Distinctive features of the plant and place of growth, recommendations for growing brovallia, reproduction, transplantation, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. Among the plants that have won the love of many flower growers, since they abundantly release their buds in the summer, new exotic representatives of the flora appear. If you want to decorate your garden plot, balcony or room with flowers of pure blue, blue, white and purple colors for the summer months, then you should pay attention to Browallia.
This delicate beauty belongs to the Solanaceae family (Browallia), which also includes 6 more species. The native habitat is in Central and South America.
This flower bears its sonorous name in honor of the Finnish bishop Johann Brovallius, who was fond of botany and was a friend of Karl Linnaeus, who compiled a classification of flora and fauna available at that time. The plant got to European countries only in the middle of the 19th century (namely in 1846).
Brovallia has a one-year life cycle and will require annual renewal or careful pruning. The plant has a shrub type of growth, and its height indicators can reach one and a half meters. Although hybrid garden forms have already been bred, which do not exceed 20–35 cm. It is customary to decorate flower beds in the garden with tall varieties, and undersized varieties can be successfully grown in potted rooms. The shoots of this shrub are soft, drooping. In order for the stems to branch well, you will need to regularly pinch the tops. Shoots in summer are completely covered with buds.
Brovallia leaf plates reach a length of 5 cm. All kinds of shades of green prevail in their color (the color directly depends on the species).
The buds originate from the leaf axils. The shape of the flowers is tubular-funnel-shaped, the apex has the shape of an asterisk. The color palette in which the petals of the buds are painted varies from snow-white, blue, different saturations of blue and purple colors. The plant will delight with its flowering until frost, if it is planted in open ground, as this exotic beauty blooms for 16-18 months. When grown at home in winter, the color of flowers may fade a little due to a lack of light, but still the number of buds remains numerous.
If it appears to grow this exotic plant at home, then a beautiful variety of brovallia will do. In the garden, it is planted along the flower beds and borders. Often, for decorative purposes, several bushes of plants are placed in one pot. It is also recommended to grow it as an ampelous crop in hanging pots, planters and hanging baskets. Due to its unusual appearance, this plant is often used by landscape designers to create informal free flower arrangements.
Brovallia is a one-year and completely unpretentious specimen of flora, which will require only an annual update, but a novice florist can easily cope with its departure. It will only be necessary to periodically remove flowers that have already grown pepper and leaves that have lost their appearance.
Brovallia care, growing at home
- Lighting. The plant is very fond of settling in nature in open areas, but not under direct sunlight. Therefore, when planting it in the garden, it is necessary to find a place in the openwork penumbra in order to avoid sunburn of the foliage. When the brovallia pot is grown indoors, then east or west facing windows are suitable for it. If there is no way out, and the green beauty is standing on the window of the southern location, then in the hot midday hours you will need to create shading from light gauze curtains or stick paper on the glass. On the windowsill of the northern window, there will not be enough light and the flowering will be few in number, and the shoots will begin to stretch in the direction of the light source, so you will need to carry out additional lighting with phytolamps.
- Content temperature. The plant does not really like when the weather is hot, and it will begin to show its displeasure and poor health by yellowing and drying out of the foliage, flowering will also not be plentiful, since a small number of buds will be tied. Naturally, growing the plant outdoors (only a place in the shade) will be able to avoid overheating, since the air around the bush will constantly circulate. And with indoor cultivation in the spring and summer months, the heat indices should not exceed 20-23 degrees, with the arrival of autumn and in the winter months, it will be necessary to reduce the temperature to 10-15 degrees. Such a drop will contribute to a slowdown in the growth of the bush and subsequently it will grow well. With the arrival of spring, if possible, you can take out the pot with the plant to the balcony or terrace, perhaps to the garden, but you need to remember about shading from the scorching sun's rays.
- Air humidity when caring for a flower, it should be in the range of 60-70%, otherwise, in dry air, brovallia is affected by harmful insects - whitefly, spider mite or scabbard. During the spring-summer period, when the thermometer values exceed the permissible limits for brovallia, spraying can be carried out, only it is important to ensure that water drops do not fall on the flower petals. After them, dark spots appear on the buds, and the plant loses its decorative effect.
- Watering. Brovallia is very fond of abundant soil moisture, but it is impossible to fill the soil, otherwise the root system will begin to rot. In the spring-summer period, it will be necessary to carry out regular watering, as soon as the soil dries out a little from above, and with the arrival of autumn, the moisture decreases, especially if the plant is kept without the use of additional lighting. Also, drying an earthen coma threatens with wilting of leaves, dropping of buds and a sharp wilting. It is not possible to restore the bush after this. Water for irrigation is taken warm, free of chlorine and lime impurities. In order not to harm the flower, it is better to use river water or collected rainwater, which is slightly warmed up. If this is not possible, then you will need to pass tap water through the filter or boil it and let it stand for 1-2 days.
- Fertilizer introduced during the period when flowers begin to bloom. Fertilizers for flowering plants are used, with regularity every two weeks. You can take a liquid mineral complex for home planting or use dressings for decorative flowering bushes. It is recommended to dilute these fertilizers in water for irrigation, but pre-moisten the soil slightly. For example, in a 3-liter jar of water, dilute 1 teaspoon of "Agricola for flowering plants" or 1 tablespoon of dressings such as "Effekton DC" or "Agricola-Fantasy".
- Transplantation and choice of substrate for brovallia. Most often, the plant is not transplanted, since, firstly, many varieties have a one-year life cycle, and secondly, with prolonged growth, brovallia grows and needs to be renewed. Most often, propagation is carried out using cuttings or sowing seeds. A layer of drainage material (expanded clay or pebbles) must be placed on the bottom of the pot. Brovallia does not make great demands on the soil in which it grows. Young plants must be planted in a substrate consisting of river sand and humus earth (taken in equal parts). And you can also mix leafy soil, humus soil and coarse sand in proportions of 2: 1: 1, some growers use ready-made soil mixtures for decorative flowering plants for planting.
Breeding rules for brovallia from seeds and cuttings
Most often, the plant propagates by cuttings or by sowing seed.
With seed reproduction, there is no clear period; sowing can be carried out both in summer and in winter. Naturally, this will affect and change the flowering period. For example, to get buds earlier, sowing begins at the end of summer, if it concerns indoor breeding of brovallia. When the plant is grown outdoors, the same process is carried out in February. In order to sow seeds, a shallow container is taken and a layer of peat soil is poured into it, or a mixture of leafy, humus soil, turf and river sand (all parts are equal) is used.
Seeds are evenly scattered onto its moistened surface (at a short distance from each other, but not heaped) without embedding in the soil, since light is needed for their germination. The container is covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in plastic wrap. You will need to put the container with crops in a warm, well-lit place, but without direct sunlight. We need daily ventilation (within 1-2 hours) and spraying the soil with warm water from a fine spray gun. During germination, the air temperature is maintained within 22-25 degrees. Under these conditions, almost 10 days later, the first shoots appear.
When small brovallias are old enough, transplant is carried out in separate pots (narrow with a diameter of 7 cm) with a suitable soil. With the arrival of spring days, when there is no longer a danger of morning frosts, you can plant the plants in open ground. When cultivation is carried out indoors, it is simply necessary to change the pot to a larger one as the seedling grows.
If the seed will be planted in open ground, then it will be necessary to soak it for several days in warm water before planting. This will help increase the percentage of seed germination, as well as promote their early germination. First, the seedlings need to be provided with a closed greenhouse, and only after they have grown up enough can the shelter be removed.
You can also propagate using twigs cut from an adult bush. You can cut the cuttings in the spring or summer months. Cut twigs need to be rooted in light soil that allows water to pass through well. After planting, the cuttings are placed under a glass cover or covered with a plastic bag. For rooting, heat indicators should not go beyond 21 degrees. You will need daily ventilation and moistening of the substrate in the pot. After the twigs take root, they dive into separate containers with a suitable light soil. Subsequently, it will be necessary to pinch the tops of the stems so that the shoots begin to branch.
When brovallia was sown in February, many growers do not leave it for the next winter, but renew it by grafting or sowing seeds. In the case when the bushes remain to "winter", then they are pruned and transplanted into a more nutritious substrate.
Difficulties, diseases and pests in plant cultivation
In the case of low air humidity, pests such as whiteflies, scale insects or spider mites attack the plant. Of the symptoms that accompany the appearance of harmful insects, the following can be distinguished:
- whitish specks on the back of the leaf (whitefly eggs);
- white midges, which cover the bush in large numbers and rise up when they lightly touch the foliage;
- leaf plates turn yellow, young ones grow deformed and then fall off;
- the appearance of a thin cobweb that begins to envelop all leaf plates and plant stems;
- multiple glossy brownish-brown dots are visible on the back of the leaf;
- the leaves are covered with a sticky sugary bloom.
It is necessary to apply comprehensive measures to eliminate harmful insects to combat harmful insects:
- treatment of leaves and stems with soap, oil or alcohol solution (the drug is applied to a cotton pad and pests and their waste products are manually removed);
- the bush is sprayed with insecticidal agents (for example, "Iskra" (at the rate of 1/10 tablet per 1 liter of water) or "Karbofos", "Aktara" and the like).
It happens, it happens that the brovallia is affected by powdery mildew. When this happens, the leaves and stems are sprinkled with flour on top. If you do not take any action, then soon the whole plant will be, as if doused with lime mortar. For the fight, for example, the drug "Hom" is used on the basis that a teaspoon of the drug is diluted in a liter of water. From natural remedies, solutions based on ash or iodine can be used.
Interesting facts about brovallia
It is important to remember that brovallia contains toxic substances that are dangerous to humans and pets. When taking care of this flower, especially pinching the tops of the shoots, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Symptoms of poisoning caused by brovallia are the urge to vomit and nausea, there is also pain, and then drowsiness comes, the person's pupils are very dilated. The plant is especially dangerous for young children.
Types of brovallia
- Brovallia beautiful (Browallia speciosa) or as it is called the magnificent Brovallia. The native habitat is in Colombia and Peru. The plant has a herbaceous form, reaching a height of 30–40 cm. Shoots drooping to the ground or spreading over it form a beautiful dense crown. The branches of the plant are strongly branched, their surface is pubescent with small hairs, pressed against the shoot. The leaf plates measure 6 cm in length and are attached to the branch with petioles. Their color is dark green, the edge is solid. Single flowers are located in the axils of the upper leaves. The peduncle reaches a length of 2.5 cm. The petals of the buds are colored in different colors, ranging from white to purple. Sometimes bicolor buds appear, the petals of which are shaded purple, and the throat is white. The flowering process is year-round, for which the variety is very loved by flower growers who grow plants in rooms.
- Brovallia grandiflora (Browallia grandiflora) is a native of the territories of Peru. The plant has a one-year life cycle. The growth form is shrubby. Shoots in the bush spread widely in different directions. The height to which this species grows reaches half a meter. Loose inflorescences are formed in the form of brushes, buds are collected in them, the petals of which are painted in blue and white shades. The size of the flowers is large. In culture, the plant has been grown since 1829. The flowering process stretches from late autumn to mid-winter.
- Pubescent brovallia (Browallia dimissa) - the plant is highly branched, the growth form is bushy. In the process of flowering, a lot of buds appear, reaching 2, 5 cm in diameter. The color of the flower petals is snow-white, blue or purple. This variety is also called American Brovallia.
- Browallia viscosa originally grew on the lands of Peru. A plant with a one-year life cycle with a bushy growth form. The height of the bushes reaches 30 cm. The shoots are highly branched and with a sticky surface. The flowers are small enough, but a lot of them bloom. Their color is either white or dark blue with a white throat. The flowering process for this variety stretches from November to February. There is a Sapphir cultivar, the height of which reaches 20–25 cm and has numerous sapphire-blue buds blooming on the bush.
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