Quesnel - a cereal-like exclusive bromeliad

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Representatives of the Bromeliad family are now at the peak of popularity. These plants are so fond that even their not too common species today are increasingly occupying the shelves. Bright, special, not so difficult to care for, even exotic bromeliads have become frequent guests of our houses. But still remain among indoor bromeliad plants, which can be found only in exclusive collections. Quesnelia is an amazing representative of the family, a real rarity, not for everyone. Growing quesnelia is not so difficult, but the status of an almost elusive legend scares many away from this densely growing room miracle.

Content:

Quesnelia - a bromeliad miracle resembling cereal
Conditions for growing indoor cornflower
Home Care
Diseases, pests and growing problems
Propagation of Cornelles

Quesnelia - a bromeliad miracle resembling cereal

Today, among the bromeliads, there are almost no plants that could be called rare. Representatives of the genus Quesnelia (Quesnelia) Is a genuine rarity with us, a culture whose appearance can only be enjoyed in the botanical gardens and among true fans of this family. But attention to more rare and interesting types of bromeliad left its mark on the quesnelia: still rare and difficult to find, it already began to appear in catalogs and at exhibitions.

The special status of Quesnel seems to have been ensured from the very beginning: this plant was even named after the French diplomat, the consul, who brought the plant to Europe and made it a welcome addition to the collection in high society. The status of a rare and exclusive plant in Quesnel has not changed much since the mid-19th century, when it was introduced into the culture. The appearance of a South American named after Michel Quesnel does not seem so exotic at all. But in room culture, quesnelia, indeed, stands out against the background of other bromeliads and slightly resembles perhaps only bilbergia.

Quennel in nature is found only in Brazil. Even neighboring countries with similar climatic conditions are not included in the range of this almost national plant. The most widely represented is the Riviera de Janeiro, in typical coastal subtropical forests, where these epiphytes are able to occupy almost all of the large arboreal and vines.

Despite the fact that in the genus Quesnel there are more than 15 plant species, as a houseplant, with rare exceptions, they grow only one - Libon cornflower. This is the brightest, most decorative and compact representative of the genus with the most spectacular leaves. It is fair to call quesnelia in the room format a plant, in which the leaves will not yield inflorescence to flowering.

Quesnelia of Libon (Quesnelia liboniana) Is an epiphytic species of the bromeliads, which, by nature alone, is not of particular interest. Quesnel develops in the form of a high, narrow-cylindrical, elongated funnel from a few leaves. But due to the fact that the plants form colonies in the pots, they constantly produce stolons with new rosettes, grow in dense and large groups of numerous "columns", from afar the plant is easily confused with a giant cereal.

Creeping to the sides, quesnelia usually quickly “steps over” the edge of pots and containers. The funnel of quesnelia can grow up to 70 cm in height, they consist of 5-6 very long internal and reduced outer leaves. Lingual-shaped, with a sharp tip, serrated edge and small curved spikes along the edge, leaves up to 5 cm wide seem amazingly stiff.

The mid-green color is softened by stripes of grayish scales on the underside. Due to the specific elongation of the funnel and its form of cornel, they often cause associations with bamboos, but when you touch the culture, such associations immediately disappear.

The flowering of this kind of cornflower does not at all remind of the magnificent ears of other bromeliads. Naked, thin, absolutely straight peduncles rising above the outlet with tiled lanceolate leaves are crowned with spikelets of inflorescences, but with an unusual structure - up to 10 with sparse, tubular narrow flowers sticking out in all directions. Five centimeter bent or erect flowers with fused red sepals and oval blue petals forming a dense narrow tube, in which only the top bends, look original, bold and exotic. The transition from bright scarlet to dark purple seems unconventional, but all this beauty of flowering can only be appreciated close up.

Along with Libon's quennel, on sale and catalogs of quesnelia are represented by original varieties of another species with variegated coloring - quesnelia marble (Quesnelia marmorata) Outwardly, it is very similar to Libon's quennel, but it is distinguished by enhanced striping, somewhat compensating for some nondescript plants.

Conditions for growing indoor cornflower

The lack of need for a cool period of rest, tolerance for different lighting, and for different temperatures allows us to classify the quennel as unpretentious bromeliads. It perfectly adapts to different conditions, including typical living rooms.

Lighting and placement

For this bromeliad illumination, first of all, it determines the color of the leaves: being quite hardy, quennel can adapt to almost any kind of lighting. In shading, the greens are darker, in bright places - bright, several tones lighter. The brighter the lighting, the brighter the bromeliads look, but they also lose their decorativeness faster. In partial shade and light shade, Quesnel may not bloom. Quesnelia does not tolerate the hot sun, plants must be protected from direct rays either by placing special screens or by moving away from the window.

For this bromeliad, windows of a non-southern orientation and places in the interior of bright rooms are preferable. Quesnelia can be used for compositions with other bromeliads, including as a background culture-filler, to create the effect of volume and splendor in collections. The plant also looks good in group compositions of greenhouses and conservatories.

Temperature and ventilation

Any living room is suitable for Quesnelia. During the period of active growth, from early spring to the end of summer, they will feel good both in rooms where coolness reigns - with a temperature of about 18 degrees, and where values rise above 23 degrees of heat.

In winter time, for Quesnelia, you also need warmth, but with a decrease in average temperatures by 2-4 degrees compared to the summer mode and a drop in nighttime indicators (these differences stimulate flowering). The optimum temperature is from 16 to 20 degrees with 15-16 degrees at night. The cold of quesnelia does not tolerate and reacts very poorly to sudden changes in air temperature regardless of the time of year. The minimum allowable temperature drop is up to 13 degrees.

Quesnel is very capricious to air pollution and stagnation. This plant does not tolerate tobacco smoke and the kitchen atmosphere, likes to grow in spacious, often ventilated rooms. It is better to protect the quennel from the cold wind, but without sharp changes in temperature it is not too capricious and does not react to drafts, it can spend the summer in the garden or on the open terrace.

Home Care

Quesnelia is a typical indoor culture from the bromeliad category. Accurate watering, top dressing during the stage of active development, condition monitoring - that's all that is needed for its cultivation. This bromeliad is suitable even for beginners.

Watering and humidity

Quesnelia does not like excessive watering and does not need constant moisture of the substrate. These plants are content with light stable soil moisture. In autumn and winter, watering is limited, almost completely drying the substrate, in spring and summer, make sure that the soil is slightly moist. Due to the large number of stolon rosettes, it is inconvenient to water the cornflower into the rosette, but this method is also acceptable, especially for not too overgrown bushes. Watering in the outlet is carried out only at a temperature above 20 degrees and only until flowering.

Watering can be done only with soft and warm (2-3 degrees above air temperature) water. Water temperature is critical when watering to a power outlet.

Unlike many bromeliads, quesnelia is a lover of medium-humid air. Normal air of living rooms with indicators from 45 to 55% humidity is quite suitable for her. Extremely dry air requires appropriate additional measures, but there is no need to create tropical moisture for the plant. During the summer, it is best to include daily spraying in the care program for this plant. It will help to cope with heat, and with dry air, and with fluctuating conditions. Without spraying in the summer, old outlets quickly lose their saturated color and beautiful shape.

Fertilizing and fertilizer composition

For quesnelia, special fertilizers are used for bromeliads or half-reduced doses of fertilizers for flowering indoor plants. Universal fertilizers are not suitable for this culture, you should choose only mixtures with a low nitrogen content.

Top dressing is carried out with a frequency of 1 time in 2-3 weeks in the spring and summer, during the active vegetation. Feeding for Quesnel is carried out only in liquid form.

Transplant and substrate

The tendency to constantly build up children, crawl out of the tank and actively grow lateral shoots leads to the fact that cornea is usually transplanted quite often. It is on the growth, the beginning of the drooping of the side outlets on the edge of the tank or beyond it that they are oriented during the transplant. This procedure can be carried out at any time in spring and summer, while the plant is actively developing.

Quesnelia is an epiphytic bromeliad, but due to the nature of its growth, they are almost never planted on blocks, although they feel great on snags and bark provided that they create a good sphagnum pillow under the plant. Quesnel prefer special baskets for epiphytes or other containers with good air access.

Natural materials and only models with several drainage holes are selected from conventional containers. A very high drainage is laid at the bottom of the containers, occupying at least a third of the height of the container.

Quesnelia is best grown in special substrates for bromeliads. With self-mixing of the soil, you need to make sure of the quality of the materials and take care of its breathability. For a plant, a mixture of leafy soil, horse peat, humus, sand or an inert loosening material in an equal ratio with the addition of sphagnum and charcoal is suitable.

For cornea, the base of the rosettes and the roots of which are most often exposed, it is recommended to use additional mulching - a sphagnum layer that covers the surface of the substrate.

Diseases, pests and growing problems

Of the diseases of Caesnella suffer only from rot, developing as a result of improper care. But pests are found on the plant quite often. Scabies, spider mites, mealybugs and aphids require insecticide treatment from the very beginning.

Common growing problems:

the appearance of pale and dry spots on the leaves in direct sunlight;
drying of the tips of the leaves with very dry air in the summer;
brown leaf tips when watering with hard, cold water or critical stagnation of water in the pan;
the dying of a brownish, not faded outlet when the substrate is waterlogged;
collapsing bushes, loose, loose, deformed rosettes in too strong shading.

Propagation of Cornelles

Seeds of quennel are very rarely found on sale, young plants require long-term growing and are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in the living conditions, so the plant is not grown from seeds at home.

To obtain new plants, it is enough to separate the side rosettes, which cornel forms in very large quantities. They are carefully separated from the mother’s outlet, inspected, planted in a typical soil mixture and kept at moderate temperatures breaking off or cutting off at medium humidity until active growth begins. Waterlogging at the rooting stage is very dangerous.