At some point every flower withers and dries up, no matter how beautiful it was before. The bromeliad species Guzmania is no exception. And yet the end of her flowering heralds the end of the entire plant. A short life. But the continuation follows, through the willing expulsion of small daughter plants.
The Guzmania blooms only once in its life
heyday
At the beginning of its life, the guzmania does not bloom. It may first have to collect a lot of energy in order to be able to form the flower at all. After about two to three years she is ready. It will be their first and only heyday.
There is no specific time of the year when flowering occurs. Guzmania is cultivated very warm all year round anyway. This means that flowering is possible even in winter.
blossom
Red-colored parts of the plant stand out from the green rosette of leaves, rich in contrast. But this is not the flower. They are decorative bracts that look like flowers to the viewer and give them their decorative value.
The flowers of the Guzmania are either yellow or white, but always inconspicuous and short-lived. Depending on the species, they look out of the bracts or are enthroned on a high shaft.
Withered flower
When a Guzmania fades, it's not just the flower that turns brown. The end of the entire plant inevitably follows. When talking about dried flowers, the colorful bracts are usually meant anyway.
Don't stop caring for this gloomy prospect! Because before the plant leaves the stage, it provides for offspring. It drives out one or more offshoots on the side, which are ideal for propagation.
tips
Do not cut off dead leaves. Once they are completely dry, gently pull them off the plant.
Plant daughter plants
Only separate the offshoots from the mother plant when they are at least 10 cm high. The longer they stay on the mother plant, the hardier they become.
- plant in bromeliad soil
- cover with foil or glass
- place at 25 °C, without direct sun
- keep moderately moist
- fertilize cautiously
- after four months care like a large plant
seed formation
In addition to the simple propagation from Kindel, the bromeliad Guzmania can also be propagated from seeds. However, the expectation that useful seeds will ripen after the flower has faded can rarely be fulfilled. The specimens cultivated in this country are usually hybrids.