Extravagant vriesia in indoor breeding. Vriesia at home

The flora of South America is incredibly rich. Vriesia Splenriet or "fire sword" is found naturally in the rainforests of this continent. An epiphytic plant with elongated linear leaves collected in a lush rosette settles on the branches of the tallest trees, their trunks and rhizomes. Thanks to the aerial part resembling a funnel and short rhizomes, it receives all the necessary substances and moisture not from the soil, but from the atmosphere.

A peduncle with bright bracts, combined with variegated foliage and an unusual lifestyle, could not help but attract the attention of flower growers. Today, the vriesia Splenriet shown in the photo is one of the most popular potted plants worldwide.

Description of Vriesia Splenriet

Vriesia are varied. Botanists count dozens of species of these tropical plants, but only the most spectacular ones get into the rooms. The variety called the "fiery sword" fully justifies this vivid comparison. Dense linear leaves of the plant are collected in a dense funnel-shaped rosette. Green leaf plates up to 40 cm long are decorated with light or purple transverse stripes. Spike-shaped inflorescences can grow up to a meter in height. They rise above the green like a bright candle. Yellow, fast fading flowers are framed by red bracts that remain fresh for about two months.

Due to the popularity of the vriesia flower, Splenriet also interested breeders who gave flower growers varieties and hybrids with inflorescences of different shades and very long flowering.

From store to new house vriesia moves blooming. If the grower is just getting acquainted with the culture, he needs to know that after withering, the mother outlet dies. The life of the flower continues thanks to the daughter plants formed at the base. Therefore, after the purchase, a transplant of Vriesia Splenriet is optional. It is enough to make sure that the flower is healthy, take care of it and make sure that after flowering the plant has strong offspring.

Conditions for growing vriesia splenriet

Vriesia is a native of the tropical jungle. The plant is considered exotic, but caring for it will not cause trouble even for inexperienced floriculture lovers.

The flower does not require special temperature conditions. Vriesia Splenriet develops well at room temperature, but does not like drafts and is afraid of air cooling below +15 degrees. In a cool room, the flower's ability to receive moisture is reduced, and its excess can cause decay.

For a flower to be beautiful and fresh, it needs high humidity. In city apartments, especially when heating is running, this condition is the most difficult to fulfill. And here everyone will be useful to the florist available ways from gentle spraying to the use of household appliances. If irrigation is used in the care of Vriesia Splenriet, you should not allow water to come into contact with the inflorescence.

The best place for a vriesia pot is an east or west window.

On the north side, the plant will look oppressed, the outlet will become sparse and stunted. If the epiphyte is exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves turn pale, the flowering period is reduced.

Vriezia Splenriet care at home

In nature, vriesia growing on branches or trunks “learned” to accumulate moisture. Drop by drop, it accumulates in the depths of the outlet and is consumed in dry times. When watering a pot culture, water is artificially poured into a recess, and then regularly changed, making sure that moisture does not get on the developing peduncle. Therefore, in winter, when the danger of rot is especially high, moisture is removed after a few hours.

To remove water from the outlet, you can use a cotton swab or disc.

The warmer the room, the more often vriesia needs watering. It is convenient to combine it with wiping the leaves with a damp sponge or cloth. For irrigation use soft settled water at room temperature.

At home, Splenriet vriesia do not need regular feeding. for epiphytes and orchids, it can be applied only once, when the plant forms and grows a peduncle. This will make flowering more vibrant and long-lasting, and will also help the flower leave behind healthy, strong daughter outlets. liquid mixture poured into the center of the leaf cone.

When the peduncle dies, the rosette itself gradually dies along with it. If the care of vriesia Splenriet at home was attentive and complete, the plant leaves young shoots that are planted and grown, similarly to adult specimens.

A loose soil mixture based on:

• 2 parts of garden soil;
• 1 part chopped pine bark, pre-steamed;
• 1 part of soddy soil;
• 1 part washed river sand.

As a loosening additive, chopped sphagnum can be introduced into the soil, fine drainage gravel and charcoal can be added, which will help remove excess moisture and prevent the development of harmful microflora.

After planting, young rosettes of vriesia can not be transplanted for two years. During this time, the plants will take root perfectly, and will bloom in another 1-2 years.

For the first time after planting, it is better to cover the processes with a film or bag. It will help create and maintain constant moisture. The optimum temperature for rooting is 22-25 degrees.

Video about the transplantation of the incision Splenriet

It is not difficult to understand why vriesia is valued by flower growers. This flower has absorbed all the best from flowering and decorative leafy plants. Its leaves are painted with a beautiful pattern, and bright bracts enliven the interior.

Appearance and features

Vriesia is a perennial evergreen epiphytic plant. Depending on the species, the height varies within 40–70 cm. The leaves are belt-like, with a sharp end and smooth edges. The surface is glossy, plain color or with an interesting marble pattern. A rosette is formed from the leaves, resembling a funnel shape.

The inflorescence is a flat spike. Peduncle tall, upright. The flowers are small, surrounded by bracts of various bright colors. Red, terracotta and yellow colors predominate. For the xiphoid shape and bright colors of the vriesia, they gave the nickname of the fiery sword.

It blooms for a long time - more than a month. The main outlet in most varieties of vriesia dies after flowering, leaving behind children. The dead plant is removed, the children are left in the same pot or seated.

Vriesia looks very interesting on snags. Before use, a piece of wood is placed in water for a week. During this time, it is completely cleared of dirt and acquires a noble color. Vriesia is taken out of the pot, an earthen ball is wrapped in wet sphagnum. The flower is planted in a recess in the middle of the driftwood or carefully fixed on it with a soft wire. Several plants are planted on large snags at once. Caring for the composition is complicated by the need for daily spraying, keeping the moss wet.

Indoor varieties

About 250 species are known in the wild. More than half of them get along well in apartments. Seven varieties are the most widespread.

1. Astrid. A distinctive feature is a very long flowering - up to four months. Produces five peduncles up to a meter long. Inflorescences are yellow or red. Leaves of a light shade, with a smooth surface.
2. Mix. Peduncles are high, branching of inflorescences is characteristic. They harmoniously combine yellow and red shades. Bracts are scaly, the leaves are strong, evenly colored.
3. Keeled. A distinctive feature is a thin bract with a sharp keel at the top and a yellow or green border. The leaves are deep green and curved in an arc. The length of the peduncle is up to half a meter.
4. Royal. Very large beautiful variety. A distinctive feature is the large leaves of a gray-green hue. Paniculate inflorescence: yellow-white flowers, pink bracts.
5. Perforated. It is distinguished not only by beautiful flowering, but also by unusual leaves. Their colors are light, the surface is decorated with longitudinal and transverse dark stripes, veins. A reddish-brown border stands out at the tip of the leaf. Vriesia blooms with yellow flowers with greenish spotted bracts. Inflorescence characteristic mind- spike-like.
6. Sanders. The leaves are leathery, elliptical, pointed at the ends. The surface is rough. Spots of purple or brownish hues are noticeable on the underside. Inflorescence yellow-green, paniculate.
7. Giant. It is better known under a different name - chess vriesia. So it was named for the spotty yellow-green coloring. The leaves are shortened, belt-shaped, very dense. It rarely blooms in the apartment - it is grown for the sake of beautiful leaves.

Flowering occurs mainly in the summer. The exact timing of flowering depends on the time of planting. If vriesia does not bloom, then the conditions of detention are violated. In reviews experienced flower growers meets interesting way flowering stimulation. Vriesia will form flower stalks faster under the influence of small doses of ethylene released by ripe fruits. Several bananas are placed on the surface of the soil - this accelerates the formation of a peduncle.

Vriesia care at home: studying the nuances

Vriesia - tropical plant. Ideal conditions for her are warmth, moisture, good lighting. Imitation of natural growing conditions supports the decorative effect and stimulates the flowering of vriesia. What should be the care of vriesia in a pot?

• Lighting. The plant needs good lighting all year round. The optimal location in summer is the east or west window, in winter - the south. The lack of light in winter is compensated by additional artificial lighting. It is advisable to use special phytolamps. If this is not possible, fluorescent lamps will do.
• Temperature. Vriesia loves warmth, but does not withstand heat well. Temperatures above 27°C are unacceptable! The most favorable temperature for growing vriesia is 18-22°C. In winter, the temperature can drop to 15°C.
• Watering. Vriesia should be watered frequently during flowering and growth. Use warm, pre-settled water. Pour it directly into the outlet. In summer, the water must be standing there all the time. Stagnation is not allowed - every three days the water is changed. The remains of old water are removed with a paper towel. With the advent of the peduncle, the irrigation technique is changed - water is poured onto the ground. The socket must remain dry to prevent rotting. In summer, water every two to three days. In winter, the frequency is reduced to two waterings per week, the moisture inside the outlet is kept for no more than four hours a day. The rest is removed with a napkin.
• Humidity. Important conditions maintaining the decorativeness of the plant - high humidity, systematic spraying. To increase humidity, not only vriesia is sprayed, but also the air around it. The pot is placed on a tray with hydrogel or decorative pebbles, periodically moistened.
• Top dressing. To feed vriesia, a weak solution of fertilizer is poured directly into the outlet or sprayed with foliage. Conventional root dressings are not applied. It is not necessary to feed often - once every two months is enough. Some flower growers feed only once per season - just before flowering. Vriesia responds well to the introduction of mineral complexes for orchids.
• The soil. There is a special soil mix for bromeliads sold in stores - it is better to use it. The houses make up a substrate of hardwood, medium sand, peat, turf and crushed sphagnum moss.
• Transfer. Replanted every two to three years. Young specimens need more frequent transplants. After flowering, the main leaf rosette dies off. If after it many daughter shoots appeared, they are planted in different pots to avoid excessive bush density. Be sure to transplant vriesia after purchase. Standard transport soil is not suitable for growing bromeliads. Before transplanting, the plant is given a couple of weeks to adapt to new conditions.

How to care for vriesia during flowering? The main difference from standard care is that they are not watered into a socket, but under the root. Continue to spray regularly, but avoid droplets on flowers and bracts. Strictly follow temperature regime- an increase or decrease in temperature outside the specified range negatively affects the flower.

Reproduction methods

Long-term cultivation of vriesia at home requires the periodic replacement of the old plant with a new one. There is no other way to rejuvenate vriesia. Seed and vegetative propagation methods are used.

seeds

You can sow seeds at any time of the year, but it is better to do this in the spring. For sowing, a peat substrate is used. You can add an equal amount of sand to the peat. A container with a transparent lid is used as a container.

The container is half filled with soil, leveled and moistened with a spray bottle. Seeds are laid out on the surface, sprinkled with a very thin layer of fine sand or peat. The container is closed with a lid, put in a warm, sunny place. Every day, the cover is removed for 15 minutes, the soil is moistened with a spray gun as needed.

The first shoots appear after two weeks. The cover is removed immediately. Seedlings can be planted in a month, when they are strong enough. After transplantation, they carefully monitor the humidity, and temporarily remove them to a more shaded place.

offshoots

In the spring, new shoots appear next to the main rosette of vriezia. Immediately separate them from mother plant do not recommend - fragile plants may die. They wait three months until the shoots turn into viable plants, and only then separate them.

The shoots are planted in light soil, favorable for full rooting. Peat, turf, pine bark, leafy soil, sand and sphagnum are mixed in equal quantities. After planting, the shoots are moderately watered, covered with a jar or polyethylene - under conditions high humidity rooting will be faster. After a month and a half, they are transplanted into permanent pots with soil for adult bromeliads.

Sometimes on the forums, beginners ask how to properly trim vriesia. The flower itself forms a compact rosette of leaves, it does not require pruning. Care measures are reduced to the removal of old, yellowed leaves and cutting the peduncle after flowering.

Florist mistakes and their consequences

Vriesia care is specific - even experienced flower growers are not immune from mistakes. Incorrect watering, inadequate water quality, low humidity - every mistake in care has its own consequences. All of them are detailed in the table.

Table - Errors in the care of vriesia, their consequences and troubleshooting

Common pests

Quite often, vriesia is attacked by pests. Regular inspection of the leaves for the presence of insects, preventive treatment with low doses of insecticides helps to avoid severe damage. If the insects are already wound up, you need to take action immediately. A description of pests, signs of their appearance and ways to deal with them can be found in the table.

Table - Vriesia pests

Diseases are less common. Sometimes you have to deal with soot fungus. It usually appears after pests at the site of sticky secretions. Slightly less often, leaf spot makes itself felt. Causes her fungus. It is characterized by the appearance of transparent blisters on the leaf plates. In both cases, treatment consists of repeated spraying of vriesia with systemic fungicides.

Knowing how to care for vriesia, you can achieve a high decorativeness of the plant. Despite some growing features, the "fire sword" is not considered a difficult flower to care for.

Vriesia

Family- bromeliads (other bromeliads are probably familiar to you - this is also).

Origin- South and Central America.

Flower growers respect vriesia for its attractive appearance: the leaves are dense, long, smooth, collected in rosettes, and the diameter of the beam can vary from 15 cm to one and a half meters! The color of the leaf can be monochromatic (dark or light green), or it can be variegated - striped or even spotted. The ends of the sheet are gracefully curved down.

The flowering of the plant is extremely spectacular: vriesia throws out a peduncle from the rosette of leaves, on which flowers are collected in the form of an ear. Bracts are painted in bright colors - yellow, red, purple. After flowering (if the plant is pollinated), fruits with seeds are formed.

Types and photos of vriesia

In indoor floriculture, Vriesia splenriet, also known as brilliant vriesia (Vriesia splendens), is most widely used. The leaves are dark green, covered with dark stripes. Blooms orange or red.

Vriesia keeled (Vriesia carinata) - the owner of light green leaves without stripes up to 20 cm long. As a rule, it blooms twice a year.

Vriesia care at home

Temperature regime

In summer, it is possible to move the plant in a pot to outdoor balcony but avoid exposure to sunlight.

vriesia lighting

He loves light window sills, but at the same time he needs shading from direct sunlight.

Watering vriesia at home

Watering vriesia all year round remains at a moderate level. At the same time, it must be combined with frequent spraying, for which soft water is used, if it is from the tap, it is important to defend it for at least a day. The plant does not tolerate hard water.

By autumn, spraying is reduced, but does not stop if a radiator is located nearby. Dry air is contraindicated for the plant. By spring, when the air temperature rises significantly, both watering and spraying are somewhat intensified.

top dressing

Vriesia are used to feed mineral fertilizers at a very low concentration. Only those formulations that do not contain calcium are suitable. Vriesia is just the case when it is better not to use fertilizers at all than to go too far with them. Caution and more caution! The number of dressings is reduced by the onset of cold weather.

Earthmixture

For planting vriesia, they take a light and loose earth mixture; it must hold moisture well. Be sure to add charcoal and pine bark. The soil mixture is made up of sod light earth, hardwood, humus and sand in proportions of 1: 4: 2: 1.

Vriesia transplant at home

Transplant the plant in the spring, if necessary. Be sure to use good drainage. Transplanted by transshipment, but so that the outlet does not go deep into the ground.

Most often, vriesia is propagated by children. To do this, you do not have to wait for the right time of the year, but cut it at any time. The sections of the offspring should be dusted with coal powder, and then planted in the described earth mixture and tightened with cling film. From time to time, children need to be opened and ventilated, as well as sprayed.

Rooted plants are growing: this is a sign that it is time to remove the film.

Rarely grown vriesia from seed.

Possible Problems When Growing Vriesia

After flowering, vriesia may die off, but, as a rule, children remain, with which the plant is propagated.

Popular pests that settle on vriesia are scale insects and worms. To combat them, the leaves of the plant are washed with a soapy sponge and then with water at room temperature. At the same time, the soil must be covered with a film so as not to absorb soapy water.

Vriesia watering should not be plentiful; otherwise, waterlogging leads to root rot.

Rotting of the leaves indicates that there is a regular stagnation of water in the outlet. This can happen when spraying, so it is important to ensure that no water remains in the rosette of leaves.

Signs associated with vriesia

It is believed that vriesia helps to attract success to the house, and gives health and vigor to its inhabitants. In addition, it is believed that this plant can help overcome monotony, perfectly motivates for new achievements and the search for unconventional solutions.

This flower is suitable for those who lack self-confidence, who cannot escape (but long for it) from the circle of routine.

For the atmosphere of the house, this plant will also be useful from the point of view that vriesia absorbs harmful impurities from the air and cleans the air well.

Lotiana specially for the site All about flowers

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Vriesia is a rather beautiful, but at the same time completely unpretentious bromeliad plant. It is perfect for breeding in modern premises. This is an epiphyte that attaches and grows on other plants; in places of natural growth, it can be found on rocks. The roots, which have lost their direct functions, perform only the role of fasteners. IN room conditions it is often grown using the bark or various driftwood.

Vriesia is a rosette with a funnel located in the center. Its leaves, depending on the species, can be up to eighty centimeters long. Their color can be very different: the usual green, striped, spotted and marbled. Peduncles with inflorescences are spikes, which can be both monophonic and multi-colored, their shape can be either simple or branched. During flowering in bright bracts, which are the main decorative value of the plant, small flowers of yellow, red or white color which quickly die.

Photo showing common types of houseplant - vriesia

In the wild, there are more than two hundred and fifty species of vriesia, whose habitat is Central and South America. In indoor floriculture, only some of its flowering and decorative leafy varieties are common.

Vriesia brilliant (Splenriet or beautiful)

Vriesia brilliant and its varietal specimens are the most suitable for breeding at home. It's grassy perennial with wide lanceolate foliage of dark green color. It grows up to eighty centimeters in length and more than six in width. The leaves may be decorated with red-brown stripes or spots. A tall peduncle (about eighty centimeters) of bright red color is crowned with a spike-shaped inflorescence. It consists of yellow flowers and bright red bracts. This type is characterized by a wide outlet.

Vriesia brilliant refers to highly ornamental plants. According to the specific color of the leaves and peduncles, it is called the Tiger Vriesia or the Fiery Sword. To date, new beautiful varietal specimens of brilliant vriesia have been obtained, in which voluminous scaly inflorescences resembling Vriesia Mix: Minger, Pearl, Era and others.

Vriesia keeled

The pointed keel of the bract leaves gave the name to this type of vriesia, which comes from Brazil. Compared to other species, it is quite miniature. Linear sheets of bright green color without a pattern grow no more than twenty-five centimeters in length and two and a half in width. On erect or drooping peduncles there are inflorescences with spectacular pink or red stipules, which are decorated with a bright yellow or green border, and small red or yellowish flowers.

This species gets its name from its leaves.

Vriesia hieroglyphic got its name from the leaves. They have a wide arched shape and a dark green color. This background is set off by an intricate lighter pattern. A small inflorescence consists of green or red bracts and yellow flowers. This species will deserve its popularity among flower growers for its simplicity of maintenance and the fact that its leaves are decorative all year round.

Vriesia Sanders

Vriesia Sanders has a wide funnel-shaped rosette. Shiny, sharp and curved to the bottom leaves reach thirty-five centimeters in length and five in width. They are green in color with a gray coating on the outside and purple with spots and dots. purple- on the inside. The panicle inflorescence, no more than fifteen centimeters long, consists of yellow-green flowers, the petals of which are about three centimeters high, and pale yellow bracts. Unlike other species, the blooming of Vriesia Sanders is quite long, it usually begins in October and ends in December.

How to care for Vriesia at home

Caring for vriesia at home is not particularly difficult. Vriesia refers to enough undemanding plants and the average room temperature (within twenty-five degrees) will suit her perfectly. She doesn't love too much high temperatures and direct sunlight. But, nevertheless, she needs to provide good lighting, so the east or west side of the room will suit her well.

Important! When keeping vriesia in winter, the air temperature should not fall below fifteen degrees, this can lead to illness and death of the plant.

Since vriesia is a resident of the tropics, its maintenance in room conditions implies the presence of high humidity in the room. If the air is too dry, it is necessary to spray the plant and the area around it several times a day. In this case, you need to ensure that water does not fall on the inflorescence. The pallet can be filled with expanded clay or moss, which are constantly moistened.

Water vriesia once every two days.

Since in natural habitats vriesia is accustomed to the presence of a large amount of water, at home, in addition to watering, you need to constantly fill the outlet with water. It is stopped filling it only with the beginning of flowering, so that the peduncle does not rot.

In summer, vriesia is watered once every two days, and the water filled with the outlet is changed every three days. In this case, the used water is removed with a soft cloth, the leaves are wiped. In winter, you need to leave the water in the outlet for only a few hours, and reduce watering to two per week. Water for irrigation is taken soft and necessarily warm. In no case should it contain lime.

Carrying out top dressing of a vriesia indoor flower

Vriesia do not need to be fed. During the appearance of the peduncle, you can make a one-time application complex fertilizer orchids. This is done to increase the flowering period. Since after its completion the plant dies off, further feeding is meaningless.

Important! The fertilizer dissolved in water is not applied to the soil, it is filled with an outlet or sprayed with vriesia leaves.

Propagation and transplantation of a houseplant vriesia

Reproduction of the plant is carried out mainly using shoots (children) that develop after the death of the main plant. Sometimes the seed method is used, but the difficulty lies in the fact that Vriesia seeds are very difficult to obtain, and sometimes difficult to find in specialized stores.

Reproduction by children

Vriesia breeds very well with children

Children are formed near the mother plant, as a rule, during its flowering period. After two to three months lateral processes can be separated from the dead plant and transplanted into separate pots. But for more reliable rooting, it is advisable not to disturb them for two years before transplanting. By this time they will reach sufficient height and form a well-developed root system.

Before planting the shoots, it is necessary to prepare special soil for them. For this, the following soil mixture is suitable:

• Sod land - 1 part;
• Leaf land - 2 parts;
• Pine bark - 1 part;
• Coarse sand - 1 part.

The shoots are placed in boxes with prepared and moistened soil, covered with polyethylene film and sent to a place with a temperature within twenty-five degrees, in which they must be kept for at least a month. During this period, they take root well and can be moved to the place where they will grow constantly. Vriesia, obtained from children, usually blooms after four years.

seed propagation

Vriesia also reproduces by seeds.

In order for Vriesia to produce seeds, you need to use artificial pollination. If the result is positive, you can use this method to get new plants. Seeds before sowing must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide. Then they need to be dried and evenly scattered over the soil, consisting of equal parts of peat and sand. Landings are moistened from a spray bottle, tightened with a film of polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature of twenty-five degrees. Shelter should be regularly removed for watering and ventilation.

With the correct maintenance of crops, seedlings should be expected in three weeks. After the formation of the third true leaf, a pick is carried out in separate pots. The soil for planting vriesia can consist of turf land - 1 part, leafy soil - 2 parts, peat - 1 part and coarse sand - 1 part.

Flowering plants obtained seed way, should be expected five years after sowing, sometimes this period is delayed up to ten. Vriesia transplantation is carried out as needed before the onset of the flowering period.

Change after purchase

After making a purchase of a plant, it needs to be given two weeks to move away from stress, and then transplanted into suitable soil. In stores, it is contained in the transport soil, which does not contain any nutrients, so a transplant after buying vriesia is necessary.

Vriesia not blooming

If vriesia does not bloom at the right time, you can use next trick. Apples and bananas are placed next to the plant and covered with polyethylene film. As they mature, they release ethylene, a gas that will stimulate the vriesia to bloom.

Important! The lack of flowering may indicate that the temperature of the content is too low.

vriesia has faded

Many are wondering what to do after the vriesia has faded. If it is not expected to receive seeds, then the peduncle must be removed immediately. Then you need to gradually remove the dying leaves. Water is not poured into the outlet at this time. After the babies that have appeared get stronger and take root, the mother plant is separated and destroyed.

Diseases, pests and difficulties in growing Vriesia

In case of damage to the scab, vriesia should be washed and treated with an insecticide.

Growing problems:

• If vriesia dries, this indicates insufficient watering and too dry air in the room;
• lack of light leads to the loss of decorative leaves and inflorescences;
• Waterlogging of the soil causes infection with fungal diseases, which can quickly lead to the death of vriesia. In this case, spraying with a fungicide should be carried out;
• Temperature drop below the permissible level leads to growth inhibition;
• Appearance of brown spots on the foliage can talk about getting a sunburn.

Pests

The plant can be damaged by scale insects and mealybugs. If they are found, vriesia should be washed and treated with an insecticide.

Vriesia is not a capricious plant. Therefore, knowing some of the features of caring for her gives an excellent opportunity to grow this beautiful tropical inhabitant at room conditions.

Watch the video material on this houseplant We wish you a pleasant viewing.

Vriesea is an unusually excellent plant from the bromeliaceae family (Bromeliaceae), which got its name from the Dutch naturalist and physician Willem Henrik de Vries, who studied the plant world. And its places of natural growth are located in hot South American regions.

This is the closest relative of the well-known pineapple. It clings with the help of its roots, which act more like clothespins, to the branches of trees and shrubs, stones. In the south-east of Brazil, almost all the rocks are covered with a painted carpet of various kinds vriesia and other bromeliads.

Description of vriesia

There are about 250 species of both epiphytic and terrestrial plants. At home, about 100 species are used. This exotic flower known in the circles of connoisseurs of the exotic for some sensitivity and fastidiousness. It is considered the most thermophilic of all bromeliads, and before purchasing it, consider whether you can provide it with suitable conditions. Caring for the vriesia will create a little more trouble than the rest of the inhabitants of your window, you just have to carefully familiarize yourself with its features.

So simple!

The care itself does not present any difficulties, it is enough just to keep the apartment warm all year round.

• Vriesia is a reservoir epiphyte with xiphoid leaves about 20 cm long, collected in a dense cup-shaped rosette, the center of which must be filled with clean water.
• The volume of the funnel in natural conditions can reach 5 liters.
• A peduncle grows from the center, bearing an inflorescence-spike with bright orange, densely packed bracts, between which small yellow flowers appear, similar to cancer claws.

Smooth hard dark malachite leaves are decorated with brown transverse stripes, similar to a sailor's vest. The ends of the sheet plates are bent down. Many species are grown precisely because of the beautiful monumental leaves, but some form interesting inflorescences, for example, in the form of a chandelier, striking in their unusualness and brightness.

• Vriesia does not have traditional roots, instead it has special holding sprouts that do not take in nutrients, but only serve to create a support for the plant by attaching to something.
• During tropical downpours, mild rainwater with a variety of rubbish washed off the branches, it is collected in the center of the bowl and gradually used by the plant for food and drink. Therefore, all the necessary substances come only through the center of the outlet, because in natural conditions it lives on rocks, clinging to them.
• Like most bromeliads, the mother plant dies after flowering, forming 2-3 small shoots, from which new specimens will be obtained in the future.

Do not rush to cut a drying outlet until it dries completely. You can just gradually cut off the wilted ends. Shoots leaving the mother plant bloom no earlier than after 2-2.5 years.

How to choose vriesia when buying?

It is best to acquire vriesia when the inflorescence has barely emerged, but has not yet been painted, because a plant with an already blossoming bud will not live long, and children from such an instance can not be obtained. They begin to form a little earlier - before the appearance of the bud.

How to care for a vriesia flower at home

Vriesia Astrid Vriesia hybrid ‘Astrid’ photo Home care

Vriesia loves the light: at good lighting leaves and inflorescences are painted in rich colors. However, it should be protected from direct sunlight - this causes faded leaves in vriesia. Western or eastern orientation of windows with direct sunlight for several hours is preferable. In summer, during the heat of the day, it is better to place the plant in the shade - this mode contributes to the appearance of buds.

Vriesia is one of the most bromeliads, it does not tolerate sharp fluctuations in temperature, drafts, cold. Optimum temperature V winter time 18-21 degrees, in summer vriesia feels comfortable at room temperature. Vriesia needs regular watering throughout the year with soft, settled water.

How to water vriesia?

• The center of the rosette should always be filled with liquid, except during the growth of the bud - otherwise rot will appear.
• Vriesia roots are very sensitive to chlorine and fluorine, which are in tap water Therefore, the water is defended before watering for at least a day.
• In winter (when it is cold), water is drained from a leaf outlet if the temperature in the room has dropped below 20 degrees. Fill the funnel only for a few hours a couple of times a week during the cold season.

The presence of water at low temperatures can lead to the development of fungal diseases. If your house is warm enough in winter, then just move the vriezia pot away from the batteries. central heating. When a bud appears, water is also poured out of the outlet. It will be enough just to spray the leaves and moisten the substrate.

How to feed vriesia

During active growth fertilize with fertilizer for indoor flowers every two weeks.

• If there is no special fertilizer for bromeliads, you can feed the usual universal, reducing the dose by 2 times.
• Fertilizers are applied only foliar by adding liquid to the funnel or spraying the leaves. Pouring fertilizer under the root does not make sense.
• Vriesia loves moist air, but spraying can lead to whitish stains on the leaves. Therefore, a vriesia pot is placed on wet expanded clay or in a pot with wet moss.
• You can periodically bathe the flower, pouring it from a watering can or in the shower.

Vriesia loves the humid microclimate created by other plants located around. Feels good, looks great in composition with any indoor crops. Prefers light, breathable peaty soil and good drainage. Until the inflorescence appears, it is transplanted twice. The pot for transshipment should be low with a wide top, and in volume should correspond to the size of the root system. Ceramic flowerpots are preferable, because the leaf rosette can be bulky and heavy, and the root system is too small and light.

• A plastic light container can constantly turn over, it is better if vriesia grows in a clay pot with sufficient stability.
• Remember: there must be a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.
• The substrate for vriesia is chosen loose and nutritious. You can use ordinary earth for bromeliads. For epiphytic plants, you can use a mixture of crushed pine bark, sphagnum moss, high-moor peat with the addition of charcoal.
• It is important to remember that vriesia does not tolerate transplantation well, stops in development.

Vriesia transplant after purchase

If a transplant is still required, for example, immediately after purchase, it is better to transship the plant into a larger pot, without destroying the old earthy coma.

• Transplantation is carried out only in the phase of active growth.
• Vriesia with an earthy clod is placed in the center of a new container, and the space between the pot and the plant is filled with a new substrate, lightly tamping with a stick.
• The dried tips of the leaves and the dead inflorescence are removed.
• Wipe the leaves a couple of times a month with a damp cloth or sponge. This has a very beneficial effect on the transplanted flower.

How vriesia splenriet is transplanted, look at the video:

The flowering period depends on the time of planting and the appearance of regenerating buds, but usually occurs in the summer. The life of Vriesia, like all bromeliads, is very short. It begins with the separation of shoots from the mother plant, and ends with flowering and the formation of new children, the entire cycle is usually 2-3 years. Plants grown from seeds bloom only after 10-15 years.

Purchased plants are often sold on the eve of the holidays, as is customary in Europe, and they bloom at any time of the year, while those grown on their own already adapt to the microclimate of your premises and rest with the onset of the cold season, and with the advent of spring they actively increase the vegetative mass and throw it away flower arrow.

Take a closer look at yours, having determined its condition at the moment, it is easier to decide how to care for it - intensively or take a break. After all, active care during the rest period of your green friend will not lead to anything good. If you keep your pet on a bromeliad tree or other support, then twice a month remove it from the trunk and arrange a bath, immersing it completely in clean, settled water until saturated with moisture, and then return it to its place. This procedure cleans the leaves from dust, enhancing all processes and improving the condition of the plant.

Reproduction of Vriesia by shoots of Vriesia after flowering

Is your vriesia blooming and you don't know what to do? It's simple: take care of the plant in the usual way until its children grow up and the mother plant begins to die. If you do not need seeds, it is better to remove the faded arrow immediately so that it does not take away strength from the flower. When the children begin to compare in height with the mother bush, it's time to start dividing and seating the children.

The easiest way to propagate vriesia taken from the mother plant after flowering. They are very carefully separated along with the roots and transplanted into small pots. From the moment of separation, a temperature of 24 degrees and high humidity are maintained for 3 weeks.

You can place containers with babies in a translucent plastic bag leaving a small opening at the top for ventilation. Usually, the processes are separated from the dead outlet when they reach 1/3 of its height. It is better if it is a warm season, when daylight hours are long. If the separation of children must be done in winter, then for successful rooting, a long daylight hours should be organized using fluorescent lamp and bottom heating.

Rooting is slow, do not be afraid: vriesia restores the root system very slowly, you just need to wait and not be zealous with watering, so as not to provoke decay.

Planted children feel great without watering, it is enough to sometimes pour a small amount of water into the outlet, checking how the plant reacts. Do not allow excess moisture, but do not overdry the soil so that delicate roots easily make their way into the substrate. The problem of light moisture can be solved with a conventional spray gun. Just spray the soil until lightly moistened, noticing that it has dried out.

Vriesia from seeds

Vriesia can be propagated by seeds that look like dandelions. They should be sown on sphagnum, filter paper or cotton pads. Seeds are rarely laid out. Plantings are placed in a transparent container with a lid, which is placed on the upper shelves of the kitchen, where it is most warm. The first shoots appear after two weeks. When transplanting, they simply carefully cut out a sprout with a root ingrown into paper or cotton wool with scissors, transfer it to a prepared pot with suitable soil.

It is not necessary to cover the sprout with earth. Make a small hole and plant a seedling. The earth should be constantly wet, and it is better to close the pot glass jar. Flowering will come no earlier than in 10 years. To speed up the flowering of an adult specimen, ethylene stimulation is used - an overripe apple, pear or banana is placed near the outlet at night. You can put the whole plant in a bag of ripe fruit for a while.

Pests and diseases

All failures in the cultivation of this extraordinary flower are associated with improper care or accommodation. Spike inflorescence rots when the temperature drops below the comfort zone - drain the water from the central funnel and move the flowerpot to a warmer place.

If the leaves dry

If the tips of the leaf blades become brownish, dry, curled, then the humidity in the place of detention should be increased.

You can achieve constant sufficient moisture by placing sphagnum moss on top of the soil in a pot. Keep it moist - the vapor will go to the leaves of the flower, thereby increasing the humidity around the plant.

Vriesia withered and all in the web

Sometimes a spider mite appears. If the leaves wilt, there is a thin cobweb, treat with an appropriate insecticide. One treatment will not be enough, because the drug acts only on adult pests. In a few days, new larvae will appear. Therefore, the treatment is repeated no later than 5 days later, until they lay new eggs. And it is best to process three times.

The insecticide should be changed with each spraying, because pests quickly get used to the poison. In addition to the tick, various scutes and scale insects attack vriesia. To get rid of them, you should wipe the leaves alternately with a soap and alcohol solution. The solution is tested first. Just soak a cotton pad with vodka and wipe one leaf. If after a day it has not changed, you can process the whole flower. If stains appear on the vriesia, dilute the vodka with water and repeat the treatment.

Vriezia has a black coating

Usually we bring pests into the house with other green pets, acquiring them in garden centers and stores. Each new plant should be quarantined by placing it at a distance from your collection. In greenhouses where flowers are grown, the spread of insects is suppressed by various drugs, but they cannot destroy everyone. They will be happy to move to your copies. It is better to immediately treat the beginner with a complex preparation.

Signs and superstitions about vriesia

Bright vriesia with powerful strong leaves symbolizes confidence and purity of thoughts, attracts success, fame, recognition, contributing to the comprehensive development of the owner's personality, helps to get rid of excessive conservatism. Perfectly cleans the air of the room from dust and many harmful substances by moisturizing it.

• Vriesia has an active powerful energy that charges others with vivacity and love of life, suppresses monotony and monotony.
• Promotes the development of intuition, fine taste, self-confidence, stimulates the search for new solutions, gives impetus to the development of abilities.
• It is believed that vriesia, placed in the bedroom by the bed, is an aphrodisiac that stimulates male potency.
• It is worth settling this slightly capricious beauty at home, as you will notice many positive changes in your life. A unusual view captivates once and for all the hearts of lovers.

Types of vriesia with descriptions and photos

Vriesea brilliant Vriesea splendens

Most often found on sale and is also called a fiery (blazing) sword. A characteristic feature of this species is a tall, elongated peduncle with tiled bracts. The length of the peduncle with the inflorescence can reach 55 cm. On the leaves, covered with hard scales, there are dark perpendicular lines that create a striped pattern. Considered the best for growing on windows and shelves

Vriesea keeled Vriesea carinata

A plant with a thin peduncle and pale yellow leaves. Unlike other species, it grows only about 30 cm. It is also a Brazilian, found in two forms - a terrestrial plant and an epiphyte. A short inflorescence develops on a low peduncle reaching 35 cm, formed by yellow flowers with green tops on short pedicels. There are bracts with a sharp keel, the top of which is colored yellowish-green. Bracts are pink.

Vriesia giant Vriesea gigantea or chess, mosaic

It is distinguished by a large rosette of leaves covered with a golden mesh pattern and a scattering of splashes along the edges. Can reach 1.5 m in diameter. Suitable for common areas.

Vriesea golden spikelet Vriesea chysostachys

This species can be easily recognized by the long yellow inflorescences and the maroon turnover of the leaf blades.

Vriesea curved Vriesea incurvata

It has small elongated leaves and a short peduncle.

Differs in specks on sepals. The leaves have a huge number of longitudinal and transverse stripes.

The leaves curl down, their upper part is covered with ash-colored scales, and the lower part is dotted with brownish dashes and specks. This ground plant. Gorgeous all year round.

Considered one of the most attractive. A very peculiar, beautiful, emerald pattern appears on dark green leaves, resembling torn transverse stripes or a pattern of broken Latin letters. Wild-growing species are actively used to breed cultural hybrids. Vriesia Mix is ​​often offered in specialized stores.

It does not occur in nature and is specially bred. These plants are compact, coexist with other house flowers without problems, bloom stably, and do not cause specific troubles. When buying, find out what type your vriesia belongs to, which will make it much easier to take care of such a whim.

Vriesea fosteriana

Broad, dense, shiny leaves have a fantastic color: purple-violet at the center of the rosette, towards the edge they become bright green. The image is completed by white feathery stripes located across the leaf plate. Very beautiful!

Vriesea Ospina Vriesea ospinae

Lemon-yellow spike-shaped inflorescences effectively contrast with massive leaves of variegated-striped color with olive, burgundy, dark green colors. The leaves are wide, dense, with a slight waxy sheen, collected in a dense rosette.

Vriesea hybrid Vriesea hybrid

Hybrid vriesia is distinguished by richly bright, massive inflorescences and compact form. The leaves are usually wide, with a slight sheen.