Brovallia is beautiful. Creating favorable conditions. Possible problems when caring for browalia

Brovalia tender and beautiful plant, which is related to potatoes. The plant is easy to care for and completely unpretentious at home. Therefore, I will tell you in detail about the brovalia flower, care at home and the nuances of its maintenance. This is a low floor shrubby plants, reaching a height of 40-50 cm and belonging to the nightshade family.

This family consists of herbs, shrubs and even small trees. The first representatives of the nightshade family arrived in Europe with exotic plants. The Brovalia plant comes from the tropical regions of America. Under natural conditions, the plant grows up to 1 meter tall and is a subshrub. The genus Brovalia has only six species.

The flower in the photo is a small bush with a crown of dense dark green foliage. The leaves of the flower reach 6 cm. The shoots are branching, drooping, and have slight pubescence.

Flowers are bisexual, irregular, odorless. They are formed in the axils of the leaves. There are species in which the flowers are collected in racemes. Five fused petals form a funnel-shaped corolla and calyx. The number of petals is equal to the number of stamens. The flower is self-pollinating, since the anthers are attached to thin threads and directed inside the flower.

The flowers are large blue, purple, in the form of narrow tubes with a light throat, open at the ends. The flowers fade quite quickly, but there are so many flowers that the plant is covered blooming flowers constantly. The fruit of a brovalia is a capsule with a lid and flaps. When ripe, dark small seeds leave the fruit through the open valves. Seed germination is 100%, but over the years it decreases to 70%.

Attention! Brovalia is a plant with a long flowering period. Many have beautiful blooming indoor plants the flowering period is 0.5-2 months, and for brovalia up to 18 months (including winter period).

Brovalia became popular as a decorative annual plant at the end of the 19th century. Today the Brovalia flower is a plant for indoors, balconies and gardens.

Brovallia is classified as a short-lived annual and the flower is often thrown away after flowering, although it is possible, using some techniques, to keep a blooming brovallia in the house for more than one year.

B.grandiflora and B.viscosa are cultivated in the garden as annuals. Seedlings of these species are transferred from the garden to the house in February. B. beautiful (Browallia speciosa) is grown indoors. Synonyms: b. nice, b. excellent, b.magnificent.

Interesting! The plant got its name thanks to the Finnish botanist and bishop Johan Brovallius, who was a friend of Carl Linnaeus.

Brovalia care at home

The plant requires minimal care and fully justifies the money spent on purchase, temporarily creating a temporary floral picture in the house.

Location

The flower requires a bright, warm place and a lot of light, although it does not tolerate direct sunlight. The ideal location is a western and eastern window sill, where there is plenty of daylight in the morning and evening. Brovalia also grows well in a southern or southwestern orientation, but it is recommended to provide the plant with 2-3 hours of sunlight daily. In hot afternoons, brovallia needs to be shaded.

Attention! The Brovalia flower does not tolerate drafts.

If the flower is located in the shade, then the plant will not bloom. The condition for flowering is twelve-hour daylight. If not observed this condition flowering will be short. You can extend daylight hours using fluorescent lamps. If there is little lighting in the room in winter, then the temperature should be lowered to 16ºC and the plant should be allowed to rest.

Temperature

How to water brovalia

During the growing season, brovallia is watered abundantly, as active growth flowering is always accompanied by rapid drying of the soil. During flowering, watering should ensure complete hydration of the earthen clod. We can say that watering should be abundant in spring and in summer. In winter, watering is reduced and the flower is watered sparingly. If the plant is dried out for any reason, it will be impossible to restore it.

Air humidity

The plant is undemanding to high humidity and yet it will not be superfluous to occasionally spray the leaves, and regular spraying with soft water is a measure to prevent the buds from falling off. In particularly hot times, it is advisable to place a container of water next to the plant.

When spraying a plant, moisture should not get on the flowers, as water will cause brown spots to form on them.

Top dressing

When flowering, periodic feeding is required mineral fertilizers for flowering indoor plants. The interval of procedures is 12-17 days or 2 weeks. “Rainbow” fertilizer is ideal for feeding the flower.

Attention! To make the plant more bushy, you should regularly pinch the tops of the shoots.

The soil

river sand (1 hour);
humus (1 hour);
peat (1 hour);
soddy clay soil (2 hours).

Transfer

As mentioned above, a seasonal plant does not require replanting, but if the plant is grown as a perennial, then when the flower ages, it requires transshipment. Senescence usually occurs in the second year of a flower's life. It is accompanied by thinning foliage and poor flowering. To renew the plant, they use material obtained by propagation.

Attention! The Brovalia plant is toxic and is closely related to henbane and mandrake. Safety precautions should be observed and children and animals should be protected from contact with the flower.

Brovalia propagation

Brovalia is propagated by cuttings and seeds. Cuttings (apical shoots) are cut from mature stems that do not have buds. The sampling is carried out in the summer or late spring. For rooting, use a mini-greenhouse using moist and loose soil. Plant cuttings also produce roots when placed in a container of water.

Seeds are sown in winter, summer, and spring. The sowing time depends on the desired flowering period of the flower. The seeds are sown in a small bowl. Seeds are rarely sprinkled onto the surface of loose, moist peat soil or a mixture of peat and sand, without covering them with substrate on top. Water with a spray bottle every day.

The bowl is covered plastic bag and placed in a bright place with t=+22…27ºС. Every day the polyethylene is removed for 1.5-2 hours. Seedlings sprout in ten to twelve days. When the sprouts reach a height of 3-4 centimeters, they are transplanted into separate pots. Seed ripening time is three to four months.

Know! In order for the plant to delight you with flowering in winter, you need to sow the seeds in the last ten days of September or early October. The plant begins to bloom 75-85 days after emergence.

To place brovalia on a balcony (gazebo) for seedlings, seeds should be sown at the end of February. The plant grows well on eastern and southeastern loggias and balconies.

When growing Brovalia in the garden, the seeds in open ground sow in May. Then the crops are covered with film to protect them from frost. For rapid germination and increasing the percentage of germination, it is recommended to soak the seeds before sowing for 2-3 days in warm water. Experienced gardeners for more early flowering The seeds are pre-sown in a closed greenhouse. Seedlings are planted in the ground when warm weather sets in. On permanent place the flower blooms all summer until the first frost.

Pests and diseases

Whiteflies and aphids form colonies around buds and at the ends of young shoots. These pests reproduce quite quickly. At the initial stage of the appearance of insects, it is necessary to wash the flower with a soapy solution. Severe infection will entail the use of chemical protection drugs: fufanon, actelik.

Drooping and yellowing leaves of the plant are evidence of the appearance of red spider mite, which thrives in dry air and warm conditions.

Attention! When a red spider mite appears, you should isolate the flower and treat the bottom of the leaf blades with Actellik. If the measures taken do not lead to a positive result, the plant should be destroyed.

Powdery mildew. The disease is caused by a pathogenic fungus that loves warm and humid conditions. room conditions. The disease is also provoked by excess fertilizer. The disease can be detected by a dusty or powdery coating appearing on stems, leaves, and flowers. If symptoms occur, the disease is removed.

Possible problems when caring for browalia

Defeat mealybug or spider mites - extremely dry and warm air in room.
Powdery mildew appears when the substrate is waterlogged.
The occurrence of chlorosis, in which the leaves of the plant turn yellow, is caused by a lack of iron in the soil.
The appearance of whitefly, aphid, and scale insect larvae on the plant can occur when the flower is left in the open air.
The leaves are wilting - the room is too warm.
The plant is frail, has pale leaves– lack of lighting.
Yellow spots on the leaves are sunburn.

Attention! Brovalia is necessary sanitary pruning, that is, timely removal of dry stems and wilted flowers. For greater bushiness, pinching the tops of the shoots is recommended.

Types of Brovalia

The most popular ones are:

B.beautiful is a small shrub, in nature it reaches a height of 70 cm, at home - 40. The stems are bare and short. The leaves are located along the veins and have a slight edge. Length sheet plate up to six centimeters, pointed apex.

B. pubescent or B. americana is a tall plant (70 cm). Stems are tomentose, simple. Leaves (5 cm) with weak hairiness, broadly lanceolate shape. The corolla is up to 15 mm in diameter. The color of the flowers is violet, lilac, blue.

B. sticky - the name of the plant is due to the stickiness of the stems. Leaves with corrugated veins. The flowers are solitary, small. The color is bright blue or white, with a light spot in the center. Flowering time indoors is November-February, outdoors July-October.

B. Blue Bell - a bush in the shape of a ball (35 cm). The plant is cold-resistant and begins to bloom in the third month after sowing the seeds. Star-shaped flowers, 3 cm in diameter, blue in color, located on a racemose inflorescence.

Sapphire is a compact bush (up to 25 cm in height) with large (4 cm) blue flowers. All in bloom life cycle plants.

B. Marine Bell - a bush 35 cm high with highly developed branching of shoots. The flowers are solitary or collected in racemes, dark blue in color. Flowering occurs 3 months after sowing. Flowering time indoors is in January-February, outdoors in June-July. The plant is frost-resistant.

White bells – snow-white flowers;
Jingle bells – color all shades of blue.

Use of the plant

Due to its decorative properties, the plant is used for:

Flowerbeds continuous flowering and a flower bed-mix.
Curbs, paths, alpine slides.
Winter gardens, terraces, balconies, loggias.
Compositions for landscape landscape style.
Growing at home.
Ampel compositions for camouflage of outbuildings.

Know! To extend the flowering period, fertilizing with phosphates is necessary, which is applied during watering.

(lat. Browallia) is a fairly well-known indoor plant belonging to the nightshade family. The plant was discovered in the 18th century and named after the bishop from Sweden - D. Broval, who was a colleague and friend of the famous biologist and naturalist Carl Linnaeus.

There are only six species of this plant, and in indoor floriculture Only one species is cultivated - beautiful Browallia (lat. Browallia speciosa).

The homeland and natural habitats of Browallia are South and Central America, countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. In conditions wildlife Browallia can reach up to one and a half meters in height. At home, beautiful browallia looks like a small spherical bush with lush greenery bright color and numerous flowers. It is in the flowers that the main value of browllia lies: flowers can be of different shades from white to dark purple and, if proper care, they cover the entire plant, which gives the brovallia a very elegant look. Also, it should be noted that the period of continuous flowering of browallia is very long - about 17 months - which is not often found among houseplants.

After flowering for a long time, brovallia quickly ages, and after some time dies. The total life span of brovallia is usually two years, which, however, is not an obstacle to its cultivation - subsequent reproduction will not cause any difficulties to the grower.

[!] Advice - to make the greenery of the brovallia even denser, pinch the soft stems, forming a spherical bush.

Browallia can be grown both as a houseplant and as a plant decorating a balcony.

Caring for brovallia at home

Lighting, temperature, watering, humidity

Browallia prefers well-lit window sills and balconies, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. Ideal lighting– diffused light, western or eastern windows.

The most suitable temperature for brovallia is 20°C -24°C in summer and about 15°C in winter.

[!] In late autumn and winter, young specimens need low temperatures. This slows down their growth. With this regime, the rapid development of brovallia begins in the spring, which corresponds to the natural and natural cycles of the flower.

Browallia, like many other indoor plants, needs to be watered abundantly in summer and moderately in winter. It is important not to allow water to stagnate in the pot and tray, as this can lead to rotting and death of the roots.

Brovallia needs enough high humidity air, but if the air in the apartment is dry, it will adapt to such conditions. To provide high humidity It is recommended to spray the brovallia with a spray bottle and place the bowl on a tray with damp moss or sea pebbles.

Soil, fertilizing

The most suitable soil for brovallia is light and loose, well permeable to water and air. Ready-made universal soil or soil prepared from equal parts of turf, leaf, humus soil and sand is quite suitable.

Since the plant blooms profusely, it needs feeding in the spring and summer. You can use the complex in a standard dosage. The frequency of fertilizing is once every one and a half to two weeks.

Transplantation and propagation

As mentioned above, Browallia has a short lifespan, so it periodically requires transplantation and renewal. The old mother plant is not left behind, as it no longer develops.

Methods for propagating brovallia:

cuttings,
seeds.

The cuttings are cut from an adult plant, and for better rooting it is necessary to choose cuttings without buds. The cuttings are rooted in sand or light substrate, periodically watered and covered with a jar or cut plastic bottle, thus creating a mini-greenhouse. After the cuttings take root, they are transplanted into small bowls and the growing tops are periodically pinched, forming a spherical bush.

Seeds are collected from an adult specimen and sown directly into the ground. The sowing time depends on the preference for the timing of flowering of brovallia. If you want the plant to bloom in spring and summer on the balcony, the seeds must be sown in February. If flowering is planned in winter and at home, sowing dates are August, September.

Diseases and pests

The pests that most often attack brovallia are scale insects, whiteflies,. The most common disease is.

Brovallia leaves fall – Most likely the plant is infected with whitefly. Treatment with soapy water is recommended.
A whitish coating has appeared on the leaves, stems, and flowers of Browallia – signs of infection powdery mildew. Fungicide treatment is recommended.
Brovallia leaves turn yellow, become covered with spots and a sticky coating – the plant is infected with scale insects. Treatment with tobacco or soap solutions or ready-made insecticides (“Aktellik”, “Metafos”) is recommended.

Brovallia - not too whimsical and beautiful home plant which will decorate any interior. It is important to follow safety precautions when working with brovallia, and also place the plant in a place inaccessible to children and animals.

Brovallia is beautiful ( Brownalia speciosa) is one of those beauties of the plant world that you fall in love with at first sight. Its flowers on long stalks are unusually elegant and so identical in size and shape, as if they were made according to a special template by a skilled craftsman. Various colors- blue, blue, lilac, violet, dark purple, even white, often with a white eye in the center or, conversely, lighter tone outside than inside, they cover the bush so abundantly that the slightly pubescent juicy green elegant leaves are almost invisible under them. Brovallia, which blooms throughout the year, resembles a delightful, perfectly rounded flower sphere with a diameter of up to 60 cm. However, this plant does not live long, only a year and a half, and then it ages and needs to be replaced with a new one.

Another remarkable quality of this plant is that browwallia has very flexible branches, which allows its owner to easily give it the desired shape. If you place brovallia in a hanging pot, then by lightly pinching the shoots, you can easily form a beautiful, neat bush of the required shape.

Brovallia care

Brovallia is not too capricious. The requirements for caring for it are quite traditional: the plant needs regular watering, loosening the top layer of soil, periodic feeding and timely removal of dried inflorescences.

Loose soil is best suited for growing. earth mixture, consisting of fertile soil and compost with a slight addition of vermiculite and charcoal.

The compact size of this flower does not require a large pot; a volume of 1.5 liters will be sufficient. But the pot must be quite high so that a drainage layer of about 5 cm can be freely placed in it, because... the plant does not like stagnant water.

It is better to place brovallia indoors on the north side. The plant easily tolerates some lack of lighting in winter, but in summer time protected from extreme heat by the northern location of the window, browallia will be able to bloom much longer and more abundantly.

Watering must be done with warm, settled water as the top layer of soil in the pot dries. In summer, watering is required more abundantly, in winter - rarer.

Feeding an adult plant should be done no more than once a month. Young plants do not need to be fed if their development does not cause concern.

Pinching the shoots must be done 2-3 times; this will somewhat slow down the onset of flowering, but the plant will be much stronger.

Browallia begins to bloom immediately after rooting. It is also better to pinch off the first buds.

A sign of lack of moisture is drooping of the plant. After watering, browallia quickly comes to life. But the falling leaves and their yellow color indicate waterlogging.

Since all parts of this plant are poisonous, all operations with it must be carried out with gloves, and then wash your hands thoroughly.

Reproduction

Brovallia is most often propagated by cuttings. The day before, the plant must be watered abundantly. For cuttings, young apical shoots that have not yet faded are selected, from which all the buds are removed. It is advisable to dip the cuttings in any rooting agent. Cut cuttings are planted in light soil, you can use ready-made mixture for Saintpaulia, adding vermiculite to it. It is better to place the planted cuttings in a small greenhouse in a warm place, but not in direct sunlight. The greenhouse must be ventilated regularly.

You can plant cuttings of 3-4 pieces. in one pot for safety. After rooting, usually leave 2 of the most strong plants. Transplantation into a permanent pot is carried out when the roots young plant will grow to the drainage hole. To make brovallia look especially lush, several bushes are usually planted in one pot at once.

Brovallia is propagated by seeds in peat tablets. Seed tablets require greenhouse conditions And good lighting. Greenhouses must be regularly ventilated and condensation must be removed from the walls.

Photo: Benary Company (Germany)

Place brovallia on the windowsill next to decorative foliage plants and it will enliven almost any composition with its colors. In summer it can be placed on the balcony or taken out to the patio.

Beautiful Browallia is usually found on sale in spring or summer, but sometimes it can be found in stores in winter, since this species does not need long daylight hours to bloom.

Purple, white or blue flowers beautiful brovallia appear in the corners of the lanceolate leaves of the plant. Browallia itself does not grow more than 35-40 cm in height and stands covered with flowers.

Bloom

The greatest advantage of beautiful browallia is that its seeds can be germinated in different time, then the plants will bloom either in summer or winter.

However, you should also remember that browallia does not tolerate low temperatures. It is an ideal late fall/early winter plant when few species are in bloom. Sometimes Browallia blooms lightly, but its flowering time lasts quite a long time. Remove fading flowers regularly to prolong the flowering time of this beautiful plant.

On mature beautiful brovallias, the leaves thin out and very few flowers appear, so this perennial is grown as an annual plant.

Exposition

Brovallia beautiful can be covered bright flowers in any season. Small size, abundance of flowers and drooping stems are the main advantages of this plant. Beautiful Brovallia looks perfect in hanging baskets or flower boxes. It can also be grown on a sunny windowsill among plants with decorative leaves. On the street, beautiful browallia should be provided with a shaded place or sunny place, protected from strong winds.

Seed propagation

1. Browallias grown from seeds sown in February or March usually bloom in summer. Beautiful Brovallia seeds are not recommended to be sown very thickly. They are sown in greenhouses filled with a mixture of peat and sand. The seeds are covered with a thin layer of soil on top. Cover the greenhouse with a lid or glass. Brovallia seeds can also be sown several at a time in separate peat pots (before sowing, such pots are soaked in water). Cover the top of the seed pots with plastic wrap.

2. Seed germination should be carried out at a temperature of 18-20°C. They germinate in 8-14 days.

3. When the seedlings grow up, they need to be planted in separate pots, in each flower pot there should be 4 plants.

4. The temperature in the room with seedlings should not fall below 15°C. Pinch the growing tips of young plants once or twice to encourage them to bush.

Care

Beautiful Browallia is an unpretentious plant, you just need to provide it with a bright place and proper watering. It is a perennial that is grown as an annual, so it does not require additional care or replanting. If you are growing a plant from seeds, then sow the seeds in a mixture of sand and potting soil taken in equal amounts.

Watering and fertilizing

Brovallia is beautiful throughout the entire flowering period and needs abundant watering. Water the plant as soon as the soil on the surface dries out a little. On particularly hot days, plants growing in the house should be regularly sprayed with water. Beautiful Browallia needs regular feeding. Feed it with complex fertilizers once every two weeks.

Selecting a location

Provide the beautiful brovallia with a bright place, but protected from direct sunlight (be sure to protect the beautiful brovallia from the direct rays of the midday sun). The plant can also grow on the veranda, the main thing is to provide it with good watering. beautiful grows well at normal room temperature. At the end of flowering, this plant is thrown away.

Varieties

The most popular plants are those of the Bells line, the most commonly grown varieties being the white "White Bells" and the blue "Blue Bells". "Jingle Bells" plants may bloom different shades blue and white. Another blue-flowered variety is "Blue Troll". For those who like other types of Browallia, we recommend American Browallia (Browallia americana). Its seeds can be found in specialized nurseries.

Purchase

It is best to buy beautiful brovallia just before flowering, when you can determine the color. Choose plants with many buds and healthy leaves. Brovallia is beautiful - it is an annual, so after flowering it is removed. Beautiful Brovallia seeds are inexpensive.

Possible problems

Rot of the stem base

Root and base rot is a consequence of overwatering.

beautiful browallia. If you find traces of rot, immediately destroy the diseased plant.

Yellowing leaves

The leaves of the plant turn yellow if it is kept in a cold room. Move it to a warmer place.

Sticky leaves

Browallia (lat. Browallia) belongs to the Solanaceae family and is a direct relative of potatoes and tomatoes. With its name, the plant immortalized the memory of Bishop D. Broval (Sweden), friend of C. Linnaeus, world-famous botanist, founder of plant classification.

Browallia is native to the central and southern parts of America. It was brought to Europe in 1846 from Colombia.

It's grassy flowering plant In its homeland, the plant reaches a meter in height and is considered a subshrub. Garden forms half as low, indoor ones are bushes with soft drooping shoots.

The stems of the plant are densely “strewn” with axillary single flowers resembling stars. The corolla of the flower is formed by five half-fused funnel-shaped petals and is colored in various tones: from snow-white to blue and purple. The flowers are bisexual, odorless. Flowering lasts from spring until frost.

The fruit is a capsule with a lid and valves. Small dark seeds ripen in it and fall out through the valves. Seeds of the first year have high germination rate.

Tall species are grown in open ground for decorative purposes and for cutting. Low-growing - for decorating loggias and balconies, like indoor plants. To enhance the decorative effect garden varieties Browallias are placed in a group; when grown in pots, several bushes are planted together in one container.

The plant is quite unpretentious, it only needs “traditional” care measures: removing faded buds, yellowed leaves and old shoots; pinching shoots to enhance the decorative effect of the bush; spraying and fertilizing.

However, all this must be done with caution. Like some other representatives of the Solanaceae, such as belladonna and mandrake, Browallia is poisonous. Breeding it at home is unsafe for children and pets. After caring for the plant, it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly.

Location and lighting

Browallia loves bright places, but does not tolerate bright scorching sun. On a hot summer afternoon it is better to shade it. East-facing windows are perfect for placing plants indoors.