Ehmeya: description, features of care

Ehmeya is a perennial flower of tropical forests from the bromeliad family, native to Central and South America. Grows on the trunks of old trees (epiphyte).

There are rare terrestrial species. Florists are appreciated for the decorative leaves forming a funnel, and unusual flowering. It is long-lasting, each outlet is single.

Description of ehmei

The name means the tip of the peaks, from the Greek "aechme". Bright pointed bracts are often mistaken for the flowers themselves:

• The stem is shortened. The leaves are long, prickly serrate at the edges, forming a funnel-shaped rosette. Their color can be green or gray-green, plain or striped.
• Inflorescences are diverse: panicle, head, spike. Bracts are red or pink. In their sinuses are medium-sized red, blue or purple flowers.
• The root is poorly developed, its main role is to keep the plant on a support.

Allocate 280 species of echmea. Knowing the rules of care, they are grown at home.

Indoor species ehmei

Growing ehmei indoors

The subtleties of planting and transplanting ehmei

For a successful landing, you need to know some features.

For ehmei it is better to choose a wide, rather than a deep pot, since the roots are superficial. A drain hole is required.

A container made of plastic rather than ceramic is preferred. The latter will be colder. A tropical flower loves warmth. The size of the pot should be slightly larger than the volume of the roots. Sustainability and beauty will give a cache-pot.

Soil for bromeliads is sold in specialized stores.

It is also possible to prepare the soil yourself. It is important that it is loose.

There are several composition options:

• Pine bark, coarse sand, crushed sphagnum in proportions 1: 1: 1. It is good to add peat and horn chips.
• Leafy earth, humus, sphagnum (1: 1: 1). It is useful to add crushed old red brick.

A homemade soil mixture must be sterilized by frying in the oven or pouring boiling water over it.

A transplant is needed once a year, in March.

Transplanting step by step:

• create a drainage layer in the prepared container, approximately ⅓ of the volume. This is a protection against waterlogging;
• pour 1-2 cm of soil mixture over the drainage;
• carefully remove the flower from the container, slightly shake off the ground, cut off dry sockets and roots;
• sprinkle with chopped activated carbon slices, dry for 2 hours;
• put in a new container, add soil without tamping;
• shake gently to evenly distribute the soil;
• at the end of the transplant, keep in the shade without watering for 2-3 days, this is the time of adaptation of the roots.

Feeding and watering the ehmei

For irrigation use soft, settled water, always warm. In spring and summer, regular and plentiful watering is needed, first into the funnel, then into the ground. Water in the outlet must be changed every 2 weeks, to prevent stagnation. You can drain excess fluid by tilting the plant, holding it tightly, or removing it with a napkin.

In the autumn-winter period, water less frequently. At temperatures below +20 ° C it is important to keep the outlet dry.

To feed with fertilizer for the bromeliads from March to October, every two weeks, combining it with irrigation in a foliar way. Spray with a solution or pour it into a funnel.

Propagation of ehmei

Echmea propagates by seed and vegetative methods.

Sowing seeds is recommended in April in loose peat. Cover the crops with film (glass). Ventilate and moisten the soil every day. It is recommended to maintain indoor temperature + 23 ... +26 ° С and provide bright, but diffuse lighting.

When two leaves appear, dive. For seedlings, a temperature of +22 ° C is suitable. After a year, transplanted as an adult plant in a suitable pot. It will bloom after about 4 years.

The vegetative method is less laborious.

The mother plant, having completed flowering, gives life to several new processes - children. They need to grow and find their own roots. When reaching 15-20 cm, they can be transplanted. This should be done in March, carefully removing the plant from the flowerpot. Separate the child processes with roots with a sharp knife. Slices treated with crushed activated carbon. Transplant into pots up to 9 cm in diameter.

Use a soil mixture of leaf soil, sand and peat (2: 1: 1). Cover the transplanted children with a transparent film and keep in a warm, bright room. Transplant into larger pots after rooting. Will bloom in 1-2 years.

Mr. Summer resident advises: help ehmey in flowering

Ehmeya blooms well with proper care. You can help the plant bloom faster, for this you need to place a ripe apple or orange in the pot. Coating everything with a film is not tight. These fruits emit ethylene gas, which stimulates flowering. Calcium carbide also acts. It should be placed in a funnel with water. When they interact, the same substance - ethylene - will be released.

Diseases and pests of echmea

Errors in caring for echmea

The benefit or harm of ehmeya (effect on the energy of the room)

Ehmeya improves vitality, determination. It is not advisable to put it in the bedroom, because sensitive people may start insomnia.

But the office, the desktop is the right place. It helps maintain a cheerful mood, vitality, build and implement plans in life.

Watch the video: Make Aechmea Fasciata Bloom Again! Flower development, care (May 2024).