The tropical plant of Tillandsia is from Latin America. In the wild, tallandsia grows, clinging to rocks and trunks of trees. Now more than 400 of its varieties are known. Depending on the species, these plants can differ significantly from each other, some of which can be safely attributed to unusual houseplants . Some of them have a well-developed stem, others - without bone. The leaves of some Tillandsia are narrow, scaly and have a gray color, while in other species bright green leaves form an outlet and grow up to 30 cm in length. Blossoms this inhabitant of the tropics beautiful, unusual shaped flowers, surrounded by bright spiky bracts. Most often these bracts are pink in color. In some species of Tillandsia the bunches of blue or violet color begin to blossom from the top of the plant.
Tillandsia also grows at home, and care of it is not complicated at all. This flower is not a shade-loving houseplant , loves sunlight, but feels well and with some shading. Certain varieties do not even need a vase with land. The best exotic indoor flower of tallandsia grows on an epiphyte column or wood snag with remains of the bark. At home, the plant is grown in flat pots. If you put a flower on a sunny window, then be sure to pritenite it from direct sunlight. And in winter, thillandsia needs additional illumination with fluorescent lamps.
The optimum temperature for growing indoor flowers in Tillandsea is as follows: in summer up to + 24 ° C, in winter to 20 ° C. This plant is very fond of fresh air, so you need to ventilate the room more often. However, avoid drafts or sudden changes in temperature, especially in the winter months, because this can lead to disease of the flower. In summer, you can take the plant to an open balcony, just do not forget to protect the flower from the rain and the bright sun.
As you can see, it's easy to care for Tillandsia. However, the correct watering is very important for a flower. It is necessary to observe high humidity in the room, where there is Tillandsia. To do this, every day, the flower should be sprinkled with warm water beforehand. In the winter months, it is better to put a pot of Tillandsia in a pallet, at the bottom of which lies expanded clay or pebbles. Water is poured into the pan, but the pot with the flower is immersed in water. In summer, the earth in the flowerpot should be constantly wet, and in winter it is necessary to let the soil dry out in order to avoid decaying the roots of the plant.
Feeding room Tillandsiyu can be fertilized for orchids.
Tillandscia - reproduction
Tillandsia reproduces with the help of lateral shoots, appearing at the base of the stem of the plant. After the death of an adult plant, many "babies" are formed. When the sixth leaflet appears on the young shoots, they should be carefully separated and planted in pots with a diameter of up to 10 cm. Pots are covered with jars or caps and kept in a light room at a temperature of up to 25 ° C, regularly sprinkling and airing the seedlings. After the young plants have roots, the shelter can be removed from them. This plant blooms in a year and a half or two.
How to transplant Tillandsia?
About once every two to three years, indoor flowers of Tillandsia need a transplant. Most often, the need for it arises from the fact that the pot has become small for the grown flower, or else Tillandsia has ceased its flowering. Transplant the plant is best in the spring. In this case, you need to completely replace the soil in the pot. The new pot is better to choose wider than the previous one, but not very high, because the roots
Often beginning flower growers are interested: why does not tillandsia blossom? The plant starts to bloom at the age of three to four years. Earlier, expect flowers should not be. To stimulate flowering, scattered light, sufficient air humidity, and watering some species of Tillandsia should be in the rosette of the leaves. It should also be remembered that this exotic flower blossoms only once, after which the mother plant dies off, giving life to new offspring.