Heliconia

Heliconia is a herbaceous plant and as it is not difficult to understand from the name, it is directly related to the Heliconia family. In its natural habitat, this plant grows in tropical zones in Central America or Asia. In terms of soil selection, the culture prefers well-humid areas, but at the same time with natural drainage. Based on this, you can see Heliconia in the mountainous areas, in the tropics or in the coastal areas of the sea, on river banks it is also found. There is a beautiful legend that the plant got its beautiful name in honor of Mount Helikon, which was the home of incredible muses, as the myths of ancient Greece tell us.

Heliconia form a root system without any thickenings and bulbs, which refers to it as a rhizome herb. This culture is perennial.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Heliconia can be up to 3 meters long. The stem of the flower is formed from elongated wide sheets and leafy sheaths, so it is more correct to say that this is a pseudostem. Leaves creating an asymmetrical stem effect, this is due to too dense planting in the space of the pseudostem. The structure of these leaves is very similar to the structure of a banana, the same venation, but there is a difference, the leaf plates of heliconia are arranged in two rows.

Heliconia reaches its maturity quite quickly, and passes into the flowering period already in the second year of life. Inflorescences are formed on all parts of the root system, which has foliage and stem. The stalk of heliconia practically throughout the entire process of growth and development does not change its size and remains shortened, but as soon as the flowering period begins, it grows sharply and brings up the inflorescences. The bracts of the described plant have rich colors, such as orange or lemon, burgundy or pink. Some Heliconia species have a yellow or green bract border, which makes them more attractive, and the waxy layer covering the outer part gives them flexibility, shock absorption and shine. True flowers are not large in size and are located inside the bracts. The period from bud opening to wilting is surprisingly short. The bud opens in the morning and fades in about a day.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Heliconia flower: home care

Lighting.

For good growth and development, Heliconia needs constant, bright and diffused lighting, that is, all 365 days a year. In its natural environment, this plant is able to survive direct exposure to direct sunlight, this also occurs when growing indoor conditions, for example, on open balconies or windows, it is important to remember that such exposure to the sun should not be prolonged.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Temperature conditions.

Heliconia is thermophilic. The ideal temperature conditions for it will be 22 - 26 degrees, while with the onset of cold weather or in the winter season, the air temperature should not drop below 18 degrees. Heliconia does not tolerate being in stuffy rooms and drafts. Therefore, be sure to ventilate the room in which the flower is located, but do this with extreme caution.

Humidity of the air.

Heliconia needs increased air humidity readings. Therefore, choose a place where culture will grow in your apartment or house, be guided by this indicator. The ideal conditions for Heliconia are cultivation in a greenhouse or greenhouse.If there are no such conditions and the air is dry, then constant spraying must be included in the care of the flower, at least twice a day. Some growers use this method: expanded clay mixed with water is poured onto a tray and a pot with a plant is placed on it. When using this method, it is important to remember that the bottom of the pot should not touch the liquid.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Rules glaze.

Heliconia prefers well-moistened soil, therefore, water should be abundant in the warm season. It is imperative to monitor the condition of the earth for excess moisture and perform the following watering only after the topsoil dries up. During the cold season, the frequency of watering is reduced, but be sure to make sure that the soil does not dry out completely.

Food.

Heliconia needs additional nutrition from spring to autumn. For this, specialized fertilizers are used, which contain the whole range of necessary substances. Top dressing is performed according to the following scheme: once every 30 days. In the winter period of the year, the plants do not additionally feed.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Transfer.

It is best to transplant Heliconia once a year, the spring period of the year is suitable for this. The soil for transplanting should contain humus, turf, sand and foliage. All these components are mixed in the following proportions: 1: 1: 1: 2, according to the list. In order for the root system to develop qualitatively, the growing container must be voluminous. In order to make it easier to navigate and not to be mistaken in its size, just take a pot 5 cm in diameter larger than the previous one. As the plant grows, and we remember that it is perennial, it is moved to the tub. And it is imperative to form a high-quality drainage layer at the bottom of the tank.

Reproduction.

Three breeding methods:

• Seeds.
• Layers
• Division

Before sowing the seeds of Heliconia, they are germinated. To do this, they are placed in water, the temperature of which varies from 60 to 70 degrees for four days. To keep the temperature constant, you can perform this procedure in a thermos, constant replacement of water is not required and heating, too, navigate as needed. The seeds of Heliconia go deep into the soil about 2 cm. Further, the container with the seeds of Heliconia is covered with a film or transparent glass, and moved to a warm place where the air temperature is not less than 25 degrees. The seeds of Heliconia will not go off at the same time, and the process will last about 16 weeks. Throughout this time, it is necessary to constantly ventilate the crops and irrigate with a sprayer.

The division of the rhizome is performed only in the developed rhizome. The separated offspring are placed in a prepared substrate.

A container with a young seedling of a Heliconia flower is transferred to a shady place with high oxygen humidity. Young seedlings are watered in a moderate mode, if the oxygen humidity of the external environment is insufficient, then the young plant is covered with a transparent film, having previously made no holes. Note to an inexperienced gardener: when covering with a film, leaf plates should in no case touch it. In the period from 7 to 21 days, the first increments appear, after which the shelter is removed

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Disease and parasites

Heliconia is quite resistant to diseases and pests, let's consider what may pose a threat to this plant.

• Shields Are homoptera insects that can cause significant harm to your plant. It appears as brown plaques on foliage and stem. To maintain their vital activity, they consume the life sap of the plant, as a result of which the green mass first turns pale and then dies off. In the fight against a pest, a folk remedy in the form of a solution of grated laundry soap, in which a cloth or sponge is moistened, and the affected areas are treated, helps well.After, heliconia is sprayed with a solution of the insecticide Pirimifos-methyl in the proportions: one liter of water + two milliliters of the substance.
• Spider mite. The name speaks for itself, and the first sign of damage is the presence of cobwebs on the leaf blades. The parasite infects the plant in conditions of low humidity. The insect infects internodes, which causes the leaves to wilt and subsequently die off. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to periodically spray the foliage in warm water. If the plant is already affected, then it is worth wiping the flower with a sponge dipped in soapy water, and then again rinse with warm water. Heliconia flower: plant photo

Difficulties that can be encountered when growing Heliconia

• Yellowing of the foliage of Heliconia. In the period from autumn to winter, the reasons are: insufficient lighting and too high climate temperatures. In the spring-summer period: dryness of the soil and lack of minerals.

• The leaves do not change their color, remain green, but begin to wilt or die off. The reasons for this ailment are insufficient soil moisture or an inappropriate temperature regime.
• The leaves of Heliconia turn yellow or, roughly speaking, wrinkled. This is a consequence of the lack of such substances as: K, Mg, R. Also, the reasons may be the presence of cold drafts.
• Yellowing of the leaf blades at the ends is a sign of dry soil or excess calcium.
• Yellowing of Heliconia over the entire area of ​​the green mass. The reasons are dry soil or, conversely, stagnant moisture, high-density soil or plants are preparing for a dormant period.
• Insufficient watering of Heliconia can lead to curling of the leaves.
• Lack of light makes the color of the plant less saturated, and the stems weakened.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

Heliconia: plant species

• Bihai... This type of Heliconia is a representative of a fairly large size. The dimensions of the leaf plate can reach 120 cm in length, and the width varies from 30 to 45 cm. The inflorescences of the Bihai heliconia are also not small in size 60 by 30 cm, where 30 is the width. This species is multi-flowered. Inflorescences begin with burgundy - lemon sheaths. Raspberry-orange bracts with lemon tops. The flowers are colored green or pastel yellow.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

• Two-color Heliconia. Heliconia bicolor is a herbaceous plant that grows up to 1 meter in height. The leaves are rather large, pointed, about half a meter in length, ten centimeters wide. The base of the leaf plate is narrowed to the stem. The bracts are deep red, and the flowers themselves are snow-white and planted in 2 rows.
• Metal Heliconia. Representative of large heliconia. Pointed leaves of an elongated shape, the length of which can reach 30 cm, they reach 10 cm in diameter. Heliconia Metallica got its name for the color of the leaves, they are metallic - marsh color with a distinct creamy - white central vein and side veins of the same color. The foliage is not immediately painted in this color, initially it is bright red, the petioles are pale red, and the flowers themselves are red.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

• Rostral Heliconia... Another representative of large grassy sizes. The shape of the leaves is very similar to the green mass of a banana. The inflorescence is of a flat type and its length is from one meter to one and a half. Contains about 35 or more bracts, saturated red with a yellow border around the perimeter. The flowering period of this species can last all year round.
• Parrot Heliconia... This species also has rather large dimensions. The leaves are lanceolate-elongated, reaching about 40-50 centimeters in size. The inflorescences are represented by a vertical spiral, the flowers can be in gradations of red-orange color with characteristic black ends, resembling a parrot's beak.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

• Direct Heliconia.Heliconia straight line is relatively small in size, but with a wide spread in terms of length, from thirty centimeters to one and a half meters. The flower is visually similar to a bird with outstretched wings. The bracts are attached to the stem at right angles and have a bright red color. This characteristic is inherent in all representatives of this species.

Most often, gardeners grow the following varieties of direct Heliconia:

• Firebird the most popular representative with bright red flowers.
• Another variety is of a beautiful yellow color, interspersed with light pink shades. Dorado Gold
• Oliveiras Sharonii also has an unusual and pleasant color for visual perception. Coral-colored bracts with pronounced brown-red veins in the center of the leaf.
• Olimpic Dream not a large representative, with the same not large bracts painted in red or lemon color.

The main reason for their popularity is not so much their attractive appearance as their ease of care and the ability to adapt to almost any climatic conditions.

Heliconia flower: plant photo

• Indian Heliconia... The elongated sheets are painted in burgundy - silver color, with pronounced veins of various colors from pastel yellow to pink. Inflorescences tending upward, as a rule, are colored green.

Heliconia flower: video about the plant