Neoregelia: Home Care, Growing Guide.
Content:
The article describes in detail Neoregelia: home care, complete instructions for growing.
Neoregelia (Neoregelia) is a genus of epiphytic and terrestrial plants belonging to the Bromeliad family. In the wild, they are ubiquitous in wooded areas and marshes in South American countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, as well as eastern Colombia and Peru. Domestic growers grow neoregelia at home. How to properly care for this tropical plant will be discussed in this article.
Neoregelia: a short description
Neoregelia
At home, as a rule, perennial herbaceous plants related to neorehelia are grown. Their foliage is belt-shaped and the edges of the plates are jagged or covered with tiny thorns. The color of the leaves, as a rule, is two-colored: the main part of their surface is painted in a rich green color, and in the middle is divided by a longitudinal strip of a lighter shade - white or light purple. During the flowering period, the edges of the leaf plates, as well as their bases, can turn deep red. Inflorescences form in the leaf axils and gradually take on the shape of a brush. Numerous flowers are not decorative and are almost completely hidden behind the bracts, located in their axils.
Neoregelia: home care
Neoregelia
Since the natural growing environment of neoregelia is characterized by high air humidity and high temperature indicators, when growing it at home, attention should be paid to the preferences of this tropical plant.
Lighting mode
Neoregelia belongs to light-loving crops, however, in conditions of dense tropical forests, it is not exposed to direct sunlight. For this reason, in indoor growing, daylight must also be diffused or reflected. Direct sunlight is especially dangerous on hot summer days, so you need to take care of the shading of the neoregelia. In the autumn-winter period, on the contrary, the lighting should be as intense as possible. In order to eliminate the lack of light, you can equip the room with an additional lighting system.
Indoor air temperature
Neoregelia needs to constantly maintain a fairly high air temperature in the room where it is located - 20-25 degrees. In winter, it is recommended to move it to a cool room, in which the thermometer is at about 16 degrees Celsius. This will allow the plant to bloom for quite some time - from a couple of months to six months.
Room humidification
Since the natural habitat of neoregelia is characterized by high air humidity, appropriate conditions must be created when growing it indoors. The optimum humidity in the room is at least 60%. The best solution would be to place neoregelia in a greenhouse or greenhouse. If this is not possible, you can use a room humidifier. There are also simpler ways to achieve the required level of moisture in the surrounding plant environment. For example, in the pallet on which the pot with neoregelia stands, you can pour expanded clay or lay it out with a layer of sphagnum moss, and pour some water into it.In this case, it is important to exclude the possibility of contact of the bottom of the clay pot with moisture. You can also increase the humidity in the room by regularly spraying neoregelia with water at room temperature. The foliage of the plant can be periodically wiped with a wet cloth. With high air humidity, ventilation of the room should not be neglected - this will avoid stagnation of moisture. It should be remembered that drafts are extremely dangerous for the health of a tropical plant.
Neoregelia: photo, description of watering, feeding, transplanting
Neoregelia: photo
In the summer months and on warm spring days, it is recommended to water the neoregelia daily. The watering procedure is carried out in the morning, during which the stream of water from the watering can should be directed to the center of the bush. With the arrival of cold weather, the mode and method of irrigation changes: the frequency of procedures and the amount of water used for them is reduced. In this case, water should be poured onto the root part of the plant in order to avoid the development of putrefactive processes. Regardless of the season, the water for irrigation should be well settled and warm.
During the period of active growth and development, which occurs between the end of spring and the beginning of autumn, neorehelia needs additional nutrition. To provide her with the necessary amount of nutrients, it is recommended to apply fertilizers intended for plants of the Bromeliad family every 3-4 weeks. These can be purchased from a specialist store. As a rule, fertilizer is applied by watering - it must first be dissolved in water.
Too frequent transplantation is undesirable in the case of neorehelia - it should be resorted to only as a last resort, when the plant becomes cramped or uncomfortable in the same place. The composition of the soil mixture for growing a given plant depends on its variety. So, terrestrial crops will feel good in a substrate that includes the following components:
- humus - 1 part;
- sheet land - 2 parts;
- sand - ? parts;
- peat - 1 part.
Neoregelia-epiphytes need a different composition of the soil mixture, which should include:
- sphagnum moss - 1 part;
- chopped pine bark - 3 parts;
- humus -? parts;
- sheet land - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part.
Regardless of the type of neoregelia, it is necessary to take care of the drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, which should occupy at least 1/3 of its volume.
Reproduction of neoregelia
There are two ways to reproduce neoregelia at home.
The simplest is the method of reproduction by children. This is the name of the daughter leaf rosettes, which appear in large numbers at the end of the flowering period of the bush. Side rosettes with at least 3-4 independent leaves can be separated from the mother plant. Children are placed in separate pots of small volume, which are placed in a warm room, the air temperature in which is maintained at 25-28 degrees. It is recommended to cover containers with children with plastic wrap or a glass or plastic cap. Every day, the shelter should be raised and ventilated to avoid stagnation of moisture in the soil. After the young neoregelia bushes get stronger, the shelter can be removed and further care for them as for adult plants.
The seed method of reproduction of neoregelia is more laborious and involves several stages. The seed needs preliminary treatment: it should be filled with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate and left in it for several hours. Then the seeds of neoregelia should be removed from the solution and dried at room temperature. This procedure not only contributes to their disinfection, but also softens the upper shell, thereby accelerating the emergence of seedlings. Fill the seed containers with finely chopped sphagnum moss.After the seeds have been sown, they should be covered with a glass or plastic cover. Containers with crops should be placed in a warm place with an air temperature of about 25 degrees. For the successful growth and development of seedlings, it is recommended to spray the crops daily with warm water. Do not forget about airing the room in order to prevent stagnation of moisture in the soil. With proper care, seedlings begin to appear in 2-3 weeks.
2-3 months after sowing, they will get stronger, and they can be transplanted into separate containers filled with a substrate intended for growing crops of the Bromeliad family. The disadvantage of the seed method of reproduction of neoregelia is a rather long period of flowering. Bushes grown from seeds will bloom only 3-4 years after sowing.
Protection against harmful insects
Neoregelia is often attacked by harmful insects that can seriously harm its greenery and flowers. The sooner pests can be detected, the easier it will be to get rid of them. That is why experienced florists recommend regularly inspecting neoregelia bushes in order to detect signs of damage by harmful insects in time and take appropriate measures.
Like other members of the Bromeliad family, neorehelia is attacked by bromeliads. Their appearance is evidenced by the yellowing of the leaf plates of the plant and their subsequent subsidence. Insects cover both sides of the leaf blades, which can be seen when inspecting an infected bush. You can get rid of the scale insects by spraying or wiping the foliage of the neoregelia with a solution prepared on the basis of the Actellik drug. It is enough to dilute 15-20 drops of the drug with a liter of water to obtain the agent of the required concentration.
Another dangerous enemy of neoregelia is the mealybug. First of all, its appearance is signaled by sugar-like traces on leaf plates, which are an environment for the development of fungal spores. Gradually, as the fungus develops, the plant affected by it begins to lag behind in growth, its leaves turn yellow, as a result, the bush may die. If the infection has not managed to affect the entire plant as a whole, it will be enough to wipe the affected parts with a cloth moistened with alcohol or soapy water. In the case when the disease has become serious, it is possible to treat neoregelia with insecticidal drugs - Karbofos, Fufanon, the already mentioned Aktellik.
The appearance of a whitish cobweb on the leaves of neoregelia indicates the defeat of the plant with a red spider mite, which spreads on both sides of the leaf plates. Gradually, the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow and crumble. To get rid of mites, it is enough to treat the leaves with a solution based on laundry soap. If this method does not help, it remains only to resort to the use of an insecticide. Spraying with a solution based on "Decis" is recommended.
The yellowness of the leaf plates of neoregelia may be associated with the appearance of aphids, which feed on plant sap, gradually depleting them. As in the case with the defeat of the bromelium scabbard, it is recommended to treat the plant with Actellik in the same dosage.
Some ailments of neoregelia are associated with violation of agrotechnical recommendations. So, stagnation of moisture in the soil can cause the development of fusarium: as a result, necrosis of the lower part of the plant begins, and it dies. The appearance of brown spots on the leaf plates indicates burns as a result of exposure to direct sunlight. Dry and brown edges of the leaf plates indicate a moisture deficit in the overdried air of the room where the neoregelia is located.
Varieties of neoregelia
In culture, various types of neoregelia are used, each of which has certain external characteristics.
N. Carolinae, Neoregelia Carolina
- a perennial epiphyte with a rather extensive leaf rosette, whose diameter is about half a meter. The glossy belt-shaped leaves end with pointed tops, giving them a resemblance to a green tongue. Their edges are densely covered with numerous miniature spines. In the middle of each leaf there is a longitudinal stripe of white, pink or light green color.
On the eve of the flowering phase, the leaf rosette in its core changes color from green to bright red. Gradually, in its depths, an inflorescence consisting of numerous medium-sized flowers is formed. Bracts have an elongated shape, a spherical or conical apex and a pale green color. Their surface can be smooth or scaly. The flowers are only 4 cm in diameter and are distinguished by a delicate pale lilac shade of petals. The green, rounded sepals tend to grow together.
N. Marmorata, Marble variety neoregelia
got its name due to the unusual color of the belt-like leaf plates - their green surface is covered with many red specks of various sizes and shapes. This terrestrial variety of neorehelia forms a wide funnel-shaped rosette of succulent leaves with pointed tops, jagged edges and numerous scales over the entire surface. The length of the sheet plate can exceed half a meter.
Oblong inflorescences, as a rule, are deeply recessed into the leaf rosette. The bracts have pointed edges, and they themselves are about half shorter than the sepals. The diameter of pink or white flowers is 4 cm.
N.Tristis, Neoregelia gloomy
cannot boast of contrasting color combinations typical of other varieties. Unlike the two species described above, this perennial epiphyte forms a very narrow rosette of leaves, resembling a funnel in shape. Each rosette contains from 10 to 12 green tongue-shaped leaves about half a meter long, with a rounded top. The smooth surface of the upper part of the leaf plates differs from the scaly seamy side, covered with dark stripes.
Inside the leaf rosette is an inflorescence consisting of numerous blue flowers. A distinctive feature of the flowers are their narrow petals, which are fused with stamens and pointed at the edges. Asymmetric smooth sepals are connected at the base and reach 2 cm in length.The length of the oblong dark red bracts is about 2 times its length:
N.Spectabilis, Neoregelia of this variety is called beautiful for a reason, or, depending on the translation, smart.
First of all, this name is associated with the surprisingly spectacular appearance of its leaf outlet. Despite the modest size of the leaf blades (only 0.4 m in length), this perennial epiphyte benefits from their contrasting coloration. The upper part of the tongue-shaped and strongly bent leaves is painted in a bright green color, which changes to bright scarlet closer to the top. The seamy side of the leaves has a red-green color and is covered with grayish scales.
Like other neoregelia, the inflorescence of beautiful neoregelia sits deeply in the central part of the leaf rosette. The lengths of the ellipsoidal bracts and sepals, as a rule, correspond to each other. The asymmetrically located sepals are connected at the base and have a reddish-brown edging along their entire surface. Blue flowers consist of bent tongue-shaped petals.
N.Pauciflora, Multi-flowered neoregelia is a perennial epiphytic plant whose fusiform inflorescences consist of a small number of long white flowers. A narrow rosette of leaves resembles a funnel in shape, consisting of tongue-leaves with a rounded top, finely toothed contours and numerous dark thorns along the edges.Their front side is covered with light wavy stripes, and the bottom is covered with numerous miniature scales.
The oval-shaped bracts have pointed tops, as well as asymmetric lanceolate, fused at the base of the sepals.
N. Sarmentosa, the method of propagation by daughter rosettes is most suitable for offspring neoregelia,
as its long stems are covered with a lot of babies. This terrestrial perennial forms a narrow rosette of dense, tongue-shaped leaves with a rounded upper part ending with a tip. Green leaf blades have finely toothed edges and red specks at the top. The seamy side of the leaves is colored green and covered with tiny, light-colored scales.
The multi-flowered inflorescences of the offspring neoregelia consist of blue or white flowers. Long rounded bracts are light in color along the entire length, with the exception of a bright crimson top. Their surface is covered with a layer of scales. Asymmetric, rounded sepals are connected at the base. The flower petals pointed at the ends are also partially interconnected.
N. Ampullacea, Vesiculate neoregelia
belongs to perennial epiphytes and forms a dense rosette of bent green leaves of a linear shape, covered with red transverse stripes and tiny brown scales. Like other neoregelia, the edges of the leaf blades are serrated and end with a sharp tip.
In the depths of the leaf rosette, there is one that consists of a few blue flowers. Bracts elongated and slightly pointed from above, as a rule, are larger than lanceolate sepals. The latter have a two-color color: their main part is green, and the edges are white.
N. Cyanea, Neoregelia blue
differs in bright blue petals of numerous flowers, forming an inflorescence recessed in a narrow, but very dense leaf rosette. Lingual leaf plates have a leathery surface and serrated or solid edges, and also differ in monochrome color. The seamy side of the leaves is covered with whitish scales.
The blunt fleshy bracts correspond in size to the smooth, broad, asymmetric sepals accreted at the base. The flower petals are also interconnected and have a lanceolate shape.
N. Tigrina, about color tiger neoregelia
can be judged from its name. This perennial epiphyte is characterized by the presence of a very dense round rosette, consisting of yellow-green tongue-shaped leaves covered with brown-red transverse stripes. The base of the leaf plates is covered with scales, and along the edges there are medium-sized brown spines.
The inflorescence consists of a large number of tubular, light purple flowers. Spatula-shaped, asymmetrical bracts are colored red at the top. The smooth surface of the sepals, rounded and slightly pointed at the top, is colored light green. At the base, they grow together, and on top they are covered with red specks.
Neoregelia