Tillandsia is a prominent representative of bromeliads and belongs to perennial herbaceous plants. In nature, it is found mainly in the southern United States and in Chile. The wide species diversity of Tillandsia allows it to grow in a wide variety of climatic conditions - it is found both in mountainous areas and in semi-deserts and savannas. Adapted to such variable weather events, the plant acquired different species characteristics.
Description of tillandsia
Some plant varieties may have a hard stem, others may not. Depending on this, terrestrial or epiphytic species of tillandsia are distinguished. Suspended varieties of this plant have oblong narrow leaves 25 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide. Foliage can vary in color from gray to green. Rosettes of green tillandsias are formed by flat leaves with scales. Some species have a smooth leaf plate that can be up to 40 centimeters long. The bright pink bracts of tillandsia form a large, spike-like inflorescence. At home in a pot, a plant can live no more than five years.
Tillandsia care at home
Most of the bromeliad family does not require scrupulous care, tillandsia is no exception. The plant will grow well and look healthy even with the most basic care rules.
Lighting
It is important to remember that this houseplant does not tolerate direct sun, therefore it must be shaded from its hot rays, especially in summer. The intense heat is also detrimental to her. Although the plant requires bright, diffused light throughout the year.
Important! Tillandsia epiphytes require even more significant darkening.
Temperature
The temperature regime of the content is the same for all types of tillandsia. In the summertime, it fluctuates between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. It will not be superfluous to keep a flower outside in summer in a not hot place. The lower temperature threshold that Tillandsia can withstand is 18 degrees. Therefore, hypothermia of this bromeliad flower should not be allowed in winter.
Watering
A huge need for moisture in an indoor flower is observed in the summer: the soil in the pot must be constantly moist. Moreover, water can even be poured into the outlets themselves. The same goes for spraying. It should be regular and abundant. The winter watering regime is somewhat different from the summer one. The topsoil should dry out before watering again. In winter, the flower is watered and sprayed with soft and heated water.
As you know, pendant tillandsias lack roots, so they capture nutrients from the surrounding air.Therefore, such species need even more regular spraying of the leaves and air around. A full shower of warm water will also benefit the atmospheric beers.
Air humidity
Anita subspecies does not need such abundant spraying as, for example, epiphytes of this family, for which moisture is the main factor in the absorption of nutrients. Due to such a high demand for high humidity, hanging tillandsias do well in special florariums. In contrast, Anita's tillandsia pot can be simply placed on damp pebbles or moss.
The soil
Prepared soil can be purchased at any flower shop. Orchid mix is best for tillandsia. For self-preparation of suitable soil, take one piece of leafy soil, peat, sphagnum moss and mix it with the addition of crushed charcoal.
Top dressing and fertilizers
The fertilization regimen for tillandsia is in many ways similar to that of orchids. Every two weeks of summer, the foliage of the plant should be sprayed with a complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants in a concentration reduced by half. It is better for them not to water the soil, so as not to damage the weak root system.
Tillandsia transplant
After the flowering period, the adult plant dies off, so it does not need to be transplanted into new soil. Transplanting is required only once if the flower was purchased in a store. Then the store soil in which it was for sale is replaced with a more fertile composition. The pot is chosen corresponding to the root system, that is, not deep, but wide enough. It is not recommended to water Tillandsia after planting for the first 7 days.
Reproduction of tillandsia
At home, you can get a new young tillandsia plant from children or from seeds. The first method is the most common and easy to use, since more time and effort will have to be spent with seeds.
Reproduction by children
Side shoots of tillandsia are often called babies. They begin to appear vigorously when the mother plant blooms. To preserve the flower, after it has bloomed, you need to plant separately young ten-centimeter shoots, which have roots. The mixture for them is prepared by mixing peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio. It takes about 2-3 months for such a baby to fully root and strengthen, after which the shoot can be transplanted into a permanent pot with soil mixture for orchids. The process can be simplified if the maternal tillandsia has one daughter shoot - the old plant is simply removed, leaving the baby to grow in the same soil. Anita's tillandsia planted in this way will start flowering in 2 years.
Tillandsia epiphytes reproduce even easier - by dividing into bundles. The parts collected in this way are inserted into the prepared supports with wet moss, where they can continue their growth.
Seed propagation
Tillandsia seeds can be harvested by yourself or purchased from a store. The germination container should contain a mixture of peat and sand, which must be well watered before sowing. The seeds do not need to be sprinkled, they are simply spread evenly over the surface. The entire container is placed in a bright place and covered with transparent film or glass. The seed temperature should not deviate much from 25 degrees. After planting, the shoots will sprout in 4 weeks, and such a plant will bloom in 5 years.
Tillandsia care during the flowering period
Anita's tillandsia usually has a flower in summer. However, various factors can influence this process, and flower stalks can begin to form at any time of the year. The bright inflorescence of the bracts appears first, followed by small bluish flowers. This entire period lasts about two months. After that, the faded parts should be removed in the same way as the old foliage.
You can stimulate the appearance of flowers by spraying the plant with a preparation from Zircon on a weekly basis. This is done if Tillandsia Anita does not flower for a long time.
Diseases and pests
A healthy plant is usually not prone to infestation with scale insects and mealybugs. Pests can appear in a flower that is weakened by transplantation or errors in care. To save tillancy, all parts of it must be washed with soap and water, dried and applied with insecticides.
Fungicides are used to treat a flower when a fungus has overcome it. This disease is also a consequence of non-observance of the correct conditions for keeping tillandsia.
Indoor tillandsia cannot be called a whimsical plant, but for its healthy growth and development, minimum requirements must be observed, taking into account the flower's needs for lighting, moisture and nutrients. Only then will she delight the eye with her exotic beauty for a long time.
Popular types of tillandsia
In nature, there are about 400 species of this plant. Only a few of them can be grown as a pot culture. Epiphytic plants are distinguished by the absence of roots, therefore, for their successful cultivation, stands made of wood, plastic or metal are enough. Watering in this case is replaced by regular spraying. Despite the fact that green tillandsias also have a poorly developed root system, they grow in the ground like ordinary houseplants. Of particular value in such species are bright spike-shaped inflorescences.
Tillandsia Anita
Perhaps the most popular variety of this plant. Bred as a Tallandsia blue hybrid, Anita is very decorative in appearance. Its scaly leaves are narrow and spiky. They form a rosette, in the center of which, on a short stem, there is a blue flower surrounded by pink or lilac bracts. Despite the fact that the flower fades quickly, its bracts remain bright for a long time, gradually turning green.
Tillandsia usneiform
Of the epiphytic tillandsia varieties, this one can most often be found in home premises. The leaves of this plant are in the form of threads, with scales and are gray in color, their length is about 5 centimeters. They hang down in a cascade, so it is convenient to grow them on stands. In such conditions, the leaves can be up to 1 meter in length. In the people of Tillandsia, Usneiform is called Spanish moss or Old Man's Beard. It blooms in the warm season, but its flowers do not have much appeal due to the faded yellowish or bluish color.
Tillandsia tricolor
The plant belongs to the green varieties. A dense rosette of Tillandsia tricolor is formed by thin twenty centimeter scaly leaves, rather narrow and pointed. The long stems of the peduncles are erect. On them are spikelets of inflorescences, sometimes even several of these spikelets. This flower got its name "tricolor" due to its multi-colored leathery sepals, which form a red-yellow-green inflorescence. The tillandsia flower itself is located on a long stem of 7 centimeters, has petals painted in purple. The plant blooms in the summer.
Tillandsia Flabellata
The rosette of this tillandsia resembles a three-color tillandsia rosette. The main decorative value in it is represented by bright orange-red bracts with an unusual tubular shape.
