Distinctive features of nonorgelia, recommendations for growing in a room, breeding steps, pest and disease control, interesting facts, species. Neoregelia (Neoregelia) attributed by scientists to the representatives of the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae) or as it was called earlier - Pineapple. These representatives of the flora can grow as epiphytic plants ("settle" on the trunks and branches of trees) or terrestrial. The native habitat is in swampy places among tropical rainforests, of which there are a lot in the lands of Brazil, Eastern Colombia, Ecuador and in the eastern regions of Peru. There are more than 100 varieties in the genus, among them about 60 grow in natural conditions, and forty are known as a culture. It is the latter species that are popular in the circles of florists and are grown as decorative flowering plants kept in closed greenhouses or flower beds.
This plant got its name thanks to the doctor of philosophy, the famous botanist and scientist-gardener Eduard August von Regel (1815-1892), who first served as an employee, and from 1875 until his death as director of the St. Petersburg Imperial Botanical Garden. If we take the translation of the Latin word Neoregelia, it has the translation "New Regelia".
So, neoregelia is a perennial with a herbaceous form of growth and leaf rosettes located one above the other, which in the photo resemble the top of a palm tree in their outlines. Adult specimens are rather large, in diameter, a rosette of leaves can reach 80 cm with a height of up to 20 cm. The leaf plates of which it consists of a broad-linear shape or belt-like, they are attached at the base of the rosette. Their length is measured 10-30 cm, and the width and color of the surface directly depends on the type of plant (usually the width is within 2-5 cm). They are strongly spiked or serrated along the edge. Those leaves that grow in the central part of the rosette are often light purple or whitish in color.
The roots of nonorghelia are fleshy and plump, they have the ability to attach to tree trunks or to the surface of the soil. Most often, the plant prefers swampy and shady areas, which are found in abundance in tropical forests, but does not disdain rocky mountain slopes, on which the same root system helps to stay.
In the process of flowering, inorhelia forms an inflorescence that originates from the inside of the leaf rosette or the tops of the leaf plates take on a bright red color. The inflorescence has a racemose shape, and it extends beyond the leaf sinuses, crowned with a short peduncle. Flowers are located in the bracts, their number is multiple. The color of the petals is bluish. The leaves covering them during the entire flowering period, which can last for several months, retain their bright red hue.
Agricultural technology for growing nonorgelia, home care
- Lighting and choosing a place for the pot. A bright, but diffused light is needed, which can be provided on the windowsills of windows facing east or west, and in winter additional lighting with phytolamps will be required.
- Content temperature. When the spring-summer period comes, it is better for neoregelia to maintain room heat indicators, they fluctuate in the range of 20-25 degrees. With the arrival of winter, the temperature gradually drops to 16 units. Under such conditions, flowering can take up to six months. Constant ventilation is needed, but it is important to remember that the plant is afraid of drafts.
- Air humidity. Neoregelia will feel comfortable when the humidity readings are about 60%. Experienced growers who are passionate about growing this representative of bromeliads recommend keeping the plant in a greenhouse or greenhouse. If it is not possible to create such neoregelia conditions, then you will have to carry out regular daily spraying with soft and warm water, you can use distilled water. They also put the pot in a deep pallet, at the bottom of which a layer of expanded clay is covered and a little water is poured. This will help raise the moisture readings, however, it is recommended to make sure that the liquid does not reach the bottom of the pot, otherwise the root system will begin to rot. Since a large amount of dust often accumulates on the leaf plates of neoregelia, you can wipe the foliage with a damp soft cloth.
- Watering. With the arrival of spring and throughout the summer, neoregelia will need abundant watering, and not only the substrate is moistened, but water is also poured into the outlet from the leaves. Best of all, when watering falls in the morning hours. In winter, it is not necessary to pour water into the outlet, so as not to provoke rotting, watering is carried out only at the root. The water used for irrigation should only be soft, free from all impurities, at room temperature. You can use river or collected rainwater, or use filtered, thoroughly boiled and settled water or distilled water.
- Fertilizers for neoregelia will need to be applied in the spring-summer period. From late spring to September, top dressing should be applied every 3-4 weeks. For this representative of the flora, preparations for plants from the bromeliad family are most suitable. It is recommended to dilute the concentrate with water and pour it into a leaf outlet. When the autumn-summer period comes, fertilizers are not used.
- Transfer and selection of soil. The plant needs to be replanted as its root system fills the container and the leaf rosette grows. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the neck of the neoregelia is always covered with a substrate. In a new container, first of all, it is necessary to lay a layer of drainage material (about a third of the total volume of the container), which can be medium-sized expanded clay or pebbles. Also, holes must be made in the bottom for the drain of unabsorbed liquid. To compose a soil mixture, it is recommended to combine chopped pine bark, chopped sphagnum moss, peat, leaf and humus soil, in a ratio of 3: 1: 1: 1: 0, 5. There is also a different composition of the substrate: leaf and humus soil, peat and river sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0, 5.
Reproduction of neoregelia with your own hands in indoor growing
Usually, it is possible to get a new plant of this representative of bromeliads by sowing seed material or by daughter rosettes (children).
After the flowering process is over, neoregelia is forming a large number of basal processes, which are called "babies". When such a baby forms and develops 3-4 leaf plates, then it can be carefully separated from the mother specimen and planted in a separate prepared container. In this case, it is necessary not to damage the roots and then put the pot with the baby in a warm place with a temperature of about 25-28 degrees. From above, the container is wrapped in a plastic bag or placed under a glass vessel.
With such care, you will need to remember about daily ventilation. When the children take root and gradually get stronger, then they begin to gradually accustom them to indoor conditions, removing the shelter each time for a longer period.
If it is decided to propagate neoregelia by the seed method, then for this all the seeds are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (its color should be light pink). Then they must be dried and sown in a bowl with chopped sphagnum moss. The container must be covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in plastic wrap - this will create greenhouse conditions for germination. The place where the pot of crops should be placed should have a temperature of about 25 degrees. It is recommended to carry out daily airing of crops and moistening from the substrate spray bottle if it dries out.
After 14–20 days of such care, you can see the first shoots. After 2-3 months have passed, the seedlings can be planted in separate pots with soil intended for growing bromeliads. Transplanted young neoregelia grown in this way begin to bloom in 3-4 years.
Pests and diseases affecting neoregelia
Of the pests, the following insects can be distinguished, which attack neoregelia when the conditions of detention are violated: scale insects, mealybugs, aphids and spider mites. Usually, the foliage, when damaged, begins to turn yellow, deform, you can see dark brown plaques or cobwebs that cover the back of the leaf and internodes, and the symptoms of the invasion of parasites are black or green small bugs or whitish cotton-like lumps on the foliage and stems, a sugary bloom called paddy … In this case, it will be necessary to carry out the treatment with systemic insecticidal preparations with a wide spectrum of action to fight.
Among the diseases that neoregelia can hurt, fusarium is distinguished, due to which the lower part of the plant begins to collapse and soon all of it dies. Waterlogging is usually the cause. To fight, spraying with Fundazol (Benomil) is carried out, but before that, it is recommended to remove and burn all affected leaves and stems.
The following troubles may also arise when growing neoregelia:
- if there is a sunburn, then pale brown spots appear on the leaves;
- at low air humidity, the tips of the leaf plates acquire a brown color and dry out;
- when the decay of the rhizome began, the reason could be waterlogging of the substrate or an overdose of dressings in winter;
- if there is no flowering, then probably the neoregelia lacks lighting or the humidity is too low;
- when the top layer of soil dries out or low humidity, the leaves become yellow in color.
Interesting facts about neoregelia
Experts say that neorehelia has a rather strong, but twofold energy. The tips of its belt-like leaves serve the plant to collect sharp energy, which it then radiates into the surrounding space, but inside this bromeliad it seems to accumulate and concentrate soft energy. And it was noticed that neoregelia is not suitable for all people who wish to cultivate it. If a person is distinguished by an aggressive style of behavior, then it is better not to keep such a plant in his house. The same applies to individuals who are very dependent on someone else's opinion and have an inability to stick to their own.
However, if a person's character is soft, but due to the prevailing life circumstances, he is forced to behave rudely, then neoregelia will be a good "companion" plant for him. Thanks to its thorns on the leaves, this representative of the flora is applicable to protect the house and its inhabitants from the negative energy of strangers.
Often, it is recommended to keep inorganic in rooms where printers and copiers are located, as well as sealants and adhesives, the plant feels good in carpeted rooms. If repairs have recently been made and there is a smell of paints and varnishes in the air, and solvents or nail polish remover are often used, then neoregelia will contribute to the removal of toluene and harmful impurities.
Types of neoregelia
- Neoregelia caroline is a perennial epiphyte capable of living in nature in trees. A rather large wide-spreading rosette is assembled from the leaf plates, having funnel-shaped outlines and a diameter of about 40-50 cm. The color of the leaves is bright green, their surface is shiny, the shape is lingual with a strong pointed at the top, the edge is covered with densely spaced thorns. Before the flowering process, the tops of the leaves take on a bright red hue. The resulting capitate-shaped inflorescence, consisting of a large number of flowers, is located deep in the central part of the rosette. The bracts are oblong, and the apex is dull or pointed, their color is milky green, the surface can be bare or covered with scales. The flower petals are shaded in a pale lilac color, their length is 4 cm. Green sepals, rounded with a sharp point at the tip, have a slight splicing. Varieties have been developed with white, pinkish and green stripes running longitudinally on the leaves.
- Neoregelia marble (Neoregelia marmorata) has a long-term life cycle, grows on the soil surface, forming a dense, wide, funnel-shaped rosette. It consists of belt-like leaves, with a pointed apex, along the edge there is a wide serration. The length of the leaf reaches 60 cm, it is covered with pale scales and greenish-red spotting. When flowering, a simple inflorescence is formed, capitate, with many flowers, located in the depths of the leaf rosette. The outlines of the bracts are linear, with a small pointed end, their length is half the size of the sepals. The color of the flowers is white or pinkish, their length is measured 4 cm.
- Neoregelia gloomy (Neoregelia tristis). This variety is a perennial epiphyte in which a narrow funnel-shaped rosette is formed from the leaves. It usually collects up to 10–12 leaf plates. Their shape is lingual, with a rounding, at the apex there is a short pointed point, along the edge they are broadly serrate. The length of the leaf reaches 60 cm, the color is green, the upper side is naked, and on the back there are wide dark stripes or scaly, consisting of small pale-colored elements. When the flowering process begins, a capitate inflorescence, consisting of a large number of buds, begins to form from the depths of the leaf rosette. The color of the bracts is dark red, their shape is elongated and rounded, there is a sharpening at the ends, they are distinguished by their thin filminess and a solid edge. Their dimensions are twice as long as the sepals. The latter take asymmetrical outlines, at the base there is splicing, their surface is bare, approximately 2 cm long. In flowers, the petals are pointed at the tops, in the same place they have a blue color. Stamens and petals grow together.
- Beautiful neoregelia (Neoregelia spectabilis). It grows on trees as an epiphyte, has a long life cycle, has a wide rosette of leaves. The leaf plates are lingual, characterized by a strong bend. On the underside of the leaf there are stripes of greenish-red-gray scales. Studded hem. On the upper side of the leaf, the color is green, and at the top there is a bright red spot with a length of about 40 cm. During flowering, an inflorescence is formed, capitate-shaped strongly immersed in the outlet. The bracts have an elliptical shape with a pointed tip at the top, there are also densely located curved brown scales. The length of the bracts practically does not differ from the length of the sepals. Flowers are measured in length in the range of 4–4.5 cm. They grow on pedicels. Sepals are asymmetric, elliptical, with reddish-brown pubescence at the apex. At the base, they are slightly spliced. The color of the flowers is bluish, the petals are tongue-shaped with a limb.
For more on neo-regulation, see the following video:
