Nidularium

Nidularium is a prominent representative of the Bromeliads family, this genus has about eighty species. The native land of Nidularium is the tropical jungle of Brazil, where it can be observed in natural conditions. This plant cannot be called demanding, if you add to this the beauty of flowers and a spectacular appearance, then it becomes clear why growers love nidularium so much. In this article, we will tell you how to care for a plant so that it does not hurt and does not lose its attractiveness, as well as the most popular types of Nidularium.

Nidularium: flower description

Nidularium: photo of a flower

The genus Nidularium combines epiphytic and semi-epiphytic plants. The stem of such plants is absent, the rosette of dense pointed leaves looks very beautiful. Typically, such a rosette contains no more than 20 leaves. The flowers of the nidularium are rather small, clustered in spike-shaped inflorescences and are not attractive. All attention is drawn to the brightly colored bracts, which many unknowingly mistake for just a flower.

As is often the case with bromeliads, after flowering, the mother plant dies, this is part of a natural process, so you should not be upset. While flowering continues, Nidularium forms lateral shoots, the so-called "babies". They take root very quickly and soon bloom, thanks to this, in nature, Nidularium grows rapidly.

Nidularium: home care

Taking care of the Nidularium is quite simple, you just need to prepare for its appearance in advance, having familiarized yourself with the necessary information. Lacking basic knowledge, inexperienced growers are often upset after the death of a plant and do not think about rooting children, worrying that they have ruined the flower with improper care.

An ideal place for a Nidularium in an apartment would be an east or west window sill. There will be a lot of light in such a place, and direct sunlight, which is undesirable for any indoor plant, can be avoided. Nidularium needs a lot of light, so in early spring and late autumn, you may have to organize lighting, but in the winter months it is not necessary to do this, since the plant is dormant.

Despite the fact that the native land of the Nidularium plant is the tropics, the air temperature + 23 ... + 25 degrees is quite suitable for it. For the winter months, the temperature should be lowered by 5-7 degrees, but make sure that it does not drop below + 15 ... + 17 degrees.

In addition to the temperature, it is necessary to provide the nidularium with a comfortable air humidity. You can spray the plant with a spray bottle twice a day. If possible, place a humidifier or just a container of water next to the nidularium. You can also put a pot with a plant on a tray with expanded clay and pour some water into it, only you need to make sure that the drainage hole of the pot does not come into contact with water.

For irrigation, as well as for spraying, the water must be defended for several days, the water just poured from the tap is detrimental to plants. In spring and summer, Nidularium is watered often and a lot so that the soil in the pot is constantly moist. In winter, during the dormant period, when you lower the temperature a little, watering should be reduced. Some flower growers recommend completely abandoning watering for the winter months, replacing it with spraying.

Fertilizing the Nidularium flower begins in April and continues to fertilize once a month until October.As a fertilizer, you can use special formulations for bomeliads or pick up a complex fertilizer for indoor plants, but use only a quarter of the recommended dosage. Fertilizer is applied with watering to a pre-moistened soil. During the dormant period, it is not required to feed the plant.

Flower Nidularium: plant transplant

Nidularium: photo of a flower

Nidularium is transplanted if it becomes obviously cramped in the previous pot. Choose for the plant not very deep, but wide pots, similar to a bowl or bowl. Be sure to lay drainage on the bottom. In flower shops and garden centers, soil for bromeliads is sold, but if you can not buy it, then add a little pine bark, coarse sand and charcoal to the usual nutrient mixture for indoor plants.

During the transplanting process, do not deepen the Nidularium plant below the level at which it grew, this can lead to the death of the plant.

Nidularium: reproduction

We have already said that during the flowering period, the plant forms "children" - daughter rosettes. It is with their help that Nidularium is propagated. It is not worth separating the sockets immediately after they appear, you have to wait until they have 4-5 leaves, since by this time the root system has formed. Next, carefully separate the "baby" and plant in a separate pot.
You can also grow a Nidularium flower from seeds. To do this, wait until the end of flowering, and when the seed pods are ripe, collect the planting material. This method of reproduction is used quite rarely, since plants grown from seeds bloom only in the fourth year.

Possible problems and solutions

Flower nidularium: photo

If you take care of indoor flowers irregularly, then they begin to experience discomfort, which you can guess from the changes that occur with the foliage.

If the ends of the leaves dry out in the bromeliad Nidularium, then the humidity of the air must be increased. Increase the number of sprays and place another container of water next to it.

If you find light brownish spots on the leaves, then most likely these are sunburn. In the daytime, all plants must be shaded from the scorching sun.

Despite the fact that Nidularium needs high humidity, do not water it too much, as this can lead to the death of the plant.

The most common parasites that attack plants of the Bromeliad family are scale insects and mealybugs. In this case, you cannot do without insecticides ("Aktara", "Confidor").

Types of nidelarium with a photo

As we said, there are many types of nidularium, but not all of them are grown as a houseplant. Here are the most popular types that can be found in flower shops and greenhouses.

• Nidularium innocentii (nidularium innocent). The width of the leaves of this plant is about 5 cm, and for on it can reach half a meter. The back of the leaves of the nidularium innocent is purple, and the top is dark green with a red tint. The peduncle is quite short, the bract is bright red, which, in combination with the foliage, looks very impressive. Flowering of nidularium innocent begins in June and can continue until mid-autumn.
  There are varieties of nidularium innocent, on the leaves of which there are longitudinal stripes of light green color.

Nidularium innocent: photos

• Nidularium billbergioides. Quite a large plant with bright green leaves, reaching a length of 70 cm. Peduncles are thin and erect, and the main beauty is the bracts of bright yellow color, which after flowering become green. Plants bloom in late spring and bloom until October.

• Bromeliad nidularium fulgens. Thirty centimeter leaves of bright green color with dark green spots, brown thorns are located at the edges of the leaves, which acquire a red tint during the flowering period. The bract is bright red.