Vriesia was isolated from the genus Tillandsia, which in turn has more than 250 species. Another name that flower growers also often use is frisia.
In the wild, the flower grows in the tropics and subtropics of America. Flowers inhabit the bark of trees in the gorges. Wild representatives feel great even on the highest cliffs.
Vriesia in the wild
What does it look like
The leaf rosette of Vriesia Splenriet resembles a funnel consisting of long, hard leaves. Leaf plates can be green, striped. The flower stalk grows from the very center of the funnel and is decorated with an inflorescence in the shape of an ear. Bracts are tight to each other and painted in a wide variety of shades. Depending on the variety variety, the stem can be single or branched.
Flower of vriesia
Vriesia: home growing and care
For a vriesia flower, home care consists of a large number of necessary measures. Decorative appearance of the plant and unusual flowering are possible subject to the rules of cultivation and care.
Temperature
Splenriet is very demanding on the temperature regime of vriesia. The plant is thermophilic. A climate with a constant temperature of at least +18 degrees is best suited for it.
Important! The plant will not survive in the open ground, it does not tolerate even the slightest temperature difference.
Lighting
In winter, the plant is best placed in the most lighted place. In summer, the pot must be rearranged at partial shade so that no burns appear.
Watering
Culture loves moisture, prefers settled warm water. In the cold season, the vriesia flower is watered only 1 time per week, in the summer - 2 times. The plant loves when watering is carried out not only in the ground, but also directly into the leaf funnels. Full sprinkling is best done in the summer.
Spraying
It is important to keep the plant in constantly moistened conditions. This is achieved by spraying. It is advisable to carry it out several times a day. It is necessary to irrigate the whole flower and the earth.
Humidity
Homeland plants are the tropics. It is very important at home to maintain the necessary level of soil moisture for the flower. A good way is to install the plant on a special tray filled with drainage and water.
Priming
The substrate for the plant should be as light and loose as possible. For cooking, mix:
- garden land - 2 parts;
- soddy soil - 1 part;
- sifted sand - 1 part;
- pine bark - 1 part.
Important! Pine bark before application requires mandatory processing. It can be calcined in the oven or doused with steam. This will disinfect the bark and rid it of harmful insects.
Adding sphagnum or charcoal to the mixture will allow you to timely rid the plant of excess moisture. If there is no desire to independently prepare the soil, it can be purchased at a specialized store.
Top dressing
Care for vriesia involves the introduction of liquid fertilizers throughout the spring and autumn. Feeding is carried out 1 time in 14 days. In this species, nutrients are applied directly to the outlet, since the root system does not affect the proper development of the flower.
Vriesia Era Outdoors
The plant reacts extremely negatively to any temperature fluctuations, is critical of drafts. The Vriesia Era flower can be taken outside only from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The air temperature should be between 24 and 27 degrees.
On a note! It is forbidden to hit the flower in direct sunlight.
Transfer
The transplantation of an indoor flower of vriesia should be carried out only in the most extreme cases. The plant painfully reacts to this process. A transplant is possible only if the pot has become small. Even with the slightest damage to the roots, the flower will recover for a long time, and may die at all.
Attention! It is forbidden to deepen the flower outlet - this can cause decay of the base.
When blooms
Vriesia blooms once every few years - in the summer. Small flowers instantly fade, and bright bracts last for several months. After completion of the process, vriesia slowly dies. For this species, this phenomenon is the norm. After the death of the parent bush, new offspring are often formed, which, when transplanted, will grow into a full-fledged plant.
How to breed
There are two options for the propagation of a splenriet vriesia flower: seeds and offspring.
Keeled seed vriesia
This is a complex and extremely "ungrateful" method of reproduction. To collect seeds from a flower, it is necessary to wait until the peduncle has fully ripened. Sowing is carried out in a mixture of river sand and sphagnum. To improve germination, the seed material is pre-treated with potassium permanganate and dried.
Seedlings of flower seeds
Watering is best done with a spray gun. The container with landings is covered with glass and constantly ventilated. The first sprouts will appear only in a month. A young plant dives after the appearance of the first true leaves. The substrate for it should consist of peat, leaf and sod land. After six months, vriesia is transplanted into a large container. Flowering of a decorative plant grown from seeds will begin no earlier than 5 years later.
Vegetative propagation
Transplantation of vriesia after flowering is performed after it fades completely. In place of the flower young shoots form. When the "children" grow up enough, they must be separated from the "parent" and planted in another pot.
Plant propagation by children
The substrate is prepared from 3 parts of leaf soil, 1 part of sifted sand, 1 part of pine bark. At the time of rooting, the young flower of vriesia Splenriet is covered with a film or bag. The rooting process takes about 30 days. Only after that the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place of residence.
On a note! Flowering will begin only 4 years after transplanting.
Possible problems
If the watering rules are not followed, the plant may be infected with fungal diseases. Most often it is gray rot or fusarium. For urgent treatment, it is necessary to adjust the irrigation regime - to reduce it. Then friesia should be treated with fungicide.
Insufficient humidity in the room will immediately affect the plant. The ends of the leaves will instantly begin to dry out. Treatment - increasing the humidity level in the room.
Why does vreezia not bloom
The main reason for the lack of colors is the cold air. Vriesia blooms can be achieved artificially:
- The pot is covered with any transparent vessel.
- Fresh fruits are laid out near the plant.
Additional Information. The fruit contains ethylene, a substance that causes the flowering process.
Pests
There are a number of pests that can damage vriesia: spider mites, thrips, scabies. These insects cause yellowing of the leaf plate and rotting of the roots. For protection, the plant must be urgently treated with a soapy solution, and then sprayed with fungicides. The scabbard, which often lives on a flower, can only be removed manually.
Important! When the first signs of pest invasion appear, the plant must be isolated from other indoor flowers.
Common varieties
In the wild, there are over 250 species of vriesia. There are much fewer room subspecies and they come in two types: with plain and with striped leaf plates.
With plain leaves
Many varieties of vriesia are represented by plain foliage of different shades. Inflorescences can also have different colors.
Royal
This is the largest representative of Vriesia Fenestralis. Leaves can reach 50 cm, and the peduncle - 2 meters. Inflorescences of this species resemble a panicle. In the early stages, the flowers are white, and after full ripening - yellow. Royal variety has a very strong aroma.
Royal variety
Mix
This is the most interesting species, which has won a lot of fans due to the unusual appearance and variety of color palette of inflorescences. Its foliage is bright green, bizarre-shaped flowers with highly branched inflorescences in the middle. Color can be yellow, orange, red or cherry.
Vriesia Mix
With striped leaves
Striped leaves may have a longitudinal or transverse pattern. Flowers of these varieties are red, yellow, orange.
Sanders
Vriesea saundersii stands out with a very large outlet. Size can reach 50 cm in width, 40 cm in height. Externally, the leaf plates have a very smooth structure resembling skin. The color of the leaves is green with a slight gray tint. The inside is smoky purple.
Sanders Vriesia
Shiny (Beautiful)
This variety is often referred to as splendens vriesia. A distinctive feature of the flower is an extremely weak root system, located almost on the surface of the soil. The rosette of the species is wide, the foliage has bent ends. The strips on the sheet plates are transverse and painted in bright contrasting colors.
Giant
The variety has other names: Chess, Mosaic. Dark leaves on top are covered with lighter spots. The lower part is painted red with a lilac hue. Giant Vriesia got its name for the highest flower stalk. Under favorable conditions, the height of the flower can reach more than 2 meters. Yellow flowers are located on a weakly branched inflorescence.
Giant variety
The use of this flower at home is not justified due to the inability to achieve flowering.
Vriesia flower during flowering
For a vriesia plant, cultivation and care involve timely measures, thanks to which the flower will bloom and decorate any home with its decorative look. Compliance with all the above rules will lead to an excellent result.