Aechmea

Aechmea flower - family. Bromeliaceae.

Origin: Central and South America.  

Description. Aechmea is a large genus of plants, consisting of about 200 species of evergreen, epiphytic perennials. Some plants can also live in the ground.

Aechmeas form a basal rosette of dense, fleshy, strap-shaped, gracefully curved leaves. Mature bushes are capable of forming a short and thick trunk over time.

The color of the leaves may vary - some plants have green foliage, while others have bluish or silvery leaves with transverse stripes. There are varieties with leaves that have white longitudinal stripes.

The edges of the leaf blades are often equipped with small teeth and spines.

During the flowering period, the aechmea throws out a peduncle from the center of the rosette. The peduncle bears numerous red or pink bracts at the top, among which purple or lavender flowers open.

The flowers fade very quickly, but the bracts continue to serve as decoration for this plant for a long time.

Aechmea is a monocarpic plant and the main rosette dies after flowering, leaving several daughter plants.

Height. Aechmea domestica reaches 30 - 50 cm. 

Aechmea care at home

Reproduction 

By separating daughter rosettes that appear around the mother plant and by seeds that are sown at any time of the year. 

Daughter rosettes - babies or lateral shoots appear, as a rule, during the flowering period.

The height of the separated daughter rosettes should be at least half the height of the mother plant, otherwise they will not take root in a new place. The age of the daughter rosettes should be at least 1 - 2 years. 

1. Rosettes or lateral shoots are separated with a sharp sterile knife and placed in a suitable sized pot with moist soil mixture.
2. The wound surface formed as a result of separation is sprinkled with charcoal or ash.
3. The sockets are placed in a transparent plastic container and covered with a cap or a transparent plastic bag on top to create high air humidity. 
4. The plants are left in a warm place (with an air temperature of 23 - 25 degrees Celsius) with good lighting, but without direct sunlight.
5. The greenhouse is aired daily for several minutes and condensation is removed from the cap. The airing time is gradually increased.
6. As soon as the rosette begins to show signs of growth, the cover can be completely removed.

The formation of new, young leaves will be a signal that roots have formed beneath the soil surface. 

Plants obtained from daughter rosettes bloom for the first time at the age of 2-3 years.

Aechmea grown from seeds bloom only after at least 4-5 years, so this method of propagation is suitable only for very patient gardeners.

For seed propagation, you can use seeds of your own collection, but it is worth remembering that the plants obtained from them will not always retain the varietal characteristics of the parent rosettes and may become only a pale imitation of them.

To form seed pods, Aechmea flowers  are pollinated manually using a dry and clean brush, transferring pollen from flower to flower. 

After the capsule has formed, wait until it fully ripens on the plant - it will become dry and may even crack.

Before sowing, the obtained seeds are dried in a warm place without access to the sun, with good ventilation for several days. 

1. Sowing of seeds is carried out in spring using a transparent plastic container with a lid.
2. The container is filled with loose substrate and thoroughly moistened with warm water from a spray bottle.
3. The seeds are pre-soaked in warm water with the addition of growth hormones for about half an hour.
4. Sowing is carried out on the surface of the soil, covering it with a layer of soil about 5 mm thick.
5. The seedlings are covered with a cap from above to create a greenhouse effect and the container is placed in a warm place with a temperature of 22 - 25 degrees Celsius. 
6. The soil is kept evenly moist and the cap is opened from time to time to ventilate the crops.
7. The ventilation time is gradually increased and within 2-3 weeks after sowing, subject to agricultural technology, the appearance of the first shoots is expected.
8. When the sprouts appear, I remove the cover completely and keep the substrate moist by spraying. 

When each bush has 2-3 true leaf blades, the plants are pricked out and planted in separate small cups.

The first feeding is carried out with mineral fertilizers specially designed for bromeliads in a very weak concentration.  

Adult plants are occasionally able to form special vegetative shoots that successfully take root upon contact with the soil surface. 

When it blooms 

Mainly summer, but depending on the conditions of maintenance, flowering can occur at any other time of the year.

To ensure flowering, it is necessary to set a warm temperature in the room within the range of 22 - 25 degrees Celsius during the day, decreasing at night to 16 - 17 degrees.

By placing a ripe apple or banana in the center of the rosette for several (5 - 7) days, you can stimulate the flowering of the Aechmea - the flower stalk will begin to form 3 - 4 months after this stimulation. 

Only mature, well-formed plants aged 4-5 years bloom.

The flowering period can last for more than one month, and the flowers themselves fade quite quickly, but the plants remain decorated with bright bracts.

A blooming aechmea leaves a lasting impression, but within a year after flowering, the main rosette will die, leaving behind offspring.

Transplanting Aechmea 

Transplantation is carried out in spring, if necessary, to change the substrate. Aechmea blooms more readily in slightly cramped conditions - do not rush to change the volume of the pot.

Adult plants are planted in fresh soil every 2-3 years, young plants - as they grow and fill the space of the pot - approximately every year.  It is not worth transplanting more often - aechmea does not like it. 

Since store-bought plants are most often sold with flower stalks, a week after purchase they are simply transplanted into a new pot along with the soil ball, without disturbing the root system.

For such flowers, the size of the pot is increased each time by 2 - 3 cm in diameter. 

Plants feel good in clay pots without glaze - their walls easily allow moisture to pass through and allow the roots to breathe.

Since aechmea grows to impressive sizes, planting in heavy clay pots will also make the plant more stable and it will not tip over under its own weight. The pots should be rather shallow and wide in shape.

During the flowering period, the bushes are not transplanted.

The best time to replant is considered to be spring and the beginning of new growth. 

1. Before planting, make drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and put a drainage layer. A small fraction of expanded clay, river pebbles, foam plastic or pieces of pine bark are used as drainage. The height of the drainage layer can reach 1/4 of the height of the pot. 
2. A small amount of substrate is poured onto the drainage.
3. If the bush looks healthy, it can be replanted, leaving the root ball intact. Replanting is less traumatic for the root system, and plants tolerate it more easily.
4. The flower is placed together with a lump of earth in the center of the new pot, making sure that it is at the same level as in the previous pot.
5. Fresh substrate is poured into the void along the perimeter of the container and lightly compacted.
6. After transshipment, the aechmea is placed in a well-lit, warm place, but not inaccessible to direct sunlight, and 2-3 days after transplantation, it is watered with warm water.
7. It is worth feeding the transshipped plants after a month - they have enough of the minerals that are already in the fresh soil. 

If there are signs of root rot, then the aechmea  is replanted with a complete replacement of the soil. To do this, the flower is removed from the old pot, the roots are examined and rotten and old roots are removed, cutting them with sterile pruning shears.

The cut areas are treated with charcoal powder or wood ash.

You can also dry the root system a little in the open air.

1. Prepare a pot with a drainage layer and substrate.
2. The flower is placed in the center of the pot and the roots are straightened, making sure that they are not directed upwards and do not get kinked.
3. Sprinkle the plants only with fresh soil, as pathogens may remain in the old substrate.
4. The transplanted bushes are watered and, if necessary, a little more fresh soil is added to the areas where the holes have been. 

How to care 

If there is sufficient heat and moisture, growing aechmea does not cause any difficulties. 

In the summer, you can put the flower pot on the balcony or loggia or place it in the garden, having first protected the plants from strong gusts of wind and heavy rainfall and placed them in the shade from the sun.

Before leaving the plant outside, gradually acclimate it to new conditions by taking it outside during the day and gradually increasing the time it spends in these conditions. 

Make sure that the plant does not overheat on the balcony.

When kept outside, plants will experience their favorite daily temperature fluctuations, which are difficult to organize at home. If the air temperature drops to 13-14 degrees at night, then it is worth bringing the flower back indoors. 

From time to time, if yellowing, old leaves appear at the base of the rosette, they are cut as close to the base as possible, maintaining the attractive appearance of the plant. Pruning is carried out with a sharp, sterile pruning shears or a garden knife.

Do not place the flower container in close proximity to operating heating systems.

From time to time, the glossy leaves are wiped with a damp sponge to remove accumulated dust. Plants with silvery leaves should not be subjected to this procedure - their leaf blades are covered with light scales that are easily erased with a sponge.

After flowering, when the colors of the bracts become faded and unsightly, the flower stalk is cut as close to the base as possible.

Do not rush to get rid of a faded plant - during a short period of time after flowering, daughter rosettes - babies - will form between the leaf blades.

This species does not like the root system to be overcooled - if the pot is on a cool windowsill in winter, it makes sense to put a sheet of insulation or a simple newspaper folded in several layers under it.

Aechmea should not be placed near passages - its sharp leaf blades can cause injury.

Do not place the flower pot near heating systems or air conditioners operating in the cold mode. 

How to water aechmea 

Water the aechmea generously but rarely, each time drying the soil a few centimeters deep. In winter, if the room temperature drops, the soil should dry out to 2/3 of its depth.

In spring, the frequency of watering is gradually increased as soon as the first signs of growth appear.

It is advisable to use softened water for irrigation. 

In spring and summer there should be water in the rosette.  Such watering in the rosette is applicable if the air temperature in the room is above 22 degrees Celsius.

At the same time, do not forget about the soil moisture, also watering the soil in the pot. 

When the plant begins to form a flower stalk, the rosette should be dried, and watering should be done directly into the soil, keeping it evenly moist.  The middle of the rosette should be dry during the budding period.  Also, you cannot immediately water the rosette of only faded bushes.

You should not allow water to stand in the socket for a long period of time - it should be periodically replaced with fresh liquid.

The remains of old moisture after watering are removed and the center of the plant is blotted with paper towels, and then new water is poured in. This procedure is carried out every 3-4 days.

In the autumn months, if the air temperature in the room drops below 18 - 20 degrees Celsius, watering is done directly into the soil. 

Water the aechmea with soft water at room temperature or better yet, above it, and use a pot with large drainage holes for planting.

In order to soften tap water, it is left to stand for 1-2 days and slightly heated. It would be even better to place a cloth bag filled with peat in the water for a day.

Plants respond well to watering with bottled drinking or filtered water.  Rainwater used for watering should be collected away from city rooftops.

In spring and summer, you can add a few drops of lemon juice or a few grains of citric acid to the water for irrigation every month to soften it.

At any time of the year, any excess water that appears in the tray should be drained a few minutes after watering.

Soil for growing aechmea

To maintain the flower, select well-drained soil, for example a mixture of peat, vermiculite, perlite, and coarse sand.

 To make the substrate loose, light turf soil and leaf humus are mixed into it.

To increase the moisture capacity, add pieces of sphagnum moss to the soil. It would be a good idea to mix pieces of pine bark or finely chopped pine needles into the soil. 

The finished substrate should easily allow both moisture and air to pass through, allowing the root system to breathe. 

Aechmea does not have any special requirements for the nutritional value of the substrate and is easily grown in poor soils.

The substrate for the flower should have a slightly acidic pH.

Epiphytic varieties do not have any special requirements for soil acidity or nutrient content - their root system serves only to secure the plant to the tree trunk.

Diseases and pests 

• Prolonged exposure of leaves to direct sunlight during daylight hours can cause sunburn to appear as light brown spots on the leaf blades.
• Aechmea will not bloom if there is insufficient light or lack of nutrition.
• Rotting occurs due to excessive watering and insufficient air movement.
• Leaves dry out and turn brown at the tips when there is insufficient air humidity.
• Leaf blades acquire an unsightly brown tint when overwatered or overcooled.
• Leaves lose turgor and wither when the substrate dries out.
• Variegated plants lose their vibrant colors when given insufficient light.
• Diseases that may occur include leaf spots and fusarium. 

Among harmful insects, aechmea can be attacked by mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, root mites, and scale insects.

Fertilizers 

It is advisable to use foliar feeding with liquid fertilizers for bromeliads, with the solution sprayed directly onto the leaves of the plants.

For terrestrial varieties of aechmea, standard fertilizing is used, adding fertilizer directly to the soil after watering.

Fertilizers are applied in spring and summer, when the aechmea is actively developing. The fertilizer solution is diluted to half the recommended dose. 

Often, a hydroponic solution is used to feed bromeliads. Also, the feed should not contain elements such as copper and boron.

Do not use fertilizers for ornamental foliage plants with a high nitrogen content for feeding - the plants will get sick after using them. 

When growing epiphytic aechmea, you should not use root feeding or apply fertilizer directly to the soil - the root system of the flower will not absorb nutrients anyway, but will rather get burned.

In the autumn months, the plant goes into a dormant period - at this time, the frequency of feeding is reduced even more, and in winter, feeding is stopped completely. The dormant period begins in October and ends in March. 

Fertilizer application is resumed in the spring, when the flower begins to form new leaves.

The plant does not like excess fertilizers and will rather tolerate a lack of them.

If the plant is kept at normal room temperature throughout the year, then feeding is not stopped during the winter months, but simply reduced in frequency to once a month.

Content temperature

Aechmea indoor tolerates a wide range of temperature conditions, but prefers moderately warm conditions at a temperature of 17 - 21 °C throughout the year. 

Lowering the temperature in spring and summer at night by 5-6 degrees will make the aechmea happy and will stimulate the formation of the flower stalk. Too sharp a change in temperature conditions leads to diseases. 

With the onset of hot summer days, you should increase the frequency of watering and air humidity, helping plants cope with the heat.

During autumn, the temperature is gradually lowered to 17 - 18 degrees Celsius, prompting the plants to enter a dormant state.

During the winter months, the flower should not be exposed to temperatures below 13 - 14 degrees Celsius.

The most heat-loving is considered to be the Aechmea splendens - it should be kept in a warm room throughout the year. 

Growing conditions - lighting

Aechmea will happily take sun baths in the morning and evening, for several hours daily. When grown in partial shade, the color of the leaves of variegated plants may fade.

Bright light without direct sunlight is suitable for growing the flower.  When the sun's activity decreases - in autumn and winter, the flower can be moved to the most illuminated windowsill.

It is better to avoid direct sunlight during the daytime in warm weather. 

The most suitable places to keep the flower would be the windowsill of an eastern or western window. 

When growing on the south side, the pot with aechmea is placed in the back of the room or the plant is protected from the sun with a light tulle or voile curtain.

If there is insufficient natural light, supplementary lighting is used with fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps. With the help of lamps, daylight hours are extended to 12-14 hours per day, including morning or evening hours.

It is interesting that the most light-loving plant varieties will be those with hard, thick leaf blades. 

Aechmea splendens does not like direct sunlight - it is better to keep it in partial shade, but Aechmea recurvata loses its attractive coloring with a lack of light - it should be sunbathed daily.

Plants with soft leaves are best kept in shade from direct sun and even in partial shade.

With a sudden change in lighting, plants may be damaged - accustom them to new conditions gradually, over the course of a week.

Spraying 

The air humidity should be high enough. It is not necessary to increase it when outdoors, but with the onset of hot days in summer or when the central heating is on, plants may suffer from dry air. 

There are various ways to increase air humidity.

Warm and well-settled water is used for spraying. Drops of tap water from the tap will leave unsightly whitish stains on the surface of the leaves. Spraying should be done in the first half of the day so that water does not remain in the leaf axils at night. 

Provide the plant with an open area with good air movement at all times to allow excess moisture to evaporate from the leaves. 

Stop spraying during flowering - water droplets falling on flowers and buds can spoil their appearance. 

To increase humidity, you can also use a special tray with a grate, pour water into the bottom, or surround the pot with a layer of wet sphagnum moss. 

Avoid exposing the plant to cold drafts - move the pot to another room when airing during the winter months.

In the summer months, you can bathe the flower monthly under the shower in water at a temperature of 35 - 40 degrees Celsius. The soil in the pot should be protected from erosion with polyethylene film before carrying out water procedures.

The bush should be left for half an hour in the bathroom, in a humid and warm atmosphere.

Purpose

Aechmea is one of the most unpretentious bromeliad plants and can be safely recommended to gardeners who want to get to know this family. 

The flower can be grown in a standard way - in a pot, or on a special bromeliad tree, attaching the plant with wire and wrapping the roots and base of the rosette in sphagnum moss.

Note

The juice of some varieties of Aechmea can cause irritation when it comes into contact with the skin. Also, this plant should not be placed in places accessible to children and animals.

When replanting, you should take precautions, as there are sharp thorns along the edges of the leaves that can easily injure your hands.

With proper care, these herbaceous aechmea live at home for up to 7 years. 

Hydroponics

It feels great when grown hydroponically.

Varieties:

Aechmea fasciata

Perennial plants that form a rosette of strap-shaped, glossy, green leaves. The plant blooms only once, then the main rosette dies, leaving small daughter plants nearby. The leaves reach 60 cm in length and often have transverse silvery stripes on the surface. At the age of 3-4 years, a short, thick peduncle up to 15 cm high is formed in the center of the rosette. At the top of the peduncle, an inflorescence appears, consisting of bright, pink bracts and small lilac or bluish flowers. The flowers quickly fade, but the pink bracts decorate the plants for up to 6 months. The green mass of plants of this species is poisonous, so the flower should be placed out of reach of children and pets, and when in contact with the bushes, use protective gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap. 

Aechmea fulgens

Evergreen herbaceous plants with broad, green, strap-shaped leaves reaching 30 cm in length. The leaves are collected in rounded basal leaf rosettes. During the flowering period, a vertical, short, strong, red peduncle with a large, branched inflorescence at the top appears in the center of the rosette. The inflorescence bears many bright scarlet or pink bracts and purple flowers. There are attractive variegated varieties with longitudinal pink or white stripes on the leaves. In some plants, the lower surface of the leaves is painted in a contrasting burgundy or even purple shade. It blooms only once. 

Aechmea Blue Rain

A large evergreen plant with dark green, long, strap-shaped leaves collected in a basal leaf rosette. During flowering, the plants form a tall red peduncle, which bears a large branched inflorescence at the top with bright bluish-white bracts and purple flowers.