The subtleties of browllia care

Browllia or browliya is a decorative culture that is in great demand among flower growers. Such a success of the plant is that it produces many plentifully flowering buds. This is a great opportunity to decorate your garden, room or balcony.

During flowering, the bush is strewn with flowers of blue, blue, purple, which, with proper care, will please for a long time.

Description

Other names

Beautiful brovallia is an unpretentious plant that has several names:

• gorgeous;
• colchicum;
• colchicum.

History of occurrence

The birthplace of Brovallia Colombia. It was from here that she was brought to Europe. In nature, it can be found in South and Central America.

Appearance

Brovallia is an annual that reaches 1.5 m in height in the wild. When growing her house, a small bush forms. To give it splendor and volume, you have to pinch the stems from time to time. Brovallia is actively used to decorate the windowsill and loggia.

This plant is erect and creeping. Thin shoots are very lowered, they are bare or strongly branched. The height of an adult plant is reached 10-100 cm. The leaves are completely extreme, short-leaved. They have a lacental-heart-shaped form, and the end is pointed and elongated. Their length is 2-9 cm, and their width is 1.5-4 cm.

Pedicels are short - 2.5 cm. On them are solitary or collected in the brush inflorescences. The zygomorphic corolla includes 5 half-fused petals. They are presented as a wide-open funnel. The length of the tube reaches 0.4-2 cm.

Depending on the variety of browllia her flowers can be monophonic or have a pharynx painted in a contrasting color. Fruits are presented in the form of small capsules of oblong shape. Their length is 0.5 mm. They contain 10-45 seeds.

On a note. The main value of browllia in its flowering. With proper care and the creation of suitable conditions throughout the flowering period, the bush will be covered with flowers of bright purple, lilac, white or blue.

The duration of flowering will be 16-18 months. Even in winter, the plant does not drop flowers and foliage. Only due to poor lighting, the color of the inflorescences will not be so bright.

Photo

Next, you can see a photo of this flower:

Home Care

Lighting

Brovallia refers to photophilous plants, for which the influence of bright scorching sunlight is unacceptable. Cultivate crops on windows facing east or on balconies shaded in summer.

Temperature

Brovallia is a thermophilic culture, but the hot climate tolerates negatively. For its full growth and development, a moderate temperature regime is required:

• In spring and summer, the temperature should not be lower than 20 degrees.
• In winter, when flowering continues, the temperature is normal room temperature.
• For young bushes and mother plants in the autumn-winter period, a cool content is necessary, so that the temperature will be 10-15 degrees. This will slow down the growth of culture.

Air humidity

Reference. Browllia for full growth requires high humidity, despite the fact that it adapts to normal home conditions.

To increase humidity, regularly spray water with a spray bottle. In winter, in apartments with central heating, place water tanks near the flower.

Watering

The plant responds positively to timely and moderate watering. If the street is too hot, then spend it every day. Avoid overmoistening, otherwise the root system will rot. For irrigation water is used.

Fertilizer

With an excess of nutrients, the plant will not grow and develop, and flowering in general will have to be forgotten if you add nitrogen compounds in high concentration. From spring to the end of flowering, top dressing every 2 weeks. Use preparations intended for flowering indoor plants. When preparing the solution, make the composition in a dosage that is 2 times less than that indicated on the package.

The soil

For successful cultivation Browllia needs loose, air- and water-permeable land. For these purposes, a ready-made substrate for flowering indoor plants is suitable. You can cook it yourself if you take the following components:

• humus - 1 part;
• turf land - 1 part;
• sheet land - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

Transfer

Reference. Brovallia refers to those plants that do not need a transplant.

It will grow quickly and, at the end of the flowering period, it will have to be replaced with a new specimen grown from seeds or cuttings.

Flower propagation methods

Cuttings

Cuttings are taken from an adult plant in spring or summer. They should not have buds, then rooting will be better. After cutting, root the cuttings in nutrient soil, and as soon as the roots are formed, then pick, plant the plant in pots and pinch the tops. Then the culture will be more magnificent and bushy.

Seeds

Collect them after ripening, and plant them in late February or early March. To bloom in spring, sow planting material at the end of winter. Procedure:

1. Prepare a box, fill it with a nutritious composition that can be prepared independently according to the above recipe.
2. Scatter seeds from above, slightly deepening them.
3. Spray the soil and cover everything with glass, which every day open for ventilation.
4. After 7-10 days, seedlings form. Now the glass can be completely removed. At this time, the culture needs moderate watering and a long daylight.
5. As soon as 2-3 leaves are formed, pick.

Read more about growing and propagating browllia from seeds and cuttings here.

Diseases and Pests

1. Of the parasites, whiteflies and aphids are dangerous.. They form true colonies near the buds and on the tips of young shoots. These insects are characterized by rapid reproduction. At the initial stage, wash the flower with a soap solution. If the infection is strong, then you will have to use chemicals:
   • Fufanon.
   • Actelik.
2. If there are drooping and yellowing leaves, then this indicates a defeat with a red spider mite. It feels great in dry air and elevated temperature. If this parasite is present, isolate the flower, and treat the inside of the leaves with Actelik.Important! If such events do not lead to a positive result, then the plant will have to be destroyed.
3. Of the diseases, powdery mildew is considered the most dangerous. This is a fungal disease that develops at elevated temperature and humidity. An excess of fertilizers can also affect the disease. It is possible to recognize the ailment by a dusty or powdery coating, which is formed on the stems, leaves and flowers. Once these symptoms have been detected, remove the plant immediately.

Extra Growing Tips

For browllia to grow healthy and fully develop, you need to know some recommendations for her care:

• It is possible to prevent the defeat by the mealybug if the air in the room is not too dry and warm.
• It will be possible to prevent the development of powdery mildew if watering is properly organized, avoiding waterlogging.
• The development of chlorosis, in which a leaf plate turns yellow, occurs as a result of a lack of iron in the soil.
• The presence of whitefly, aphid and scalefly larvae is possible if the flower will be outdoors for a long time.
• The leaves fade when the room is too warm.
• The plant withers, the leaves turn pale, which means that it does not have enough light.
• Yellowing leaves is the effect of direct sunlight.

Brovallia is an interesting decorative culture in color of flowers, which is actively grown at home. Its main advantage is the duration of flowering, which can be admired for longer than a year. But for this you will have to make every effort to care for the plant. Otherwise, it will not only not bloom, but will begin to hurt.