Nightshade family. Homeland tropical areas of South America. Only 10-11 species are known. These are mainly herbaceous perennials or low shrubs
The most common species is the Brovalia beautiful Browallia speciosa or sapphire flower. Plants of this species form a branched shrub up to 35 cm tall, and blooming depending on the variety with blue, lilac, blue or white bell-shaped five-petalled flowers, up to 5 cm in diameter. The leaves of the brovallia are ovoid, light green on thin stems, about 3 cm long, with slight pubescence.
Brovallia - care and cultivation
Beautiful brovallia is a perennial plant, but it is often grown as an annual, as it quickly loses its decorativeness. Therefore, it is advisable to grow it annually from seeds - it grows very quickly, begins to bloom early, and under favorable conditions, flowering is quite abundant. Take care of like petunias, planting in hanging planters or flowerpots. Brovallia is also perfect for creating a blooming balcony. With the end of flowering, the plant is usually thrown away.
However, if it is possible to place brovallia in the cold in winter (no higher than 15 ° C), then it will perfectly survive the winter with modest care: rare watering, loosening of the soil after moistening and removal of shrunken leaves. If the shoots are very exposed during the winter, in February you can cut off all the tops of the shoots from the brovallia, root them in the water and plant everything again in one pot.
Temperature: Preferably moderate or cool, preferably not higher than 25 ° C. On hot days, the leaves quickly turn yellow and dry out, few buds and flowers form, the plant stretches out. Therefore, brovallia is better suited for eastern or northwestern balconies. On the street, brovallia can be grown in 9-10 climatic zones of winter hardiness under the openwork shading of trees or shrubs.
Lighting: Bright diffused light with few direct sunlight. The west and east windows will do. On the windows of the southern orientation will need shading in the hottest hours of the day. The best shade in the rooms is a tulle curtain, on the balcony - a crown of nearby trees.
Watering: Plentiful from spring to autumn: the soil should be slightly moist all the time inside the pot and have time to dry out in the upper part of the soil. Does not tolerate complete overdoing.
Air humidity: Periodically spray on dry hot days.
Transplantation: Every year in the spring the plant is planted again, even if you do not grow brovallia from seeds, you will inevitably have to rejuvenate the plant by pruning and re-rooting the apical shoots. Young rooted cuttings are planted in soil composed of the 1 part of sod, the 1 part of humus, the 1 part of leaf earth and the 1 part of sand. You can use store soil for annuals (for example, petunia) or soil for seedlings. Brovallia prefers soils of slightly acidic reaction.
Top dressing: After planting or transplanting for months, top dressing is not required, then you can start feeding with potassium fertilizers or special ones for flowering plants (for example, deluxe fertility).
Reproduction: Seed in early spring. To do this, prepare a plate with loose peaty moistened soil, sow seeds rarely, and then place the crops in a plastic bag, and periodically ventilate. Usually the seeds germinate in 10 days. Be sure to regularly ventilate so that the seedlings do not suffocate. Once they are older, dive them into small pots (about 5-7cm in diameter). And only when the weather is warm outside, you can transplant plants into containers or pots on the balcony.