Bromeliad family. Homeland Central and South America, Antilles. There are about 250 species in nature.
- The beautiful or brilliant Vriesea splendens is an epiphytic or terrestrial plant with a broad funnel-shaped rosette of leaves, broad-linear in shape. Leaves with the edge bent upwards, pointed at the end, 50-70 cm long, dark green in color, with transverse dark stripes. Spikelet inflorescence on a long peduncle about 40-50 cm long. Bracts on the peduncle fit tightly to each other, yellow, red above. Flowering in May - July.
- The keeled Vriesea carinata is an epiphytic or terrestrial plant, considerably smaller than the previous species. A wide funnel-shaped rosette of leaves, broad-linear in shape, about 15-30 cm long. The leaves are light green in color, without stripes. Spikelet inflorescence on a thin erect or drooping peduncle. The inflorescence is wide, about 5 cm long. Bracts are not tightly adjacent to each other, red, green at the ends. Flowering in November - December.
- Sanders' Vriesea saundersii is a terrestrial plant with a wide funnel-shaped rosette of leaves, broad-linear in shape. The leaves are curved downward, pointed and bent at the end, about 30 cm long, gray, with purple spots and spots on the back. Paniculate inflorescence on a long erect peduncle about 50-60 cm long. Sepals are shorter than bracts, green-yellowish in color. Flowering in October - November.
Vryesias with gray leaves are more unpretentious - they are easier to tolerate temperature and humidity changes than species with green leaves. At the same time, they require a lighter location.
Caring for Vriesia
Temperature: Vriesia is thermophilic, prefers in summer about 22-24 ° C, in winter about 18-20 ° C, at least 16 ° C. He does not like cold drafts, a sharp drop in temperature after watering is especially dangerous. In cold, damp conditions, bromeliad roots quickly rot.
Lighting: Bright diffused light, possible with some direct sun morning or evening. It grows well on the eastern and northern windows, as well as with additional artificial lighting. If you have south windows, place the vriesia on a table or stand in the immediate vicinity of the window, a tulle curtain will be enough to protect the plant from direct sun.
Watering: In spring and summer they water quite abundantly - the earthen lump should be slightly moist all the time (but not too raw). They pour it into an outlet, but water quickly seeps into the ground. It is better to water more often, but little by little. In winter, watering is more moderate, with cool maintenance, vriesia is watered only when the upper layer of the earth dries well. At air temperatures below 18-20 ° C, water is not poured into the outlet, only the soil must be moistened, otherwise fungal infections can develop on the leaves. Water for irrigation is always used only warm, persistent.
Fertilizers: Fertilization is carried out in spring and summer. For top dressing, special fertilizers for bromeliads are used, fertilizers for orchids are also suitable (in the recommended dose). Fertilizers can be used for other flowering houseplants in a half dose. Feeding is carried out in 2-3 weeks.
Air humidity: Periodically sprayed, optimal humidity 60%. If the plant stands in a heated room in winter, then spraying does not soften the dryness of the air at all, you need to place the pot on a wide tray of water, or put an air humidifier next to it.
Transplantation: As needed into soil consisting of 3 parts of leafy earth, 1 parts of pine bark (can be replaced with finely cut wine cork), 1 parts of sphagnum moss or crushed fern rhizomes (can be replaced with coconut fibre) and 1 parts of sand. You can use a purchased soil mixture for bromeliads. The container for landing should not be too deep, it is better to use low wide plates.
Reproduction: Daughter rosettes that grow back after the mother plant has faded. By the time the children are old enough, they are transplanted into separate pots, 8-10 cm in diameter, into the substrate as for adult plants. Subsequently, transshipment to a larger pot may be required if the plant grows strongly and is unstable in a small pot.
Growing Vriesia
From the personal experience of the forum participants:
Severina: Children in vriesia grow in the middle of the mother's outlet, so no seating is possible there. Vriesia is unpretentious, mine is already the third year living in what was donated. Neither the soil nor the pot changed. Its root serves to attach to the substrate, and not to absorb nutrients, so it is very compact and a large pot is not needed. She will react positively to artificial lighting, she does not need much, but to "cold legs" - no, it is better in warmth. I pour water into the outlet when it blooms, and when it does not bloom, just in winter, when it dries - I do not top up as much as in summer. You can wash it, sprinkle it with warm water all the more.
