Cultivation of a decorative plant of Tillandsia. Home care

Tillandsia is one of the interesting ornamental plants. In the wild, it has a wide distribution range - from the southern territories of the USA to Chile. Now more than four hundred species of this plant are known. Tillandsia has amazing possibilities to adapt and grows well in a variety of climatic conditions - in arid savannah, in tropical forests, in the semi-desert and even on the border with permafrost.

Due to the wide distribution in different climatic zones plants of the Tillandsia family can seriously differ in appearance. As a rule, their root system is developed rather poorly, it is designed to fix the plant on various surfaces. The leaves of Tillandsia took on the function of nutrition and the accumulation of valuable substances: they vary greatly in shape and color, can be narrow, elongated, flat and long, gray or green, rough and smooth. Plants of the genus Tillandsia can have a powerful stalk, and can be completely without it. Some species bloom very beautifully and for a long time, with bright and graceful flowers. In this article we will talk about how to grow Tillandsia. Care at home for this plant is in several basic agrotechnical procedures, which must be done regularly. Due to its attractive appearance this plant is able to refresh and decorate the interior of any room.

Original plant for your home - Tillandsia

Care at home for this flower implies the right choice of its location. Tillandsia loves bright lighting, but prefers soft diffused light, rather than direct sunlight. For a plant it is desirable to allocate a place on a western or southern window. If the sunshine hits the window-sill, you should shade the flower with blinds or tulle. In addition to window sills, the plant can be placed on supports, shelves, shelves near the windows. In the climatic conditions of the middle zone of Russia, in winter, the plant must be additionally illuminated with a fluorescent lamp, otherwise its leaves may fade. Tillandsia loves warmth at home, so it is necessary to keep the temperature between 22 ° C and 29 ° C in summer (at night about 16 ° C) and at least 18 ° C in winter (at night, too, 16 ° C). Tillandsia badly tolerates drafts, a strong decrease or a rise in temperature. For hardening it is not bad in the summer to take a pot of plant on a balcony or garden (remember that on the street the flower must be protected from rain).

Tillandsia: home care (watering, fertilizing, transplanting)

Watering the plant should be regular and sufficient. The soil in the pot should never dry up, but at the same time, do not overflow the plant. Remember that with stagnant water, the roots of Tillandsia can begin to rot and die. In winter, watering a few shorten, so that the earth fellow could dry out. Water for this use a soft, restrained. In general, Tillandsia loves high humidity, so you should periodically spray it with not very cold water.

Important: during flowering the plant is not recommended to spray. Some species of Tillandsia are watered by submerging the pot in a tray of water. Tillandsia, care at home for which is not very difficult, loves and compulsory additional fertilizing. We advise you to purchase a special fertilizer for orchids and make it twice a month. In winter, thillandsia is not fed.

Plant transplantation is carried out if necessary, when the flower growth slows down, its flowering stops, and the old pot becomes small. As a rule, the transplant is carried out once in several years. In order to transplant Tillandsia, a wide but not very deep container is selected, and it is filled with substrate from sphagnum moss, pine bark, peat, deciduous humus and fern roots. With proper and timely care in a city apartment will be wonderful to grow amazing Tillandsia. The flowering of this plant will be a long time to decorate and revitalize any room, making it more cozy.