Vriesea, plant care and growing guide

Vriesea (Vriesea sp.) is a bromeliad from South and Central America. It is often used as an indoor plant, decorating the room with its leaves and inflorescences. The leaves are long and wide, with brown, transverse stripes. The inflorescence is long (30-40 cm), straight, being made up of leathery bracts, colored in bright red, at the base of which are yellow flowers.

The most frequently cultivated Vriesea varieties, which are used as houseplants are:

  • Vriesea splendens – the spike is thin, in the form of a spear; it has orange or red bracts and yellow or white flowers. It is the most commonly cultivated.
  • Vriesea fenestralis – the leaves have a striped appearance with shades of brown, purple or silver; the spike is yellow-green.
  • Vriesea hieroglyphica – the leaves are colored in dark green with brown spots, forming a large rosette; the flowers are yellow.

Environmental condition

Light. Vriesea prefers bright places, but it should not be positioned in direct sunlight.

Temperature. The room temperature should be kept between 20-28º C in the spring-autumn period, and in winter it should not drop below 16º C. Vriesea plants are sensitive to dry air, so the atmospheric humidity has to be maintained at 80-85%.

Substrate. It is recommended that the substrate be fibrous, with a pH of 5-6, consisting of a mixture of peat, compost, sphagnum, and sand, in equal parts.

Watering

The plant should be watered regularly with a small amount of water, preferably with rainwater or non-calcareous water, so that the soil is maintained permanently damp, but not too wet. Excessive moisture is harmful to the plant’s roots. Also, water must be always kept in the rosette of the plant, emptying and refilling it once every 1-2 months. In winter, watering should be done less often, once every three days, and the water in the rosette should be emptied. Atmospheric humidity has to be kept high by spraying the plant or placing the pot on a layer of damp gravel.

Fertilization

It can be done monthly with liquid fertilizers, applied by spraying the leaves or pouring it into the rosette, in which case the concentration has to be reduced.

Recommended products

Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
Propagation

Vriesea is propagated mainly by harvesting the shoots, but it can also be propagated through seeds (in rarer cases).

Recommended products

Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
Diseases and pests

The most common are diseases that cause the root rot of Vriesea plants in the area between the roots and the stem is due to insufficient ventilation and water drainage. They are caused by fungi such as Botrytis, Pythium, Fusarium, and Phytophthora. Treatment should be done with specific fungicides. Viruses can also infest the plant, leading to the discoloration of the leaves and the falling of the flowers. In some cases, the plant withers suddenly, with no other symptoms. It can be attacked by mealybugs. The attack manifests itself in the form of a whitish fuzz, visible especially on the underside of the leaf. Insecticide treatments can be applied to control it.

Recommended products

Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
In addition:
  • the Bromeliads bloom only once, then they dry out, but at the base appear young shoots, which will become new plants, blooming in turn.
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