Billbergia drooping care at home. Billbergia - growing and care at home, photos of species. Pot for Billbergia

Billbergia drooping is the most common indoor plant of all varieties of Billbergia, which has received the popular nickname “Queen’s tear”. How to grow such a beauty on your windowsill, features of care and maintenance, as well as methods of propagation and pest control of the plant - more about this in the article.

Characteristics of the flower

Billbergia is a member of the Bromeliad family - plants that inhabit mainly the tropics and subtropical zones of West Africa. This family contains more than 2000 plant species, characteristic feature which are thick, fleshy leaves and a well-developed root system.

Among the varieties of Billbergia there are the following:


Unlike other Bromeliads, the plant has long, narrowed leaves at the top - they are similar in appearance to cereals. The leaf itself is covered with small roughness or scales, and along the edge there is a row of pointed teeth. It is noteworthy that billbergia does not have a stem - the leaves grow directly from the root.

A characteristic feature of the flower is the ability to change the color of the leaves depending on the lighting - in the dark they are dark, rich green, and in the light they have a pink-bronze tint. This perennial evergreen plant blooms with bright, pink-scarlet inflorescences, which are set off by yellow-green panicles.
The flowers are collected in twisted, spiral-shaped drooping spikes - this feature determined the name of the plant. The flowering time of Billbergia drooping occurs in winter, so it looks especially beautiful against the backdrop of traditional plants that bloom in summer.

Did you know? Billbergia has unique property- it releases special volatile substances that perfectly saturate and ionize the air. In addition, it can absorb noise or loud sounds. In the practice of Feng Shui, the plant symbolizes spirituality and life wisdom - this is facilitated by the ability of Billbergia to create a comfortable atmosphere around itself.

However, among this plant there are species that bloom only in summer - for example, green-flowered and pyramidal billbergia. The fruit of the flower is berries. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm, and the peduncle itself can grow up to 80 cm.

Content Features

Billbergia, despite its exotic origin, is an unpretentious and undemanding plant - it adapts perfectly to temperate climate. At the same time, it is distinguished by its endurance and good health - this flower is rarely susceptible to disease.

However, the plant needs a comfortable temperature, fertilizing and appropriate watering - untimely or poor quality care can lead to death.

Air temperature and humidity

Basic rule of optimal temperature regime- this is to avoid sudden temperature changes. A rapid change in temperature by more than 12–14 °C causes a state of shock: the leaves wither, curl strongly and may fall off.
Billbergia feels most comfortable at a temperature of 17–22 °C, and at lower temperatures (14–15 °C), the plant blooms faster.

However, if you constantly keep a flower in the cold or in a draft, you can greatly weaken the plant’s immunity, and this potentially threatens the appearance of diseases. It is also not recommended to exceed the temperature above 26–28 °C: with insufficient watering, Billbergia can easily die in the heat.

Lighting

A huge advantage of Billbergia is the ability to adapt to insufficient and scarce light, despite the fact that the flower is very light-loving by nature. But even if your windows face north, and the house is in twilight most of the day, the plant will calmly tolerate such a lack of light.
However, it is better to provide the flower with diffused natural sunlight: when Billbergia is bathed in sunlight, its leaves acquire a more saturated shade. On sunny summer days, you can take the flower out into the open air: this will speed up the formation of young rosettes in those species that bloom in summer. It is important to ensure that the flower is not exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.

Watering and spraying

Waterlogging of the soil, as well as excessive dryness, can be detrimental to Billbergia - the plant prefers soil average humidity. Billbergia should be watered no more than once every 5–6 days, provided that the top layer of soil has dried out at least 3–4 cm.

It is best to use root watering combined with spraying: in dry summer weather, you can spray the flower up to 5 times a day. IN winter time Watering is carried out less frequently, but not more than once every 10 days.
If during watering it forms excess water in the pan, it must be drained: otherwise, the roots may begin to rot. During the flowering period, the top layer of soil in the pot can be covered with moss or moistened expanded clay: this will help retain moisture in the soil and better saturate the entire flower.

Important! When watering and spraying Billbergia, do not allow water to stagnate in the funnel-shaped leaves of the plant - otherwise, in a draft or cold air temperature, this window sill resident will catch a cold.

Top dressing

Billbergia needs additional fertilizer only during the growing season. They feed it with special soluble fertilizers intended for bromeliad species. You can also use regular fertilizer, but the dose must be halved. Fertilizer is applied once every 15–20 days; the entire feeding period usually takes 2–2.5 months.

Transfer

This tropical beauty does not need regular replanting: only when the flower has grown too large does it need to be moved to a larger pot. It is best to choose not deep, but wide pots or flowerpots.

A new pot is lined with a special substrate: a mixture of humus, river sand, leaf peat and soil. The prepared soil is well moistened (at this stage you can add fertilizer), and the plant is replanted.

Breeding Billbergia

There are several ways to propagate Billbergia: each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

From seeds

The most troublesome method of flower propagation. Fresh rather than dried seeds are best suited for this method. The collected seeds are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and slightly dried. Then special containers are prepared: a mixture of wet river sand and peat is placed in them.

Prepared seeds are planted in moist soil (they need to be pressed to a depth of 1 cm). The top of the boxes is covered with glass or a transparent bag to achieve a greenhouse effect. These small greenhouses are placed in a dark, warm place (with a temperature of at least 24 ° C) for 5–6 weeks - until the first shoots appear.

At the same time, it is very important to constantly maintain moisture and not allow the soil to dry out: to do this, the bag or glass must be periodically removed and the soil well sprayed.
Propagation of bilgeria using seeds is extremely rare - if you make a mistake at any stage of such propagation, you will not be able to grow a flower, you will have to wait another year until the next flowering of the plant.

Lateral processes

A great way to get a full-fledged large plant without a long wait. In fact, the main plant is simply divided: the side shoots (they are also called “babies”) are simply planted in another container.
This method is convenient because Billbergia produces a fairly large amount of such planting material, and from one flower you can get over a dozen new ones.

The “babies”, along with the roots, are transplanted into small pots with prepared, moistened soil (it is important to provide the young shoots with a sufficient amount of sunlight). Young billbergia can bloom already 2 years after planting.

Leaf cuttings

This method is also called “division” - the main flower is divided into parts. It is better to use a large leaf cutting, at least 20 cm: such a leaf will have enough strength and energy to take root in a new place. The cuttings must be rooted in prepared moist soil (a mixture of peat and coarse sand).

To do this, it is planted in a small pot with soil and covered on top with a transparent bag, cap or glass container. Next, the cutting is placed in a warm (at least 24 ° C) place with regular access to sunlight. If you maintain the correct level of humidity (you need to spray the cuttings every 3-4 days), the first roots will appear within a month.

Pests, diseases and measures to combat them

The main flower pests are:


If a fungus appears on the leaves (this often happens after an aphid invasion), the affected leaves must be removed completely, and for uninfected ones, treated with a soap solution.

Among the most common diseases of Billbergia are the following:

  1. The appearance of brown spots. Most often this is the result of sunburn - in this case, the plant must be urgently removed from direct sunlight, sprayed with warm water and placed in a cooler place (the temperature difference in this case should not be more than 5–6 °C!)
  2. Darkening of the tips of the leaf (the ends become brown or brown). This is a signal that water is stagnating in the twisted funnels of the leaf, or that it is being watered with too hard water: use softer water, and after spraying, wipe excess moisture from the leaves with a soft cloth.
  3. Withering leaves, slow growth. Indicates a lack of sunlight: move the plant outdoors (in summer) or use additional artificial lighting (in winter).
  4. Plant rotting. A serious illness that threatens the death of Billbergia. In this case, an urgent emergency transplant into a new pot with optimal soil is necessary (the humidity of the new substrate should not be more than 50%).

To avoid the spread of the disease, carefully inspect the flower every week: check the elasticity and uniformity of leaf color, remove dry leaves if necessary, do not forget to apply fertilizer and control the level of soil moisture.

Important! Rotting or drying out of a flower rosette after flowering is a natural process - this is not considered an illness and does not signal that the plant is getting sick.

Why does billbergia not bloom at home?

The main reason that Billbergia stubbornly refuses to bloom is the lack of moisture and light. With regular spraying in the summer and keeping the flower in diffused light, problems with flowering do not arise. However, if the billbergia still does not bloom, you can try this method: put a cut apple on the soil of the pot, and put a transparent thin bag on the flower itself.
When a greenhouse climate is created, the apple begins to release ethylene, a substance that accelerates the flowering process of all representatives of the bromeliad family (the same method is used to speed up the flowering of pineapple). You can also find flowering Billbergia on your windowsill by propagating the main plant by cuttings: a small plant grown in this way can bloom within a year.

Did you know? Plants of the bromeliad family were discovered by Columbus back in the Age of Discovery. Only three centuries later, in 1815, Billbergia primramidalis was described in detail in English botany as a prominent representative of the bromeliads. This work has several volumes\ and today is included in the ranks of the golden fund of works devoted to botany.

Another possible reason for the lack of flowers on a tropical beauty is insufficient soil mineralization. In this case, it is necessary to transplant the billbergia into another pot with new, fertilized and well-moistened soil.
Billbergia is an unusual indoor plant, which, thanks to its bright appearance, can become a decoration for your flower garden. Maintaining optimal temperature conditions, humidity and light levels, as well as timely care will allow you to enjoy the beauty of this tropical guest for many years.

1. Growing temperature: summer - 18 - 27° C, autumn and winter - 16 - 24° C.
2. Lighting: a well-lit place with shade from direct sunlight.
3. Watering and air humidity: in spring and summer, watering should be plentiful and regular, in winter months The frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the temperature; air humidity should be increased in the warm months.
4. Trimming: Mainly sanitary - remove old yellowed leaves to maintain an attractive appearance.
5. Priming: must have an acidic pH, a loose porous and nutritious substrate is suitable.
6. Top dressing: in warm months we feed it every 2 weeks with mineral fertilizers.
7. Reproduction: daughter plants that sometimes appear around the mother plant, sowing seeds in the spring.

Botanical name: Billbergia.

Family. Bromeliads.

Billbergia plant - origin. Argentina, Brazil.

Description.Billbergia is one of the easiest epiphytic plants to cultivate. It has a small root system, which is mainly used for planting on tree trunks, the plant absorbs water and nutrients through the leaves. The leaves are hard, leathery, dark green, up to 38 cm long, collected in a rosette. Often the edges of the leaf blade have teeth. As the leaves grow, they gracefully bend in all directions, and the plant acquires a very elegant appearance. Only mature plants bloom in spring. The flowers come in a wide variety of shades - from pink and purple to yellow or greenish, and are surrounded by bright pink bracts.

Height. 60 - 80 cm.

2.Caring for Billbergia at home

2.1.When it blooms

Most plants bloom without additional stimulation in late March or early April. Flowering lasts 6 - 8 weeks. Plants bloom for the first time at the age of 2 - 3 years.

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2.2.Soil for billbergia

A mixture for orchids with the addition of perlite and pine bark is suitable.

2.3.Reproduction

After flowering, you can separate the side shoots, which are at least 15 cm high, and place them in a new pot, where they will take root within a few weeks. Seeds.

2.4.How to care

Billbergias are unpretentious indoor plants, but they also require certain knowledge. The plant can be further stimulated to flower using magnesium sulfate added to water or fertilizer. You can put a ripe apple in a pot and keep the plant under a plastic bag for a week or two. At the same time, a gas is formed inside, which encourages the billbergia to bloom. Try to take Billbergia outside in the warm season, taking care of shelter from wind and rain.

2.5.Water Billbergia

Billbergia gets most of its moisture from the air and directly from the leaves and flowers. During the summer months, leaves, flowers and roots should be watered daily. During the dormant period, water fairly moderately. Softened water in summer room temperature may be located in the center of the outlet.

2.6.How to replant

Young plants are replanted every year. Never replant a plant while it is flowering.

2.7.Growing temperature

This plant is demanding when it comes to temperature. Temperature conditions should vary depending on the time of year. In summer, the optimal temperature is 18 - 27º C. In autumn, winter and cool weather spring months, the plant requires 16 - 24º C. During cold winters, it tolerates 4º C, but prolonged exposure to low temperatures will affect flowering next year.

2.8.Lighting

Bright, reflected light. When kept outdoors in the warm season, place the plant in partial shade. If exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves may become sunburned.


2.9.Feeding

2 times a month in spring and summer with balanced liquid fertilizer in half dosage. In the autumn - winter period - monthly. Use fertilizer sprays as plants absorb nutrients through their leaves.

2.10.Spraying

Moderate. Browning leaf tips indicate dry air. Spray the plant from time to time.


2.11.Pests and diseases of Billbergia

How to make Billbergia bloom? If the billbergia does not bloom, it may be due to lack of light - move it to a brighter room. The leaves turn red when exposed to direct sunlight. If there is insufficient air humidity, the tips of the leaves dry out and turn brown.

Among the harmful insects, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scale insects, and aphids can pose a certain danger.

Insects - pests

Insect name Signs of infection Control measures
or felt The surface of the leaves and shoots is covered with a fluffy, cotton-like white coating. Plants lag behind in development Folk remedies : spraying with soap and alcohol solution. Infusions of tobacco, garlic, cyclamen tubers, alcohol treatments, and pharmacy tincture of calendula have worked well. Chemicals: green soap solution, Actellik, Fitoverm.
Inconspicuous cobwebs on the leaves, yellowing and falling leaves with extensive damage. The surface of the leaf plates becomes dead and covered with small cracks. Plant development slows down. Traditional methods. Plants can be washed in the shower and left in the bathroom in a humid atmosphere for half an hour. Irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp every week for 2 minutes. Chemicals based on pyrethrum, sulfur powders, Fitoverm, Actellik.
Sticky droplets appear on the leaf blades, the leaf blades curl and become deformed, tender buds and young leaves wither. Colonies of insects can be seen on the tips of shoots, buds or the underside of leaf blades. The flowers of plants affected by aphids may become deformed. Traditional methods: infusion of nettle, decoction of rhubarb leaves, wormwood, soap solution, infusion of tobacco and dandelion, onion, marigold, yarrow, tansy, dusting with wood ash. Chemicals: Sulfur powders, treatment of green mass with green potassium soap without getting into the ground, Decis, Actellik, Fitoverm.
The appearance of yellow spots on the leaf blades; small brown dots can be observed on the underside of the leaves. When pests spread, they cause leaves to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. Traditional methods. Increase air humidity, wipe the surface of the leaves with a soap solution to reduce the number of pests. Preparations based on pyrethrum - 2-fold treatment with an interval of 7 - 10 days, spraying with tobacco infusion, infusion of yarrow or Persian chamomile, decoction of cyclamen tubers. Chemicals: dusting with sulfur powders, using anabasine sulfate in a soap solution.
Scale insect and false scale insect Sticky droplets on the leaves, small yellow spots on the surface of the leaf blades. When scale insects become widespread, they cause leaves to dry out and fall off. Flowers slow down their development Folk methods of struggle. Spraying with soap and alcohol solution. Scale insect larvae do not like garlic infusion; they also use pyrethrum-based products. Chemicals. Fitoverm, Aktellik, Fufanon.





Billbergia (lat. Billbergia)- a genus of evergreen herbaceous epiphytes of the Bromeliad family, which are distributed mainly in Brazil, but are also found in Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and other countries of South and Central America. The genus was named in 1821 by Carl Thunberg in honor of the Swedish lawyer, zoologist and botanist Gustav Billberg. In total, there are more than 60 species in the genus, and some of them are very popular in indoor culture, because compared to other bromeliads they are not so capricious and fastidious to care for.

Planting and caring for Billbergia

  • Bloom: usually from mid-spring to mid-summer.
  • Lighting: bright light and partial shade.
  • Temperature: usual for residential premises, but not lower than 12 ºC.
  • Watering: Between waterings, the earthen ball should dry to a depth of 2-3 cm. Watering is carried out into a funnel of leaves. In winter, the plant is watered no more than once a week.
  • Air humidity: increased. In hot weather, it is recommended to regularly spray the leaves with warm water and keep the plant on a tray with wet pebbles.
  • Feeding: complex mineral fertilizer for bromeliads or for flowering plants in liquid form: from the beginning of the growing season until the end of flowering - once every 2 weeks, and during the dormant period - once every 1.5 months.
  • Rest period: October-February.
  • Transfer: as needed between March and August.
  • Reproduction: daughter sockets.
  • Diseases: funnel rot.
  • Pests: spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, thrips.

Read more about growing Billbergia below.

Billbergia - description

Billbergias are epiphytes, that is, plants that live on trees. They have belt-shaped, wide leaves that form a rosette in which water naturally collects. On the leaves of some Billbergias you can see grayish chalky spots, while the leaf blades of other species become pink in too much light. Flower arrows grow from the center of the leaf rosette, bearing drooping inflorescences, in which pink or red bracts attract more attention than inconspicuous flowers. Billbergia blooms mainly in winter. Bright bracts remain decorative for several months.

How to grow Billbergia

Billbergia easily adapts to almost any conditions, but if you want to see it in in better shape, take the trouble to create conditions for her that are close to natural.

The billbergia flower develops equally well both on illuminated window sills and in the back of the room, so it is often used to decorate the interior and create flower arrangements. However, in bright light and partial shade it still blooms brighter.

In the photo: Growing Billbergia in a pot

Regarding temperature, then the plant will be comfortable in conditions familiar to humans, as long as the room is no cooler than 12 ˚C. But during the flowering period, it is advisable to lower the temperature by 2-3 degrees.

The houseplant Billbergia enjoys spending the warm season outdoors, so as soon as it is established warm weather and the threat of return frosts has passed, the plant can be placed in the garden, on the balcony or on the terrace, where it will soon begin to grow young rosettes. The main thing is to protect indoor Billbergia from drafts, sharp gusts of wind, direct midday rays and precipitation.

Billbergia develops, replacing faded rosettes with newly formed ones, so you need to manually cut off the old rosettes 4-5 weeks after flowering so that they do not slow down the development of promising young children.

Watering and feeding Billbergia

The soil in the pot with Billbergia should be kept slightly wet, avoiding stagnation of water in the roots. Between two waterings, the substrate in the pot should dry to a depth of 2-3 cm. Humidification of Billbergia is carried out using the method used for all bromeliads: settled or filtered water at room temperature should be poured into the center of the leaf funnel.

The difficulty of such watering is that you then need to constantly monitor the water level in the funnel and drain the excess in a timely manner. In addition, if the plant is kept in cool conditions, moisturizing using this method is excluded; you should also not pour water into the outlet when the flower is at rest. In these cases, you should simply moisten the soil in the pot.

In winter, when daylight hours are shortened and the temperature drops, Billbergia is watered no more than once a week.

In the photo: Bilbergia flower arrow

At home, Billbergia needs high air humidity, so it will be grateful for spraying the leaves with cool, settled water, especially when the room temperature is above 23˚C. During flowering, Billbergia can be placed on a tray with wet pebbles, damp moss or expanded clay. These measures to increase air humidity are usually quite sufficient.

Fertilize the substrate in a Bilbergia pot not only during the active growing season, but also during the dormant period, since the plant loves stable conditions. From the beginning of the growing season until the end of flowering, Billbergia is fed twice a month with special mineral complexes for bromeliads. During the dormant period, it is enough to fertilize once every 5-6 weeks.

Can be used to feed Billbergia and fertilizer for flowering plants. indoor plants, however, the concentration of this solution should be two times weaker than indicated in the instructions.

Too much nitrogen content in the substrate can cause the death of the epiphyte, so complexes with a standard proportion of elements cannot be used to feed Billbergia.

Transplantation and propagation of Billbergia

Billbergia is replanted as needed and combined with propagation of the plant by daughter rosettes: active flower growth requires regular planting of children. As soon as the young rosettes become too crowded in the pot, and the roots of the Billbergia begin to crawl out of the drainage holes, you need to separate the children from the mother plant and plant them. They do this from March to August.

Containers for Billbergia should be chosen larger, since the plant is actively growing: the pots should not be so deep as wide. Take a new pot 2-3 cm larger in diameter than the old one. The composition of the Bilbergia substrate is quite specific: with a rough texture, containing only a small amount of turf soil and having a pH value close to 5.0 pH. Billbergia grows well in a mixture of equal parts of leaf soil, moss, humus and high peat.

When replanting, it is not necessary to completely clear the roots of the plant from the old substrate. Just inspect them and if they look healthy, replant the plant in a new pot, filling the remaining space with fresh potting medium. If there are rotten areas on the roots, First, cut them out with a sharp, sterile instrument, treat the cuts with charcoal powder, and only then plant the flower in a new container.

Pests and diseases of Billbergia

Billbergia diseases and their treatment

Stagnation of water in the leaf funnel or in the roots of the billbergia can rot. You need to constantly monitor the water level in the outlet and drain the excess, otherwise the plant may die.

Sometimes brown spots appear on the leaves of billbergia growing on a windowsill under the rays of the sun - sunburn. You need to immediately move the flower to a safe place or shade it from direct rays with a light curtain or gauze. Due to lack of light, the Billbergia rosette is falling apart. Brown tips of leaves are a consequence of watering the epiphyte with hard water or stagnation of water in the funnel.

In the photo: How Billbergia blooms in nature

If after flowering the rosette of the flower rots and dies, there is no reason to worry: this is a natural process that completes the life cycle.

Billbergia pests and their control

Most often, the following types of Billbergia are grown in indoor culture:

Or "queen's tears" - a plant reaching a height of 35-40 cm and forming a rosette of leaves with a drooping flower arrow up to 80 cm high. The inflorescence consists of greenish-purple flowers and bright pink bracts.

In the photo: Billbergia nutans

Billbergia magnifica

This is a plant from the southeastern regions of Brazil, forming a rare elongated rosette of large, hard, narrow, spiny leaves up to 70 cm long and about 8 cm wide with a pointed tip. The leaves are painted bluish-green and covered with transverse light stripes. The drooping peduncle of this species, about 30 cm high, bears a fleshy inflorescence up to 30 cm long of flowers with spiral-shaped blue petals covered with large pink bracts.

Billbergia vittata

It differs from other species in the variegated color of its leaves in different variations from olive to bronze. The undersides of the leaves are covered with silvery stripes. The flowers of this species are bright blue, and the bracts are pink.

Billbergia is a beautifully flowering, evergreen plant from the bromeliad family. Forms a rosette of wide, belt-shaped leaves in the center of which moisture accumulates. During flowering, it produces straight peduncles with drooping inflorescences. The height of the plant does not exceed 60-70 cm.

The birthplace of Bilbergia is Brazil. The culture is a typical epiphyte. Under natural conditions it grows only on trees; special substrates are used for growing indoors. The average life expectancy, provided the necessary conditions are created, reaches 5-8 years.

Also be sure to look at a flower from the same family -.

The growth rate is high.
Blooms from early winter to early spring.
The plant is easy to grow.
It is a perennial plant.

Useful properties of Billbergia

Billbergia leaves actively release phytoncides, which effectively disinfect the air. The plant is also capable of increasing negative ionization of the air, thereby creating electrostatics that are beneficial to health. In addition, billbergia actively promotes sound absorption. And its spectacular appearance serves as an excellent decoration for any type of interior.

Billbergia: care at home. Briefly

Billbergia grows well and blooms well at home only if a number of requirements are met:

TemperatureIn summer 23°-25°, in winter not lower than +16°.
Air humidityDoes not make any special demands, but responds positively to spraying.
LightingBright, but diffused; direct sun should be avoided.
WateringIn summer, the soil should be constantly moist; in winter, watering should be reduced.
Soil for BillbergiaLight, highly nutritious, with mandatory drainage.
Feeding and fertilizerDuring the period of intensive growth, once every 2 weeks.
Billbergia transplantAs it grows, in the spring.
ReproductionBy seeds or dividing an overgrown bush
Features of cultivationYoung plants bloom much faster.

Caring for Billbergia at home. Details

Caring for Billbergia at home is not particularly difficult. It tolerates dry air well and suffers little from drafts.

Bilbergia blooming


Billbergia blooms twice a year: in spring and autumn. The peduncle emerges from the center of the rosette. The flowers are collected in drooping racemes, at the base of which there are bracts of bright red or Pink colour. After flowering, the mother rosette forms many creeping shoots and then dies off.

Young plants bloom within 2-3 years. In highly overgrown specimens, several rosettes can bloom simultaneously.

Temperature

In summer, Billbergia prefers moderate temperatures within +23-26°. When heat is above +28° and dry air, plant growth stops. In winter, the flower requires cooler conditions of +18-20°. If necessary, Billbergia will tolerate a short-term temperature drop to +2-3° without any problems. But prolonged maintenance in such conditions will lead to the death of the plant.

Spraying

At home, Billbergia perfectly adapts to the ambient humidity. In winter, after turning on the heating, it is advisable to spray the plant. The water for spraying must be soft. Over time, if the leaves of the plant are hard, an unsightly brown coating will appear on them.

Lighting

Home Billbergia needs bright but diffused lighting. Therefore, windows of eastern and western orientation are best suited for its placement. In the north, it will suffer from lack of light. When placed on southern windows during the midday hours, the plant must be shaded.

Watering Billbergia


The Billbergia plant at home requires frequent and abundant watering.
The soil must be kept moist at all times. In summer, when watering, water is also poured into the leaf funnel. It is not advisable to do this in winter.

High humidity combined with cool weather can lead to the development of fungal diseases. For irrigation use only soft water. It must first be left for 3-4 days or passed through a filter.

When grown on a moss substrate, bromeliads are watered after complete drying. To do this, place it in a bowl of warm water. After the moss is completely saturated, the plant is returned to its place.

Pot for Billbergia

A pot for growing Billbergia can be plastic or ceramic. Its size should be slightly larger size root system. In slightly crowded conditions, the plant develops much better.

You can also grow Billbergia on a “bromeliad tree”. It is made from a thick branch. The roots of the plants placed on it are wrapped with sphagnum moss. If necessary, the tree is replaced with big piece bark.

Priming

Billbergia does not have any special requirements for the soil substrate. The main thing is that it is sufficiently loose and breathable. Flower shops also sell special substrates for bromeliads. When making your own soil, be sure to include a large amount of chopped moss and clean river sand.

Feeding and fertilizer

During the spring-summer period, Billbergia is fed once every 2 weeks with a special fertilizer for bromeliads.

It is not recommended to use universal fertilizers for indoor plants. They contain quite a large amount of nitrogen.


Billbergia is transplanted as needed. Its root system develops quite slowly. The signal for replanting is the roots coming out of the pot.

Pruning Billbergia

Billbergia does not need special pruning. Dry and damaged leaves, as well as dying old rosettes, are removed as necessary.

Rest period

Billbergia does not have a clearly defined rest period. In winter, the plant's growth rate simply decreases. During wintering, it is advisable to reduce the temperature to 16-18°. This will prevent stretching during short winter days.

Why Billbergia does not bloom at home

If the plant stubbornly refuses to bloom, it is possible that mistakes were made when caring for it:

  1. The plant suffers from lack of light. The pot with bilbergia should be moved to a sunnier window or provided with lighting.
  2. When replanting, the pot chosen was too large. Until the roots have mastered the entire volume of soil, the plant will not bloom.
  3. Lack of moisture. Billbergia needs to be watered frequently and abundantly. In summer, water is also poured into the center of the outlet.
  4. There is not enough power. The plant must be fed with a special fertilizer for bromeliads.
  5. Winter is too warm. To set flower buds, the plant requires a decrease in temperature in winter.

Growing Billbergia from seeds

To grow Billbergia from seeds, you must adhere to the following rules:

  1. Seeds are sown immediately after collection.
  2. Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.
  3. Sowing is carried out in a mixture of peat and crushed sphagnum moss.
  4. The sowing container must be covered with film and placed in a dark, warm place with a temperature not lower than +23°.
  5. The greenhouse must be ventilated periodically.

The first shoots appear after 1-1.5 months. After the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves, they are planted in separate pots. In the future, they are cared for in the same way as adult plants.

Reproduction of Billbergia by lateral shoots

The easiest way to reproduce. During the growth process, Billbergia forms numerous side shoots that can be used for propagation. They are separated during the annual transplant. The larger the divisions, the faster and easier they take root.

After separation, the cut sites are treated with charcoal powder. Young plants are planted in soil mixture for adults in small greenhouses. You can also root in crushed moss or perlite. In this case, after the roots develop, additional transplantation into a full-fledged substrate will be required.

In conditions of high humidity, plants take root much faster. To stimulate the development of roots, divisions can be dipped in Kornevin powder before planting. They bloom after 2-3 years of cultivation.

Diseases and pests

Most diseases occur due to errors in care:


Of the pests, Billbergia is most often affected by mealybugs, scale insects and aphids. To combat them, insecticide solutions are used.

Types of Billbergia domestica with photos and names

The most common types in indoor floriculture are:


The leaves are belt-shaped, up to 70 cm long, rich green in color, with large quantities In bright sunlight, their surface turns pink. The leaf plates are collected into a large, tubular rosette. Inflorescences of drooping type with long bracts.

Billbergia pallidiflora


An epiphyte that grows naturally on rocky slopes. The leaves are few in number, collected in a powerful, tubular rosette. The leaf blades are bright green, rough, with numerous spines along the edges. The peduncle is curved with a spike-shaped, densely pubescent inflorescence.


The leaves are few in number and form a powerful, tubular rosette. The leaves are green, linear, up to 70 cm long. The inflorescence is spike-shaped with blue flowers. The bracts themselves are very large, rich pink.


An epiphyte with long leathery leaves with characteristic white stripes. The flowers are blue, with large pink bracts.

From a genus of evergreen plants belonging to the Bromeliad family. A perennial herbaceous flower with an epiphytic lifestyle. Habitats in the wild: South and Central America.

The height reaches 50-60 cm. The long leathery leaves of bilbergia form a basal rosette. Leaf color varies between species and different conditions growing. There are specimens with a spotted and even pinkish color. Straight peduncles with small, inconspicuous flowers emerge from the center of the rosette, forming an inflorescence - a drooping spike. The flowers have brightly colored (red or pink) bracts, thanks to which Billbergia began to be grown at home.

Types of Billbergia

There are several main types used at home.


This species is also called queen's tears. This is the most popular, small-sized Billbergia with ribbon-like leaves that feel leathery to the touch and a rosette at the base. The color ranges from golden to green with different shades. Pink flowers appear from the middle of the rosette on long stems. The length of the leaves reaches 60-70 cm. Depending on the lighting, the color changes. Loose inflorescence of several flowers with purple tips. Does not require special care.


The hard leaves are collected in a rosette, growing vertically, up to 70 cm long, ribbon-shaped, 8 cm wide. There are many thorns along the edges. On the upper part of the leaf there are stripes of different widths in the form of scales. Dense peduncle with white bloom up to 20 cm. Flowers in loose inflorescence 20-25 cm long, pink with a drooping axis. The leaves on the peduncle are elliptical, asymmetrical, thin, 10-12 mm long, drooping down. Linear petals 7-8 cm, during flowering, twist in a spiral. The color is green-yellow, turning blue towards the top. Blue anthers, bears fruit - berries.


Originally from Brazil and Antilles. In the wild, it reaches a length of up to 2 m. An elongated rosette, with wide, lanceolate-shaped leaves of green or light green color. As a rule, the number of leaves in a rosette is 12, up to 60 cm long. The peduncle is vertical, straight from the center of the rosette in pink shades. The petals are red, closer to the tips, turning into purple. Celendrical ovary, blooms 2 times a year in summer and winter. Fruits with berries.


An epiphytic plant native to Mexico and Guatemala. Habitat: rocky soil in mountainous area. Hard leaves of green color, collected in a rosette. The leaves are lanceolate-shaped with a pointed end. There are small scales on the surface. Length 100 and width 10 cm. Thin vertical peduncle with a pointed end. Flowering begins from April to June. Green petals up to 50 mm. Fruits in the form of berries.


A hybrid plant, similar to a drooping one. The leaves are dark green and larger, collected in a rosette. A peduncle on a long stem growing vertically from the base of the rosette reaches 40-45 cm.


Homeland - Brazil. The skin leaves are collected in a lanceolate, elongated rosette. The color changes depending on the habitat and lighting from yellow-green to silver. Over the entire surface there are transverse narrow stripes of silvery shades. The flowers form a loose cluster of blue color. The peduncle is vertical, thin, pink in color with red leaves at flowering.


There is some similarity with zebra. The leaves are leathery, dense, with a narrow rosette at the base. The leaves are similar in color and shape to the above-mentioned type of Billbergia. Brought from Brazil, where it lives in shady, humid forests.

Home care


The plant is grown both at home and in greenhouses. Among all types of bromeliads, Billbergia stands out for its unpretentiousness to external factors.

Location and lighting

Billbergia is a light-loving plant, but it is not recommended to place it in direct sunlight, especially in the summer. It does well in shaded areas, so can be kept away from windows. Diffused light is most favorable. For beautiful abundant flowering, eastern and western windows are more suitable. In summer, containers with flowers are placed in the open air.

The culture is resistant to drafts and loves fresh air.

Temperature

In summer and spring, the optimal temperature for Billbergia is 20-25°C. Closer to winter, the temperature is kept at 18-20°C. Such conditions stimulate the formation of flower buds. The flower tolerates cooler conditions well. With a short-term decrease in temperature to 3-5°C, there are no signs of deviations in growth and development. With prolonged cold spells, the plant begins to hurt and may die.

Soil and moisture


For cultivation, use ready-made soils for bromeliads, or prepare the substrate yourself.

To do this, mix:

  • high peat
  • leaf soil
  • humus
  • sand
  • charcoal
  • crushed fern roots
  • sphanum.

The substrate must have good aeration. A drainage layer must be poured onto the bottom of the container. Billbergia can be grown on sphagum, on driftwood and tree cuttings, imitating its natural habitat. The flower easily tolerates dry conditions, but at temperatures above 23°C it is necessary to spray it, and there should always be water in the rosette of leaves.

When the air temperature drops below 20°C, or after flowering, it is advisable to remove moisture from the outlet.

Watering


Watering is done as the soil dries out. In autumn and winter, water much less than in summer. In the cold season, the substrate is allowed to dry out for a short time, and watered no more than once a week. When watering during flowering, avoid getting the flowers wet, as this will cause them to turn black. For irrigation, you must use softened, settled water at room temperature.

Fertilizer

During the period of intensive growth (in spring and summer months) Billbergia is fed with ready-made fertilizers for Bormeliaceae or orchids. You can use organic and complex mineral fertilizer intended for other flower crops, but only with a dosage half that indicated on the package. The frequency of feeding is once every two weeks.

Transfer

Transplantation is used infrequently, since the roots are weak and grow slowly. Billbergia is replanted if the root system has increased significantly and does not fit in the old container. To do this, use wide, shallow containers and pots. Transplantation is carried out after complete flowering, or in March before the flowers bloom.

Reproduction


  • The easiest way to reproduce- basal shoots about 15 cm in size. For this, shoots are selected that have begun to form their own root system. Cuts on the shoots are sprinkled with coal. For better rooting, young plants should be heated at the bottom to 24-26°C. The most suitable month for this method of reproduction is March.
  • Billbergia can also be propagated by seeds. The rudiments are pre-soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, then sown in a loose substrate of sphagnum and sand. The pots are covered with glass or plastic film. For successful seed germination, you need to create humid conditions with a temperature of about 21°C and regular ventilation.

Diseases and pests

Billbergia is relatively disease resistant. The main pests are mealybugs, aphids, scale insects, and spider mites. They usually affect both sides of the leaf.

In the secretions of aphids and mealybug sooty fungus settles. If pests are detected, the leaves are cleaned with damp soapy or soaked boric acid napkin. If this measure is not sufficient, then the affected leaves are treated with an insecticidal preparation.

Difficulties in care

  • The appearance of light brown spots on the leaves indicates too much light. The plant must be moved to a slightly shaded place.
  • If there is too much moisture or watering with hard water, the tips of the leaves become dry and brown.
  • Another symptom of overwatering is the death of young rosettes of leaves on plants that have not yet bloomed.
  • If a loose rosette is formed, or it falls to the side, it is necessary to increase the lighting.
  • Yellowing of leaves and dying indicates pest infestation.
  • Two months after flowering, old rosettes of leaves are carefully removed. This makes it possible to go without a transplant for a long time.
  • In one container you can combine different types of billbergia, and also combine them with other types (sansevieria, scindapsus, ivy). This way you can create unusual decorative compositions.

Bilbergia photo







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