A common plant from the bromeliad family, guzmania, the care and replanting of which is sometimes accompanied by problems, loves special soil. In nature, this flower grows under the canopy of trees. Many gardeners strive to create optimal conditions to grow a strong plant. After all, it is believed that guzmania brings longevity to the house and relieves depression.
Flower growers use a ready-made soil mixture for bromeliad crops. Guzmania transplantation at home is carried out in nutritious soil, which you can do with your own hands. To do this, take crushed pine bark, leaf soil and medium-grained sand in a ratio of 1:3:1. Sphagnum moss, peat, humus, charcoal and pine needles are also added to the soil.
Thanks to such components, a loose nutrient medium is obtained. The components are thoroughly mixed and disinfected in the oven. The plant has a small root system that grows close to the surface. Based on this, you need to choose shallow, medium-sized pots with drainage holes.
Instructions:
- A drainage layer (expanded clay, foam plastic) is placed in the pot.
- The soil mixture is poured and an elevation is made on it.
- The plant is placed on a hill and its roots are straightened.
- The earth is gradually filled up, but not compacted.
- The pot is placed on a tray with expanded clay moistened with water and sent to a warm room.
The plant prefers a place away from direct sunlight. It takes root well on a windowsill on the east or west side.
The germination of seeds is quickly lost, so fresh material is collected for sowing. It must be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. A mixture of peat and sand is poured into the container. Then the seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil and covered with a lid. This greenhouse is placed in a well-lit place.
The optimal temperature for successful seed germination is +22-+26 degrees. The substrate is periodically sprayed and ventilated. And after two months, the seedlings need to be planted in separate containers. A six-month-old guzmania is transplanted into a permanent pot.
Guzmania reproduces not only by seeds, but also by lateral rosettes. Before its leaves become pale and lose color, you need to know in advance how to transplant guzmania. She has several children.
The plant blooms only once, and after that it gradually dries out. But side shoots manage to grow on it, which become independent plants. They are cut off when they reach the size of approximately two-thirds of the mother flower. By that time, their root system has grown.
It is better to plant side rosettes in spring. They are planted in small pots with a diameter of up to 10 cm. Covered with plastic bags and placed in a warm place. The cover is removed at the time when new leaves grow on the seedlings. At proper care young plants bloom in the third year after planting.
With the onset of summer, the flower is taken out into the fresh air, but protected from the sun, drafts and precipitation. The room in which the plant is located is regularly ventilated.
Guzmania loves humidified air, so make sure that there is damp moss or expanded clay in the tray. The plant is sprayed on hot days up to three times a day. Place saucers of water next to the pot and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
The dormant period lasts from October to February. At this time, the flower is watered less often and not sprayed. Caring for guzmania at home is based on maintaining day length, air humidity and moderate watering. The flower must be illuminated for at least nine hours, so in winter it is illuminated with a phytolamp.
Irrigation features:
- The plant is watered every day in the morning summer time and once a week - in winter.
- Water is used filtered or settled for 24 hours.
- Excess moisture is drained, otherwise the socket will rot.
- Plants grown on a support are removed and immersed in a basin of settled water, then returned to their original place.
The plant needs feeding during the active growing season in summer and spring once every three weeks. It is advisable to use special nutrient mixtures for bromeliad crops. Universal fertilizers are used, but their concentration is reduced by three times. They water the plant through the outlet.
Problem solving:
Care at home (transplanting into the ground and watering), if done incorrectly, causes the death of the flower or its weakening. If the leaves become covered with gray spots, they are treated with fungicides. The scale insects are collected by hand and the flower is sprayed with insecticides. The leaf blades are wiped with a cotton swab dipped in a soap solution to protect against spider mites and mealybugs.
Guzmania is exotic plant the bromeliad family, whose homeland is considered rainforests India, South America. The genus includes about 130 species, differing in the bright color of the flowers, the shape of the leaves and the size of the inflorescence. Under natural conditions, this flower can grow on mountain slopes, in dense wooded areas, or even on trees. Flower growers most often grow a popular domestic species called Guzmania Minor.
Characteristics and description of the plant
Guzmania is an ornamental indoor plant with a height of about 20-30 cm. Its leaves fit tightly to each other, forming a cup-shaped rosette at the base. It accumulates the water necessary for the growth of the flower. The color of the leaves is dark green, almost always monochromatic. Sometimes there are specimens with variegated colors and striped leaves. Root system weak, serves only to attach to the ground.
Guzmania blooms for a long time - at least three months. Its bright inflorescences in the form of a lush plume are red, pink, orange, and may have shades of crimson or yellow. After flowering is complete, the mother shoot dies, leaving 5-6 babies in the pot. Before seating them, you need to learn some rules. Although this flower is considered unpretentious, it has enough nuances of watering and replanting.
Advice! Before buying this flower in a store, you should study the conditions for caring for it. It is advisable to immediately after purchase transplant it into another pot, create suitable conditions for temperature and watering.
Differences between popular varieties
Experienced gardeners and beginners most often grow only a few of the most popular species of this tropical plant. There are many hybrids with colorful inflorescences, and all of them can decorate any office space or apartment interior.
The most popular varieties of Guzmania are:
- Donnell-Smith . It has bright yellow inflorescences, green leaves with pale scales. It blooms in early April, producing a bright red erect peduncle in the form of a pyramid. Can easily propagate by seeds equipped with a long tuft.
- Minor rondo reed . It has a short stem and a weak root system. The leaves are dark green and sometimes striped. The rosette of dense scales looks like a bowl in which excess water from irrigation accumulates. The stipules are usually red or orange and the flowers have white petals.
- Mosaic . It is distinguished by decorative striped leaves collected in a spreading rosette. The peduncle consists of wide petals of bright pink color. During flowering, the plant produces an inflorescence with white-yellow flowers.
- Single-haired . It has many greenish-yellow leaves, collected in a dense rosette. The inflorescence looks like a long spike with white flowers, pink or brown veins on the petals.
- Nicaraguan . The leaves of this plant are pointed, tongue-shaped, covered below with small light scales. The inflorescence is deeply immersed in a rosette and is bright red or red-brown color. The flowers are small, short, with a yellow-orange tint.
Caring for Guzmania at home
The flower can be bought in a store or grown from baby shoots. If the required watering and lighting conditions are met, it will delight its owners for a long time with a beautiful inflorescence and the bright shine of leaves and petals. Not too many recommendations.
- The tropical plant is quite thermophilic. The minimum temperature should not be lower than 10-15 degrees.
- The flower likes moderate humidity, from 50 to 80%. The leaves should be regularly sprayed with warm, settled water, and sometimes wiped from dust.
- The pot should be placed in a slightly shaded place, the room should be ventilated without drafts.
- The soil should be well-drained and slightly acidic. It is good to add crushed roots of sphagnum, fern, charcoal, and a handful of clay and sand to purchased peat.
- It is recommended to water the soil with rain or filtered water. room temperature.
- To feed an adult shoot, use a weak solution of stimulating fertilizers, wiping the leaves with a napkin after each treatment.
If you follow these simple rules, the plant will be healthy and strong. Guzmania with proper care looks like this:
Advice! If a plant does not bloom for a long time, it means it does not have enough light. The pot should be moved to a brighter place, providing it with moderate watering and protection from drafts.
Watering and lighting requirements
When watering a plant, you must follow a number of important rules, otherwise it will grow poorly and will not even bloom for a long time. You don’t need to be too zealous, otherwise the thin roots will quickly rot in stagnant water.
Here are a few nuances:
- Water is poured not into the pot or tray itself, but into the rosette of leaves. After a few minutes, the residues that have not been absorbed into the ground must be carefully drained.
- The hotter the room, the more often you need to water the soil. In summer, watering is carried out daily or every other day, in winter it is enough 2 times a week.
- The soil should dry out a little before the next watering; water should not stagnate in the outlet.
- It is advisable to leave the water for about 2 days at room temperature.
- Once a week, the leaves should be wiped with a napkin to remove dust or possible pests.
There are also certain requirements for lighting. The pot should be kept in partial shade, on the western or eastern side. It is better not to place a flower on the windowsill. Sunlight through glass can cause leaf tips to dry out. The temperature in the room in winter should be about 18 degrees, in summer 20-25 degrees is enough. The optimal place for placement is a kitchen or a warm living room.
Advice! When spraying leaves, do not place the pot in bright light. The sun's rays hitting the water droplets will cause burns, which will lead to the appearance of dark spots.
Transplantation and reproduction by children
Guzmania at correct transplantation will grow without problems for at least 2-3 years. This one has unpretentious plant very weak root system, so it is replanted only in two cases:
- when purchasing a small plastic container;
- for propagation by dividing the bush.
The transplant process is simple:
- drainage is poured into the bottom of a small pot with a diameter of about 15 centimeters;
- prepare a soil mixture of peat, soil, crushed charcoal, sphagnum roots and sand;
- the plant removed from the container is carefully placed in a pot and covered with earth on the sides;
- The soil is slightly compacted from above with your finger and watered.
If reproduction occurs by shoots, it forms children even during flowering. Over the course of 2-3 months, the root system of the shoots gradually grows, which slowly grow into small bushes around the mother flower. When the sprouts reach 10-15 centimeters, the main shoot with faded petals dries out and dies. If there is a need to separate the children, this must be done very carefully.
Advice! If the babies do not yet have their own roots, it is too early to separate them from the mother’s appendix. First they must grow a root system, otherwise they will not take root and will die.
Common mistakes when growing
Most often, mistakes when growing and replanting are made by beginners who bought guzmania for the first time or received it as a gift. Many unpleasant consequences can be avoided if you study the problems in advance and correct incorrect watering or care actions.
Here are the main errors and ways to solve them:
- The plant does not bloom. This means that it lacks watering, light and heat. You need to place the pot in a more illuminated place, providing the required humidity and temperature.
- The flower began to rot. The main reason for this is overflow and stagnation of water in the outlet and tray. Watering, especially in winter, should be reduced.
- Guzmania is dying. If the temperature in the room stays below 12-13 degrees for some time, this can lead to the death of the shoot.
- The flower faded quickly. If, during spraying during flowering, droplets of water fall on the inflorescences, this leads to faster flowering.
- The stem does not grow in height for a long time. The reason is the watering conditions. The water must be free of lime and chlorine and must be at room temperature or lukewarm. It is advisable to defend it.
- Children are not accepted. This means that their root system is not formed, the maternal shoot is removed early.
Advice! If the tips of the leaves dry out, more frequent spraying is necessary. You should move the plant away from the radiator and purchase an air humidifier for a room that is too dry.
Guzmania – beautiful flower, which is of tropical origin. At the same time, caring for it is easy; the plant blooms beautifully and reproduces at home. In order for guzmania to please the eye for a long time, you need to know its natural habitat and choose the right soil, maintain optimal air temperature and lighting, and water it in a special way.
Description of the flower
Guzmania is the Russian version of the name of the plant, derived from the transliteration of the scientific “guzmania”. In the original, the flower is called guzmania, because it was first discovered and described by the Spanish flora and fauna researcher Anastasio Guzman in 1802. There are over 200 species of this evergreen herbaceous plant. At home, the reed Guzmania Minor Rondo is most often grown.
Guzmania belongs to the same family as pineapples - bromeliads. In nature, it is widespread in Brazil, Venezuela, Central America, East India and South Florida. Interestingly, the flower grows both independently on mountain slopes, in forests, and on other plants. It is an epiphyte, meaning it uses trees for anchorage, but does not feed on them.
Guzmania leaves are lanceolate, have a length from 20 to 70 cm and a width of 3-4 cm. They come in a variety of colors: plain green, with a red rim or striped. They are collected in a goblet-shaped rosette, which in the wild is designed to collect food and drink - rainwater, small insects, dust, and the remains of other plants. The flower has a poorly developed root system; its roots are short and small and are more needed for anchoring in the area than for nutrition. Thanks to this, the guzmania can even move a few centimeters to get more light or moisture.
Flowering and reproduction
The guzmania flower is very beautiful; not only amateurs, but also collectors are interested in the plant. Spectacular appearance gives a bract, which is sometimes mistaken for an inflorescence. Bright red, it is located strictly in the center of the rosette and rushes several tens of centimeters into the air. Less common are yellow, orange, purple and other varieties. But real guzmania flowers are inconspicuous. That is why nature awarded the plant with a bright bract - so that it would attract more bees.
Guzmania blooms only once - mainly in the spring. In this case, the flower lasts for 15-17 weeks, or even longer. Then the peduncle begins to gradually die off. In the end it is cut out as deep as possible. After flowering, babies appear between the leaves of the guzmania, on average 3-4 pieces. After they are sufficiently saturated, the mother plant dies - its mission is completed.
It is believed that a flower always dies after reproduction. This is wrong. With intensive care, it can live for several years and even give birth again. Such cases do occur, although rarely.
How to care for Guzmania?
The flower is considered not too whimsical, perfect for the office and for growing at home. The main thing is to remember simple rules for care, maintain optimal humidity and temperature. Let's look at all the features point by point.
Watering
Perhaps the most difficult question for fans indoor flowers. You can equally often find recommendations to pour water directly into the ground, spray it on leaves, or fill a socket. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Different conditions require different tactics.
- In the cold season, at a temperature of 18 degrees and below, the plant is watered by spraying or given a bath by lowering the pot into water for 15-20 minutes. You can moisten the soil, but rarely and only after the lump of earth has completely dried. Leaving water in the outlet at cold temperatures is extremely dangerous - the plant will rot.
- IN warm time, especially in hot weather and drought, guzmania is sprayed daily. The outlet is filled as needed; there should always be water in it.
Transplantation, favorite soil
Adult guzmania does not require transplantation. At the very least, it is not recommended to do this more often than once every 2 years. It requires a small pot, since the roots are small and poorly developed. Optimal size–7cm*7cm. There must be a drain hole at the bottom of the pot so that excess moisture flows out freely.
Orchid soil mixture is perfect for soil. As an alternative, you can mix crumbly turf soil, peat soil, leaf soil, humus soil in equal proportions, add sand, charcoal and pieces of bark.
A small pot makes such a weighty plant unstable. To avoid falling and damaging your pet, you can use a flower pot - a decorative vase. For example, from ceramics or other heavy material.
Reproduction
Guzmania babies should be planted no earlier than they have formed a rosette and small roots have grown. It is recommended to wait until they reach 3/4 of the mother's size. When this happens, the entire plant should be carefully dug up and the shoots separated with a scalpel. The cut area is treated with charcoal or Kornevin. Then the children are immediately rooted in the prepared soil. They should not be kept in water - they may rot. Maximum - if there are a small number of roots, they are placed above water for several days.
Top dressing
The need for additional nutrition appears mainly during the flowering period of Guzmania. After the peduncle is released, it is fed every 10-15 days. It is allowed to use fertilizers for flowering indoor plants, as well as universal fertilizers marked “for bromeliads”. In this case, dilute the product 4 times more than indicated in the instructions and pour it directly into the outlet.
Humidity, temperature, lighting
Guzmania likes it to be warm and humid. The optimal temperature for growth and development is 23-27 degrees. The higher it is, the higher the air humidity should be. For this purpose, the plant should be frequently sprayed and placed next to containers of water. IN winter time guzmania can tolerate a temperature drop of up to 15 degrees, but then the air must be drier. Cold weather increases the risk of rot and disease.
The plant is light-loving, so it is better to place the flower pot on the window. To prevent Guzmania from getting its leaves burned from direct sunlight, the light should be made slightly diffused. For example, stick an openwork sticker on the glass or choose the east or west side of the house to install the pot.
From a bioenergetics point of view, guzmania has a positive effect on vitality. Grown at home, it will become a protector of sleep and mood stability. The flower perfectly purifies the air, soothes, and promotes positive thinking. And admiring the bright peduncle awakens creativity and gives an influx of energy. By the way, in its homeland, guzmania is considered a plant for men. It symbolizes male longevity, strength and nobility.
Diseases and pests
Weakened or drying guzmania requires special attention. Here is a list of diseases that she suffers from most often:
- Root rot. Appears from improper watering, excess moisture in the soil. In this case, the plant is cleared of the clod of earth and inspected for rotten parts. Then all rot is removed, the affected areas are treated with a fungicide, or diluted potassium permanganate, or peroxide, and the cut is sprinkled with crushed coal. At the final stage, the dried guzmania is placed in new soil.
- Drying of the lower leaves and leaf tips. Clear symptom insufficient watering. To solve the problem, dry areas are removed, and the guzmania itself is soaked in moisture in a small bath for 20 minutes.
- Fading of leaves or peduncle- this is a sign of either a lack of light or natural wilting. If the peduncle is younger than 12 weeks, the plant is placed closer to the window; if older, it is cut off.
- Pale brown spots on leaves. Indicates an ultraviolet burn. Guzmania needs to create a little shade and spray the leaves more often.
- Attack by scale insects, mealybugs, aphids, spider mites. If these pests are detected, the flower is treated with a soap solution or insecticide. You need to suspect an infection when the leaves curl, ulcers, roughness, or other defects appear on them.
Why doesn't Guzmania bloom?
A fairly popular question that worries every second, or even first, owner of a flower. This is not surprising, because gusmania grows very slowly - within 3-5 years. Sometimes it seems that time has frozen around her, she lives so leisurely. You need to get used to this and learn to wait if the flower is still young.
But there are other reasons why guzmania does not bloom:
- flower diseases;
- low illumination;
- lack of moisture;
- soil poor in nutrients;
- excessive dry air;
- lack of heat.
In other words, flowering does not occur due to insufficiently comfortable conditions. It is necessary to reconsider the features of care, and perhaps simply move the plant to another place or room. Finally, the last reason why guzmania does not bloom is its old age. Some unscrupulous sellers may sell new gardeners a plant that has already bloomed once. A long lifespan is indicated by a loose rosette and possibly trimmed lower leaves.
How to stimulate flowering?
Of course, the most proven and safest way to make guzmania bloom is to follow the rules of care. To check the temperature and humidity, you should use a hygrometer and thermometer, because the assessment “by eye” is often erroneous. If the conditions for the plant are ideal, but there is still no flower, you can try original ways stimulation.
Here are the recipes experienced flower growers share:
- Larisa, 33 years old: “I have had several generations of guzmanias. If some baby doesn’t bloom for a long time, I take a large transparent plastic bag, put 3 small ripe apples (maybe a little rotten) in it, wrap the pot and tie it tightly for several hours. After about 2 weeks of manipulation, the growth point begins to turn pink. That’s what the seller advised me, it seems like apples emit a substance called ethylene, which guzmania needs to bloom.”
- Vitaly: “I can advise you to transplant the flower into another pot, completely changing the soil. After this, you need to spray the leaves with Epin. Personally, this helped my guzmania; before that it had not bloomed for 6 years.”
- Maria, 47 years old: “I heard that this bromeliad needs 2 months of cool weather, +7–10 degrees, to bloom. But I didn’t take that risk, and simply took the guzmania out onto the balcony in early April. At the end of May, she brought it back, and lo and behold, on the 5th day she threw out the peduncle.”
- Vera Stepanovna: “I have vriesia, echmea and gusmania in my flower garden. They bloom only in summer, when the temperature remains stable at 25 degrees. If the room is cooler, try using a greenhouse or placing the pot in an aquarium.”
In conclusion, Guzmania at home looks like a real island of exoticism. Despite the specific nuances of care that need to be learned, it is easy to maintain. Once you have chosen the right place for it (warm, light and moist), care can be limited to filling the outlet with water as it dries.
Guzmania is an evergreen tropical representative of epiphytic plants, which came to Europe from the forests of America. The decorative appearance of bracts in the form of cones, which retain their beauty for a long period of time, has become the reason for the wide popularity of the plant among gardeners. However, caring for Guzmania at home requires certain knowledge, which is worth gaining before the tropical crop appears in your home.
A plant belonging to the bromeliad family, being a representative of tropical flora, has its own requirements that must be taken into account when growing at home:
- a large amount of diffused light;
- regularity of watering and high air humidity;
- moderation temperature regime;
- Seating of children after the death of the maternal rosette.
Types and varieties of flowers
In the natural environment, the genus includes more than 30 species, some of which are cultivated as potted crops.
Among the most popular are:
- Guzmania reed is the most common species in indoor floriculture, capable of growing on rocky soil and represented by rosette plants. In the center of the leaf rosette, a corolla is formed, consisting of bright bracts of leaves that frame a spike-shaped, inconspicuous inflorescence. Popular varieties: Guzmania Minor Rondo with lemon and red bracts, modestly colored Guzmania with light orange bracts with bright tips.
- Guzmania blood-red is a plant with glass-shaped rosettes consisting of wide leaves and bright red bracts formed around corymbose inflorescences. A common form is Guzmania short-legged with pointed buds in the form of a helmet and Guzmania bloody.
- Guzmania Donnell-Smith is a species with a loose rosette, which is formed by green leaf plates covered with light-colored scales. The pyramidal inflorescence is slightly covered with intense red bracts.
- Guzmania Tempo is a species distinguished by the golden-green color of its leaf blades, forming a spreading rosette. The bracts are colored in a typical red color.
- Guzmania mosaic - the long leaves of this species are collected in a rosette, from the center of which a low peduncle develops, crowned with a simple capitate inflorescence with pointed pink elliptical bracts.
Home care
For successful cultivation guzmania in an apartment environment, it is necessary to provide the plant with conditions close to natural.
Lighting and location
Since the natural habitat of the plant is tropical forests, the flower needs abundant but diffused lighting. The optimal solution to place a flower, it will be installed on an eastern or western windows with protection from direct sunlight.
Temperature
During the flowering phase, guzmania needs to maintain the temperature at 25°C. However, after its completion, the plant feels comfortable at 20-22°C. The maximum permissible temperature values are 27°C and 13°C, setting temperatures above and below which, respectively, can cause the death of the flower.
Watering
Guzmania should be watered with warm, filtered water that does not contain chlorine, directly into the leaf outlet. When installing an irrigation system, you need to know that the earthen ball should not dry out, constantly remaining slightly moist.
Air humidity
A representative of bromeliads needs daily spraying, which should also be carried out with warm, purified water. In the autumn-winter period, it is necessary to spray the crop exclusively in the morning.
Carefully! Spraying water onto the bracts can significantly shorten the flowering time.
Top dressing
During the active growing season, Guzmania is fed monthly using the foliar method. Special complexes for bromeliads are used as fertilizers, from which boron and copper should be excluded.
Transplanting guzmania - how to do it correctly?
Only once during the entire life cycle of a plant may there be a need for replanting - after purchasing it from a shipping container to a permanent pot.
When transplanting:
- Due to the shallow root system of the plant, a weighted pot of small diameter (10-12 cm) is selected.
- A drainage layer is placed at the bottom.
- From the old container, the guzmania is transferred along with the old substrate into a permanent pot.
- The free space is filled with a light soil mixture of sand, humus, turf soil and peat in a ratio of 1:2:2:4.
Advice! If there is no possibility or desire to independently prepare the soil mixture with the necessary parameters, then you can purchase a ready-made substrate for orchids or ferns at a flower shop.
Guzmania after flowering - nuances of care
Annual Guzmania is conventionally considered perennial plant, since it usually takes three years before flowering. But after flowering, which lasts several months, the crop dies. The only thing that can be done is to obtain new specimens using lateral processes that will form after the death of the mother rosette.
Protection from diseases and pests
In case of violation of the regulations on the content of a tropical representative, guzmania can be affected by a number of harmful organisms:
- Among the pests at low humidity levels on crops, there are: spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects, if detected, the plant should be sprayed with a working solution of an insecticidal preparation according to the instructions indicated on the package.
- In case of excess moisture in the soil and air, powdery mildew and gray mold develop on Guzmania, which should be treated immediately after the first signs are identified. Delay in timely treatment may result in the death of the flower.
Indoor flower propagation
Guzmania reproduces by lateral shoots (babies) and seeds.
Children
At the end of the flowering phase, which is observed in the spring-summer period, the mother specimen dies. Lateral shoots form around them, which gradually develop their own roots.
When the root system of the lateral shoots reaches a length of 1.5 cm, the following steps are taken:
- The shoot is separated with a sharp, disinfected knife.
- The cut areas are treated with crushed charcoal (charcoal or activated).
- The baby is placed in a pot with an air- and water-permeable substrate for orchids.
- The container is covered with a plastic bag to create greenhouse conditions and moved to a warm, bright place.
- After the new specimen has grown stronger, the guzmania flower is transplanted by transferring it into a permanent pot.
Attention! The root system of each shoot is formed at a different rate, so the planting process can take quite a long time.
Seeds
To breed Guzmania, you can resort to the seed method, which is more labor-intensive and does not always end in success.
With generative reception:
- At the flower shop, seed material of the desired type and variety is purchased.
- The shifts are immersed in a prepared solution of potassium permanganate, where they are kept for about 20 minutes to destroy pathogens and other harmful microorganisms.
- At this time, a loose and light substrate is prepared from peat and sand in equal parts, which is calcined in the oven and placed in a box for seedlings.
- Disinfected seeds are distributed over the surface of the moistened substrate.
- The box is covered with glass and moved to a bright place where the temperature is kept at 25°C.
- After 20 days, the first shoots appear, which peak after the formation of two pairs of true leaves.
- The plant is transplanted into a permanent pot after it has become well established.
What problems may flower growers encounter?
If a florist studies the basic rules for caring for guzmania before purchasing a flower, he will be able to avoid most problems. However, due to the tropical nature of the plant, the likelihood that difficulties may still arise is quite high.
Among the main problem situations are:
- Lack of flowers - the problem is often associated with a violation general rules by plant content, including lack of lighting, poor soil, insufficient air humidity. To correct the situation, it is necessary to review the care and identify non-compliance with the requirements, as well as stimulate the flower by placing an apple and a banana next to the pot. To prevent the released ethylene gas from evaporating, it is recommended to place the pot along with the fruit under a plastic bag.
- Wilting of leaves - a situation observed when water gets into the rosette, rot develops, or if the flower is infested with pests. Normalizing the irrigation system and chemically treating the plant can easily cope with this difficulty.
- Slow growth - poor soil composition and lack of lighting are the main inhibitory factors affecting the development of Guzmania.
Thus, if you approach the process of growing guzmania correctly and initially study all the features and nuances of care, the rosette flower will become an exquisite decoration for any interior with minimal expenditure of the grower’s free time.