A tender, flowering browllia is tirelessly rare for our window sills and gardens. Meanwhile, this pretty flower is very popular in many foreign countries, especially in America. It is grown as a houseplant, as a garden annual plant in a cool climate and perennial in the south. They love browllia for abundant and very long (in good conditions up to 17 consecutive months) flowering, and the difficulty is that the bush is difficult to maintain for more than two years. How to care for a beautiful toiler browllia?
The origin and appearance of browllia
Brovallia is a member of the large Solanaceae family. Potatoes and tomatoes are related to this flower. And the homeland of these plants is common: they are all natives of the South American continent. But unlike its tasty and healthy relatives, brovallia does not have gastronomic advantages. It pleases only aesthetic taste. The beauty of brovallia is not as catchy as other inhabitants of the tropics. This is not a bright firework of colors and shapes, but a simple but charming charm. Grace of brovallia will be understood only by a true connoisseur of the flower world.
The beauty of brovallia is not bright, but very tender
In the wild and in the garden, browll shoots can grow up to one and a half meters. At room content, the bush does not exceed 30-40 cm. Compact hybrid forms are grown in open ground - on flowerbeds or alpine slides, and in containers for decorating terraces and balconies.
In the natural environment, brovallia is a lushly flowering herbaceous shrub with shoots up to one and a half meters
Brovallia is a herbaceous plant, it has tender shoots that creep or wilt. Small (up to 5 cm) thin oval-shaped leaves with a slight pubescence. The stems are abundantly decorated with flowers that form in the sinuses and tops. Five or six petals fused at the base with slightly bent back edges resemble both an asterisk and violet. Their color varies from dark violet to snowy white.
Browllia flowers are similar to violets, but completely odorless
Brovallia is a self-pollinated plant. Its fruits look like a box, small dark seeds hide behind the wings. They are easy to obtain at home, but the ripening of the fruits takes away the forces that are needed for flowering.
Brovallia was named in honor of fellow naturalist Carl Linnaeus. D. Browall was a clergyman who was fond of botany and floriculture.
Brovallia is not the most difficult flower to care for. Although it’s not very unpretentious. It is demanding for watering, during life in the room it needs high humidity. In addition, the bush must be formed to maintain decorativeness. Due to the rapid flowering, it quickly stretches, loses its attractiveness and blooms more modestly.
Brovallia is still a rare plant in our apartments, but lovers have already appreciated this delicate flower
Often, after the last flowers wither, the plant is thrown out and a new one is grown from cuttings or seeds. I must say, brovallia easily reproduces. By the way, it blooms beautifully at any time of the year. For the winter flowering, it must be sown in the summer, and for the summer - at the end of winter. Observing some rules, you can try to extend browllia life after flowering for a year or two.
After flowering, indoor browllia is updated, but you can try to keep the old plant
When caring for browllia, be careful: the plant is moderately toxic. Wear gloves before work and wash your hands when finished. Place browllia out of the reach of small children and animals.
Charming browllia is a toxic plant, follow safety rules when working with it.
Types and varieties of brovallia
Brovallia is a small genus, it has only 6 species. In floriculture, only half of them and hybrid varieties are used. They are better adapted to the content in the room, are distinguished by a variety of colors and the magnitude of the colors.
- Brovallia beautiful, or magnificent, pleasant, is the most common type in home floriculture. In the wild, distributed in Colombia and Peru. The cultural variety does not grow more than 40 cm. Its fleecy shoots will branch strongly with regular pinching. Leaflets are also pubescent, dark green, about 6 cm in length. Flowers up to 3 cm in diameter can be blue, blue or violet with a light center. Long flowering, a year or more.
- American brovallia (or pubescent) is more hairy than other species. This plant is plentiful and blooms for a long time. Inflorescences are small (about 2.5 cm) single, violet or bluish in color. A bush about 60 cm long is highly branched.
- Large-flowered browllia comes from Peru. The branched bush extends up to half a meter, in nature it blooms from late autumn. Inflorescences are large, up to 5 cm in diameter, pale blue or white, collected in loose brushes.
- Sticky browllia - Peruvian, medium-sized, about 30 cm, plant. The name was given to a sticky stem covered with hairs. Small flowers, dark blue with a white center or snow color, are formed very abundantly. In the garden, flowering continues from mid-summer to frost. House blooms in November.
- Alba is a variety of sticky browllia with inflorescences bright white with a yellow eye. The plant is well adapted for indoor breeding.
- Sapphire - a variety with a miniature (20 cm) bush and a hat of large flowers. Their color resembles a gem in whose honor the plant was named. Blue-blue inflorescences adorn this browllia all year long.
- Brovallia Blue Bell - a modern, more unpretentious than the original species, hybrid. The spherical bush reaches 35 cm. The buds are formed 3 months after sowing. Flowers are about 3 cm in diameter, they are painted in different shades of blue and form brushes at the ends of shoots or in the sinuses.
- Brovallia Marina Bell is a compact hybrid. Small flowers (2 cm) of a deep blue tint bloom very quickly, two months after sowing the seeds.
- Brovallia Silver Bell is a hybrid variety. The leaves are saturated green, more durable than other varieties. Flowers in the shape of a five-pointed star (diameter 3 cm) are snow-white.
Brovallia is beautiful, American, sticky and varieties in the photo
- Brovallia Silver Bell: flowers as snow-white stars
- Brovallia Sapphire - rather large flowers on a small bush
- Brovallia Marina Bell with blue-violet flowers
- The browllia of a large-flowered inflorescence with a diameter of 5 cm
- On the basis of beautiful brovallya new varieties are bred
- Sticky browllia has very hairy stems and small flowers
- Brovallia Blue Bell - unpretentious and compact flower
- American brovallia is distinguished by small flowers with specially fused petals
- Alba is suitable for indoor use.
Conditions for browllia (table)
| Season | Lighting | Humidity | Temperature |
| Spring | Bright but scattered. A small amount of direct sun will be useful for the flower. Western and eastern directions are suitable for placing brovulia. On the south side on sunny days you need to shade the plant. In the north, there may not be enough light for growth and flowering. | Slightly elevated, 60-70%.
| Moderate, about 18-20. Brovallia does not like sudden changes in temperature; do not place the plant near an open window. |
| Summer | Browllia can spend summer on the balcony or in the garden. Protect the flower from the wind and the hot sun. Excessive light can cause burns to foliage. | Moderate, up to 25 degrees. Protect from heat. Fresh air enhances flowering. With a significant increase in temperature, the plant may fade. | |
| Autumn | Lighting is a bright light with a few hours of direct sunlight. When reducing daylight hours, provide artificial lighting with phytolamps. Otherwise, brovallia will not bloom. | Moderate or elevated. The warmer the room, the higher the humidity should be. Do not place the plant near heating appliances. Spray if necessary. | Moderate, about + 18-20 degrees. Lower the temperature gradually. |
| Winter | Cool, optimally + 16-18 degrees. Coolness is useful for bookmarking buds. At higher temperatures and lack of light, shoots can stretch and weaken. |
About landing and transplanting
Browllia is rarely transplanted. Usually it is grown one season, and after the last flowers wither, they are sent to the garbage. But increasingly, flower growers are trying to extend the life of the plant, at least up to 2-3 years. And for this, before the beginning of a new flowering, the browllia is transshipped with the preservation of the earth coma into a new pot.
Browllia is reloaded into fresh soil to extend her life
This plant is not large, so the volume of the pot should not exceed one and a half to two liters. A low capacity is not suitable for browllia, it is better to choose a high one to pour a larger drainage layer. Expanded moisture will be protected from browllia roots by expanded clay, crumb of brick or clay, vermiculite, perlite, and crushed polystyrene.
Earth needs an ever-flowering bush to have fertile, airy, and well-conducting moisture. You can plant browllia in universal soil for indoor plants, adding charcoal and a little sand to it. Here are some compositions that a flower will like:
- equally fertile soil and compost + a little vermiculite and charcoal;
- 2 parts of sod-clay soil, 1 part of humus, peat and coarse sand;
- 2 parts of rotted compost (humus), 1 share - sheet earth, sand (vermiculite);
- in equal parts, the land is turf and leaf, humus and perlite.
Brovallia shoots are not covered with bark, they are rather weak. And it’s difficult for them to hold bunches of flowers; under their weight, twigs can drop. If you grow a bush, not an ampelous plant, during planting, install a support for the stems in the pot and tie them up.
To make the browllia look neat, you can install a support for it
Transshipment of browaglia
- Take a suitable container with holes, put drainage on the bottom. Everything must be disinfected - steamed or at least doused with boiling water.
- Spread the sterilized soil on top. Do not ram it too hard; it should be airy.
- Remove the browllia from the old pot.
- Inspect the root system. Remove softened, darkened, and dry roots.
- Try not to damage healthy roots, do not prune them.
- Place the earthen ball with browllia in a new pot. Add soil.
- Tamp the substrate lightly at the roots. The plant likes loose soil.
- After transplanting, prune the stems very much, if this is not done before, pour the flower with warm water, spray it.
- Place the transplanted browll in a permanent place.
Do not transplant blooming browllia. Wait until the flowering ends, otherwise you risk losing not only the buds, but the whole plant. He does not have enough strength at the same time for flowering and adaptation after transplantation.
Do not transplant the blooming bush of brovallia
Care
Brovallia is not that difficult to care for. It is only necessary to remember that the plant is afraid of the burning sun and heat, does not tolerate drying out of the soil, needs additional nutrition and regular formation. And usually bloom blooms do not happen. It is only necessary to help her to reveal the message of the potential inherent in nature.
Watering and feeding
No matter where the browllia grows: on a garden flower bed, in a balcony container or in a pot on a windowsill - the watering regime should ensure constant soil moisture. If there is not enough water and the ground at the roots completely dries out, a tender plant will not restore strength. However, excessive watering is also dangerous, it leads to decay of the roots and stems.
For potted browlls, lower watering will be more useful. So the roots will take as much moisture as they need. Irrigation water should be soft and slightly warm, not cooler than air temperature.
During flowering, regularly feed browllia with mineral fertilizers
For prolonged and rich flowering of brovale, nutrition is necessary, add it to water for irrigation. Regardless of the time of year, feed the flowering bush with mineral complexes once every two weeks. As part of the fertilizer must be potassium and phosphorus. These elements help flowering.
Flowering period
Brovallia does not need to be forced to bloom, it is intended by nature itself. But the flowering can and should be helped: plant the plant in a cramped pot, feed it with special mineral complexes, be sure to remove fading flowers.
Browally rarely has flowering problems.
However, it rarely happens that buds do not appear on browlls. The causes of the failure are the florist errors:
- the plant grows roots, because it is planted in an oversized pot;
- the flower does not fertilize, or there is a lot of nitrogen in top dressing, and it promotes leaf growth;
- if flowering should be in winter, there may not be enough light;
- wilted flower stalks are not removed, if browia began to set seeds, flowering weakens or stops altogether.
If you want to receive seeds from your brovale for further propagation, leave only one seed box on each plant. This will slightly affect the quality of flowering. And the harvest will be more than enough for you. Seeds of browllium are very small, and they are not stored for long.
2-year-old plants produce fewer buds
Flowering problems can occur in adult plants. A bush older than 2 years old blossoms less abundantly, and inflorescences on it may fade. In this case, it remains only to replace the plant by growing a new one from the seeds or the cuttings.
Shaping and rejuvenation
Formation is an indispensable element of care for browllia. The ends of the shoots from a young age begin to pinch that the bush developed lateral buds. It is very important to regularly clean: remove dry leaves and stems that interfere with growth, and withered flowers. This procedure prolongs the flowering period.
Timely cleaning of wilted flowers and dry leaves prolongs the active life of the plant
And radical pruning can save the life of browllia. After about two years of active flowering, the plant becomes tired and "going to rest." But browllia does not have a rest period. That is, a plant that has given strength to flowering grows - it slows down growth and, in the end, dies. But it can be rejuvenated. To do this, transfer the flower to a new soil and cut the stems almost to zero, leaving 10-15 cm. After that, feed them with fertilizer with nitrogen, spray, water, not allowing the soil to dry out. And wait for the browllia to regain strength.
Care errors and their correction (table)
| Manifestation | Cause | Elimination |
| Leaves lose their elasticity, fade. |
|
|
| The plant is elongated, the shoots are very thin, the leaves are pale. | Lack of lighting. | Provide the plant with bright, diffused light. In winter, lengthen the daylight artificially, LED, fluorescent lamps or phytolamps are suitable. |
| Yellow spots on the leaves. | Burns from direct sun. | Take the browllia away from the window. Shade from the hot sun. |
| Brovallia does not want to bloom, or there are few flowers. | You may not comply with the conditions of detention and the rules of care. | Flowering formula: more light + pruning before growth + fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium + cramped pot + removal of wilted inflorescences. Poor flowering give overgrown, aged plants. |
Diseases and pests of browllia: control measures and prevention (table)
| How is it manifested? | Disease or pest | What to do? | Preventive measures |
| Flour, like flour, appears on leaves, stems and flowers. Affected parts of the plant wilt. | Powdery Mildew | Remove affected leaves and flowers. Treat the plant with Topaz or iodine solution (1 ml per 350 ml of water). | Waterlogging of the soil is one of the fungal causes of diseases. Stale air contributes to their development. To avoid infection, adjust the watering and ventilate the room more often. Quarantine new plants. |
| The plant loses its tone, withers, but the soil is moist. | Root rot. |
| |
| Dark rotting spots appear on the leaves and stems, often below. | Stem rot. | If decay has only affected the plant, you can try to save it. Root healthy apical cuttings. Inspect the roots, if they are healthy, and the trunk is not affected by the soil itself, you can trim it. Sprinkle the cut with charcoal or sulfur. Spray what remains in the pot with a stimulant solution and cover with a bag. The buds might wake up on a stump. With a significant lesion, the plant must be discarded and treated with the fungicide of its neighbors. | |
| Leaves are elastic, but turn pale and yellow. | Chlorosis. | Water and spray with ferrovit, iron chelate (antichlorosine) until healthy leaflets appear. It is advisable to transplant into fresh soil. | Fertilize the plant in moderation, water only with demineralized (settled) water. |
| The leaves are covered with yellowish spots and dots, sometimes a white web is noticeable. Foliage is dying. | Defeat with a spider mite. | Spray browllia with a systemic insecticide, phytoferm, actellik, derris. | Inspect the plant regularly to detect the first signs of pest infection and take action on time. Spray the plant regularly. Humidify the air and ventilate, the spider mite and other pests breed in dry and stuffy rooms. |
| Leaves fade, green larvae on the underside, and flying whitish insects around. | Whitefly attack. |
| |
| Brovallia does not grow well, leaves are sluggish even after watering. There are noticeable whitish small lumps, similar to cotton wool, and a sticky coating. | Mealybug attacks. | Isolate the infected flower, the worm easily transfers to other plants. Remove pests by hand with a damp cloth. After that, spray or rinse with a soap-alcohol solution (20 grams of laundry soap and 20 ml of alcohol per 1 liter of hot water). If the lesion is massive, treat Fufanon, Actara or Actellik with insecticides. |
Breeding
New browlls can be grown from cuttings and seeds. Reproduction is carried out all year, focusing on what time you want to get a flowering bush. For example, sown in August browlls will bloom in winter. And in order for the flowers to be in June, sow the seeds or cut the plant in February.
Seeds
Florists often complain that browllium crops sprout poorly. The fact is that the seeds of this plant have a short shelf life. They are ready for development immediately after ripening and then give 100% germination. And having lain for only a year, more than half of them lose their viability. So it’s best to grow browllia from freshly picked seeds. Consider two options for sowing.
1 gram contains about 5,000 browllium seeds.
Traditional method
- Soak the seeds for 2 hours in a stimulant solution (2 drops of zircon per glass of warm water)
- Prepare a greenhouse, pour a mixture of sterilized light soil substrate (peat with sand or perlite) into it.
- Distribute the seeds on the surface, do not need to be covered with a substrate.
- Moisten spray crops.
- Cover the greenhouse with a transparent lid (glass or film).
- Put it in a warm (+ 20-25 degrees) and bright place.
- Ventilate the crops every day and remove condensate, moisten if necessary.
- Usually 2-3 weeks are needed for sprouting browllia seeds.
- When the sprouts give 2 real leaves, transplant the seedlings into pots, 4 pieces each. So the bush will be more magnificent.
Sowing in a peat tablet
- Do not process the seeds.
- Soak peat tablets in water with zircon, then squeeze out excess moisture.
- Spread the seeds on the surface of the tablets in three pieces.
Place 3 seeds in each tablet
- Place the tablets in a transparent container (greenhouse), cover with a film or a lid.
Seed tablets are placed in a transparent container with a lid.
- Place the greenhouse in a warm (+ 20-25) and intensely lit place.
Germination needs light and heat
- When the roots appear and the seedlings grow up, make an incision on the tablet shell and remove it, turning inside out. So you keep the roots intact.
Cutting the edge of the pill, you can easily get a seedling
- Transplant seedlings into cups or small pots of 3 pieces.
Seedlings also plant three in pots
- Young plants usually bloom 3-4 months after sowing.
After 3-4 months, these browia seedlings will bloom
Florists note that blue and violet varieties of browllia develop much faster. And plants with white flowers are slower and bloom later.
Cuttings
Cuttings of browlls are carried out all year round. But for reproduction it is necessary to use only non-flowering shoots on which there are no buds yet.
- Cut the apical cuttings 10-12 cm.
- Clean the lower part from the leaves, dip the slice for a few minutes in a solution of the stimulant (epin, zircon, rootin).
- In a large container or individual cups with a volume of 50-100 g, pour a sterile substrate of sand and peat, moisten it.
- Make 3-4 cm deepenings with a pencil. Observe the distance so that the cuttings do not touch.
- Place the cuttings in the recesses and tamp the soil around without leaving voids.
- Spray the seedlings, you can add a stimulant to the water.
- Cover the greenhouse with a film or a lid, and cups with bags.
- Put in a bright, but without direct sun place. Maintain a temperature of + 20-22 degrees.
- Ventilate and moisten the plantings regularly.
- When there are signs of rooting - new leaves, plant the young plants in separate pots, preferably 3-4 cuttings, and in nutrient soil.
The appearance of new leaves - a signal for a transplant
- Pinch the tops of the seedlings so that the side buds begin to develop.
Browllia cuttings bloom very quickly
An eco-friendly growth stimulator can be prepared independently from young willow shoots. They must be cut into pieces of 5 cm. These sticks are placed vertically in a container of water. Be sure to follow the direction of growth - top, bottom. The infusion is prepared for a day. The cuttings received from the willow stimulator are placed for 6-12 hours.
Video: how to sow flower seeds
A charming browllia, like Cinderella at a lush and colorful flower ball, appears for a short while, but quickly surprises and captivates with its tenderness and grace. She is a real hard worker, able to bloom for more than a year without rest breaks. This requires tremendous energy, so it is not surprising that after flowering, the plant becomes discouraged and can die. The florist has the opportunity to maintain life in the old flower or extend it into a new one by rooting cuttings or sowing seeds. Anyone who once met a shy browllia will not forget her.
