it needs a full supply of light all year round. Places where there is access to the direct rays of the sun are dangerous for a green friend, because. fraught with burns for him. This will greatly spoil the beautiful view of the plant.
- The plant is native to tropical rainforests. This means that echmea loves moisture very much. Watering she needs plentiful and frequent (2 times a week). This mode is acceptable for a hot period. Also at this time, it is necessary to spray the foliage every other day, and in a very dry and hot climate - every day. In cold weather, the plant is watered 2 times less often.
Echmea in a pot
If all of the above factors are excluded and the plant is properly cared for, but flowering does not occur, then it is worth buying special store-bought stimulants and treating them with a green friend. This will help the buds form. Or resort to the folk method, which, according to reviews, gives a 100% result:
Ehmeya is placed in a transparent container or a plastic bag.
1-3 ripe apples are preliminarily placed in the pot.
Everything is covered and left for 2 weeks. During this time, ethylene will be released from the fruit, which is able to activate the process of growth and ripening of buds.
After 4 months the flower is sure to delight with its lush blooming beauty.
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root rot
Common diseases and pests:
- root rot
May appear if the soil is waterlogged. In this case, the foliage turns yellow and fades. The problem can only be solved at an early stage. To do this, the damaged roots that have darkened, and the affected leaves are cut off. The plant is treated with a fungicide. Then you need to transplant echmea into new soil.
sooty fungus
- sooty fungus
Characteristic features - the appearance of a continuous film shell on the surface of the leaves and stem. This leads to a deterioration in photosynthesis and withering of the entire plant. The cause of this disease are pests (scale insects, aphids, worms). To start the fight, pests are removed. Then the foliage is washed with clean water.
Shchitovka
- Shchitovka
Its main attack is on leaf plates. From this, they begin to curl, turn yellow and die. The plant itself slows down its growth. Signs of the pest are brown plaques that are located along the veins on the back of the leaves.
In addition, the leaves and shoots are covered with a sticky substance. At the initial stage, you can get rid of the pest with cotton wool soaked in alcohol, as well as a solution with dissolved soap. With a strong spread of the disease, insecticidal preparations are used.
spider mite
- spider mite
A sign of the presence of this pest is a thin cobweb, which is noticeable upon very careful examination. The surface of the leaves is covered with brown spots. As a result, the foliage turns yellow and unlocks.
To prevent this insect, it is necessary to observe the norms of humidity in the room. To destroy it, insecticidal solutions are used.
Mealybug
- Mealybug
Having settled on a flower, spoils its decorative appearance. It is removed with soapy water or alcohol. To do this, wipe the foliage. With a strong reproduction of the pest, a special preparation is used.
root bug
- root bug
The object of damage is the root part of the flower, which rots as a result. In the process of struggle, the frequency of watering is reduced and treatment with specialized solutions begins. With severe damage to the roots, the plant dies.
Precautionary measures
It is very important to take care of your hands.
Some types of flower are poisonous plants. For example, echmea is striped. Its juice can cause severe irritation on the skin. When working with the plant, gloves must be used, and at the end of the hands rinsed well.
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A real decoration
The flower of the tropics is of great benefit for those who are scattered and indecisive, who dream a lot and make plans, but does not dare to act. It also helps to get rid of the feeling of loneliness, from the apathetic and dreary atmosphere around.
If the echmea is in a closed space for a long time, she releases her fluids into the air, due to which the level of iron in the blood of the people around her increases.
May affect sleep duration regardless of distance, but the cheerful state of the body will persist all day.
Influence exerted by echmea:
- violent temper calms down
- mentality returns to normal
- body resistance increases
- food is digested faster
- metabolism rises
The plant has another positive and useful quality. This is the ability to protect your home from evil, greedy people who come with bad intentions.
Ehmeya can become a real decorating element of any home, even if you do not pay attention to signs and superstitions. It can be placed as a single plant or in combination with other flowers. Either way, it makes for a great look. It adapts well to indoor conditions and blooms for a long time and beautifully. These factors have won the love of many indoor plant lovers.
VIDEO: Ehmeya striped care, reproduction, watering, transplanting
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