Heliconia - growing and care at home, photo species

Heliconia (Heliconia) - a rapidly growing herbaceous perennial of the heliconium family. In natural habitats, it is able to reach a height of 6 meters or more. The birthplace of heliconia is the tropical forests of South America. In nature, there are about 200 varieties of plants.

Large leathery leaves of heliconia are similar to banana leaves: they have an oval-oblong shape and a glossy surface with a juicy green color. The main distinguishing feature of the plant is its inflorescences: long sprouting or vertically growing ears formed by many bright triangular bracts, painted in different shades of red and yellow. In the sepals, small inconspicuous greenish or whitish flowers are hiding.

Pay attention to the bilbergia flower. Spectacular and unpretentious.

Useful properties of heliconia

Plant energy is close to people striving for the constant achievement of new heights in work and business. The rapid growth and gigantic dimensions of adult heliconiums provoke true careerists to overcome obstacles, improve skills and expand their own capabilities.

However, the plant is not able to protect the owner from falls and failures on a professional and life path, therefore heliconia is good only for self-confident and independent individuals.

Heliconia: home care. Briefly

Heliconium care at home. In detail

Heliconia bloom

In a well-lit room with proper care, home-made heliconia can bloom year-round. The inflorescences of the plant are unusually spectacular: they are multi-tier ears up to 1 meter long, consisting of many bright triangular bracts, colored depending on the variety in different shades of yellow and red.

The flowers of heliconia themselves are inconspicuous and almost invisible, surrounded by colored sepals.

Heliconia transplant after purchase

Heliconia transplantation after its acquisition is a mandatory measure to preserve plant health. During this procedure, it is worth treating the roots of the flower with a disinfectant and growth-promoting Kornevin solution.

Further transplants are carried out as heliconia grows once every 1-3 years in February or March. The dishes are picked up so that the plant does not fall under its own weight.

Temperature mode

Heliconia is thermophilic: during the period of active growth, the air temperature in the room where it grows is maintained at + 22- + 27 ° С, for the winter the plant is transferred to a cooler room, where the air warms up to + 14- + 17 ° С.

Spraying

Heliconia needs very high humidity, therefore, spraying for him are mandatory procedures. You can spray clean warm water from the spray gun over the flower up to several times a day if the room is hot or too dry. Under normal conditions, spraying is carried out every 2-3 days.

Lighting

Caring for heliconia at home begins with the right choice of place for the plant: it should be very well lit almost year-round. A sufficient amount of light stimulates the continuous flowering of heliconia, and a lack of sun contributes to the lush growth of green mass to the detriment of the laying of flower buds.

Heliconia watering

The soil in the pot with heliconia should always be well moistened, otherwise the plant will quickly lose its decorative qualities.

Watering is carried out with warm, settled water: in the summer months every 3-4 days (in extreme heat - up to 2 times a day), in the autumn-winter period - every 8-10 days.

Hygiene

Large leaf plates of heliconia accumulate quite a lot of dust on themselves, so they must be periodically wiped with a soft damp cloth or sponge.

The plant can also be "freshened" from time to time under a warm shower.

Heliconia pot

Heliconium plant at home is grown in deep resistant pots or tubs with a wide bottom and edges. This is especially important for adult specimens that may fall under the weight of their own weight.

Priming

The soil mixture for heliconia should be loose, nutritious and breathable. Universal compounds sold in flower shops are suitable, but you can prepare the soil yourself by mixing turfy soil, compost, sheet soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0.5. The soil before planting should be disinfected in any way possible.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Heliconium does not need frequent dressing at home. Fertilizers should be applied during the period of active growth 1 time per month (universal complex products and liquid preparations for flowering crops are suitable), they do not feed the plant in winter.

Pruning

The pruning procedure is carried out for sanitary purposes after the plant fades. With a sharp, disinfected knife, all dried flower stalks and some damaged and just extra leaves are removed from the plant.

Cutting sites should be treated with crushed charcoal to prevent decay.

Rest period

Heliconia does not have a pronounced dormant period and can bloom at least year-round. However, with home cultivation in the winter months, when daylight hours are shortened and heating devices work in the rooms, the plant should still be given time to rest.

With the onset of this, the watering of heliconium is reduced to the minimum necessary, the temperature is maintained at + 14- + 17 ° С. At the same time, lighting should still be bright so that the stems of the plant do not stretch.

Heliconia cultivation from seeds

Seeds before sowing are soaked in hot water for several hours. They are sown in a mixture of sand and peat, sealed to a depth of 2 cm. The sowing tank is closed with glass or film to create greenhouse conditions. Seeds germinate for a very long time, this process can take time from a month to a year.

You can reduce this period by rubbing the surface of each seed with sandpaper. Seedlings are picked in separate pots a few weeks after their appearance.

Heliconia obtained from seeds blooms only in the 3rd year of cultivation.

Heliconia propagation by division of the bush

Vegetative propagation is suitable for healthy adult plants. Heliconia bushes are divided in such a way that each part of them after division has its own piece of rhizome.

Slices are dried, treated with charcoal, after which the delenki are planted in separate containers in nutrient soil. Water new plants with caution, avoiding stagnation of moisture in the soil, so that the rhizomes do not begin to rot.

Diseases and Pests

Exotic heliconia has serious requirements for home growing conditions. Errors in care lead to a significant deterioration in the appearance and health of the plant. The most common ones are:

• Heliconia stretched out - in the room where it is located, there is little light. The flower pot should be moved to where the lighting is more intense and prolonged;
• heliconium leaves turn yellow - during the period of active growth, this is due to insufficient nutrition and watering of the plant, during rest - to a lack of light and high air temperature;
• green leaves showered - the plant is overdried or is in a too hot room. Regulation of temperature and watering will help solve the problem;
• wrinkles on the leaves of heliconia appear due to a sudden temperature difference or from a lack of nutrients in the soil. The plant must be protected from drafts and fed in a timely manner;
• ends of heliconium leaves turn yellow as a result of overdrying an earthen coma in a pot or due to an excess of calcium in the soil. It is necessary to water the plant abundantly and temporarily suspend top dressing until a healthy appearance is restored;
• heliconia turns yellow completely due to a systematic violation of the irrigation regime, other possible causes: too dry air, heavy and dense soil, or preparation for a dormant period;
• brown plaques on the surface of leaves and stems appear as a result of the life of pests - scale insects. They are mechanically disposed of by wiping the leaves with a soapy solution, or by using insecticidal chemicals;
• Heliconia Web - A sign of infection with a spider mite, which is usually activated in too dry air. The plant must be thoroughly wiped with a soapy solution and redeemed under a warm shower.

In addition to these pests, nematodes and mealybugs can “show interest” in heliconia. The most effective way to combat them is to use appropriate insecticides.

Types of home heliconia with photos and names

Heliconia rostral, or "crab claw", or "lobster claw" (Heliconia rostrata, "Crab Claw" or "Lobster Claw")

One of the largest representatives of the genus, capable of growing up to 6 meters in height. It has large wide leaves of a juicy green hue, similar to banana leaves, and drooping inflorescences up to 1.5 meters long, formed by many bright red bracts and small greenish flowers.

Heliconia parrot (Heliconia psittacorum)

A tall plant (up to 2 meters in height), forming a voluminous bush of many long (up to half a meter) linear-lanceolate leaves of juicy green color. Inflorescences are vertical, spiral, formed by bright orange or red bracts and small whitish flowers with black tips of the petals.

Heliconia straight (Heliconia stricta)

A large group of medium-sized plants (from 30 cm to 1.5 meters) with direct inflorescences, consisting of sharp, oblong bracts of a bright red hue, located at right angles to the peduncle.

Heliconia metal (Heliconia metallica)

A large plant capable of reaching 2 meters in height. Its leaves are long, dark green with a light vein on the upper side of the leaf plate. The lower surfaces of the leaves are painted red or purple with a metallic sheen. Inflorescences have a greenish tint and are not particularly attractive.

Heliconia india (Heliconia indica)

A tall variety, in nature reaching a height of 3 meters or more. Its leaves are dense, elongated, have a bronze red hue. Inflorescences are small, flowering, usually painted green.

Heliconia bicolor (Heliconia bicolor)

A fairly compact plant about 1 meter high with narrow bright green lanceolate leaves and medium-sized inflorescences formed by juicy-red bracts and small whitish flowers.

Heliconia bihai

A very large species, growing in nature to 3 meters in height and more. The leaves are long and wide, with a saturated green hue. Inflorescences are voluminous, up to half a meter long, formed by bright orange-red bracts and nondescript greenish or yellowish flowers.

Watch the video: Growing heliconias and maintaining them (November 2024).