Aechmea is one of the most militant indoor plants. The name of the flower has Greek roots and is translated as the tip of a spade. The pointed peduncles of echmea resemble a pike in appearance. An indoor flower looks like a warrior well prepared for battle. The wide leaves of Aechmea are densely covered with thorns, and even the flowers are protected by pointed bracts.
The inflorescences and flowers, amazing in structure, have different colors depending on the species: pink, coral, red-gold, red and blue. The flowering plant is indescribably beautiful!
Aechmea has about 180 species, distributed in central and south America. Its sessile flowers flaunt in compact, dense inflorescences - paniculate, capitate or spicate.
Aechmea is grown both in pots and in special baskets or on driftwood. This indoor flower is very popular.
If you want your homemade aechmea to bloom earlier, then place the plant in a transparent plastic bag for 1 to 2 weeks. Place a few ripe apples there. Just don't tie the bag too tightly. In just a month, echmea will delight you with long-awaited flowers.
A militant flower helps to become active and purposeful. Therefore, it is better not to place echmea in the bedroom. The most sensitive people may experience insomnia under the influence of this plant.
The best place for echmea is in the office, near the desk.
Aechmea care at home: watering, lighting, reproduction
This plant can be kept in a sunny place all year round. At a temperature not lower than +18 degrees. Water only with soft water. In summer, on hot days, the echmea is watered directly into the funnel of the leaves, but the water should not be there constantly, otherwise the leaves may rot.
Also, to maintain air humidity, the plant must be regularly sprayed with water.
Pour in a little settled water 1-2 times a week as it evaporates. Also, to maintain air humidity, a pot of echmea can be placed on a shallow tray with pebbles, in which the water will reach the base of the pot.
Accidental drying out of the soil will not cause any noticeable harm. However, prolonged drying is harmful.
In the fall, watering is reduced, and in winter it is watered quite rarely.
Aechmea is propagated by seeds and suckers. The last method is more popular. The young shoots are separated from their mothers in March. At this time, the children easily form roots. It is advisable to sprinkle the cut areas with charcoal powder.
The substrate for planting echmea is prepared from leafy, fibrous and peat soil, sand (2: 2: 2: 1). After a year, the grown warrior is transplanted into a substrate for adult plants.
If you love the sun and warmth, you will easily make friends with this unusual indoor flower, because it also does not tolerate bad weather.
Aechmea sparkling is common in indoor floriculture. It is not whimsical, its leaves are green above and reddish-purple below. It blooms sparkling with small red flowers in spring.
Striped echmea is probably the most common species. Its leaves reach 50 cm in length and 5 - 7 cm in width. Light green with wide transverse white and silver stripes or pink cannot leave any gardener indifferent.
The inflorescences of Aechmea sparkling are dense, reminiscent of a cone with many reddish-pink flowers.
There is a legend about a warrior who defeated many of his enemies with the help of his lance. His favorite plant was, of course, echmea, which he carefully kept at home. But one day robbers broke into his place and broke a pot with his favorite plant. After this, this warrior could not win a single battle.
Aechmea blooms for a long time - May...October. It's a pity, but each rosette blooms only once in its life. But don’t be upset because the beauty of the plant lies not only in the bright inflorescences. Aechmea leaves are very interesting, colorful in their own way due to their striping. In addition, the plant blooms again after some time thanks to the growing new children.
Home care for echmea after flowering
The closest relative of the plant, as strange as it may seem, is the pineapple. The new young rosette will grow and enlarge as it leaves, and over time it will cover the old rosette, which will gradually begin to see the opposite.
Since Aechmea is tropical, it accordingly loves warmth and loves spraying, but you should not get carried away with it in winter. Stagnant water in an outlet is the source of the appearance and reproduction of all diaphoretic microorganisms. This happens in nature. After the echmea fades, the season of continuous rainfall begins, that is, the water there is constantly renewed.
Likewise, at home, it is advisable to throw out old water and add new water. As for fertilizers, they are added exclusively to the root of the plant.
Aechmea sparkling and others, which are not particularly demanding of light, can grow well in a north window or under an artificial light lamp. Since it belongs to the plants of the lower tier of the tropical forest.
As for the transplant. This is not a difficult matter. You need to take a pot, pour more expanded clay on the bottom; high-quality drainage is important for echmea. We take the plant out of the old pot; the lower part of the earthen ball can be slightly shaken.
Then I will advise you to perform a ritual mixing of the old earth with the new. This will help any plant, including echmea, to “feel” the new soil and the flower will more likely stretch its roots into it.
We fill the pot with the transplanted echmea in a circle with this mixed soil. Then we return the green indoor warrior to its usual place.
Aechmea looks good both on its own and in composition with other indoor flowers. Florists even use special structures to make trees out of them.
Do you want to sleep less and get more done? Get yourself an echmea. This plant helps increase vitality, improves the physical power of the body, and improves tone. And the large, wide leaves of echmea can help their owner increase their well-being and improve their material sphere. If you suffer from absent-mindedness and indecision, be sure to buy yourself an echmea, and it doesn’t matter what variety. The energy of the flower has a beneficial effect on determination and helps fulfill desires and plans. Cheerfulness and a cheerful mood will never leave you again if a warlike echmea is nearby.
Types of echmea
- Striped or Fasciata is an unforgettable plant. With surprisingly pink bracts, and neatly peeping blue flowers. Photo.
- Aechmea sparkling is a charming red panicle with purple flowers. Photo
- Aechmea chantina (chantini) - bright red striped bracts, wide multi-colored striped leaves, as if they declare their readiness to repel any enemy. Looks great. Photo
Aechmea always looks decorative thanks to its unusual structure and beautiful leaves. And many people remember its flowering for a long time. Aechmea is also popular among gardeners because it is easy to care for at home.
Origin and appearance of the plant
Homeland - tropical forests of Central and South America. Aechmea is a representative of the bromeliad family (like pineapple, guzmania, etc.).
In nature, it prefers well-lit places in dry climates. At home she feels great and is easy to care for. Not only flowers, but also original leaves play a decorative role.
Blooming echmea is a very beautiful sight
Belt-like pointed leathery leaves with spines along the edges are collected in a rosette and, as a rule, are colored in a variegated, grayish-green or uniform dark green shade. The stems are short. When flowering, a thick pink peduncle appears from the middle of the rosette, which is much smaller in size than the bracts. After flowering, the rosette dies.
Aechmea leaves have thorns, its juice is poisonous. Causes inflammation upon contact with skin. Access to the plant by children and animals should be limited.
There are more than 170 species of echmea in nature, 10 of them are grown at home. The most popular among gardeners are the following types:
- Sparkling. The leaves are rounded at the end, their upper part is green, the lower part is reddish. The flowers are small and red.
- Striped (example fasciata). The tubular rosette is assembled from belt-shaped leaves. Complex inflorescence about 30 cm. Bracts pink. Offspring appear on creeping stems.
- Curved. The inflorescence is about 20 cm long, red. Blooms in April-May.
- Shaggy. The rosette is formed by densely collected leaves. The flowers are yellow and the bracts are red. Blooms in winter.
- Bearded (tailed). The flowers are golden, the bracts are red. The peduncle is covered with a white coating.
- Weilbach. Leaves up to 0.5 m in length. Blooms from March to August, sometimes in October.
Photo gallery: example fasciata, striped, curved and other types of echmea
Inflorescence of Aechmea curved - 20 cm in length 
Aechmea beardeda has golden-colored flowers. 
Aechmea Weilbach can please with flowering in autumn 
Striped echmea is one of the most popular plant species 
Aechmea shaggy blooms in winter 
The upper part of the leaves of Aechmea sparkling is green, the lower part is violet-red.
Conditions for echmea depending on the season
How to plant and replant at home
Aechmea needs to be replanted once a year - in the spring, after flowering. Faded rosettes are removed. For echmea you will need a shallow, wide pot, at the bottom of which you should put drainage (broken shards, expanded clay).
Soil: turf and leaf soil (2 parts each), sand and humus (1 part each) plus a little moss and charcoal. Soil for bromeliads is also suitable.
Care
Watering
Watering the echmea is carried out in two stages: first pour water into the outlet, then spill the soil.
Water for irrigation needs to be settled and warm.
There should be water in the outlet only in the warm season
Echmea favors moist, but not too damp soil. It needs to be watered when the top layer of soil has dried out. During the warm season, there should be water in the funnel. It should be changed every 2-3 days, removing the old one with a napkin. After flowering, as well as during the cold season, the rosette must be dry, otherwise rotting will begin. Watering the land in winter is also reduced to 1–2 times a month.
Top dressing
Feeding is carried out in the summer once every 20 days, in the fall - once a month, in the winter - once every 1.5 months. Use complex mineral fertilizers in liquid form, fertilizers for epiphytes (bromeliads or orchids) or regular fertilizers for flowering plants (in this case, the concentration should be half that specified in the instructions). The mixture should not fall into the plant outlet.
Flowering - how to make echmea bloom
Aechmea blooms from April to August. Some varieties bloom in winter (for example, shaggy aechmea). Under natural conditions, the plant is ready to flower at 4–5 years of age. This process can also be induced artificially. Methods:
- Place apples and oranges next to the pot, cover everything with film. The gas released by the fruit helps speed up the onset of flowering.
- Place a piece of calcium carbide into the funnel. It interacts with the water in the funnel, resulting in the release of the same gas - ethylene.
- Sometimes flowering causes a large difference in daily temperature.
After flowering, rosettes with peduncles should be unscrewed or cut out.
Rest period
The rest period in echmei is weakly expressed. However, in winter it is necessary to provide the plant with a low temperature (16 o C), reduce watering and fertilizing.
Table: why leaves turn yellow, dry, lighten - care errors and ways to eliminate them
| What's going on | Cause | Options for solving the problem |
| Doesn't bloom | care conditions are not met |
|
| the plant has not reached 4 years of age | Wait or stimulate flowering. | |
| The socket is rotting | overwatering |
|
| Root rot is detected | excess moisture, heavy soil | Replant the plant by cutting off damaged roots. |
| The leaves are brightening | excess sunlight | Move the pot to another place or shade the plant. |
| Brown spots will appear on the leaves | sunburn | |
| The tips of the leaves dry out | lack of moisture, dry air |
|
| Leaves turn yellow | the plant is affected by disease or pests | see below |
Disease and pest control - table
| Pests/diseases | How it manifests itself | Control measures |
| Spider mite | Small arthropods that entangle leaves with webs. Affected leaves turn yellow, fall off, and the plant loses vigor. |
|
| Shields | Small insects that look like dark plaques that leave sticky marks. When affected by scale insects, echmea is stunted in growth, the leaves turn yellow and dry out. |
|
| Mealybug | Small insects that damage the above-ground parts of plants. Colonies look like pieces of cotton wool. Aechmea affected by scale insects stops development. | |
| Root mealybug | Forms oviposition at the root collar, which leads to rotting of the roots. |
If the plant is severely damaged, it is almost impossible to save it. |
| Root rot | May develop due to waterlogged soil. The leaves turn yellow, darken, wither and fall off. |
If the roots have darkened and softened, then the plant cannot be saved. |
Photo gallery: diseases and pests of Aechmea
Reproduction
Aechmea can be propagated by children or seeds.
By shoots
Seeds
The soil should be loose with a predominance of peat.
Pay attention! When propagating echmea by seeds, varietal characteristics may not be preserved.
Aechmea is a charming indoor plant that is famous not only for its decorative leaves, but also for its strikingly beautiful flowers. The dense, bright inflorescence can be compared to fireworks or an amazing star. The plant belongs to the Bromeliad family, so you can only observe flowering once in its entire life. Its homeland is the tropical part of Latin America, where plants settle on the trunks of large trees and snags. At the same time, echmea is distinguished by its relatively simple character and vitality. It won't cause any unnecessary trouble, but will attract all the attention.
Description of the plant
Aechmea is a herbaceous perennial with long leathery leaves. In nature, the length of foliage can reach two meters, but indoor plants are smaller in size. The height ranges from 30-90 cm. On average, the leaves are 20-50 cm in length. The linear or belt-shaped leaf blade has finely toothed edges and a pointed or rounded end. The leaves form a round rosette at the base with a funnel in the center. On the surface of the dark green foliage there is a chaotic pattern of silver stripes and spots. Most often they are located transversely.
Aechmea is an epiphyte, so its root system is intended mainly for attachment to the trunk of another tree. The flower receives its main nutrition through the leaves. During growth, in addition to the main leaf rosette, side shoots are formed. Each shoot is capable of blooming. This usually happens after 3-4 years and ends with the death of the outlet.
During the flowering period, a large inflorescence blooms on a fleshy, dense peduncle. It may have a capitate or spicate shape. Small buds are visible among the long, bright, lanceolate-shaped bracts. One inflorescence can combine several shades of pink, purple, blue or lilac. Each inflorescence pleases the owner for several months. After pollination, the fruits ripen - small, juicy berries. Inside there are small oblong seeds.
Attention! Aechmea is poisonous, so you should never eat its fruits. Since the juice causes severe skin irritation, it is necessary to wear gloves when working with the plant, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Popular types
The genus Aechmea is quite diverse, it includes several dozen species.
Belt-like leathery foliage up to 60 cm long is collected in a high, dense funnel. The edges of the leaves gradually droop. The surface of the leaf plate is painted dark green, on which there is a silver marble pattern. Hard small teeth are visible along the edges. The inflorescence on an erect peduncle is 30 cm high. It has a pyramidal or capitate shape. Among the pink glossy bracts are small bluish-red flowers.
Copper-red sword-shaped leaves of linear shape form a symmetrical rosette. The length of a fairly wide leaf does not exceed 50 cm. It has smooth edges without thorns. The inflorescence on a reddish peduncle up to 35 cm long has a racemose shape. Large bracts fused at the base are painted scarlet, and between them small flowers with lilac-blue petals are visible.
The plant consists of light green narrow linear leaves that grow together into a wide funnel. The leaf length is 40 cm and the width is 1.5 cm. The edges of the leaves are densely covered with sharp spines. The capitate inflorescence on a fleshy peduncle reaches a height of 20 cm. It consists of salmon-red triangular bracts and pink flowers.
A spreading rosette of dense, belt-shaped leaves forms a beautiful cascade. The length of the leaf is 40 cm with a width of up to 6 cm. The surface of the leaves is dark green with silver longitudinal stripes. The racemose inflorescences consist of coral bracts and bluish-pink flowers.
Dense, shortened leaves grow in a circle in several tiers and form a high funnel. Long brown spines are visible along their lateral edges. The base of the spike-shaped inflorescence is covered with long scarlet bracts. The top consists of small pink-yellow flowers that practically do not open.
Reproduction of echmea
Aechmea is propagated by sowing seeds or rooting children. The young plant blooms at 3-4 years of age. Children or lateral shoots with small roots of their own are separated when they reach a third or half the height of the mother plant. They are planted in separate small pots in early spring. The cut areas on the baby and mother plant must be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Young seedlings quickly adapt to a new place and do not require special care. Do not rush to throw away the wilted mother plant. It is capable of producing lateral shoots several times. You just need to periodically moisten the soil and plant the babies as they appear.
Seeds are sown in shallow containers with sandy-peaty soil. You can also use crushed fern rhizomes as soil. The seeds are distributed on the surface and sprinkled with a small layer of soil. The soil is moistened and covered with film. The container must be kept at a temperature of +25°C. Seedlings are ventilated daily and sprayed generously. Crops should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Shoots appear within a month; they are grown in partial shade with high humidity. After 2-3 months, young plants are planted in separate pots with soil for Bromeliads. In the first year of life, seedlings need more careful care, warm maintenance and high humidity. The next transplant is carried out in the spring.
Landing rules
To prevent the rhizome of echmea from being affected by rot, it is recommended to annually replace the soil of the plant when replanting. The best time for this is the beginning of spring. There is no need for a deep pot for superficial rhizomes, but it is desirable that the container be wide enough. The pot and the soil in it serve not so much for nutrition as for fixing the vertical position.
The plant can be grown as a bush (mother plant with children). A large, dense bush has a special appeal. However, at least once every 2-3 years, division and transplantation must be done.
The soil for echmea should have high breathability and easily allow water to pass through. You should also give preference to fertile soils. You can buy special soil for planting echmea at a flower shop (soil mixture for Bromeliads) or make it yourself from the following components:
- river sand;
- sphagnum moss;
- deciduous soil;
- leaf humus;
- peat;
- turf land.
Features of care
Caring for echmea at home requires little effort. Many note that the flower is quite suitable for lazy gardeners. It is enough to create a favorable environment and abundant flowering along with dense spreading foliage is guaranteed.
Lighting. Echmea does not tolerate direct sunlight, but loves bright, diffused light. It is also permissible to grow it in partial shade. If the room's windows face north, there may be a lack of lighting, which must be compensated for with phytolamps. Lack of light manifests itself in changes in leaf color. They become faded and less expressive.
Temperature. The plant needs seasonal changes in temperature. If in summer it feels great at +25...+28°C, then in winter the echmea is transferred to a cooler room with a temperature of +16...+18°C. A stronger cold snap is detrimental to the flower. Ehmeya loves fresh air. Regular ventilation is necessary throughout the year, but the plant should not be placed in the path of drafts.
Humidity. Aechmeas live in tropical rain forests, so they require high air humidity. They can adapt to the natural humidity in the room, but near heating devices the leaves begin to dry out and turn yellow. To help the plant, it is regularly sprayed and also placed closer to fountains or trays with wet expanded clay.
Watering. In the warm season, frequent watering is necessary. The soil should always be slightly moist and a little water should be left in the center of the funnel. However, excessively wet soil is contraindicated. During watering, most of the water is poured into the leaf rosette, and the soil is only slightly moistened. The liquid should be thoroughly cleaned of impurities. Rainwater works great.
Fertilizer. In April-September, echmea is fed every 10-14 days with a solution of mineral fertilizer for Bromeliads. Typically, this composition contains half the concentration of nutrients than a standard complex for flowering plants. The feeding is divided into two parts. One is poured into the ground, and the other into a leaf rosette.
Diseases and pests. Aechmea is resistant to plant diseases, however, if overwatered or kept in a damp room, the roots, leaf rosette or base of the peduncle rot. The first sign of the disease is wrinkled and drooping leaves, as well as brown soft spots. It is rarely possible to save a sick plant. If possible, it is necessary to separate the children, treat them with a fungicide and plant them in separate pots with disinfected soil.
Aechmea is an epiphyte, that is, it can develop out of connection with the soil, on the trunks and branches of other plants.
Bromeliaceae family, native to Central and South America. The name comes from the tip of the pike, due to the jagged, spiny leaves and pointed bracts - "echmea" in Greek. The photo shows an exceptionally beautiful, ornamental plant: massive leaves, variegated, hard or leathery, rosettes collected in a funnel, come in deep uniform color and variegated, and the flowers bloom incredibly beautifully. The rosette produces a long and thick peduncle on which flowers of tropical beauty bloom. Aechmea comes in different shapes and colors, but always with bright, spiky bracts. The fruit appears as a berry after flowering. Aechmea blooms only once and after that the rosette dies. Like all epiphytes, it takes root well.
Types of echmea
Aechmea weilbachii - Ehmeya Weilbach- a rosette of long (up to fifty centimeters) linear-xiphoid leaves, soft and leathery, reddish-red with green, with a thickening copper color towards the base. The edges of the leaves are not spiny. The inflorescence consists of complex racemes located on a straight thick peduncle of heroic half-meter length. Bright red large bracts. Sessile flowers have lilac-blue petals with a white border. The entire length of the peduncle is dotted with dense pink-crimson bracts.
Aechmea distichantha - Aechmea two-row - with a loose rosette, belt-shaped narrow and long leaves, dark brown at the edges, with dense small spines, at the top - an oblong point. with bright red bracts. Its derivative form is Variegata, with stripes of creamy white color along the edges of the leaves.
Aechmea recurvata -Aechmea curved - Its rosette is made of linear leaves, fused into a tube, long and narrow, with strong small spines along the edges and smooth on top. The head of the inflorescence rises twenty centimeters above the leaves. Petals and bracts are red.
Aechmea comata - ehmeya shaggy - a rosette of dense, belt-shaped leaves up to a meter long, with fine teeth along the edges. The inflorescence is a white-tomentose spike, with red bracts. Blooms only in winter. Its variety is Makoyana - with leaves with creamy white stripes.
Aechmea miniata - Aechmea matte red - funnel rosette with thick tongue-shaped half-meter narrow leaves of light green, lilac underneath, with a narrow base and a short sharp tip, finely serrated and scaly. Red peduncle with a small pyramidal inflorescence. Amazing and bright pink fruits last a long time. Probably the hardiest echmea, caring for it at home brings the least difficulty.
Aechmea fasciata - uhstriped hop - From a tall tube-shaped rosette emerge belt-like leathery green leaves, narrow and long, densely covered with dark small teeth at the edges, with silvery-white longitudinal stripes on top, and at the ends with a large black spine. The peduncle is straight and scaly. The inflorescence is long, complex, with a pyramidal head and shiny pink inflorescences. Flowers with bluish petals, with felt sepals, and at the end of flowering the petals change color to blue-red.
Aechmea fulgens - uhsparkling hop - a loose rosette of pale green leaves with a touch of gray, belt-like and rounded, with sparse teeth along the edges. Coral-red, blue-tipped, numerous flowers with pink bracts. Its variety is Aechmea fulgens var. discolor - multi-colored echmea - the leaves are olive green above and lilac-red below, the inflorescence is racemose and highly branched with red petals.
Echmea - care at home
This plant is not one of the most capricious, but it also requires a special and loving approach, for which Aechmea will reward with magnificent flowering.
Lighting and temperature
But it should be shaded from direct sunlight. In summer, it is optimal to maintain a temperature of twenty degrees and above, and in winter, echmea likes it cooler - up to eighteen degrees, which is precisely when flower stalks form. There is practically no rest period in Aechmea. The Echmeya sparkling variety prefers a warmer wintering. And all Ekhmeys love differences in night and day temperatures - +16 at night, +27 during the day.
Humidity and watering
A rather hardy flower is the echmea. Care at home comes down to watering and spraying; the latter must be done daily in winter, when heating devices are heating around. And dry air, in principle, is tolerated normally by Aechmea. In spring and summer, the echmea needs to be watered abundantly with warm water (always warm and soft), but it should not stagnate in the pan.
You should first water directly into the outlet, and in spring and summer the water should stand straight in the leaves. If the air temperature is less than twenty degrees, this procedure is not necessary. By autumn, watering is reduced to a minimum; in winter, the rosette must be dry, otherwise the echmea will rot. Care at home includes, of course, the application of fertilizers. This is done in spring and summer - comprehensively, twice a month.
Transplantation and propagation
Aechmea needs to be replanted annually, removing all faded rosettes. The substrate is made up of two parts of leaf soil, two parts of peat and one part of sand. Special soil for bromeliads is sold. Aechmea reproduces by seeds and offspring - young shoots. When they grow to two-thirds the height of the mother plant, they are carefully separated along with the roots and planted in small pots. The seeds are sown in February in loose peat or sphagnum, covered with a thin layer of soil, and covered with glass (a jar) or a transparent bag. This is how the echmea will germinate. Caring for crops at home requires only maintaining humidity and heat - at least twenty-two degrees - and must also be protected from direct sunlight. Shoots usually appear after three months and are planted in separate pots. In a year, these will already be mature plants that will require both mature space and mature soil.
Growing in an apartment or house, striped echmea belongs to exotic plants that require the creation of necessary, but uncomplicated conditions. A feature of echmea is that after a single flowering the plant dies, so you should take care of its propagation in advance.
Houseplant echmea - description
An exotic, unusual plant that captivates with its asceticism, has the appearance of a rosette, which is formed by fleshy, elongated leaves. Different types of echmea have elongated, leathery leaf plates that differ in length and width, and also have spines (notches) along the edges. During the flowering process, a peduncle is formed in the rosette, which can have different shapes and colors, depending on the species, but for the most part the inflorescence is large and spectacular.
Flower growers often breed striped echmea; these flowers are the most beautiful representatives of this plant. Dark green leaves with silver stripes up to 50 cm long form a tube-shaped rosette. Over time, a peduncle with a capitate-pyramedal inflorescence appears from the middle, the color of the petals is first bluish, and towards the end of flowering - blue-red.
Echmea striped - home care
Caring for indoor Aechmea flowers is not difficult, but for comfort and the possibility of flowering, the following rules should be followed:
- Provide bright, diffused lighting, this will create the preconditions for flowering. It is best to keep echmea on window sills, excluding the northern and southern sides; protect the flower from drafts and hot rays of the sun.
- The plant does not tolerate heat, but loves warmth; in summer it grows beautifully at 20-27°C, in winter it is advisable to provide a room temperature of 17-18°C.
- Soil moisture should be regular, especially in spring and autumn; prolonged drought will destroy the plant. In summer, use soft, settled water to water the soil and add a little to the leaf rosette; in winter, this is not necessary.
- Create high humidity for the striped echmea by regularly spraying it with warm water or placing a container with a flower in a tray, at the bottom of which add pebbles, which you constantly moisten.
Soil for echmea
For comfortable growth and care of striped echmea, a special mixed substrate intended for growing orchids or bromeliads is suitable. For a composition prepared independently, use turf taken from the top layer of soil, universal purchased soil, humus from leaves, sand. You can use more exotic substrates, which include:
- humus, leaf soil;
- (shredded);
- chips of broken red brick;
- fir bark or any coniferous tree;
- crushed fern roots;
- charcoal.
Pot for striped echmea
A correctly selected pot for planting echmea should be a wide, small in height, stable container, similar to a bowl, since the root system, even of adult plants, is underdeveloped. It is laid out in a small layer at the bottom of the pot to prevent stagnation of water. Caring for an echmea plant requires periodic replanting; as the rosette grows, gradually increase the size of the pot.
Homemade echmea flower - watering rules
In the spring-autumn period, the soil should be moistened abundantly, but there should not be excess moisture. In cool winters, water if the soil on top dries out a little. Aechmea at home is watered with soft, settled, warm water, which should be poured into the outlet, but only for adult specimens (except in winter, otherwise the plant will begin to rot). There should not be moisture in the outlet all the time; the funnel should be thoroughly washed once a month. During intensive development, replace the water in the outlet with a special diluted fertilizer.
How to transplant striped echmea?
The prepared sterilized or fried soil is poured into a pot, lightly sprinkled with drainage in advance, filling it halfway. Near the very base of the flower, fold the leaves into a bunch and carefully pull out the plant; this will not be difficult, since the substrate is loose and the roots can be easily removed from it. Having placed the echmea in a container, sprinkle the roots with substrate, choosing a permanent place for the plant, shade it for two to three days.
Before transplanting echmea at home, disconnect the “babies” that have appeared on it from the mature plant, placing them in separate containers. In order for transplanted plants to adapt to new growing conditions, they should not be watered for the first three days. Flower growers recommend replanting echmena depending on the intensity of growth of rosette leaves and roots, but not very often.
What does it take for striped echmea to bloom?
Having become capricious, indoor echmea may not bloom, in this case, provide it with help. The pot with the plant should be placed in a transparent cellophane bag, covering it with halves of a cut, ripe apple or orange. Keep the plant in this position for 4-6 weeks, protecting it from the sun to prevent overheating. The fruits will release ethylene, which will serve as a hormone that can cause flowering, which can take place three to four months after manipulation.
Aechmea after flowering
Aechmea blooms at home from May to the end of October; the rosette can throw out a peduncle only once. After the flowering process, the plant has “babies”; the leaves will transfer energy to them, slowly withering. In order for the “babies” to grow and develop, remove the peduncle. Young shoots will appear between the leaves; cut off the shoots that have grown to a third of the mother echmea and plant them in separate containers. Experienced flower growers believe that after flowering, striped echmea does not die; daughter rosettes can still grow at its base for some time.
Aechmea does not bloom - what to do?
Only adult plants begin to bloom, this happens to them at approximately three years of age; the echmea at home must gain maturity, its rosette must reach the required size. The problem with flowering is often prosaic - the pot with the plant is located in an excessively dark place, there is no special, slightly acidic soil or good drainage, which is why the process of rotting begins. A good incentive for the flowering of striped echmea will be the temperature difference: summer and winter (within the limits necessary for echmea) and fertilizing.
Echmea striped - propagation at home
Reproduction of striped echmea occurs in two ways:
- Sockets. A well-developed, 15-18 cm “baby” is separated from the mother plant and planted separately.
- Seeds. They are collected from the plant at the time of its flowering and sown in the spring. For sowing, prepare well-moistened soil, place seeds in it, sprinkle with earth, cover with transparent film or glass (this will create a greenhouse effect).
Containers with future plants are installed in a warm place, well lit, but without direct sunlight. Three to four month old plants are picked, then each of them is planted separately. Using this method of propagation, the echmea will bloom after a 3-4 year period of maturation, delighting the gardener with exotic, unusually beautiful inflorescences.
Aechmea - propagation by shoots
Knowing how to properly plant an echmea flower with rosettes, and using this method, you will be able to admire the flowering plant already in the second year of growth. A well-developed, strong shoot (reaching 12-18 cm) is carefully separated from an adult flower and placed in a separate container, where drainage is prepared, light soil with the addition of peat. The preferred time for planting sprouts is early March; roots emerge easily in early spring.
A cut of the mother plant is treated with crushed charcoal or activated carbon and slightly dried. Cover the planted shoot with a transparent bag or glass jar and place the pot in a warm, well-lit place. Transplant a well-rooted plant into a large container, following standard care rules.
The exotic, incredibly beautiful flower Aechmea striped, which appeared in our country in the last decade of the twentieth century, quickly became popular, falling in love with both professional flower growers and amateurs. This flower, from the bromeliad family, is undemanding in care, easy to propagate, and the conditions for it are not difficult to provide. With proper care, it will delight you with long-lasting flowering and beauty.