Indoor Aechmea flower care, propagation. Flowering - how to make echmea bloom

Aechmea is a charming indoor plant that is famous not only for its decorative leaves, but also for its amazing beautiful flowers. The dense, bright inflorescence can be compared to fireworks or an amazing star. The plant belongs to the Bromeliad family, so you can only observe flowering once in its entire life. Its homeland is the tropical part of Latin America, where plants settle on trunks large trees and driftwood. At the same time, echmea is distinguished by its relatively simple character and vitality. She won't deliver unnecessary hassle, but will attract all the attention.

Description of the plant

Aechmea is a herbaceous perennial with long leathery leaves. In nature, the length of foliage can reach two meters, but indoor plants are smaller in size. The height ranges from 30-90 cm. On average, the leaves are 20-50 cm in length. The linear or belt-shaped leaf blade has finely toothed edges and a pointed or rounded end. The leaves form a rounded rosette at the base with a funnel in the center. On the surface of the dark green foliage there is a chaotic pattern of silver stripes and spots. Most often they are located transversely.

Aechmea is an epiphyte, so it root system Designed mainly for attaching to the trunk of another tree. The flower receives its main nutrition through the leaves. During growth, in addition to the main leaf rosette, side shoots. Each shoot is capable of blooming. This usually happens after 3-4 years and ends with the death of the outlet.

During the flowering period, a large inflorescence blooms on a fleshy, dense peduncle. It may have a capitate or spicate shape. Small buds are visible among the long, bright, lanceolate-shaped bracts. One inflorescence can combine several shades of pink, purple, blue or lilac flowers. Each inflorescence pleases the owner for several months. After pollination, the fruits ripen - small, juicy berries. Inside there are small oblong seeds.

Attention! Aechmea is poisonous, so you should never eat its fruits. Since the juice causes severe skin irritation, it is necessary to wear gloves when working with the plant, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Popular types

The genus Aechmea is quite diverse, it includes several dozen species.

Belt-like leathery foliage up to 60 cm long is collected in a high, dense funnel. The edges of the leaves gradually droop. The surface of the leaf plate is painted dark green, on which there is a silver marble pattern. Hard small teeth are visible along the edges. The inflorescence on an erect peduncle is 30 cm high. It has a pyramidal or capitate shape. Among the pink glossy bracts are small bluish-red flowers.

Copper-red sword-shaped leaves of linear shape form a symmetrical rosette. The length of a fairly wide leaf does not exceed 50 cm. It has smooth edges without thorns. The inflorescence on a reddish peduncle up to 35 cm long has a racemose shape. Large bracts fused at the base are painted scarlet, and between them small flowers with lilac-blue petals are visible.

The plant consists of light green narrow linear leaves that grow together into a wide funnel. The leaf length is 40 cm and the width is 1.5 cm. The edges of the leaves are densely covered with sharp spines. The capitate inflorescence on a fleshy peduncle reaches a height of 20 cm. It consists of salmon-red triangular bracts and pink flowers.

A spreading rosette of dense, belt-shaped leaves forms a beautiful cascade. The length of the leaf is 40 cm with a width of up to 6 cm. The surface of the leaves is painted dark green with silver longitudinal stripes. The racemose inflorescences consist of coral bracts and bluish-pink flowers.

Dense, shortened leaves grow in a circle in several tiers and form a high funnel. Long brown spines are visible along their lateral edges. The base of the spike-shaped inflorescence is covered with long scarlet bracts. The top consists of small pink-yellow flowers that practically do not open.

Reproduction of echmea

Aechmea is propagated by sowing seeds or rooting children. Young plant blooms at 3-4 years of age. Children or lateral shoots with small roots of their own are separated when they reach a third or half the height of the mother plant. They are planted in separate small pots early spring. The cut areas on the baby and mother plant must be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Young seedlings quickly adapt to a new place and special care not required. Do not rush to throw away the wilted mother plant. It is capable of producing lateral shoots several times. You just need to periodically moisten the soil and plant the babies as they appear.

Seeds are sown in shallow containers with sandy-peaty soil. You can also use crushed fern rhizomes as soil. The seeds are distributed on the surface and sprinkled with a small layer of soil. The soil is moistened and covered with film. The container must be kept at a temperature of +25°C. Seedlings are ventilated daily and sprayed generously. Crops should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Shoots appear within a month; they are grown in partial shade at high humidity. After 2-3 months, young plants are planted in separate pots with soil for Bromeliads. In the first year of life, seedlings need more careful care, warm maintenance and high humidity. The next transplant is carried out in the spring.

Landing rules

To prevent the echmea rhizome from being affected by rot, it is recommended to annually replace the soil of the plant when replanting. The best time for this it is the beginning of spring. There is no need for a deep pot for superficial rhizomes, but it is desirable that the container be wide enough. The pot and the soil in it serve not so much for nutrition as for fixing the vertical position.

The plant can be grown as a bush (mother plant with children). Large dense bush has special appeal. However, at least once every 2-3 years, division and transplantation must be done.

The soil for echmea should have high breathability and easily allow water to pass through. You should also give preference to fertile soils. Special soil for planting echmea can be purchased at flower shop(soil mixture for Bromeliads) or compose it yourself from the following components:

• river sand;
• sphagnum moss;
• deciduous soil;
• leaf humus;
• peat;
• turf land.

Features of care

Caring for echmea at home requires little effort. Many note that the flower is quite suitable for lazy gardeners. It is enough to create a favorable environment and abundant flowering along with dense spreading foliage is guaranteed.

Lighting. Echmea does not tolerate direct sunlight, but loves bright, diffused light. It is also permissible to grow it in partial shade. If the room's windows face north, there may be a lack of lighting, which must be compensated for with phytolamps. Lack of light manifests itself in changes in leaf color. They become faded and less expressive.

Temperature. The plant needs seasonal changes in temperature. If in summer it feels great at +25...+28°C, then in winter the echmea is transferred to a cooler room with a temperature of +16...+18°C. A stronger cold snap is detrimental to the flower. Ekhmeya loves fresh air. Regular ventilation is necessary throughout the year, but the plant should not be placed in the path of drafts.

Humidity. Aechmeas live in tropical rain forests, so they require high air humidity. They can adapt to natural humidity indoors, but near heating devices, the leaves begin to dry out and turn yellow. To help the plant, it is regularly sprayed and also placed closer to fountains or trays with wet expanded clay.

Watering. In the warm season it is necessary frequent watering. The soil should always be slightly moist and a little water should be left in the center of the funnel. However, excessively wet soil is contraindicated. Most of During watering, water is poured into the leaf rosette, and the soil is only slightly moistened. The liquid should be thoroughly cleaned of impurities. Rainwater works great.

Fertilizer. In April-September, echmea is fed every 10-14 days with a solution mineral fertilizer for Bromeliads. Typically in this composition the concentration nutrients half as much as in a standard complex for flowering plants. The feeding is divided into two parts. One is poured into the ground, and the other into a leaf rosette.

Diseases and pests. Aechmea is resistant to plant diseases, however, if overwatered or kept in a damp room, the roots, leaf rosette or base of the peduncle rot. The first sign of the disease is wrinkled and drooping leaves, as well as brown soft spots. It is rarely possible to save a sick plant. If possible, it is necessary to separate the children, treat them with a fungicide and plant them in separate pots with disinfected soil.

Ekhmeya is one of the few indoor plants, possessing not only decorative leaves, but also magnificent flowers. Flower growers love it precisely for these qualities, despite the fact that it blooms only once. To admire a magnificent flower, you need to know and follow the rules of care at home.

Origin and appearance of the plant

The Bromeliad family can boast of brightly flowering representatives, among which Aechmea takes pride of place. It's grassy perennial is a native of Central and South America. Aechmea is an epiphyte; terrestrial species are less common. The distribution area of ​​this natural miracle is large - tropical rain and seasonal rainforests with sharp temperature fluctuations. It prefers to grow on the trunks of old trees, snags, and is found among stones and rocks. Emerging vegetative shoots take root very easily.

There are up to 300 species of Aechmea, many of which are widely used in home floriculture.

The plant has a short stem and reaches a height of 50 cm. The leaves of Aechmea distinguish it from other representatives of the bromeliads. The leaf blades are elongated and wide, hard, with a spiny edge. They are collected in a funnel that can retain moisture. There are species with soft leathery leaves. The color varies from solid green to gray-green, striped leaf blades.

The root system is underdeveloped and serves to support the echmea. It takes little part in the nutrition process.

The inflorescences are distinguished by many forms: there are spike-shaped, in the form of a head or panicle. The bracts are pointed (hence the name, translated as “spike tip”), colored pink tones. The flowers, red, blue, purple, are located in the axils of the bracts. The fruit is a berry.

Caring for echmea in apartments is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The plant adapts quite well to the indoor environment. And if some requirements are met, the ehmeya will thank you with its luxurious appearance.

Species and varietal diversity - table

Beautiful echmeas in the photo

Seasonal care conditions - table

Planting and transplanting

What is needed for planting?

Since Aechmea has a shallow root system, give preference to a shallow but wide pot with drainage holes. In volume it should be slightly larger than the volume of the root system of the plant being planted. As for materials, give preference to plastic - it is not as cold as ceramics. And for echmea, which loves warmth, this is important. To give additional stability to a rather large plant, the pot with it can be placed in beautiful flowerpot, which will also serve as a decorative element. In this case, you will need not to be lazy and remove water from the pots every time after watering.

The soil mixture can be purchased at a specialized flower store. Of course, we choose soil for bromeliads. The soil should have good air and water permeability and should also be highly loose. The best option will be a mixture prepared by yourself, including:

1 part pine bark;

1 part chopped sphagnum;

1 part coarse sand;

peat and horn shavings - to improve the structure.

To prevent the soil from becoming moldy, add pieces of charcoal.

Another option would also work well:

• 1 part peat;
• 2 parts leaf soil;
• 1 part coarse sand.

Before planting, be sure to sterilize the soil mixture by dousing it with boiling water or frying it in the oven.

It is advisable to replant echmea annually - in the spring.

Step by step process

Place a thick layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot. This prerequisite, since Aechmea does not like waterlogged soil.

Fill the top of the drainage with a layer of soil equal to almost half the volume of the pot.

Having collected the echmea leaves in a bunch at the very base, carefully remove the flower from the old pot.

Place the flower in a new container and add the remaining soil.

We transfer the pot to a slightly shaded place. To quickly adapt the roots of the echmea, we do not water it for 2-3 days.

Care

Irrigation features - table

Top dressing

In order for the echmea to fully develop, it needs nutrition. Feeding begins in March and stops in October. You can use fertilizers for bromeliads or for ornamental flowering plants, which are diluted with water 2 times more than normal. Select formulations that do not contain copper and boron - they are toxic to echmea.

Fertilizing is applied immediately after watering by foliar application. It can be used to spray foliage and also pour the solution into an outlet. Fertilizers are applied twice a month.

Some gardeners continue to feed echmea during the dormant period, but at this time the frequency of fertilization is reduced to 1 time every 1.5 months.

Flowering period

Flowering of echmea can be observed from May to October. The plant blooms once, after which it begins to slowly fade away. But during this period children appear.

A plant grown from seeds blooms after 4 years, rooted children - after 3 years.

The flowering process lasts several months. Moreover, the flowers fade very quickly, but the bract lasts for several months. In order not to shorten the flowering period, when watering the plant, try not to wet the bract. After the peduncle dries, it is cut almost to the very base with sharp pruning shears. Be sure to remove the water from the outlet, otherwise a rotting process will begin that will destroy the plant.

If the echmea is capricious and does not want to bloom, you can help it. To do this, you need to remember your chemistry lessons. Citrus fruits and apple fruits produce a gas called ethylene, which stimulates the formation of flowers. Place the plant pot in a large plastic bag and put 2-3 apples or oranges in it. Tie it, but not too tightly. The experiment should last no more than 2 weeks. After this, the echmea should bloom within 4 months. And one more important aspect: the suitable temperature for the stimulating effect of ethylene should be at +22 °C.

Rest period

Ekhmeya is resting in winter period. At this time, the future peduncle is formed. The temperature should be between 17 and 19°C and not fall below 16. Watering is very careful. In winter, spraying will be useful for echmea, but make sure that water does not get into the leaf rosette.

Common errors and ways to eliminate them - table

Diseases and pests

Improper care weakens the plant, which promotes the development of fungal or viral diseases. In addition, the echmea needs to be regularly inspected in order to detect pests in time and take action.

Ways to combat diseases and insect pests - table

Leaf spot is a common disease among indoor plants.

Reproduction of echmea at home

Aechmea can be propagated in two ways: by sowing seeds and planting daughter shoots.

Daughter shoots

This is the easiest and most effective way. Faded echmea begins to actively form daughter shoots. Don't rush to plant them. The baby must grow up, its height must be half the size of the mother plant or at least more than 15 cm, and it must also acquire its own root system. Then the breeding process, which is carried out in March, will take place without difficulty.

1. We carefully remove the mother plant with the children from the pot.
2. Using a sharp knife, we separate the lateral shoots along with the roots. Sprinkle the cut area with crushed activated carbon and dry it.
3. Prepare containers with a diameter of 7–9 cm and fill them with a mixture of 2 parts leaf soil, 1 part peat and 1 part coarse sand.
4. We plant the baby and cover it with a transparent bag to create a greenhouse effect.
5. Place the pots in a bright and warm place.
6. After rooting, we transfer the young echmea to a little bigger pot and we care for it like an adult plant.

If for some reason you separated a baby without roots, it has little chance of taking root. But you can try to root it in the bark, creating conditions like for the other shoots.

How to transplant Aechmea babies - video

Seeds

This is a less popular and more labor-intensive method. Plants grown from seeds may lose varietal characteristics.

1. The planting container is filled with peat or sphagnum moss, finely crushed.
2. The seeds are planted shallowly in the soil.
3. Cover the top with a bag or piece of glass.
4. Place the container in a place protected from direct sunlight, regularly moisten the soil mixture and ventilate the greenhouse.
5. The temperature should not fall below +22…+24 °C.
6. After 3 months, the emerging seedlings are planted using leaf and heather soil, mixing them in equal quantities. Seedlings are kept at a temperature of +20...+22 °C, not forgetting to moisten the soil and spray the plants.
7. After a year, the grown plants are transplanted into soil mixture for adult flowers.

Several years ago, the plant gained immense popularity, because thanks to its unusual looking, ehmeya always looks very decorative and original. All its species grow well indoors and tolerate dry air and bright lighting perfectly.

Aechmea grows well both in living rooms, and in many offices - it does not require any special conditions. So even the most inexperienced owners of home “greenhouses” can cope with this plant.

This genus belongs to the bromeliad family and includes 170 species. The plant is found in the central and southern parts America.

In its natural environment, it prefers brightly lit places with a dry climate. Both epiphytic and terrestrial species grow. The vegetative shoots that appear take root easily.

Types of echmea

Description: The leaves are belt-shaped and pointed at the end. Small spines are visible along the edges. Variegated or uniform color of the leaves is dark green, leathery to the touch, extending from the center of a well-defined rosette. There are hard and soft leaves. In the middle of the rosette, a straight thick peduncle sprouts, with an inflorescence head at the end. The stems are short. Flowers and inflorescences, found different shapes and colors, it all depends on the type of echmea. The fruit is in the form of a berry. Each time after flowering, the rosette dies.

Lighting: Echmea loves the sun and feels great on windowsills facing south. However, if the rays of the sun are too bright, you should move the flower to a more secluded place - a shelf near the window is quite suitable for this purpose. If it is not possible to provide your pet with such a secluded corner, try to cover the window with a transparent curtain - this is enough. Aechmea also grows well in semi-shade, optimal windows with access to the southeast or southwest.

After purchase, or at the beginning of summer, when there are few direct rays of the sun, the plant is gradually accustomed to bright lighting, taken to the balcony. The flower constantly needs an influx of fresh air; ventilate the room regularly.

Temperature: Make sure that the air temperature does not fall below 18°C. If you do not follow this rule, the plant will die. In the summer, you can take the pot to the balcony or outside. The optimal summer temperature is 20-27 °C. Fresh air will perfectly strengthen and nourish it useful substances. Contents in low temperatures has a beneficial effect on the growth of peduncles.

It tolerates temperature changes up to 16 °C at night. Depending on the species, the flower needs moderate humidity, or it prefers a dry climate.

Watering: But here there is a little trick. First you need to pour some water inside the rosette of leaves and only after that you can start watering the soil. Do not save water - Aechmea loves moist soil, especially in the hot season. By the way, constantly pay attention to the funnels of the leaves - in the warm season there should always be water there. IN cold period time, or immediately after flowering, moisture should be removed from the rosettes, otherwise the echmea will begin to rot and quickly die. And make sure that the water for irrigation is well settled and slightly lukewarm.

Humidity: In summer it thrives in dry and warm air. In winter, you will have to systematically spray the leaves, especially if the heating is on in the room. If you do not have the opportunity to carry out this procedure every day, place the container with echmea in a bowl with fine gravel and pour water into it. Although Aechmea can easily tolerate dry indoor conditions, it prefers a humid climate.

Soil and replanting: The plant must be replanted once a year; rosettes that have faded once are removed.

The soil for echmea must be special: 2 parts turf land, 2 parts leaf soil, 1 part sand, 1 part humus. You can add a little moss or charcoal to the soil - Aechmea likes this kind of soil.

Fertilizer: Approximately once a month it needs fertilizing. Try to mix fertilizers with water for irrigation, but just don’t give the whole portion - half is enough. And don’t even think about adding fertilizer to the rosettes of leaves (as some inexperienced gardeners advise) - such a procedure can destroy your pet.

For quick flowering, place the plant under a transparent plastic bag, or a mini greenhouse along with several ripe apples. When apples rot, ethylene gas is released, which encourages bromeliads to bloom. After 3-4 months, the echmea will bloom.

Reproduction: The plant is propagated in two ways: seeds and suckers. The latter is simpler and more effective.

Offshoots: In March, young offshoots, due to the appearance of a sufficient number of leaves, easily form roots. The offspring are separated from the mother plant. The cut area is sprinkled with charcoal to prevent rotting.

The soil consists of leaf (2 parts), peat (1 part), sand (1 part). Another option for preparing the substrate: in equal proportions leaf soil, humus, sphagnum (moss), with the addition of a little sand and household shards.

Seeds: For seed propagation used as soil loose soil based on peat or sphagnum. After sowing, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 24-25 degrees and constant high air humidity. To do this, the container is placed in a mini greenhouse. Water generously. But exposure to direct sunlight is unacceptable.

After 3 months they will appear, the seedlings are planted in separate containers, using soil from leaf and heather soil, taken in equal proportions.

Young shoots are kept at a temperature of 20-22 degrees C high humidity air, not forgetting regular spraying.

A year later, the grown plants are transplanted into a pot using a substrate for adult plants and appropriate care.

Flowering: It all depends on the type of echmea and lasts from May to the end of August. For example, Weilbach, Luddeman, bract, curved, Chantina bloom from April to May. Ordanda, striped, bare-stemmed - flowering period is summer months. There are varieties that bloom in winter: shaggy, sky blue. From the beginning of sowing to the moment of flowering, at least 1.5 years pass. The inflorescence consists of bracts and small flowers. IN natural conditions, the plant blooms only at 4-5 years of life, but it is possible to artificially achieve flowering, but for a weak young flower this procedure is not advisable.

The catalyst for flowering is ethylene gas coming from ripe apples and citrus fruits. It is enough to place several fruits nearby and cover loosely with transparent film for 2 weeks. After 3 months, the echmea will bloom.

Another way to stimulate peduncle growth is to place a small piece of calcium carbide in a funnel. When interacting with water in the funnel, the same gas is released. As for any epiphyte, for example an orchid, flowering is quite stressful and the weak epiphyte dies after flowering.

Sometimes, with strong daily temperature changes, such stress occurs and the echmea blooms.

Precautions: Aechmea leaves are slightly poisonous and have needles on the surface. When juice gets on the skin, itching and inflammation appear. Be careful if there are small children or animals in the house, limit access to the flower.

Aechmea is a member of the Bromiliaceae family; these plants grow mainly in Central and South America. Unlike other bromilia plants, Aechmea is not very demanding. In the wild, it is accustomed to surviving in places with pronounced fluctuations in daily temperatures, and is capable of growing even in dry microclimates, although, of course, a humid tropical one is preferable. All this makes it easier to care for echmea and makes it one of the most popular exotic plants.

Echmea: appearance features

The plant is a rosette of dense, leathery leaves. elongated shape, depending on the type, their length can vary from 20 to 50 cm. The leaves are solid green or variegated, with jagged edges (spines). A powerful peduncle with a large and spectacular inflorescence grows from the middle of the rosette. The shape of the inflorescence and the color of the petals can be different, ranging from milky white to purple.

Aechmea can be grown both in the living room and in greenhouses, winter gardens. Most Popular the following types plants:

• Aechmea Curved- red inflorescences;
• Ekhmeya Shaggy- inflorescences of rich yellow color are beautifully set off by red bracts;
• Ehmeya Weilbach- delicate petals look impressive blue color with a lilac tint framed by bright red leaves-bracts;
• Aechmea Striped- the petals are blue, over time they acquire a red tint; the long and wide leaves of silver-green color with a marble pattern give the plant a special attractiveness.

Planting echmea

Growing echmea is a very exciting activity. Most often, gardeners purchase a small plant in a pot, but given that it dies after flowering, it would be wise to try to propagate it. Reproduction occurs in two ways: sowing seeds and rooting offspring. For indoor floriculture The second method is more suitable.

It is best to separate the offspring from the mother plant in March; it is necessary that the plants have a sufficient number of leaves, otherwise they will not take root. After separating the rosette, be sure to sprinkle the cut area with charcoal powder, otherwise rot may form. For planting, prepare a wide but moderately deep container. The substrate can be purchased at a flower shop. A mixture designed specifically for growing bromilia plants is often commercially available. If such soil is not found, then you can prepare it yourself using the following components:

• leaf soil - 2 parts,
• fibrous peat substrate - 2 parts,
• medium-grained sand – 1 part.

Aechmea prefers loose soils, so crushed tree bark or small fragments of ceramics can be added to the composition. Be sure to put drainage made of expanded clay, pieces of foam plastic or river pebbles at the bottom.

The sap of the plant is poisonous and can cause skin burns, so it is recommended to use gloves when handling the flower. The leaves of the striped echmea are the most poisonous.

Features of caring for echmea

Exotic echmea - caring for it is not difficult, but requires certain knowledge. Only upon creation optimal microclimate the plant will delight you with bright flowers.

Lighting

The flower prefers intense, but slightly diffused lighting; it should be shaded from direct sunlight, especially at midday. To do this, you can use special flaps, light tulle or gauze. But it is best to place the echmea on the windowsill of a window facing east so that it can enjoy the gentle rays of the morning sun. If the plant has been in the shade for a long time, then it should be gradually accustomed to bright and prolonged lighting.

Air temperature and humidity

When growing echmea, it is necessary to create conditions as close as possible to a tropical climate. In summer, it is advisable to maintain the air temperature in the range from +21 °C to +26.5 °C. A nighttime drop in temperature of several degrees (+16–18 °C) has a beneficial effect. For the winter, it is necessary to place the flower in a cool room, this stimulates the formation of a peduncle for the next year. During this period, it is enough to maintain the temperature at +14.5–18 °C.

Echmea prefers fresh air, so the room is ventilated regularly, but without allowing drafts. IN summer period she will feel good on the balcony or on the open terrace.

When growing echmea at home, you need to carefully monitor air humidity. Optimal level humidity is 60%, so it is necessary to spray the plant often, especially in winter, when heating devices dry the air. To make your work easier, you can place a wide container of water on the windowsill; as the moisture evaporates, it will humidify the air around the flowers.

Watering and fertilizing

The tropical plant loves moisture, so the substrate should not be allowed to dry out. To always keep the soil slightly moist, it is recommended to spray it with a spray bottle. In spring and summer, water is poured into the outlet; this cannot be done in winter, otherwise the plant may rot. Water for irrigation is taken soft, free of chlorine, and preferably melt or rain.

Fertilizing is an integral part of caring for echmea. Fertilizing is carried out only during the phase active growth(from March to September). Use better mineral compounds, developed specifically for bromeliad plants. This fertilizer can be found in the “Absolute”, “Flower Happiness”, “Bona Forte” line. The frequency of fertilizing is every 15 days. If there is no special fertilizer for bromilia plants on sale, then you can use a universal composition for flowering species, but reduce the dosage by 2 times.

Diseases and pests of Aechmea

When growing echmea, you may find that its leaves have begun to take on an ugly brown color. This is the first symptom that the plant is beginning to rot or is suffering from cold. It is necessary to change the conditions of maintenance, if necessary, replace the substrate and clean the roots from rot.

Pests rarely appear on the flower and, most often, these are scale insects or aphids. They can be easily destroyed using modern chemicals(insecticides).

How to stimulate flowering of echmea?

Many gardeners complain that even with good care for echmea, it refuses to bloom. There is a very strange one, but effective way stimulate flowering. Citrus fruits and apples emit a special substance (gas) that stimulates the formation of flower stalks in bromiliaceous plants. Therefore, you need to take a large plastic bag, put a pot of echmea in it, and put several ripe and fragrant apples around it. Tie the bag on top, but loosely. Aechmea should be kept together with apples for 10–15 days, after which the usual conditions of detention should be returned. After a few months, the plant will definitely produce a peduncle.

If after the procedure the plant still does not bloom, you should probably reconsider the conditions of its maintenance. Most often, echmea refuses to bloom due to lack of sunlight or when the room temperature is too hot, especially when it is dormant.

Video on how to care for echmea

Aechmea reproduces by side shoots - by children, when they already have their roots, and the main stem almost begins to die. But when planning to plant young plants, do not rush to remove the adult, mother plant, it can still produce new offspring.

There can be several “children”, so planting material enough and this is not surprising, because Aechmea plants are distinguished by qualitative and quantitative reproduction.

But first, the baby needs to be raised without separating it from the main stem, while continuing to care for the echmea. We replant the shoot only after its size is half the size of an adult plant.

Carefully separate the baby echmea with roots from the adult plant, and treat the cut area with charcoal. The cut should be smooth, so you will need it for this procedure sharp knife. Let's cook flower pot 6-8 cm in diameter with leafy, peat soil and a drainage layer (sand) in a ratio of 2:2:1.

If there are no roots or you accidentally cut them off, then the plant has little chance of taking root, but if the young children are leafy enough, you can try. We disinfect the cut areas with charcoal powder and dry them. Then we plant it in a narrow pot for stability with a drainage hole. It is advisable to cover it with a bag, creating a warm and light content.

Subsequently, it will be possible to transfer it to another container according to the size of the roots. Since the root system of echmea grows wider than deep, the pot should therefore not be deep.

Aechmea children take root easily after transplantation, do not require much care, and in the spring they easily form roots. A young plant should not be over-watered, especially at low air temperatures. It must be remembered that transplanting offspring must be carried out with gloves; aechmea is partially poisonous and can cause irritation to the skin.

How to propagate echmea by seeds.

Aechmea reproduces by a generative (sexual) method - by seeds, extremely rarely, as a rule, in the month of March, when the plant has flowered and produced seed. We plant seeds in peat soil, after 2.5-3.5 months, seedlings appear, which we pick and plant. The temperature should be 22°-24°C, constant air humidity, watering and ventilation.

The disadvantage of the seed method of growing echmea is late flowering, after 4-5 years, and when propagated by offspring - by children for 1-3 years.