Bomarea (Bomarea) - charming and unusually beautiful climbing herbaceous or semi-shrub vines from the Alstroemeria family. The plant is quite tall and can reach a height of two to five meters or more. There are more than 120 different types of this flower. South America is considered to be the homeland of the Bomarei.
Gardeners are very fond of the flower for its original beauty and variety of species, thanks to this, everyone can choose a flower that is more suitable for themselves in terms of size, color and duration of the flowering period. But in order to grow a healthy, strong and beautifully flowering plant, you must follow a number of certain rules when planting, caring for and growing bomarea. It is about these rules that will be discussed in more detail in this article.
Bomareya flower description
Bomarea can be both tuberous and rhizomatous, it easily wraps around anything. The leaves have an oblong shape and a smooth surface, sometimes with a slight edge. Bomarea leaves have one feature, the leaves are wrapped around the stem so that the upper part of the leaf is on the bottom, and the bottom is on top. The flowering period of Bomarea is quite long, it begins in May and lasts until the very end of summer, and sometimes until mid-autumn. The flowers are tubular in shape and look a little like elongated bells, which are collected in large inflorescences, consisting of about 50-100 buds. The color scheme is varied, flowers can be yellow, red and orange, and some combine all these colors at once. Some plant species are used for food and have medicinal properties.
Growing bomarea from seeds
Sowing seeds
The most suitable time for planting bomarea seeds for seedlings is the beginning of February. As a soil, you can use purchased soil, which is designed specifically for planting flower seedlings. It is imperative to place a drainage layer at the bottom of the boxes; river pebbles or expanded clay are perfect for this. It is not necessary to deepen the seeds much during planting, it is enough to scatter them on the soil surface and press down a little, or sprinkle them with a thin layer of soil.
Seedlings of bomarea
After planting, spray the topsoil and cover the seed boxes with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. Every day it is necessary to open the boxes and let them ventilate for 10 minutes and remove the condensation that collects on the film. You also need to regularly and carefully spray the soil, preventing the top layer from drying out. When the third leaf appears on the seedlings, the plants need to be planted in different pots, this will enable the flower to grow faster and feel much more comfortable. Bomarea can be left as an indoor plant or planted in the garden. And in the first and second case, the flower will grow and bloom well.
Planting bomarea in open ground
It is possible to plant seedlings of bomarea in open ground in late April-early May, when the soil has already warmed up enough, and the frost will probably not return. Before planting, you need to dig a hole, at the bottom of which a drainage layer of river pebbles or expanded clay must be placed. Also, before planting, it is necessary to apply top dressing; as organic fertilizers, a solution of compost, chicken droppings or rotted manure is perfect. It is necessary to plant seedlings together with an earthen lump, this will help the plant to settle down more easily in a new place, survive a transplant to a new place and start growing faster. After planting, be sure to water the soil abundantly.
Caring for bomarea in the garden
Location
In order for the plant to grow and develop well, it is necessary to find the right place for planting it. It is best to choose an area where there is enough sunlight and there are no drafts and gusts of strong winds. And also the place should be on a hill so that the roots of the bomarea do not suffer from waterlogging of the soil and stagnant water. As for the soil, it must be fertile and loose enough so that oxygen can easily penetrate through it to the roots and saturate them. Loamy soil is perfect for planting bomarea.
Watering
Abundant watering is necessary during the period of rooting and active growth of the plant; at least ten liters of water should go to one bush. When Beaumarea blooms, then watering should be reduced and the plant should be watered with the same amount of water, but much less often. It is enough to water once every 2 weeks. It is worth remembering that the plant does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil and stagnant water. After each watering, it is imperative to loosen the soil around the plant, but do this with extreme caution so as not to damage the roots of the flower. It is necessary to remove weeds around the vines as needed, preventing harmful plants from interfering with the vines to actively grow and develop correctly.
Bomarea definitely needs support, as it is a climbing plant.
Top dressing and fertilizers
As an organic fertilizer for bomarea, a solution of cow dung or chicken manure is perfect. Balanced mineral fertilizer complexes that are specially designed for flowering plants are also perfect. It will not be difficult to buy them, they are sold in almost every store for summer residents and gardeners. It is necessary to feed the plant once every 2 weeks.
Wintering bomarea
Bomarea is a fairly cold-resistant plant. It can withstand temperatures up to 5 degrees below zero. In warm edges, vines can be left in the garden for the winter. To do this, you must carefully cut the plant at the root after it stops flowering and the inflorescences and leaves begin to dry out. After pruning, you need to cover the area where the roots of the bomarea remained with peat, sawdust, hay or dry leaves.
If bomarea is grown in regions with harsh and cold winters, then it is best not to risk it and transplant the plant into a pot for the winter. It is necessary to carefully dig out the roots of the bomarea and, together with the earthy clod, transplant them into a box filled with sawdust and sand. Place the box in a dark and cool room. Spraying of the soil should be done occasionally.
If the bomarea grew as a potted flower in the garden, then everything is quite simple, you need to carefully cut the vines and transfer them to a dark place, in this case, a transplant is not required.
Reproduction of bomarea
In addition to growing from seeds, bomarea can be propagated vegetatively - by dividing the bush. To do this, it is necessary to divide an adult bomarea plant into several parts, while each part must have a full-fledged rhizome (tubers) and a growth point. The part separated from the adult plant must be planted in a nutritious soil suitable for rooting. It is important to observe abundant watering and timely feeding.
Diseases and pests
Bomarea is extremely rarely attacked by harmful insects and damaged by various diseases. But if you do not follow the rules of agricultural technology, it may happen that the plant gets sick or pests appear on it.
Due to non-observance of the rules for watering the liana, it may begin to dry out, the flowers will become much smaller, become much dimmer and less attractive, and the plant itself will lose its healthy appearance, or, on the contrary, the root system will begin to rot from waterlogging, and this can lead to the death of the entire plant ... Therefore, it is imperative to regulate the watering of the bomarea and help the plant to recover.
As for pests, they love to feast on bomarea: aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. If traces of the presence of harmful insects appear on the plant, then you must immediately begin to fight them. To do this, you should carefully treat the plant with a solution of special insecticides several times with an interval of ten days. Review and eliminate mistakes in the care of vines.
Types and varieties of bomarea
There are more than 120 types of bomarea. The most popular of them will be described in more detail below.
Bomarea edible -sufficiently cold-resistant flower, can withstand negative temperatures up to 5 degrees. Tubers of this species are used for food, hence the name for this species. The plant can reach a height of more than three meters. The leaves are quite long (up to 15 cm), oblong and bright green in color.
Bell-shaped flowers. They can have a shade from yellow to burgundy. Inside the flower, the shade is slightly softer and softer than the outside.
Bomarea multiflora - vine shoots reach a length of almost four meters. The leaves are oblong, smooth on top, and covered with a small grayish fluff below. The color of the leaves is dark green, sometimes even brown. Bomarea inflorescences look like a ball, consisting of many flowers of the same shape. The color of the flowers can be yellow and orange, as well as with red blotches.
Bomarea caldasa - this type of vine is perennial. Shoots can be more than five meters long. Stems and leaves are greenish-gray. The flowers are quite large (more than 6 cm in diameter), they can be either yellow or red, orange, in the inner part of the flower there are large burgundy spots.
Bomarea Pardina -this species is quite unusual and very interesting. The flowers are large at the base of bright red or pink color, and at the tips are gray with many small black specks. Thanks to this color, this type of bomarea is considered the most original.
Bomarea in landscape design
Most often, vines are used for vertical garden decoration, as it perfectly wraps around arches, gazebos and other decorations, and structures in the garden. Bomarea not only plants the garden, but also decorates it with its large, unusually beautiful and original flowers. Thanks to the climbing liana, the garden becomes quite unusual and the place has its own unique zest.
If you follow all the rules for planting, growing and caring for a bomarea, you can grow an extraordinary vine with original and unique flowers, which will become a real decoration of the entire garden.
