The plant Bowiea is one of the many members of the hyacinth family. This bulbous plant naturally occurs in the desert territories of Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe. In nature, a favorite habitat is along river banks, under shrubs or trees.
Boviaja has many other interesting names. So it is often called sea cucumber or creeping onion, curly cucumber. It is worth remembering that for all the beauty of its appearance, this plant is very poisonous. Its juice contains glycosides, which are characterized by a strong cardiotonic effect.
In its kind, bovieya is represented by only one species - bovieya curly... This bulbous plant belongs to the herbaceous species. The bulb can reach about 30 cm in diameter, the root system is large and branched. The bulb itself is covered with scales that protect it from damage, light green in color. The shape is slightly flattened. The stems are creeping, they can twist randomly or hang down like an ampelous plant, long. The leaves are small and grow only in young specimens. At the end of the season, the leaves are replaced by peduncles. If you break the shoot, then at the place of the break you can see a slimy pulp, similar to the pulp of a cucumber.
The peduncle is quite long - about 3 m, its width is about 5 mm. The flowers are inconspicuous, white with a green-yellow tint.
The boviei is characterized by a long period of rest, which can last up to 6 months. At this time, the entire aboveground part of the plant dries up and dies off. Only the bulbs remain alive. The peduncle and shoots are of considerable length, therefore, when caring for the bovia at home, the plant definitely needs props.
Even under natural conditions, it was noted that each individual specimen of boviei has its own period of active growth and rest. When growing a plant at home, these periods change along with changes in temperature.
Boovia home care
Location and lighting
Bovieya needs bright diffused light. Direct sun exposure to the stems will lead to their death. Also, direct sunlight is harmful to the bulbs of the plant. Improper lighting will lead to a violation of the change in the periods of growth and dormancy of the plant.
Temperature
In spring and summer, the ambient temperature should not be in the range of 20-25 degrees. At higher rates, the boviea will stop growing and developing. In autumn and winter, it is kept at 10-15 degrees. In the cold season, the bovieya is in a dormant period, so watering is stopped completely. If you grow bovia in winter at temperatures from 18 to 22 degrees, then the dormant period for it will not come, the plant will not drop the aboveground part.
Air humidity
Bovieya tolerates dry indoor air well and does not need additional spraying or high humidity.
Watering
During the period of active growth and development, watering the boviei is carried out only when the soil in the pot is completely dry. In winter and autumn, when the plant sheds the aerial part, watering is stopped completely. In the spring, with the appearance of new young shoots and awakening, watering is resumed in small portions through the pan. When watering overhead, it is important to ensure that moisture does not get onto the bulbs.
The soil
The soil for planting boviei should be loose and well moisture and air permeable. The bulbs are buried in the ground by about a third. You can buy a mixture for planting or prepare it yourself from the ratio of 2 parts of leafy land, 1 part of sod land and 1 part of sand. In order to prevent the plant bulbs from rotting, a drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Bovieya is one of the plant species that does not need frequent feeding. It will be sufficient to apply fertilizers 2-3 times for the entire season of active growth. For this, a mineral universal complex fertilizer is suitable.
Transfer
Bovieja needs replanting only when the bulbs fill the pot completely. The new container should be much larger than its bulb.
Reproduction of boviei
There are several ways to reproduce boviei: seeds, babies and bulbous scales.
Seed propagation
Mature boviae seeds are black, smooth and shiny. Their length is about 2-4 mm. When choosing this method of reproduction, you need to take into account that the plant will grow very slowly. To plant seeds, you will need a small greenhouse with good lighting and bottom heating. The seeds are sown at the end of January. Before planting, the seeds must be held for about 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Soaked seeds are planted in wet sand, it is not worth deepening much (the layer of sand on top should not be larger than the diameter of the seeds).
Such a greenhouse must be regularly sprayed and ventilated. The temperature of its content is 20-22 degrees. The seedling from each seed is presented as one sprout. As the seed grows from its top, it should fall off on its own. If you remove it ahead of time, then the sprout will not have time to take all the nutrients from the seed. In this case, the plant will most likely die. The process of development of the sprout is as follows: first, the sprout itself develops, and when it reaches a height of about 12-15 cm, then the bulb begins to develop. The first flowering of a seed-grown bovie can be observed only in the second year of life.
Reproduction by children
The adult boviei bulb begins to divide as it grows. Daughter bulbs germinate under the mother scales, which can be successfully separated for further cultivation.
Propagation by bulbous scales
When boviei propagate with bulbous scales, they are separated from the adult bulb. Each flake is cut across into pieces about 3 cm wide. Then they must be dried at room temperature. Germinate the flakes in a damp plastic bag or placed on damp soil. After about a month, small bulbs appear, and after another 2 months they take root as an independent plant. The bulbous scales itself will dry out by that time.
Diseases and pests
Bovieya in indoor conditions is almost never affected by pests or diseases (fungal or viral). But with excessive watering, the plant will become vulnerable to damage from various rot. This is especially true of her bulbs.
Precautions
Any manipulation with the plant must be carried out in compliance with all precautions. Every part of the boviea, from the bulb to the leaves, is poisonous. The poison has a damaging effect on the cardiovascular system. In contact with the skin, it causes severe irritation. When a poison enters the body, a person has symptoms such as vomiting and nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The pulse slows down.Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, it is so important to immediately consult a doctor and name the cause of the poisoning. It is forbidden to work with the plant without using gloves!
