Guzmania flowers, home care and propagation by children. Growing guzmania in an apartment, what does it bring into the house? Growing up with the help of children

Guzmania, or, as correct, Guzmania– evergreen herbaceous epiphytic and terrestrial plants of the Bromeliad family.

The genus contains about 130 species, growing in Venezuela, Brazil, Central America, as well as in the West Indies and South Florida on open mountain slopes at an altitude of about 2400 m above sea level. This genus was first described in 1802, and the name Guzmania was given in honor of the Spanish botanist, zoologist and pharmacist Anastasio Guzman, who studied South America. Since then, many Guzmania species have been cultivated for indoor floriculture. Indoor guzmania is attractive with its unusual rosette of long leaves and an unusual cone-like inflorescence, but the most important advantage is the long flowering of guzmania.

Guzmania flower - description

Like all bromeliads, guzmania leaves overlap each other at the base, forming a cup for water, which the plant accumulates for itself, but is also used by other forest inhabitants. Typically, guzmania leaves are monochromatic, but there are species with longitudinally or transversely striped leaves. The leaves, reaching a length of 40 to 70 cm, form a rosette with an average diameter of half a meter, although there are both more compact species and smaller ones. The situation is the same with the peduncle: different species have different lengths. The guzmania plant blooms in March or September and blooms for several months. The flowers are unattractive and inconspicuous, but the bright, varnished red, yellow, white or orange bracts 4-5 cm long, forming an unusual inflorescence, are extremely impressive. An adult plant reaches 75cm in height and 60cm in width, but homemade guzmania rarely grows above 40cm. Within six months after flowering, the plant dies.

Guzmania - home care

How to care for guzmania.

How to water guzmania.

Since the roots of all bromeliads are very sensitive to chlorine and lime, they can only be watered and sprayed with filtered, or even better, distilled warm (20ºC) water. The frequency of watering should be such that the substrate does not dry out: water as soon as signs of drying appear on the surface of the substrate. Water should be poured directly into the rosette of leaves. How often you will need to water your guzmania depends on the conditions you are able to create for it. If the lighting and air temperature are lower than recommended, then the guzmania will have to be watered less often, but daily spraying of the leaves with warm water is mandatory in any case. Guzmania especially needs moisture in spring and summer, during the period of active growth.

Feeding Guzmania.

Fertilizer for bromeliads is sold in specialized stores, but when feeding, the concentration should be half that recommended by the manufacturers. Make sure that the fertilizer does not contain boron or copper, which are toxic to guzmania. The plant needs to be fertilized once a month from March to September. Fertilizer is applied during watering directly into the guzmania rosette or while spraying on the leaves.

Guzmania transplant

It is unlikely that you will need information on how to replant guzmania, because it is replanted only once: from the pot in which you brought it from the store to a permanent one. If necessary. Guzmania's root system is small, so the pot you move it into should be no more than 10-12cm in diameter. Try to weigh the pot down with something, as the plant may tip it over. Or place the potted plant in a decorative planter for stability. Don't forget about the drainage layer. The substrate needs to be water-permeable, acidity in the range of 5.5-7.0. Here are the approximate composition options:

• – crushed roots of sphagnum moss and fern in a ratio of 1:3;
• – moss, sand, pine bark, leaf soil in the ratio 1:1:2:2;
• – sand, humus, turf soil, peat in the ratio 1:2:2:4,

although you can use commercially available fern or orchid substrate. Prepare a pot with drainage, pour some substrate into it, transfer the plant from the old pot to the new one along with a lump of earth and add more substrate. Nothing complicated. Just be careful with fragile roots.

Reproduction of Guzmania

How to plant Guzmania.

In this chapter we will answer the questions of how to propagate Guzmania at home, how to plant Guzmania babies and how to divide Guzmania, because this is the same process. Guzmania reproduces at the end of flowering by lateral shoots, which are called children. When guzmania fades, the mother rosette dies, but guzmania babies appear around it, growing their own roots as they grow older. As soon as the roots reach a length of 1.5 cm, you need to separate the shoot from the mother plant with a sharp sterile instrument, treat the cut on the baby and on the old guzmania with garden varnish. Not all children develop roots at the same time, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to plant all the children at one time. The separated shoots are transplanted into pots with a substrate for orchids and kept warm, at first under a plastic cap to increase the air humidity necessary for growing guzmanias. When the plants get stronger and grow, they are transplanted into permanent pots using the transshipment method, so as not to damage the brittle roots.

Propagation of Guzmania by seeds.

Guzmania also reproduces by seeds. This is done like this: on the surface of the soil for bromeliads, consisting of crushed peat mixed with sand, seeds are sown, previously washed in a solution of potassium permanganate and dried. There is no need to embed them in the ground, since the seeds must germinate in the light, but it is necessary to cover the container with glass or film. The temperature for seed germination should be 22-24ºC, the seeds are ventilated as necessary and lightly sprayed with warm water. Shoots should appear in two to three weeks, and after 2-2.5 months they are planted in soil consisting of leaf soil, turf soil and peat in a ratio of 2:1:4. After six months, the young plants are planted in permanent pots. These guzmanias will bloom in three, four years, or even five years.

Guzmania after flowering

Guzmania blooms only once. Generally, it is considered an annual plant, although it may take several years to wait for it to bloom. But after flowering the plant dies. If lateral shoots have appeared during its life, you can plant them, and you will have young guzmanias that will also bloom someday. But the mother plant cannot be saved.

Types of Guzmania

Among the indoor species of guzmania, the most widely represented is guzmania reed - a plant that can exist as an epilith (grow on rocky soil) and as an epiphyte. The base of the flower is a rosette of dense and long green wide-line leaves, in the center of which there is a corolla of brightly colored bracts that can be mistaken for a flower. In fact, the flowers, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, are completely inconspicuous and bloom for only a short time. Varieties of Guzmania reed:

• – var. cardinalis (“purple”) - a variety with a spreading rosette of green leaves 3-4 cm wide, scarlet, red or purple bracts, multi-flowered inflorescence. Blooms in March, September;
• – var. concolor (“modestly colored”) - a rosette of light green leaves, faded orange bracts with brighter tips;
• – var. flammea (“fire”) is a rosette of green leaves about 24-34 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, which are directed in all directions of the upper hemisphere. Fiery red bracts reach to the zenith. The inflorescence is small-flowered, blooms in July and August;
• – var. lingulata (“ordinary”) – leaves in a rosette 2.5 cm wide, erect bracts of red or pink color, blooms in March, August and December;
• – var. minor (“small”) – a rosette of green or red-green leaves 2.5 cm wide, the inflorescences are erect or spreading, lemon-yellow and red.

Guzmania Donnell-Smith

It is a loose rosette of green leaves with pale scales. The peduncle is erect, the short inflorescence is pyramidal-paniculate, covered at the base with bright red imbricated bracts. Blooms in April, May.

– a goblet-shaped rosette of broadly linear leaves, thin bracts of a bright red hue, the corymbose inflorescence has a leaf-shaped involucre and is literally immersed in the rosette due to an undeveloped peduncle. Varieties of Guzmania blood-red:

• – var. Sanguinea (“bloody”) - round bracts with a sharp end, flower petals are yellow with green or white, blooms in April, August;
• – var. Brevipedicellata (“short-legged”) is a species with pointed, helmet-shaped bracts.

- a plant with long leaves forming a spreading rosette, a straight peduncle, on which there are broadly elliptical, pointed bright pink stipules. Two dozen whitish-yellow flowers are collected in a simple capitate inflorescence, the base of which is hidden by stipules. Varieties:

• – var. Musaica - light green leaves, streaked with irregular lines, blooms in June, September;
• – var. Concolor – leaves are one color;
• – var. Zebrina – leaves with wide stripes.

Nicaraguan Guzmania (Guzmania Nicaraguensi)

- is interesting for its tongue-shaped leaves, narrowed at the ends, which are covered along the lower part with pale dense scales, disappearing as Guzmania grows. Instead of scales, small longitudinal red streaks remain on the leaves. The rosette formed by the leaves has the shape of a glass, in which a simple spindle-shaped inflorescence with a small number of yellow flowers is immersed. Blooms in March, May.

Guzmania monostachia

– the rosette consists of numerous yellow-green leaves, the lower ones being paler than the upper ones and in some places covered with small pinpoint scales that gradually fall off. The bare peduncle is crowned by a multi-row elongated spike of white flowers; the bracts of fruit-forming flowers are pale with brown longitudinal marks; those of sterile flowers are bright red or white. Varieties:

• – var. Monostachia - single-color leaves, pale-colored bracts with chocolate-colored longitudinal strokes, blooms in June, July;
• – var. Variegata - green leaves with white streaks;
• – var. Alba - single-color green leaves, the lower bracts are also green, the upper ones are white.

Guzmania zana (Guzmaniazahnii)

• - a giant flower with leaves up to 70cm long.

Exotic flowers on the windowsill improve your mood and give a sea of ​​positive emotions. Therefore, despite all possible difficulties, flower growers grow epiphytes and orchids at home, which require increased attention in the process of organizing their care. The guzmania flower has excellent aesthetic properties. The indoor dweller at home develops quickly and produces bright, long-lasting flowering. Unfortunately, this beauty does not last long. The plant is an annual. We invite you to learn the rules for caring for guzmania at home, how to plant with children and replant after flowering. Reproduction by air layering is possible. We’ll talk about all this further, but for now, look at the photo of Guzmania in various states of flower development:

Let's get acquainted - the guzmania flower and its photo

The more accurate name used by botanists is Guzmania, which belongs to the large family of bromeliads. Another famous relative is the pineapple. Let's get to know each other better - Bromeliaceae presents us with the indoor flower guzmania, striking the imagination with its beauty and grace. Look at his photos illustrating the plant’s rich capabilities in solving decorative problems:

Scientists have recorded more than a hundred species of this crop; no more than 10 of them are used at home. Guzmania mix, reed and rondo minor are most adapted to closed ground conditions. They are not whimsical and develop successfully in any conditions.

Descriptions can be found in many botanists. These are long dense leaves with pointed edges, absolutely smooth and very dense. They are collected in a bunch, from the center of which a peduncle appears over time. The height of an adult plant is 40-50 cm. During flowering, a single bud of burgundy or orange, yellow or white blooms. Specimens with brown and pink buds are less common. This is truly exotic.

How to care for guzmania at home?

It is advisable to purchase in specialized stores not an adult plant, but its children, which can quickly take root. How to care for guzmania in compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology in order to grow a strong and strong flowering plant? Let's try to figure it out. You should start with the rules for watering guzmania at home, since it is this event that affects the ability of the crop to release a peduncle.

So, for irrigation you can use only well-filtered water. Even a slight inclusion of chlorine can completely destroy the root system. Basic rules of this procedure:

• from March to November, watering is carried out every other day, from November to February, watering is carried out once a week;
• for irrigation, water is poured dropwise into the center of the rosette of leaves;
• after watering, the remaining water should be drained after 10 minutes;
• Watering the soil mixture is required once every 2 weeks; in summer, in hot weather, you can water once a week;
• air watering is carried out in the morning and evening every day - for this you need to spray water around the bush for 2-3 minutes;
• Another type of watering is wiping the entire leaf mass with a damp sponge once every 10 days; using this technique, diseases and pests are fought.

Never leave water in the outlet after watering for more than 10 minutes. This may cause the socket to rot. The soil should always be dry, except for those days when the earthen clod is soaked.

Now let’s move on to choosing a place to permanently keep an indoor guzmania flower at home, and here, too, there are certain tricks and secrets. First of all, it is worth remembering that you cannot keep this crop on the windowsill. She suffers greatly from direct sunlight. It easily tolerates long-term shade, so the plant is ideal for indoor landscaping. In winter, it is better to move it closer to the south window, and in summer, guzmania will feel great next to the north or west window.

The ambient temperature suitable for normal development is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. In winter, a drop to 15 - 17 degrees is allowed. You should exclude the possibility of being influenced by drafts - this will help you get a large, bright flower. Under the influence of low temperatures, flowering is excluded. If we talk about air humidity, everything is clear - the higher the percentage of moisture content in the air, the more comfortable it is for Guzmania. The ideal place for its growth is the kitchen, where something is constantly being cooked, boiled, and water flows from the tap. The foliage in the room should be sprayed at least 2 times a day.

Features of growing and reproducing children

Even exotic epiphytes can be successfully grown if you follow all the rules. The features of growing Guzmania have already been partially described above, but it is worth talking about how reproduction by children is carried out. A botanical sign is the death of the mother plant after the “baby” has fully matured. At its core, this is a new bush that begins to grow nearby during the formation of the peduncle. As soon as flowering ends, the main plant begins to dry out, giving way to a new one. The gardener can only remove the dried leaves. In this state, guzmania can be grown at home for several years. If 2 babies have formed, one needs to be transplanted into a separate pot.

For this, a special soil is prepared, 2/3 consisting of tree bark, sawdust and small pebbles. You can also add sphagnum, construction or river sand, broken brick. The more structured and light the soil is, the faster the plant will develop. In some cases, it is better to purchase special soil for bromeliads in the store.

When planting or replanting, the roots should be carefully placed in a shallow pot and carefully sprinkled with soil. From above, the soil is slightly compacted and watered abundantly. After this procedure, you should place the plant in the shade for 10 days and spray the foliage with water 4-5 times a day.

To obtain a flower stalk, it is important to maintain an optimal balance of organic and mineral fertilizers in the soil. Feeding begins in the first ten days of March and continues until the end of September. Recommended schedule: 1 time every 2 weeks with an organic solution and 1 time every 2 weeks with a mineral complex. Foliar feeding gives the best results. To do this, the prepared warm solution is poured directly into the rosette of leaves.

Do not be discouraged if flowering does not occur for a long time. Bromeliads usually bloom 4-5 years after planting. After a bright climax, the plant dries out. Repeated flowering is not observed. To speed up flowering, many gardeners use a simple and effective technique. An apple cut into quarters is placed in a plastic bag (directly on the soil next to the plant) and the guzmania is covered with this bag. A month later, the plant blooms due to the influence of ethylene released by the apple.

What guzmania brings to the house and other questions

Many novice flower growers ask questions about a new crop for themselves. What does guzmania bring to the house according to ancient beliefs? It is believed that this flower gives happiness and prosperity in family life. It can give apartment residents excellent health, optimism and generosity. There are other, more material issues.

What interferes with normal growth and development?

Slow growth may be due to improper soil selection and lack of regular watering. The proximity of a window and the influence of direct sunlight also have an adverse effect. Sometimes the lack of growth and development for several months is a signal that the guzmania is preparing to throw out the peduncle.

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Today, no one can be surprised by exotic things. Humanity has long learned to grow tropical orchids on the windowsills of Siberian apartments, and dwarf alligators in equipped terrariums. Guzmania is an unusual flower (as they say, not for everyone), but it has already managed to win the hearts of many plant growers and has firmly established itself in the homes of Russians. Caring for it at home is not difficult if you know what conditions the plant requires.

Description of the plant

In nature, guzmania is found in India, Central and South America, preferring plains covered with tropical forests. It received its name in honor of the famous Spanish traveler and naturalist A. Guzman.

Appearance and origin

Guzmania belongs to the Bromeliad family, that is, it is a fairly close relative of the pineapple. This is an epiphytic flower. Such plants are also called atmospheric plants, because they receive all the necessary moisture not from the substrate, but from the air. Guzmania's roots are underdeveloped and are needed only to more reliably cling to branches, trunks of fallen trees or cracks in stones.

Guzmania has no stem; it consists of long and narrow, but very dense leaves, similar to belts. They form a rosette, similar to a tall narrow glass. In nature, dew and rainwater accumulate in it - this is an alternative to the moisture received by other plants from the soil.

A peduncle covered with smaller leaves emerges from the center of the rosette, and on its crown are bright bracts of different shades of red (sometimes orange or yellow). They protect small white flowers.

Guzmania is an evergreen plant. Some species may have spots or stripes of a darker shade on the leaves. Under natural conditions, the rosette reaches 0.5 m in diameter and is used as a “drinker” by tropical birds. Guzmania blooms for a very long time, up to 20 weeks, and all this time it pleases with large bracts of bright colors - from sunny yellow to dark red.

Types grown at home

In nature, there are more than 120 species of guzmania, which differ from each other in size, habit, color and duration of flowering. Here are just a few of them:

1. Guzmania reed (lingulata). A large plant with long bright green leaves up to 50 cm long. On the underside there are brown stripes. The rosette is very dense, the peduncle is short. The upper leaves of the peduncle are red or orange, and in the very middle there are small and white flowers.
2. Guzmania Minor (lingulata minor). A breeding hybrid based on Guzmania reed. This compact variety can be seen most often on the home windowsill. Also found under the name Guzmania Minor Rondo. Blooms from February until almost August;
3. Guzmania Tempo. Another selection hybrid, the “parent” is the same. Differs from Minor in larger dimensions.
4. Guzmania Ostara. Artificially bred. Flowering continues for more than six months, the plant actively reproduces.
5. Nicaraguan Guzmania (nicaraguensis). A compact plant that fits easily on a windowsill. The underside of the leaves is brown. Lemon bracts rise slightly above a shallow rosette of light green foliage. It blooms profusely, but very briefly.
6. Guzmania conifera. It has a bright cone-shaped knob at the top of a tall peduncle. In the wild forest it can be seen from afar.
7. Guzmania is blood red. It has a wide rosette, which is partially colored red. That is, the inflorescence is not located on the peduncle, but right inside it.
8. Guzmania mosaic. It is cultivated not for its flowers, but for its colorful greenery. The plant pleases the eye with bright stripes on the succulent foliage. The strokes are transverse and longitudinal. The bracts are bright pink.
9. Guzmania single-eared (monostachia). One of the most decorative. It is called single-spike because of the special structure of the inflorescence. The peduncle, green at the bottom, gradually changes color to bright scarlet closer to the top.

Photo gallery: Guzmania Minor (Rondo), Tempo, Ostara, reed, blood red and other varieties of indoor flower

Guzmania mosaic differs from other species in the decorativeness of its variegated foliage. Guzmania blood-red is devoid of a peduncle, the bracts are part of the rosette of leaves
Guzmania Minor Rondo is the most popular variety among lovers of indoor flowers. Guzmania Nicaraguan has bracts of all shades of flame, which, unfortunately, do not last very long. Guzmania Tempo is another successful breeding hybrid. Guzmania reed is the basis for most experiments by breeders. Guzmania Conifera stands out among its “relatives” Guzmania Ostara blooms for a very long time due to its unusual inflorescence shape
The inflorescence of Guzmania unispica is indeed very reminiscent of an ear

Seasonal plant care

Despite the exotic origin of Guzmania, it is not difficult to care for. The main thing is to create the necessary conditions for flowering, providing the usual high temperature and bright light.

However, this does not mean at all that you need to grow the flower in greenhouse conditions. Both temperature and lighting will have to be adjusted.

For example, the plant must be protected from direct sunlight, and at night it is recommended to ensure that the temperature does not drop sharply and remains within normal limits.

Since there is no winter in the tropics, guzmania does not know how to adapt to the conditions that it encounters on the windowsills of Russian flower growers from November to March. Due to the radical dissimilarity of the microclimate, it should be taken into account that the requirements for a comfortable environment for a flower change greatly when the central heating is turned on.

Table: how to create an optimal microclimate in Guzmania depending on the season

Parameter	Winter	Summer
Temperature	Monitor the average daily temperature (20–25°C), avoiding sudden fluctuations and falling below normal.	There is no need for temperature control. The flower tolerates heat easily.
Lighting	Can be kept on a south window. It is advisable to use fluorescent or phytolamps, extending daylight hours to at least 10 hours.	Protect from direct sunlight, shading the flower from 12:00 to 15:00.
Air humidity	Keep away from heating devices and increase the number of sprays.	Spray with soft water 2-3 times a week.
Watering	Watering is moderate, once every 3–4 days.	Water frequently and generously.
Feeding	In the fall, reduce feeding by half, and stop completely in winter.	Feed foliar twice a month.

Planting and transplanting procedure

An adult guzmania does not need a transplant. After flowering, the rosette, inside which the peduncle formed, dies, although this does not happen immediately. For some time, she “feeds” the young shoots that form on her sides. When the “offshoots” reach the required size, they are planted in pots, where they take root.

The most favorable period for transplanting guzmania is early spring. To avoid stagnation of moisture in the substrate, the container for the plant should be compact and have one or more drainage holes.

The soil for the plant should consist of peat chips, humus, turf soil and coarse river sand in equal parts. Crushed pine bark and dry sphagnum moss are often added to the finished mixture. If you don’t have the opportunity or desire to prepare the substrate yourself, you can buy special soil for epiphytes or Bromeliads in the store.

You can grow guzmania on a piece of driftwood or a piece of wood, creating an unusual composition that imitates the natural habitat of the flower. To do this, an adult plant is removed from the pot, its roots are wrapped in damp sphagnum moss and secured with wire to a piece of bark or driftwood.

However, in nature, the epiphyte has the opportunity to feed, which it is deprived of at home. Guzmania grown without a pot will need to constantly fill the outlet with settled water and spray the roots, including with nutrient solutions.

The solution for spraying the roots is prepared in the same way as that used for foliar feeding. On the packaging of fertilizers for epiphytic plants, the dosage of the substance is indicated specifically for such treatment of the plant. But since nutrients are absorbed faster and more intensely by airborne droplets, the consumption of the drug is halved based on the dosage indicated in the instructions.

When to replant guzmania after purchase?

Guzmania purchased from a store needs to be replanted as soon as possible after purchase. Universal soil is not suitable for the plant. It dries out quickly and the roots are deprived of good aeration.

Video: DIY “bromeliad tree”

Caring for Guzmania at home

Guzmania is considered an unpretentious plant that has successfully adapted to the microclimate of modern apartments. But in order for its flowering to be regular and long-lasting, it is still necessary to provide it with decent care, namely to create conditions close to natural ones.

How to water and is it necessary to humidify the air?

In order for guzmania to feel comfortable, it, like any flower, needs water and light. The plant must be watered frequently. As noted above, the flower’s substrate should be light, loose and drain moisture well, but such soil tends to dry out quickly.

The secret to the well-being of this plant is the humidity of the rosette. The fact is that guzmania prefers to absorb water through its leaves. Therefore, water is poured inside, as it happens in nature. But you can’t let it stagnate. If the water from the outlet takes a long time to evaporate, it should be drained during the day.

Such watering should be carried out daily in summer in hot weather or in very dry air. In winter, it is recommended to “water” the guzmania through the roots and moisten the rosette a couple of times a week. It should be sprayed carefully during flowering so that water does not get on the bracts, otherwise unsightly spots will appear on them or they will even fall off.

The plant requires long daylight hours, but it does not like direct sunlight. During the period of maximum solar activity, guzmania should be shaded or removed from the south window for a while.

To create a tropical atmosphere around a flower, you need to constantly humidify the air. You can place wide containers of water next to the guzmania (as it evaporates, it will moisten the leaves), and the most hardworking plant growers can spray the plant daily. A special humidifier device or wet sphagnum moss, pebbles, expanded clay placed in the tray of the pot will also help. For watering and spraying, soft water is used, heated to a temperature slightly above room temperature.

Optimal temperature

The optimal temperature for blooming guzmania is about 25°C during the day. At night, it is recommended to ensure that it does not fall below 12°C. During the active growing season, it is advisable to maintain the temperature at least 20°C around the clock.

Fertilizer application

The flower loves foliar feeding. You can spray the plant with complex fertilizers for exotic or decorative flowers, mineral or organic, to choose from (it is better to alternate). Only the concentration level of the drug should be halved, based on the recommendations in the instructions, if this is not a special remedy for Bromeliads. An aqueous solution of fertilizer can be sprayed on the leaves, but most often it is poured directly into the rosette of the flower.

From the end of March to the end of September, guzmania is fed twice a month, and in winter additional feeding is suspended. It is worth noting that the plant does not tolerate fertilizers containing superphosphate, calcium nitrate and cow manure. And boron and copper are real poison for him. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to carefully study the composition of the product.

Flowering and dormant periods

The most important and difficult period in the life of a plant is the time of flowering. The first bracts of Guzmania appear only in the third or fourth year of development. Flowering continues for several months, but only in favorable conditions. As soon as the shade of the guzmania's foliage changes or a green peduncle begins to slowly rise from the rosette, this is the very moment before flowering.

The plant does not have a clearly defined dormant period. The flower does not shed its leaves, the lighting requirements do not change. He only needs to lower the temperature, reduce watering and stop feeding.

How to make Guzmania bloom?

There is a trick that allows you to bring the Guzmania flowering closer. To do this, place a container with sliced ​​apples, pears or bananas next to it and cover the entire “composition” with a plastic bag. As fruit decomposes, ethylene is released, which stimulates flowering. You just need to be careful not to allow mold to appear, which can cause rot to develop.

Common mistakes in care

Direct sunlight in summer is destructive for many plants, including guzmania. She can easily get burned if she is kept on a south-facing window all day without shade.

If the air around the plant is too dry, especially in winter when heating devices are on, the tips of the leaves turn brown, curl and dry out. It is necessary to constantly spray the flower and the surrounding air from a spray bottle.

Guzmania grows in areas where water hardness is very low, and the flower reacts sharply negatively to what flows from the water supply; an unsightly white coating appears on the leaves. It is important to settle the water, adding calcium, chlorine and fluorine compounds, apple cider vinegar or citric acid to neutralize it, pass it through a filter or boil it.

When the substrate for guzmania is chosen incorrectly, flooding is the most common cause of flower malaise.

Beginning gardeners mistakenly assume that a tropical epiphyte will thrive in ordinary flower soil. As a result, the roots of the guzmania stop breathing in the sticky wet earthen coma and rot.

Table: why do leaves dry, curl, turn yellow and how to correct the situation?

Common mistakes	Consequence of errors	How to avoid the problem?
Sunburn	Light spots on the leaves, which then dry out and die.	Shading from direct sunlight or finding a more suitable place for the plant.
Dry air	Browning and drying tips of leaves.	Regular spraying of the flower in winter, increasing humidity in other available ways.
Hard water	White coating on the leaves.	Sedimentation of tap water, its filtration or boiling. Ideally, rain or melt water should be used for irrigation.
Excessive watering	Drying of the leaf, dark spots, completely rotten root collar.	If the root collar has rotted, the flower can only be thrown away. At earlier stages of rot development, an urgent transplant into a new pot with a complete replacement of the soil and pruning of all even minimally affected tissue can help.

Video: how to save guzmania damaged by excessive watering

Pests that frequently attack plants

When the insect has already spread en masse, you can treat the plant with Biotlin, Confidor or Fitoverm. The flower should be sprayed up to three times with an interval of 10 days. If there is no visible reaction to the insecticide, you should change the product.

Scale insects look like tiny turtles because of their shell. They stick tightly to the leaves and from a distance a certain lumpiness is visible. To destroy the pest, the drugs Aktara, Metaphos, Phosbecid, which are diluted in water, are suitable. Water the plant with this solution. The scale insect dies within a week.

Plant propagation

When guzmania flowers finish, they form fruits, which are essentially a container for seeds. When they are ripe, their contents can be used to propagate the plant, but poor germination and high care requirements during germination make the process labor-intensive and not guaranteeing results. It is much easier to propagate guzmania by shoots that literally stick to the rosette after flowering.

How to plant Guzmania at home? Step-by-step instructions for plant propagation:

Video: how to separate guzmania shoots

The flower of this plant resembles a single fireworks shot. In fact, this is not a flower, but brightly colored bracts that hide inside a bunch of real flowers - small and inconspicuous. The most graceful representative of the Bromeliad family, Guzmania, blooms once in a lifetime, then dies and gives rise to the next generation.

Classification and origin

Bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae), they are also Pineapple - perennial herbs, evergreen and heat-loving. Rod Guzmania ( Guzmania) has more than 120 species of epiphytic tropical plants (epiphytes are plants that do not need soil). Various representatives of this genus live on the bark of large trees in tropical rainforests. The plant is named after the person who first described the genus Guzmania Spanish botanist Anastasio Guzman.

The selvas of the South American continent are the homeland of the Guzmania reed species ( G. lingulataMez). This species is most loved by gardeners for its bright color and relatively unpretentious nature. The most popular variety bred on the basis of Guzmania reed is Guzmania minor Rondo. It is distinguished by its compact size and long flowering period. For the sake of decorative leaves, Guzmania mosaic is grown ( G. musaica).

Species of the genus Guzmania can cross-pollinate with each other. The color of cultivated guzmanias is modified by pollination with pollen of another species, for example, G. wittmackii. Many varieties have been bred with stipule colors ranging from white, golden yellow to dark red, almost black. Variegated hybrids have an atypical color: dark green stripes are combined, for example, with pink. A very interesting population of guzmans lives in Ecuador. Currently, work is underway to cultivate them.

Guzmania Donnell-Smith

Appearance and structural features

The epiphytic lifestyle gave Guzmania its original appearance. The leaves form a dense rosette in the center, which serves as a reservoir for water. Organic residues that get there are quickly broken down and absorbed by the plant. This is facilitated by special microflora. The tiny pond is home to small insects, tree frogs, and hummingbirds quench their thirst from it.

Like all bromeliads, guzmania does not have a stem - the leaves start from the ground and form a strong vertical peduncle in an adult plant. The lower leaves are long, lanceolate or belt-shaped. The bracts are shorter and wider, and have a striking color.

Guzmania roots are fragile and must be handled with care when transplanting. They serve the plant mainly for attachment to tree trunks. Guzmania receives its main nutrition from its water reserves.

Few people know that in nature this plant is capable of “crawling.” The speed of movement of Guzmania is imperceptible to the eye and amounts to 10-15 centimeters per year. Such “agility” is enough to move, say, to a more illuminated part of the trunk.

Guzmania care

When purchasing a blooming guzmania in a store, you should know that it can decorate your house for a maximum of six months until it fades. This is a normal process common to all bromeliads. Then baby shoots grow at the root, and the life cycle begins all over again. Guzmania lives for 3 years.

The soil as such the plant does not need it. As a substrate, you can use a mixture of fibrous peat, turf soil, pieces of bark, moss, etc. The main thing is that the substrate should be light, well-drained and retain moisture. There is a special soil for sale for bromeliads.

In nature, Guzmania is used to being content with a pinch of soil, like all epiphytes. It can be cultivated without a vessel, using pieces of fissured bark or oddly shaped driftwood. A corner decorated in the style of a tropical forest and planted with guzmanias of different varieties looks extremely impressive.

Watering guzmania is carried out in a special way, in the center of the leaf rosette. The water should be soft, rain or settled. In summer there should always be water in the flower's reservoir. The soil is watered using the drip method, or moistened through a tray. In winter, watering is reduced and excess water is drained from the outlet. The same is done if in warm weather the air temperature drops to 18°C ​​or lower.

[!] White coating on the leaves indicates too hard, unsuitable water.

Fertilizer Guzmania is combined with watering using mineral complexes for orchids. Regular flower fertilizer should be used in a reduced volume, 1/4 of the specified rate. Fertilizing through spraying is useful. To improve the color and add gloss to the leaves and stipules, potassium fertilizers are applied, reducing the rate by five times.

Microclimate Ideally, it should imitate a tropical jungle. You can create “local tropics” in the corner where guzmanias grow. To do this, they are often sprayed with lukewarm water. The optimal temperature is around +25°C, with fluctuations in one direction or the other by 5°C. Guzmania does not like drafts and sudden changes in temperature; it quickly gets sick and is affected by root rot.

Lighting – bright but diffuse. West-facing windows are best. Direct sunlight can burn the plant or cause the flower stalk to lose color - the bracts will become more green.

Reproduction Guzmania layering is the best option. After the mother plant has completely died ( Not earlier!) The baby cuttings are carefully separated from the old socket. It is better to use a sharpened wooden spatula rather than a knife to avoid damaging the roots. The children are planted in a mini-greenhouse, where the temperature is maintained at 25-27°C. If the pot is spacious enough, you can leave plants in it, but no more than three.

Guzmania also reproduces by seeds, but the process is labor-intensive and long. It is mainly practiced by breeders. Germination of seeds will require elevated temperature and humidity. Guzmanias grown from seeds bloom only in the 4th or 5th year of life.

[!] If the cuttings do not appear for a long time, it means that the seeds are ripening in the peduncle. The peduncle should be cut off.

Pests- the same ones that attack other plants: scale insects. In this case, it is better to use insecticides of the intavir group, because guzmania reacts negatively to plant extracts (garlic, celandine, etc.).

[!] Due to its “unlivability”, it is not recommended to place guzmania next to pelargonium (geranium).

Guzmania is liked by slugs and snails, so you should be careful when placing the plant in the garden or greenhouse.

Diseases caused by putrefactive fungi. The base of the rosette and roots are mainly affected. As a rule, a diseased plant cannot be saved. Prevention measures include maintaining an optimal level of humidity, especially in winter. For guzmania, a lack of moisture is safer than stagnation in the soil.

In conclusion, a piece of advice: you should not purchase luxuriously blooming guzmania. She only has a month left to bloom. It is worth choosing a plant that has just begun to form a peduncle.

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