Not all indoor plant lovers know what an echmea is.
Some are often interested in the forums, how often it blooms, for others it remains unclear why not ekhmeya blooms at home with proper care. Answers to these and other questions you will learn from the article.
Ehmeya: a short description
Ehmeya belongs to the bromeliad family, and its homeland is Central and South America. There are about 300 species of this plant.
Different types of Echmea are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants - forophytes, but do not parasitize) and those that grow in the ground. The leaves form a rosette, are monotonous and multi-colored, may have different densities. 
Ehmeya is a popular indoor plant, despite the fact that it blooms only once. In comparison with bromeliads, an echmea is a flower whose care in a home environment is quite simple.
What conditions to create for growing in the house
Ehmeya is considered unpretentious plantwhich can be grown both at home and in offices, but favorable conditions should be created for it.
Aspidistra, relief, diplomatic, zamiokulkas, pelargonium will help to decorate your house.
Location and lighting
Most species of echmea are light-loving plants, which should be located on the eastern or western windows. If the flower is on the south window, then lunch time it is necessary to pritenyat, as it does not tolerate direct midday sunlight.
In the summer, the ehme can be transferred to a street or balcony, but this should be done in such a way that the plant does not get burned. 
Ekhmeya sparkling does not withstand direct rays, so it is grown in partial shade. BUT curved requires more light than the rest, otherwise in low light its leaves may begin to dim. As for the winter period, all types of this flower need additional lighting.
Did you know? Ehmeya, according to national signs, cleans the house of negative energy.
Temperature
At home best temperature for echmea should be 25 ° C in summer and about 16 ° C in winter. Night and daytime temperature changes stimulate the creation of a flower stalk. Fresh air is very important for healthy growth, so you need to air often the room where the flower grows.
Important! Ehmeya should not be in a draft - it can lead to her death.
How to care at home
As already noted, ehmeya is not a fastidious plant. Being moisture-loving, it can still live without watering for a long time. In order for a flower to grow fully, you need to follow some rules for caring for it.
Watering
Achmey should be watered not only through the soil, but also through a socket, as it happens in nature. When watering, you first need to pour water into the outlet and only after that - water the earth. 
It is important that the water is soft and warm, and its temperature is slightly above the ambient temperature. In the summer, ehmeya needs plenty of watering, but in the fall it is recommended to reduce it. In the period of rest and at the end of flowering, no water is poured into the outlet at all - it can lead to rotting and death plants.
Air humidity
Echmeya is quite adapted to dry air, but she will not refuse to spray either. It should be systematically sprayed in the winter when the house has central heating or other heating devices that dry the air. For spraying need warm distilled water.
If you do not have the opportunity to frequently spray a flower, then you can increase the humidity of the air differently: for this you will need to place the pot in a vessel with gravel, pebbles or other drainage and poured water.
Fertilization
Fertilize ehmeyu need year round. In spring and summer, the plant is fertilized every two or three weeks, with the onset of autumn - no more than once a month, and with the arrival of winter - with an interval of 45 days. It is recommended to use special fertilizers or preparations for flowering houseplants, but then the concentration should be halved compared with that indicated on the package. In winter, the concentration is reduced by 4 times. 
Bloom ehmea
In Ehmea bloom lasts several months, and it happens only once. The flowering itself begins in the fourth year of the life of the flower. After some time, the socket at Ehmea begins to die off, but during this period she manages to give posterity.
The flowering can be accelerated: for this, the pot is placed in a transparent bag with a pair of apples that produce ethylene, which stimulates flowering.
Important! At the end of the growing season, the flower should be cut as low as possible.
Transplant rules: soil and pot
Adult ehmeya rarely needs a transplant.: only when its roots have completely filled the pot. Young Ehme should be transplanted annually, preferably in the spring.
You need to choose a small tank, at the bottom of which you must put drainage. The soil needed for echmea can be purchased at the store (bromeliad substrate, orchids) or mixed independently: this will require two parts of hardwood, one part of sand and one part of peat.
Breeding methods
Exists two ways breeding ehmea: the first - reproduction by shoots (offspring), and the second - by seeds. The first and most common method is the first, since the second provides for a long wait (more than four years) for the plant to bloom.
Offshoots
The most effective for offspring is his growing near the mother plant, because the appendix feeds for a long time at its expense. After some time, remove the dried parent plant. 
Most flower lovers want the blooming of ehmea to begin earlier: for this, the process is recommended to be separated, but for this you need to know how to properly plant the echmea. The processes should be separated when they reach at least 1/3 of the height of the adult, and also the presence of formed roots is desirable. After such actions, the young ehmeya will be able to bloom in three years.
It is possible to separate the ten-centimeter process with a sharp knife, but then flowering will begin no earlier than five years later. Place the cut is worth sprinkle wood or activated carbon and allow to dry. Then the process should be planted in light soil, covered with plastic wrap. When the roots appear in 40-45 days, the offspring can be planted in a separate pot and begin to care for it, as an adult.
Seeds
Propagation by seeds requires great effort, and there is also the possibility of losing varietal characteristics. Seeds are planted in peat and placed in a shade, where the temperature should be in the range of 21-24 ° C. It is necessary to carry out regular watering and ventilation. 
A month later, the seedlings are transplanted into heather and leaf soil, where during the year the temperature should be between 20 ° C and 25 ° C. After a year should be transplanted to the usual soil.
Seeds can also propagate such houseplants: nolin, fittonia, croton, cyclamen, room sprouts.
Precautionary measures: poisonousness of an ehmea
Many people ask themselves: is ehmeya poisonous or not? And they are interested in this for good reason, because ehmeya refers to poisonous plants: its juice can cause irritation or inflammation when it comes into contact with the skin, therefore this indoor plant should be kept away from children and pets to avoid accidents.
Important! If juice comes in contact with the mucous membrane, rinse well with water and consult a doctor.
Growing difficulties, diseases and pests
Ehmeyu constantly need to inspect for the presence of pests. It is susceptible to mealybugs, spider mites, scutes. Affected leaves begin to curl, turn yellow and dry. The flower, though not dying, loses aesthetics. Remove pests should be a cotton pad, soaked in a solution of simple soap. If this does not work, the flower should be treated with insecticides. 
Other possible difficulties are related to the conditions in which the echmea grows:
- At low temperature - the leaves begin to grow brown.
- With low humidity - the tips of the leaves dry.
- With a lack or excess of sunlight - the leaves turn pale or become monotonous.
- When sunburns - brown spots appear on the leaves.
