How to grow a Vriesea (flaming sword) properly? Latest care guide explained
Vriesea (flaming sword) is an ornamental plant grown for its bracts, also known as flaming sword bromeliad, torch, large parrot bromeliad, etc. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous flower of the genus Vriesea in the family Bromeliaceae, native to Central and South America and the West Indies. Its bracts are bright red and it bears small yellow flowers. As a potted plant it is suitable for decorating homes, hotels and office buildings. Let's take a look below at how to grow a Vriesea!
Growth habits of Vriesea
Vriesea prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. It is not cold-tolerant, is fairly shade-tolerant, and fears direct strong light. A fertile, loose, well-drained leaf mold soil is best. In winter the temperature should not fall below 12°C. It likes warmth, humidity and bright light. The suitable growing temperature is 20-27°C. It is best planted in a loose, breathable medium rich in humus.
Propagation methods for Vriesea
Vriesea is commonly propagated by division, best done in spring when repotting. Lift out the mother plant, cut off the offsets on both sides, and pot them separately. They need shading and water sprayed on the leaves. The potting soil should not be too wet. Once they have rooted, switch to normal care.
How to grow a Vriesea properly?
1. Soil: For potted Vriesea, choose a well-drained substrate. For large-scale production, use a mixed substrate of peat, perlite and sand, in the ratio of 1 cubic meter of peat : 4 to 5 kg of perlite : 0.15 cubic meters of sand, with the pH kept between 5.5 and 6.5. If a small amount of decomposed chicken manure, cake fertilizer powder or bone meal is placed at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer, growth will be even better.
1. Light: Vriesea by nature likes semi-shade. Keep it out of blazing sun and place it in a semi-shaded spot or by a bright window indoors. Vriesea does not need a particularly large amount of sunlight. When it is exposed to sunlight for too long, some leaves will turn yellow and the tips of the flowers will dry out a little. If grown outdoors, provide appropriate shading in spring, summer and autumn; in summer in particular, 70% shading is needed. Direct sunlight will make the leaf temperature higher than the air temperature. If the leaf temperature is too high, scorching and burnt leaves will occur, the flower bracts will fade, and leaf growth will slow down.
2. Temperature: The optimum growing temperature for Vriesea is 20°C to 30°C. The maximum temperature should not exceed 35°C, and the minimum temperature is 14°C. Below 10°C there is a risk of cold damage at any time. In winter it is best not to place it under a radiator, because in that case it dries out very badly and also gets scorched by it. It's like a person who can't stand next to a radiator all the time either, as it's easy to get overheated.
3. Watering: When watering a potted Vriesea, wait until the surface of the potting soil is slightly dry, that is, when the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, then water a second time. It must not be too wet, as excessive moisture easily rots the roots. Plants of the bromeliad family have a leaf rosette at the base of the leaves, and this rosette forms a water reservoir. Make sure there is always water in this reservoir and that it does not run dry. After a period of time, say about ten days, the water in the leaf rosette should be replaced to keep it from going foul. Normally you can also spray a little mist-like water on the surface, the leaves and the flowers.
4. Humidity: The optimum relative air humidity for Vriesea is 70% to 80%, and it should not be lower than 50%, because maintaining a relatively high air humidity in the growing environment is the key to successfully growing Vriesea. Therefore, mist the leaves frequently throughout the year.
5. Fertilizing: The growing season for Vriesea is from April to September each year. Apply liquid fertilizer once every two weeks. You can use fermented organic fertilizer, or spray both sides of the leaves with a solution of 0.1% urea plus 0.2% monopotassium phosphate. You can also pour some very dilute liquid fertilizer into the leaf rosette, where it is absorbed by the scale hairs at its base. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 10 to 15 to 20.