Aechmea fasciata profile

Nowadays, there are few people in China who care for the Aechmea fasciata, and it has not been widely popularized. However, its large leaves and beautiful flowers in winter are becoming more and more popular among people. Here’s the brief introduction of Aechmea fasciata.

Aechmea fasciata picture

Morphological characteristics of Aechmea fasciata

Aechmea fasciata is a perennial epiphytic evergreen herb. The rosettes are interleaved into tubes for water storage. Leaves are sword-shaped to sword-shaped, 60 cm long, leathery, gray, scaly, green, tiger-streaked, silver-white, with black spines along the edges.

Fyona speculates spike-like spikelets with many flowers dense into a broad conical spherical head. Bracts are leathery, apex apical, reddish or deep red. Florets are sessile, pale blue. Flowers bloom in winter.

The distribution range of Aechmea fasciata

Aechmea fasciata is native to southeast Brazil, South America.

Aechmea fasciata growth habit

Aechmea fasciata likes to grow in a warm, humid, sunny environment. They only bloom properly and have the most beautiful leaves in bright sunlight, but they still need to be protected from the midday sun in summer. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30 ℃ in summer, 15-18℃ in winter, and it is difficult to grow if the temperature is lower than 10℃. The lowest temperature at night is 5℃. The soil was mixed with leaf mould or peat in neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam.

Propagation method of Aechmea fasciata

Sow

Aechmea fasciata is difficult to obtain seeds in the natural state, even if the seeds are obtained by artificial pollination and other methods, the traits of its offspring will also be separated, unable to maintain the excellent traits of the mother plant, so sowing propagation is only used in the preservation of the original species germplasm and the cultivation of new varieties. The seeds of most ornamental pineapples lose vitality soon after they are detached from the parent plant and should be picked and sown immediately. It usually takes 3-4 months from flowering to seed ripening. The seeds of a pineapple are so small that a single fruit can produce dozens of seeds and a single plant can produce thousands of seeds. The planting method of pineapple can be indoor basin sowing or seedling tray sowing. The sowing matrix can be mixed with river sand, perlite and peat soil, and must be disinfected at high temperature before sowing. Sprinkle the seeds on the substrate surface and press lightly. No need to cover with soil. Cover with plastic film or glass for moisture. Under the suitable temperature of 24℃-26℃ for germination, the seedlings germinate in about 7-14 days. The seedlings with 3-4 true leaves can be transplanted into a 4-5 cm pot. Aechmea fasciata seedlings need to be cultivated for 3-4 years before the center leaves can turn color and bloom for viewing.

Division

After Aechmea fasciata fade, the basal leaf axils produce multiple sucking buds. April-june is usually the optimum period for plant separation. When the suction bud grows to about 10cm and has 3-5 leaves, first remove the whole plant from the basin, remove some of the soil in the basin, grasp the mother plant with one hand, hold the base of the suction bud tightly with thumb and forefinger of the other hand, and then pull off the suction bud with oblique force. The wound was slightly dried after sterilizing with fungicide, and the cuttings were placed in the pearl rock and coarse sand. Keep the substrate and air moist, shade properly, after 1-2 months after the new roots grow, it can be transferred to normal management.

Cuttings

Aechmea fasciata is produced on a small scale and cultivated at home, generally by tillering bud cuttage. Aechmea fasciata before and after the original plant flowering base multiple tillers axial bud, rice bud to 10 cm long, 3 to 5 leaf, with a sword in the area of close to the maternal even cut, shortening stem wound with fungicide disinfected is a bit dry, dip in the concentration of 300-500 mg/kg rootone, cutting in perlite, coarse sand or culture soil, keep the matrix and moist air, and the appropriate shade, 1 to 2 months after the new roots grow, and we can turn into normal management. Note that tiller buds too small cuttage is not easy to root, easy to rot. When the plant is too large, it consumes too much nutrition and reduces the reproduction coefficient.

Main value of Aechmea fasciata

Aechmea fasciata rosette leaf with tiger stripes silver-white horizontal stripes, summer flowers pale blue. If you want to flower in advance, you can put 1-2 ripe apples next to the plant and cover the plant with plastic bags. The gas released by the apples can promote flowering. Often made potted or hanging basin ornamental, it is used to beautify the bedroom, decorate hall hall very ideal.