All lovers of exotic plants will be interested in our article. It will discuss the room culture of Guzmania Minor, which belongs to a large genus of evergreen herbaceous epiphytes. An unusual plant can decorate your home.
Homeland of culture
Guzmania Minor is a beautiful plant belonging to the bromeliad family. They are interested not only in flower growers, but also in collectors. The culture got its name in honor of the Spanish biologist Guzman. In the wild, the plant grows in America, India, Brazil and Venezuela. Culture prefers wooded and mountainous areas.
Description of the plant
Guzmania is a very bright monochromatic flower. However, there are multi-colored species with foliage colored with transverse stripes. Culture refers to evergreen forms. At home, it is not at all difficult to keep Guzmania Minor. Caring for an unpretentious plant is very simple. Under natural conditions, it grows no more than 50 cm in height. The leaves of the plant are very dense, so something like a bowl is formed, inside which liquid is collected. So culture forms a kindmoisture reserves for the dry period. Often such water supplies save birds.
An interesting fact is that the flowering of the crop continues for a long time - about 15 weeks. This is very unusual for a tropical plant, which makes it even more attractive to our amateur growers who admire the beauty of Guzmania Minor. Home care for a plant is only about creating the right conditions.
Crop Types
The periods of flowering fully depend on the variety. Most often in our stores you can find Guzmania Minor. The culture blooms for a very long time. And its inflorescences are painted in bright colors. The leaves of the emerald green plant have a glossy surface. On the shelves, you can most often see a sign with the inscription "guzmania mix". Such an inscription does not indicate belonging to any species or variety, but only indicates the diversity of colors of the plants presented.
Music Guzmania and Mosaic Guzmania are popular among professional flower growers and interior designers because their leaves have amazing colors.
It is worth noting that of the 130 species of the genus among amateurs, the most popular is the reed guzmania - an epiphyte, on the basis of which many decorative forms (fiery, purple and modestly colored) were bred. But the Guzmania Minor Rondo flower received the greatest recognition. This amazingly beautiful plant has a compact size and is bright green with redness.their leaves (width 2.5 cm). Exotic lovers are attracted not only by the beautiful appearance of the Guzman Minor Rondo. Care at home for the culture is very simple, which has become a decisive factor in gaining popularity. In addition, the culture gets along well with other plants and does not create trouble for its owners.
Containment conditions
Guzmania Minor, like other inhabitants of the tropics, are very fond of bright but diffused lighting. Therefore, you can put the pot on the east window. But from November to February, the plant can also be moved to the south side, since at this time it is always cloudy and damp outside. Guzmania tolerates any movement very calmly, so it can be moved at least every day.
Exotic culture needs airing. Summer vacation on the balcony or veranda will only benefit her. And in winter and autumn, airing the room will not be superfluous.
Guzmania does not impose any special requirements on the temperature regime. She feels good at +18…+25 degrees. During the period of active development, the optimum temperature is +25 degrees.
Basic care
Guzmania Minor Rondo is undemanding to care for. But still it is worth knowing some subtleties of the content. It is necessary to water the culture in the morning. Guzmania foliage is collected in a dense rosette-jug, into the lower part of which water enters. It is necessary to ensure that in hot weather the reservoir is filled with water at least two centimeters. But at low temperature and low light, the liquid fromsockets should be drained. Foliage in such periods is enough only to spray. After the end of flowering, the water must be removed from the "jug". Too much moisture can cause the plant to rot.
In addition to regular and abundant watering, the culture needs daily spraying. The procedure should be carried out with boiled water. From October to February, it is necessary to spray the plant in the morning. It is necessary to spray water carefully so that moisture does not get on the perianths. This may cause early wilting.
Feeding
Guzmania Minor (photo shown in the article) needs to be fed. They must be applied from March to August. To do this, you must use ready-made mixtures for orchids. In addition, you can use liquid top dressing for flowering crops. However, in this case, you will have to reduce the dosage indicated on the package by two to three times.
The nutrient solution is fed into the socket and the soil is moistened with it. You can also spray the foliage with the mixture. During the flowering period, fertilizing should be done every ten days. When purchasing fertilizers, pay attention to their composition. Top dressing should not contain copper and boron. These substances are detrimental to Guzmania.
Reproduction
Propagation of culture is possible only by shoots. At the base of a full-fledged plant, small embryos appear. They can become new flowers in the future. But for this you need to wait until they grow up a little.
For transplantuse light and warm soil. The plant should not be placed in water, as this will lead to the rapid development of the rotting process. The peculiarity of the culture is that when the embryo appears, the mother plant subsequently dies. However, there are exceptions in home conditions.
Sometimes flower growers make attempts to breed a crop using seeds. This option is also possible, but the process is very long and troublesome.
For planting a crop, it is necessary to prepare the soil: crushed peat is mixed with fine sand. Pre-prepared seeds are laid out on moistened soil, which are pre-soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. Seed material cannot be sprinkled with soil, as it requires good lighting. However, for protection, crops must be covered with glass. It is important to monitor the temperature regime. The air in the room should be warmed up to at least +22 degrees. Periodically, crops must be ventilated and sprayed. In a few weeks, the first shoots should appear.
Picking can be done in 2-2, 5 months. For the procedure, it is necessary to prepare the soil, which should include peat, leaf and sod land.
After six months, the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place. It will bloom only after two years, but maybe later (after five years).
Ground landing
Before you start planting a Guzman Minor flower, you need to choose a suitable pot. Since the rootthe culture system is very small, it does not make sense to take a large capacity. The diameter of the pot should not exceed 12 cm.
In order for the container not to spill over, it is necessary to place a load in it. For planting a plant, you can choose several soil options:
- Crushed fern roots (three parts), sphagnum moss (one part).
- Pine bark (two parts), leafy soil (two parts), sand and moss (one part each).
- Peat (two parts), sod land (two parts), sand (one part).
Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot. Planting must be done carefully, since the root system of the culture is very fragile, it can be easily damaged. You can transplant a flower with an old clod of earth. The plant is placed in a pot and covered with a new layer of soil.
Features of flowering
The plant blooms for a long time and magnificently, delighting with a riot of colors. Flowering lasts from February to August. Then the bush begins to fade and after six months it gradually dies, having managed to give daughter rosettes during this time. Yellow and red "sultans", which are popularly called flowers, in fact, they are not.
Sometimes Guzmania doesn't bloom. If the conditions are correct and the plant is he althy, the issue can be resolved in a simple way. Overripe apples or bananas should be placed next to the pot and covered with a bag. After a day, the polyethylene is removed, and after a few hours it is covered again. Such activities must be repeated over several days. The essence of the technique is that overripe fruits emit ethylene gas, which stimulates flowering. After a while, your plant will certainly bloom.
Possible difficulties
Difficulties in growing are possible only if the plant is kept in unsuitable conditions. Improper watering can provoke the appearance of fungal diseases. In this case, blackening of the outlet is observed. In the future, ugly brown spots may appear on the foliage. When such symptoms appear, it is necessary to transplant the flower into a new soil and treat it with Fundazol. Such simple methods are effective only at the initial stage.
If you notice that the tips of the Guzmania leaves curl or turn brown, this indicates that the air in the room is too dry. Spraying the crop regularly is essential to prevent problems.
Don't use tap water for water procedures and watering, otherwise white stains will appear on the foliage. Water must first be softened - defended, boiled, filtered. Lemon juice and vinegar can be added to the liquid.
Of the pests, scale insects and mealybugs are the most dangerous. You can get rid of parasites only with the help of insecticides. "Confidor", "Biotlin", "Fitoverm", "Aktara", "Metaphos" will come to the rescue. Chemical treatment is carried out two to three times in ten days.
