Bacopa Monnieri: description and properties of the plant
Content:
When choosing an ornamental plant for your home, you should pay attention to bakopa monje. Flowers have excellent vitality and are easy to care for. They can decorate both an open land plot and a window sill in a room, and even an aquarium (seedlings can be adapted to life in water). In warm and comfortable conditions, the plant grows and blooms rapidly, if you do not forget to take care of it.
What does it look like
Bacopa monje develops in the form of herbaceous shoots. The original habitat is the tropical forests of India, South and Central America, the jungles of Africa and Indochina, Australia. It is also found in warm countries of Europe.
Long thin branches of the bush up to 35-40 cm are dotted with small green leaves arranged in pairs in the form of plates. Wild plants predominantly grow in damp places: around swamps, along the shores of lakes and ponds, in the moist soil of tropical forests. Distinctive properties for bacopa stems are that they do not always tend to grow upward, but more often spread along the ground.
During flowering, small buds bloom on the bacopa. The petals are in the form of a bell or tube.
Temperature
Due to its origin, the plant is demanding for heat. It is best to place the bush in a separate greenhouse room with a temperature of 25-30 ° C if the bacopa grows in the air.
If the flower is in the aquarium, it is enough to keep the water warm at 23-27 ° C.
Lighting
The plant needs bright light. Natural sunlight will be useful, scattered indirect rays have a beneficial effect on bacopa monnier. Daylight hours for a flower should last at least 12 hours. The lack of natural light is compensated by artificial lighting.
Additional lights will speed up the development of the bush. The optimal substitute for the sun will be fluorescent sources; in some cases, ordinary incandescent lamps are suitable.
Watering
Originally from the tropics, Bacopa Monieri needs an abundant supply of water. In warm weather and at high ambient temperatures, it is worth watering the bushes 2 times daily. Flowers do not tolerate a lack of moisture, so it is worth taking care that the top layer of the soil does not dry out.
A moisture-loving plant is patient with the situation when the pot is flooded with water for a short period of time. The main thing is loose, soft soil. Nevertheless, the upper parts - the stem and leaves - are delicate and sensitive, which is why you should not moisturize them under the sun's rays.
Spraying
Bushes of the Brahmi species feel most comfortable in a humid environment. It is recommended to spray water around the stems from a spray bottle 2 times a day, or more often if the air is dry and the temperature is high.
Picture 2. Bacopa tolerates waterlogging of soil easily
Humidity
Flowers are sensitive to this parameter in the first place.If the plant does not grow in an aquarium, but in a pot outdoors, care should be taken that both the soil and the air around the bush are constantly moisturized.
In dry air, the stem and leaves of the flower will also dry out, a lack of water in the soil will lead to growth arrest and weakening.
To maintain a comfortable climate, the container with Monieri bacopa can be placed in a special room or in a transparent container that maintains the necessary conditions (for example, a sealed glass or plastic cabinet).
Top dressing
Brahmi roots actively assimilate fertilizers in transitional times (spring and autumn), when the bush is in the stage of active growth. Part of the feeding should be sent along with watering (about half of the portion). The optimal frequency of plant fertilization is 3 times a month every 1.5 weeks.
For the stable development of bacope, substances with an iron content are needed, it is vital for flowering. A great benefit for the bush is feeding with nitrogen-potassium mixtures. They are very nutritious for the bush and will serve as a good filler in the composition of the fertilizer.
Transfer
The sprout ready for planting in a new pot should be hardened in advance - to adapt it to low temperatures from mid-spring.
The seedlings are left regularly indoors, the heat of the environment gradually decreases: from a comfortable 20-22 ° C to the maximum permissible 15 ° C. By the end of May, the buds accustomed to the cold should be planted in new soil.
For stable development, the bush for the first time needs light soil and partial shade. After rooting in the soil (1.5-2 weeks), the flower grows like a normal adult plant.
Dormant period
Bacopa monieri hibernates during the winter months. Care at such a time becomes less intense, flowers need to be provided with comfortable conditions:
- being in a warm (at 20 ° C) room, where temperature drops are minimal;
- placement in a place protected from cold winds and drafts;
- regular watering (if not growing in an aquarium) in order to maintain a constant soil moisture.
Flowering bacopa
When it blooms
The main flowering period for bacopa is from March to early June. The plant is actively developing, needs to maintain the level of moisture, regular organic and mineral fertilizing.
Also, flowers can begin to bloom from early August to late September before going into a dormant state. Compliance with the rules of care and regular watering (if placed in a pot in the air) can ensure the growth and blooming of buds.
Pruning
Brahmi growing outdoors during active growth must be regularly pruned, as old and drying out branches interfere with the development of the plant. The first pruning is done after the fresh stem has begun to grow.
Pinching of the growth sites of branches is also necessary in the case when the stems begin to stretch in length, so the bush will gain bulk.
A pick is carried out when a young shoot is transplanted into a new container or when the pot is changed.
How does it multiply
You can increase the population of the Monniera species by using seeds or cuttings. The method of propagation by air layers differs from cuttings in larger sizes of shoots and is used if it is necessary to remove a healthy large area from the bush.
Rooting cuttings
A simple and reliable way that gives the mother bush a renewal, and the shoots a chance for a new life. Bacopa cuttings have higher properties and vitality than seeds, which is why this method of propagation is recommended in the first place. Cuttings are harvested before spring flowering in early March. Young shoots are kept in pots to the level of the leaves or float in vessels until the roots grow.
Breeding bacopa is best done by cuttings.
After growing the roots, the shoots are transplanted into a permanent pot.To stimulate growth, heteroauxin, epin or their analogs can be used to treat cuttings. Growing shoots need abundant watering and spraying. After 14-16 days, the plant dives, since a small volume of capacity will not be enough for the plant. During this period, it is important to feed the plant with fertilizers of low concentration.
After 3 weeks, the seedlings need to be hardened - adapted to the cold and periodically exposed to the sun. After a week of cultivation, the seedlings are placed in separate pots with soft soil and ample drainage.
Germinating seeds
Traditional difficult breeding option. Seeds should be purchased as bushy, volumetric flowering. The weak will not be able to germinate and turn into a full-fledged bush.
The planting material is placed in a liquid for a day, after which it is sent to a vessel with peat soil under a film or glass. There is no need to bury it in the ground, it is enough to press the seeds to the ground.
After the appearance of 3 leaves, the sprouts dive. After 2-2.5 weeks, the film can be removed. When the stem reaches 15-17 cm in length, you can transplant it into a new pot, providing moisture and looseness of the soil.
Air layering
The principle of operation is similar to grafting: the plant must be removed from part of the lateral branches. They can be grown as new shoots if necessary. The method is applicable in the summer.
Diseases and problems
An unimportant appearance, expressed by the appearance of fungus or cloudy white mold, means stagnant moisture, hardness of the soil or freezing of a flower. The affected areas should be cut and removed, the bulk of the bush should be reduced, watering should be reduced to maintain a moderate soil moisture, and the pot should be moved to a warmer room.
Affected Bacopa leaves indicate improper care
In dry air, pests can attack bacopa: spider mites, aphids or whiteflies. The plant will need to be sprayed with soapy water about every 2 days. If this treatment does not help, you need to purchase and apply an acaricide or insecticide.
Common varieties
Brahmi can grow both in open ground or in a pot, and in an aquarium. Most varieties are adapted to being in both aquatic and air environments. The types of bacopa available for purchase are grown in the Netherlands:
- Caroline. A plant of North American origin in the wild grows from water to the open air. The height of the stems is up to 30 cm. Blue or bluish flowers sprout at the ends of the branches. Shoots are covered with dark green or orange elongated leaves;
- Australian - a variety from warm southern lands, growing in the aquatic environment. The branches are covered with pale green round leaves, the flowers are light blue;
- spreading develops on the earth's surface in humid climates. Forms a ball-shaped bush. The buds open in summer, the petals have different shades: bright pink, blue or light blue, milky white;
- Olympic Gold and Blutopia are potted species. Bred by breeders as the most colorful. They differ in shades of flowers: Olympic gold dissolves terry snow-white buds, Blutopia - light lilac or blue.
Variety Olympic
Medicinal properties and contraindications
Brahmi contains a rich medicinal set of substances useful for the human body. Antioxidants in Bacopa reduce the risk of cancer and chronic disease.The sap of the plant weakens the inflammatory processes of the skin, reduces pain. The compounds in the infusion reduce the number of bacteria, accelerating wound healing.
The plant extract improves brain function, improves memory, supports attention and thinking. For the nervous system, the benefits lie in reducing anxiety and stress, calming effects, and helping to maintain self-control.
Having come to the decision to take Bacopa extract, that it is a really useful and necessary product in any aspect or situation, it is necessary to consult with your doctor in advance. There is a contraindication for use by persons under 18 years of age, pregnant women and during lactation, as well as people with low blood pressure (or bradycardia).
Bacopa monieri is a versatile and unpretentious flower to care for. The combination of pleasant and useful qualities confirms the peculiarity of Bacopa Monnieri that this plant is patient and tenacious, ready for life both in the aquarium and in the water. Flowers will serve as a decoration for the house, as well as a medicine. The main thing is to follow the rules of care and storage in both cases.
