Billbergia drooping home care. Billbergia - growing and care at home, photos of species. How to grow bilbergia

Growth:

Billbergia drooping is an epiphytic plant of the Bromeliad family native to South America. It grows on tree branches in the rainforests of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.

ON THE PICTURE: Bilbergia drooping has small roots, which it uses mainly for fastening on a tree, and receives nutrients and moisture through the leaves.

Plant description:

Size and type of plant:

Billbergia drooping is one of the most popular plants of the Bromeliad family. The leaves of the plant are collected in vertical rosettes. Plant height can reach 45-60 cm.

ON THE PICTURE: The popular name "Tears of Queens" Billbergia drooping received because of the drops of nectar that appear on the flowers if you touch them.

Leaves:

From five to eight narrow hard xiphoid leaves are collected in a tubular rosette. The upper half of the leaf blade is bent outwards. The length of the leaves is 25–35 cm, the width is about 1 cm. They are painted in olive green, but in the bright sun they can acquire a reddish tint.

flowers:

Flowers 2 cm long, drooping, petals pink with blue edges, bracts 5–8 cm long, pink. The flowers last no more than one or two weeks.

ON THE PICTURE: Billbergia drooping begins to bloom when it reaches maturity, which usually occurs after 2-3 years. Billbergia drooping does not have a specific flowering season; it can bloom at any time of the year.

Agricultural technology:

Billbergia drooping is often grown as an ornamental plant. With enough heat, it grows all year round, without a dormant period.

ON THE PICTURE:Billbergia drooping is the easiest species to care for in the Bromeliad family, which easily adapts to indoor conditions.

Temperature:

This species grows well at room temperature. Some varieties can tolerate quite low temperatures - up to about + 7 ° C.

In summer, the plant can be kept outdoors at a temperature of + 18–27 ° C.

Lighting:

Sunlight is essential for regular flowering and vibrant leaf color. In summer, the plant needs bright, but indirect light, direct sun can kill flowers. When grown outdoors, Billbergia drooping should be slightly shaded.

Watering:

Watering throughout the year should be moderate. When watering, you need to ensure that the soil mixture is completely saturated with moisture. Before the next watering, the top layer of soil should dry out by 1 cm. In addition, rain or soft water should always be in the center of the rosette of leaves. Once a month, the socket must be emptied of old water by turning the pot with the plant upside down, and then pour fresh water into the socket. It is necessary to ensure that the base of the plant is not wet, this can lead to root rot.

Humidity:

Air humidity should be moderate, to increase humidity it is useful to periodically spray the plant. In autumn, winter and early spring, Billbergia drooping should be sprayed every few days and watered carefully to keep the soil slightly moist.

Fertilizer:

In summer, Billbergia should be fed regularly, about once every two weeks, with a standard liquid fertilizer. Moreover, it is necessary to apply not only root, but also foliar top dressing, spraying the leaves and pouring fertilizer into the recess in the center of the outlet. The rest of the time, feeding is reduced to once a month.

Substrate:

Billbergia drooping is the least demanding on the substrate compared to other members of the family, it grows well both in standard soil for Bromeliads, and in a mixture of equal parts of garden soil and leaf humus, as well as in a mixture of one part of garden soil and two parts of perlite or tree bark. Good drainage is required. This plant does not have a very developed root system, so the pot should be relatively small.

A pot with a diameter of 13 cm can fit several rosettes, but a single specimen with a tall tubular rosette looks better.

It is preferable to use heavy clay pots, plastic ones can tip over. Young Billbergia, if necessary, are transplanted each spring into a pot one size larger. The plant needs to be divided every few years.

Diseases and pests:

Billbergia drooping is not affected by pests.

If an adult plant does not bloom , the reason may be in insufficient lighting.

To solve the problem you need to rearrange the pot in a brighter place. You can also add a pinch of magnesium sulfate to water or fertilizer to stimulate flowering.

brown leaf tips are the result of dry air.

Although Billbergias are more tolerant of dry air than other Bromeliads, periodic spraying will benefit the plant.

Reproduction:

This plant propagates by offspring, but they need to be separated after they reach a length of 10–15 cm and take on the characteristic features of the mother plant. Very small offspring rarely take root. The offspring are planted shallowly in small pots filled with soil for Bromeliads, trying to save all the roots, if they already exist, and put in a moderately bright place.

Sometimes it is necessary to use a thin stake for support until the young plant develops enough roots to stand on its own.

The potting mix should be slightly damp, allowing the top layer to dry 2–5 cm between waterings. Rooting usually occurs within eight weeks, after which the young Billbergia is cared for as an adult plant.

1. Growing temperature: summer - 18 - 27 ° C, autumn and winter - 16 - 24 ° C.

2. Lighting: well-lit place with shading from direct sunlight.

3. Watering and humidity: in spring and summer, watering should be plentiful and regular, in the winter months the frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the temperature of the content, air humidity should be increased in warm months.

4. pruning: mostly sanitary - remove old yellowed leaves to maintain an attractive appearance.

5. Priming: should have an acidic pH, a loose, porous and nutritious substrate will do.

6. top dressing: in warm months we feed every 2 weeks with mineral fertilizers.

7. reproduction: daughter plants, which sometimes appear around the parent plant, by sowing seeds in the spring.

Botanical name: billbergia.

Family. Bromeliads.

Billbergia plant - origin. Argentina, Brazil.

Description.Billbergia is one of the easiest epiphytic plants to grow. It has a small root system, which is used mainly for the plant on tree trunks, the plant absorbs water and nutrients through the leaves. The leaves are hard, leathery, dark green, up to 38 cm long, collected in a rosette. Often the edges of the leaf plate have denticles. As the leaves grow gracefully curve in all directions, the plant acquires a very elegant appearance. Only mature plants bloom in spring. The flowers are of a wide variety of shades - from pink and purple, to yellow or greenish, surrounded by bright pink bracts.

Height. 60 - 80 cm.

2. Care for bilbergia at home

2.1.When it blooms

Most plants bloom without additional stimulation in late March or early April. Flowering lasts 6 - 8 weeks. For the first time, plants bloom at the age of 2 - 3 years.

2.2.Soil for bilbergia

A mixture for orchids with the addition of perlite and pine bark is suitable.

2.3. Reproduction

After flowering, side shoots at least 15 cm high can be separated and placed in a new pot, where they will take root within a few weeks. Seeds.

2.4.How to care

Billbergia are unpretentious houseplants, but they also require some knowledge. The plant can be additionally stimulated to bloom with magnesium sulfate added to water or fertilizer. You can put a ripe apple in a pot and keep the plant under a plastic bag for a week or two. At the same time, gas is formed inside, which induces bilbergia to bloom. Try to take Billbergia outside during the warm season, taking care of shelter from wind and rain.

2.5. Watering billbergia

Billbergia gets most of its moisture from the air and directly from the leaves and flowers. During the summer months, the leaves, flowers and roots should be watered daily. During the dormant period, water moderately enough. In summer, softened water at room temperature can be placed in the center of the outlet.

2.6. How to transplant

Young plants are transplanted every year. Never repot a plant during flowering.

2.7 Growing temperature

This plant is demanding on the temperature of the content. Temperature conditions should change depending on the time of year. In summer, 18 - 27º C is optimal. In autumn, winter and during the cool spring months, the plant needs 16 - 24º C. During cold winters, it tolerates 4º C, but prolonged exposure to low temperatures will affect flowering next year.

2.8 Lighting

Bright, reflected light. When kept outdoors in the warm season, place the plant in partial shade. Leaves can get sunburned if exposed to direct sunlight.

2.9. Top dressing

2 times a month in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half the dosage. In the autumn - winter period - monthly. Use fertilizer sprays as the plants absorb nutrients through their leaves.

2.10 Spraying

Moderate. The browning tips of the leaves indicate dry air. Spray the plant from time to time.

2.11.Billbergia pests and diseases

How to make bilbergia bloom? If the bilbergia does not bloom - perhaps the lack of light affects - move it to a brighter room. The leaves turn red when exposed to direct sunlight. With insufficient air humidity, the tips of the leaves dry out and turn brown.

Of the harmful insects, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scale insects, and aphids can pose a certain danger.

Insects - pests

insect name	Signs of infection	Control measures
or felt	The surface of the leaves and shoots is covered with a fluffy cotton-like white bloom. Plants lag behind in development	Folk remedies: spraying with soapy-alcohol solution. Infusion of tobacco, garlic, cyclamen tubers, alcohol treatments, and pharmacy tincture of calendula performed well. Chemicals: green soap solution, Aktellik, Fitoverm.
	Inconspicuous cobwebs on the leaves, yellowing and falling of foliage with extensive damage. The surface of the leaf plates becomes dead and covered with small cracks. Plant development slows down.	Folk ways. Plants can be washed in the shower and left in the bathroom in a humid atmosphere for half an hour. Irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp every week for 2 minutes. Chemicals based on pyrethrum, sulfur powders, Fitoverm, Aktellik.
	Sticky droplets appear on the leaf blades, leaf blades curl and deform, tender buds and young leaves wither. On the tops of the shoots, buds or the underside of the leaf plates, insect colonies can be seen. The flowers of an aphid-infested plant may become misshapen.	Folk ways: nettle infusion, decoction of rhubarb leaves, wormwood, soap solution, tobacco and dandelion infusion, onion, marigold, yarrow, tansy, dusting with wood ash. Chemicals: Sulfur powders, treatment with green potassium soap of green mass without getting into the ground, Decis, Aktellik, Fitoverm.
	The appearance of yellow spots on the leaf plates, small brown dots can be observed on the underside of the leaves. When spreading, pests cause the leaves to turn yellow, dry and fall off.	Folk ways. Increase the humidity of the air, wipe the surface of the leaves with soapy water to reduce the number of pests. Preparations based on pyrethrum - 2-fold treatment with an interval of 7-10 days, spraying with tobacco infusion, infusion of yarrow or Persian chamomile, decoction of cyclamen tubers. Chemicals: dusting with sulfur powders, the use of anabasin - sulfate in a soapy solution.
Shield and false shield	Sticky droplets on the leaves, yellow small spots on the surface of the leaf blades. With a large spread of scale insects, they contribute to the drying and falling of leaves. Flowers slow down	Folk methods of struggle. Spraying with soapy-alcohol solution. Scale insect larvae do not like garlic infusion, they also use pyrethrum-based products. Chemicals. Fitoverm, Aktellik, Fufanon.

Latin name: Billbergia

Homeland: South and Central America

Brief information about bilbergia - the queen of flowers

The genus Bilbergia belongs to the Bromeliad family, about sixty species of epiphytic herbaceous plants are united in this genus.

The native places of distribution and growth of bilbergia are considered to be the subtropics of Central and South America. And the plant got its wonderful name thanks to the Swede Gustav Bilberg (botanist, lawyer, zoologist) in 1821.

Billbergia with tough, tubular to accumulate moisture, spiny long leaves along the edges, which are collected in rosettes, with exotic and extravagant inflorescences of scarlet or pink color, are leaders in home floriculture. The unpretentiousness of this flower further raises its rating among amateur flower growers.

Popular types of bilbergia

The most popular types of bilbergia are described below.

Bilbergia drooping (Bilbergia nutans)

One of the most common varieties in growing at home by flower growers - amateurs is recognized as drooping billbergia, which has another name "Queen's Tears". A stemless epiphyte plant reaches a height of forty centimeters. Green narrow ribbon-like leaves with thorns along the edges reach up to sixty centimeters in length. A characteristic feature is the change in color of the leaves depending on the illumination. In the dark - dark green, in the light the leaves acquire a pinkish-bronze hue. The leaves form a funnel-shaped rosette from which a drooping peduncle appears up to eighty centimeters long. The unusual and originality of this variety lies in the beautiful drooping, weeping inflorescences. And they form yellow-green flowers, the petals of which with a bluish border, descend from under the bright pink bracts. The plant blooms in winter.

Bilbergia magnifica (Bilbergia magnifica)

This epiphytic flower is native to Southeast Brazil. Narrow, dense and rigid, up to seventy centimeters long leaves form an elongated rare rosette. Light transverse stripes on the upper side of the bluish-green leaves significantly distinguish this type of bilbergia from others. A considerable thirty-centimeter peduncle is decorated with a fleshy drooping inflorescence with blue spiral petals in bright pink bracts. The plant blooms in summer. As a result, berries appear.

Bilbergia pyramidal (Bilbergia pyramidalis)

The tropical and subtropical territory of Brazil, the Antilles and Venezuela is home to the billbergia pyramidalis.

The leaves, which do not differ from representatives of other species, form an elongated funnel-shaped rosette. Densely covered with light felt, the pyramidal inflorescence is tightly framed by leaves pointing upwards. During the flowering period, from late spring to the peak of summer, the leaves acquire a pink tint. Flowers of a plant with bright red tongue-shaped petals and a bluish tint at the ends.

Bilbergia green (Bilbergia viridiflora)

Southern Mexico is the birthplace of this large epiphytic flower with a dense rosette. Billbergia green likes to settle down at the foot of the mountains, in forests near rivers. With the onset of spring, the plant blooms. Green five-centimeter petals adorn the peduncle, framed by dark green jagged, scaly leaves.

These types of bilbergia are welcome residents in winter gardens and other residential areas, because they are less demanding to care for than other bromeliads, for example, vriesia .

Billbergia home care

Indoor bilbergia is beautiful and unique, especially when it blooms, throwing out a peduncle with a catchy inflorescence. Billbergia is considered the most loyal (from the bromeliad family), hardy, friendly and adaptable to any conditions. And in order for the plant to be comfortable, you need to familiarize yourself with some secrets for caring for it.

Temperature regime

It is advisable to avoid sudden temperature changes. It will feel comfortable at a temperature of 18-20˚С, it can put up with a short-term decrease to 13˚С, under such conditions the plants will bloom faster. It must be remembered that constant cold will lead to diseases. Summer temperature limit is 20-25˚С.

Lighting

Intense diffused light is favorable for the plant. In summer, if possible, flowers should be taken outside to recharge with fresh air, protected from rain and bright sunlight.

Humidity and watering

The optimum humidity is at least 65%, spraying with soft water, it is necessary to water the plant moderately in winter, and keep the soil moist in summer.

The soil

Well-drained light fertile soil should consist of sand, peat and leafy humus. A mixture of peat and coarse sand is suitable.

Fertilizer

We feed in the spring-summer period, with soluble fertilizers in half a dose with an interval of 15 days.

Billbergia reproduction and transplant

Children can be propagated in spring or summer, when they reach half of its height. Separating the baby from the bush, we dry it for two days, and then plant it in the soil, periodically spraying it.

As the plant grows, the flowerpot becomes small for it. A transplant into a large container is required - we produce in the spring, but if necessary.

Pests and diseases of billbergia

Typical pests of bilbergia:

mealybug,
scab,
spider mite.

To prevent the appearance of insects on the leaves on both sides and prevent their yellowing, you need to systematically inspect the pet. When unexpected guests appear, it is urgent to take pest control measures, as diseases spread very quickly throughout the plant. To begin with, we wipe the leaves with soapy water, and then we carry out the treatment with insecticides.

Billbergia drooping is a member of the large Bromeliad family. These are epiphytic plants growing in the countries of South and Central America. Several varieties were brought to Europe about 300 years ago, and since then the cultivation of Bromeliads has become a hobby of the wealthy segments of the population. Nowadays, bilbergia drooping can be increasingly found in the home collections of Russians, but it has not yet earned great popularity among amateur flower growers. Many of them fear that an attempt to grow an exotic crop will be unsuccessful, although in practice the cultivation of billbergia will not cause any special problems.

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Botanical description

Billbergia drooping is the most unpretentious species of the entire numerous genus. She received her second name "Tears of the Queen" due to drops of nectar flowing from yellow or purple flowers. The flowers of the plant bloom on beautifully curved stems and, together with large pink or crimson bracts, look very impressive. The formation of peduncles occurs only in the 2-3rd year of life, but this amazing sight is worth it to show a little patience.

Billbergia drooping has an elongated rosette, and the leaves arch with age and create a kind of green fountain. An adult specimen can reach 40-60 cm in height and 70 cm in diameter. But the root system does not have a large size, since the plant receives the bulk of the life-giving moisture with the help of leaf reservoirs.

Conditions for normal growth and flowering

Billbergia drooping is able to withstand a wide range of temperatures without losing its attractiveness. Optimal for her is the content at an air temperature of +18 to +27 ° C. Long-term cooling down to +12°С and below will be detrimental to the "tears of the queen". However, a slight decrease in temperature in winter to + 17 + 18 ° C stimulates the plant to bloom.

Representatives of the Bromeliad family do not need bright lighting, as they naturally grow in the shade of tropical trees. When growing bilbergia, it is necessary to be guided by the principle "the thicker and stiffer the leaves, the closer to the light you need to put the pot." For this species, places near the east or west window are perfect. But even in the depths of the room, the plant will feel good if it is illuminated with fluorescent lamps.

In the spring and summer, bilbergia can be taken out into the fresh air: put on a balcony, loggia or installed in the garden, protected from scorching sunlight, rainfall and strong gusts of wind. She is not afraid of drafts or daily temperature changes.

Caring for bilbergia at home has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account when growing.

Watering and humidity

In the natural environment, bromeliads absorb water using special cups located in a rosette at the base of the leaves. Therefore, when caring for them, you need to practice top watering. In this case, it is worth using filtered or at least boiled soft water, since the drooping billbergia is very sensitive to the increased content of mineral salts in hard tap water. In addition, such water leaves unsightly white or yellowish stains, provokes growth retardation and darkening of the tips of the leaves, and this significantly spoils the appearance of the plant.

An exotic flower can do without introducing moisture under the root at a low temperature (up to + 20 ° C), otherwise stagnant water in the outlet can be harmful. Watering the soil must be careful to prevent waterlogging, otherwise acidification of the soil will lead to disease and even death of the flower. Billbergia should be watered after the top layer of the substrate in the pot dries out by 2 cm. In winter, when the temperature in the room is below + 20 ° C, watering should be reduced and spraying should be abandoned. But if the apartment is comfortable warm (+ 24 ° C), the regularity of watering and spraying should not be adjusted.

Billbergia drooping better than other Bromeliads tolerates dry indoor air, but abundant spraying is necessary for it, especially on hot days. But during flowering, it is not recommended to humidify the air around the plant with a spray bottle, as drops of water can harm elegant flowers, provoke the formation of dark spots or rotting of the flower arrow.

top dressing

Universal fertilizers are not suitable as a mineral composition for bilbergia: they are characterized by a high content of nitrogen, and an excess of this substance can destroy the southern plant. It is advisable to fertilize it with a special fertilizer for Bromeliads ("Clean Leaf", "Absolute").

In extreme cases, you can use preparations for feeding orchids, diluted by half of the recommended dose. The flower needs additional nutrition all year round, so top dressing is applied 2 times a month from March to October, and 1 time per month from November to February.

Landing and transplant

Ordinary soil for a flower is not very suitable, so it is best to use ready-made store soil designed for growing Bromeliads. When compiling it, the needs of the plant in a light and breathable substrate are taken into account. But if there are no such products in the store, you can make the soil mixture yourself from improvised components:

2 parts of leaf land;
1 part coarse sand;
1 part peat;
1 part of humus;
1 part chopped moss.

Young Billbergia need to be transplanted annually in the spring. For this, the plant does not require deep pots, since its root system does not grow in depth, but in breadth. Therefore, for the next transplant, you need to take a container 2-3 cm larger in diameter, and leave the height of the pot the same. Adult specimens over 3-5 years old can not be disturbed by an annual transplant, but only transshipped as needed.

Hydroponic lovers will be interested to know that Billbergia drooping is perfect for this growing method.

reproduction

Billbergia reproduces by dividing the bush and lateral processes. The first way is the easiest:

At the next transplant, carefully divide the mother plant into several parts so that they contain at least 2-3 rosettes with roots.
Plant each part in a separate pot and care as described above.

You can not violate the integrity of an adult bush, and in the spring to separate the basal offspring, which has reached 15-20 cm in height:

Sprinkle the cut with crushed charcoal and dry for several hours in the open air.
Plant the stalk in the soil for Bromeliads with the addition of broken red perlite brick, long-staple peat, fine expanded clay.
For better rooting, use soil heating so that its temperature does not fall below + 25 ° C. The air temperature should also be at the same level.
Cover the cutting with a plastic bag or any transparent cap made from improvised materials so that its walls do not touch the leaves, otherwise water drops will flow down them and cause the planted shoot to rot.
Set the potty with the baby in a warm place with bright diffused light or organize artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps so that the total daylight hours are at least 10-12 hours.
Moisten the soil as needed, avoiding stagnant water and overdrying of the earth.
Remove the transparent cover daily for 10-15 minutes to ventilate.

If rooting is successful, then after 4-5 weeks, young light green leaves will appear in the center of the outlet. Then you can remove the bag and install the pot in a permanent place.

How to stimulate flowering?

Often you can find complaints that bilbergia does not bloom. Of course, a tropical plant looks great even without drooping peduncles, but any owner wants to see spectacular buds on their flower. In order for the flower of friendship to bloom, you should not disturb it with frequent transplants and allow it to grow in a large pot.

move the bush to a more lit place;
in the summer, keep outdoors in partial shade;
in the warm season, spray with soft water;
buy Epsom salt at the pharmacy (aka Epsom salt, aka bitter salt, aka magnesium sulfate, aka magnesia) and add a pinch to the water for bottom irrigation.

You can try to apply another option: put the core of several ripe apples next to an adult bush, which is at least 3 years old, cover with a plastic bag and leave for several weeks. The apples will release ethylene, which will cause the billbergia to drop its flower stalks.

Billbergia drooping - a godsend for the grower. Despite its tropical origin, it is not difficult for her to provide an optimal climate at home. An elegant plant will look equally impressive on a separate stand, and in a hanging basket, and in a composition with other indoor plants. This variety is able to live for more than 10 years without losing its attractiveness and annually delighting with unusual "weeping" flowers.

Billbergia (Billbergia) is an epiphytic plant (mainly), consisting of long tubular leaves collected in a rosette. The plant belongs to the Bromeliad family. In the natural environment, it lives from Mexico to southern Brazil, grows in regions with a pronounced dry season and sharp temperature changes.

The leaf blades are leathery, hard, narrowly linear or oblong-triangular, the apex is pointed, on both sides the leaves are covered with small scales. They can be plain green or variegated. The height of the plant is 40-60 cm. Lateral shoots are actively formed, due to which the bush becomes lush, consisting of many individual leaf rosettes.

The first flowering occurs at about the age of 3 years. Usually flowering occurs in early summer, but with proper care it can begin in April. The flowers are bright, folded into a tube or arranged in a spiral. They touchingly hang in paniculate inflorescences. They are effectively emphasized by large bracts, also painted in a bright color. After flowering, a fruit is formed in the form of a berry. The leaf rosette dies off after a while, and a new one appears in its place - it will bloom next season. Several rosettes can bloom at the same time. Old rosettes should be cut 1-2 months after flowering.

Billbergia is a very beautiful plant that can effectively decorate a large hall, a winter garden; miniature species are best suited for indoor cultivation. Planting in open ground during the warm season is possible.

How to care for room bilbergia

Air temperature humidity and lighting

Compared to other plants, bilbergia is less whimsical in care. It perceives the dryness of the air more easily, is able to withstand air temperatures of + 2-3 ° C, small drafts will not destroy it, but you still should not abuse it. It grows well in greenhouses, terrariums.

Lighting must be bright, diffused. On the southern windows at noon, shade from direct sunlight - just cover the window with translucent paper. When placed on a north window, it may not bloom. The best place would be the windows of the western and eastern directions.

For the whole summer, you can place it outdoors, protecting it from direct sunlight or rainfall.

The optimum air temperature in the summer season is in the range of 20-28 °C. By autumn, lower to 18 ° C. During the dormant period (October-February), the air temperature of about 15-17 °С is desirable for forms with green leaves, 17-18 °С for variegated plants. Cool wintering stimulates flowering.

Watering and spraying

In the summer, regularly moisten the substrate, avoid waterlogging. You can use bottom irrigation or pour water into leaf funnels, but the air temperature must be above 20 ° C, and the water must not stagnate. Prolonged stagnation of water in combination with low air temperature leads to decay or even death of the plant.

With the epiphytic method of growing (placement on a bromeliad tree), once every 10 days, the plant should be removed from the support and immersed in settled water for saturation. Allow excess water to drain, then return the bilbergia to its place.

In autumn and winter, at air temperatures below 20 ° C, water sparingly, allowing the topsoil to dry out. If the air temperature is above 20 ° C, you can occasionally pour a small amount of warm water into the leaf funnel.

Billbergia is able to tolerate dry air, but it is better to keep the humidity high. Spray a couple of times a day, periodically place on a pallet with wet expanded clay, moss, pebbles. It is better not to spray during the flowering period - drops of water falling on the inflorescences may remain stained.

top dressing

In the period every 2 weeks, apply special fertilizer intended for Bromeliads or fertilizers for decorative flowering houseplants in half concentration. Avoid excess nitrogen.

Transfer

Flowering species must be replanted annually after flowering, the rest - as needed.

Good for hydroponics. It is best grown in a special substrate for bromeliads. There will be a suitable soil mixture: mix in equal proportions sod, leaf, humus soil, peat, add a little sand. You can mix chopped moss, leafy soil, peat, sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1.

Use a wide but not deep pot. After planting, it is necessary to water moderately for 2-3 weeks and postpone fertilization.

Why bilbergia does not bloom at home

How to make bilbergia bloom? If you propagated bilbergia, but young plants stubbornly do not bloom, then one or more care errors have been made:

Plants do not have enough light, they need to be illuminated or placed on sunny windows with diffused light.
When transplanting, the pot is incorrectly selected, it is too spacious. You will have to wait until the plant grows, it will become crowded, and this will provoke flowering.
Insufficient watering. The plant has little moisture. In summer, you need to water frequently and plentifully, fill sockets with water.
The plant lacks nutrients. It is necessary to feed in a timely manner with complex fertilizers for bromeliads.
Billbergia blooms in spring, but after a properly organized wintering: with a decrease in air temperature to 18 ° C and a reduction in watering. If the plant has been warm all winter, it will not bloom.

Growing billbergia from seeds

Seed and vegetative propagation is possible.

It is better to sow immediately after harvest.
Pre-wash them with a slightly pink solution of manganese, dry them.
Sow in boxes with peat-sand mixture or crushed sphagnum.
Cover the crops with a film, place in a shaded place, ensure the air temperature is at the level of 21-25 ° C.
Maintain humidity in the greenhouse, do not forget to ventilate.
Seedlings should be expected for 1-1.5 months.

Do not remove the shelter immediately, accustom to dry air gradually.
When 2-3 leaves are formed, they should be planted in separate containers and looked after as adult plants. The first feeding can be carried out 2 weeks after transplantation.

Propagation of bilbergia by lateral processes

During breeding, carry out lateral processes (kids).

Larger delenki take root best of all. Hold them in a growth stimulator for a day (Kornevin, heteroauxin).
For rooting, use the substrate: 1 part foliage and humus soil, 2 parts sand. It can be rooted in a mixture of coarse sand (it must first be washed and calcined), long-fiber peat, perlite, fine expanded clay and gravel.

Reproduction by leaf cuttings

Can be propagated by leaf lengths of at least 20 cm.

Root them in adult soil with coarse sand added.
Cover the cutting with a plastic cap, jar, bag.
Maintain the air temperature at 22-26 ° C, use the bottom heating.
Lighting should be bright, but without direct sunlight.
Maintain constant soil moisture: do not overdry or overmoisten, ventilate the greenhouse.
Roots will appear in about a month.

Pests, diseases, mistakes in care

Billbergia has good immunity, diseases and pests are not often affected.

Shchitovka, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites can occasionally appear on the plant. They settle on both sides of the leaf plate, suck out the juice, which is why the leaves turn yellow, the growth rate slows down. Dampen a cotton pad or sponge with soapy water and wipe the leaves. Treat with insecticide if necessary.

Aphids leave secretions on which sooty fungus may appear - remove the affected parts of the plant, treat with a fungicide.

Deficiencies in care contribute to the deterioration of the appearance of the plant:

Brown spots appear on the leaves from sunburn.
If watered with hard water or the water in the funnels stagnates, the tips of the leaves will turn brown.
From a lack of lighting, the leaves will lose their elasticity and will grow slowly.
From waterlogging, rotting of the plant can begin, often leading to death. An emergency transplant may help.

The death of the outlet (rotting, drying) after flowering is a natural process.

Types of bilbergia with photos and names

Billbergia pyramidalis Billbergia pyramidalis

Ground plant. An elongated funnel-shaped basal rosette consists of a small number of leaves. They are broadly linear, the tops are pointed, the length is 60-80 cm, the width is 5-6 cm, they are painted bright green, the bracts have a dark red color. Flowering begins in mid-spring and lasts until mid-summer. Funnel-shaped corollas are collected in pyramidal brushes. The stamens are yellow, the petals are fiery red.

Billbergia magnifica Billbergia magnifica

Bright epiphyte. The leaf rosette is rare, consists of linear leaves with a pointed top, the edges are covered with thorns. The length of the sheet is about 70 cm, the width is 6-8 cm. They are painted in a bluish-green color with transverse stripes on the outside. Blooms all summer. Loose inflorescence, drooping, consists of large oval-shaped buds, the petals can twist in a spiral, anthers and the top of the corolla have a bluish tint, the rest is pink.

Billbergia drooping, drooping or queen's tears Billbergia nutans

Numerous narrow leaves form a dense leaf rosette, the plant is epiphytic. The leaf plates are extended by 60-70 cm, their width is only 1-2 cm. The edges are covered with thorns. The leaves are mostly green, but in intense light they turn a reddish, bronze hue. Rosaceous leaves are pink. Peduncle drooping. Blooms all winter.

Billbergia green Billbergia viridiflora

Epiphytic bilbergia. Linear leaves with pointed ends and serrated edges form a very dense rosette. The length of the leaf is 60-70 cm, width - 5-6 cm. The leaves are bright green, the flowers are also painted green. Flowering lasts all spring and summer.

Billbergia zebra Billbergia zebrina

Under the influence of bright light, the leaf plates become purple-bronze with transverse silver stripes. The bracts and flowering stem are bright pink in color, the corollas are collected in loose racemose inflorescences. Blooms in June-July.

Billbergia tape Billbergia vittata photo

A pink flower-bearing stem with bright pink bracts is decorated with corollas of a dark blue hue.

Billbergia Saundersii Billbergia Saundersii

The plant is about 30 cm high. The upper part of the leaf plates has a green-bronze color, the bottom is brown-red, there may be specks, yellow-pink stripes.

The benefits of bilbergia, signs and superstitions about the flower

Billbergia leaves exude volatile substances that have a phytoncidal effect: they purify the air of harmful microorganisms.

The energy of the plant is able to absorb negativity, create an atmosphere of coziness, comfort. Billbergia is recommended to grow restless people, as well as those who forget important information. The aura of the plant contributes to the development of logic, liveliness of thinking, stimulates the search for new knowledge. Billbergia according to Feng Shui is a symbol of vital wisdom, spirituality.