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Tillandsias
polystachia belong to the family of the bromeliads and
come from the woods and savannas of South America and
Central America. This epiphytic plant grows in wet or dry
thickets and forests. Growing up to 25 cm high, and
needing a humid environment, it is suitable for humid
terrarium.
This bromeliaed has linear and arched leaves which form a
dense rosette. They are green only at their base and red
all the way to their pointed tips. The astonishing, dense,
cylindrical inflorescence, witch blossoms up to 30 cm, is
in the shape of a paddle made up of several overlapped
smooth bracts. These bracts are elliptic and acute,
shorter than the spike. They are white with purple and
the flowers are of intense purple, approximately 3 cm
long. The plant can be bound up on wood and of very good
quality pot plant too. The roots serve only for the hold.
The plant gets its food trough the leaves. Tillandsias
blossom wonderfully and long. After the blossom they
often do grow baby (pups), so that one can have for years,
joy in these interesting plants with right care.
Tillandsias can be sprayed daily with water, however in
such a way that they have dried up by the night. It
promotes the plants in her growth if they are fertilised
now and then with a special fertilizer which is mixed
with the spray water. A bright location, in summer also
outside in the full sun corresponds to the natural
disposition of the plants.
Hardiness zone: 10 (1°C/35°F) in winter. The tillandsia
requires a sharp light in summer and sun in winter. Place
it close to a window directed at the west in summer and
the south in winter. The ideal temperature in summer is
22 to 24 ºC. In winter the temperature can be cooler (18
to 16 ºC) but it should not go lower than 13 ºC. The
tillandsia is demanding on the level of moisture. Keep
the water content of the air high. If you do not have a
humidifier, regularly vaporize the plant with water at
room temperature. If you cultivate it in a pot, place it
on a wet gravel bed. Eliminate the yellowed leaves, cut
the inflorescence after flowering and vaporize the
foliage regularly.
The tillandsia develops few roots. This is why it is
often fixed on pieces of wood or plates of bark using
wire, with the roots surrounded by foam of sphagnum. Its
installation can take place anytime in the year, except
during flowering. The tillandsia can also be cultivated
out of a pot if the substrate is porous and drains well.
In this case, you can use fibers of Osmond, sphagnum moss
or sphagnum peat, and pearlite like substrate, and gravel
for the bottom of the pot. This plant once out of pot
should almost never be repotted.
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