Certain types of bells are successfully used in indoor floriculture . Abundant and long flowering, ease of reproduction, simple care, subject to a number of simple rules, have made them popular among indoor flower lovers. Bluebells grown in pots usually have thin, creeping or lodging shoots, so they are mainly used as hanging or climbing crops.
Types of indoor bells
The most common homemade bell can be considered an equal-leaved bell (C. isophylla) .
It has been known in culture since the end of the 19th century and has many popular names:
“Shooting star”
“Star of Bethlehem”
“Groom” (blue variety)
“Snowflake” (white variety)
This native of the mountainous regions of southern Italy is thermophilic, and in the middle lane can grow only in closed ground. It is a herbaceous perennial with thin, growing up to 35-40 cm in room conditions, hanging or creeping stems, alternate petiolate rounded heart-shaped leaves and paniculate inflorescences of bell-shaped flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, abundantly blooming at the ends of the shoots. The color of the natural species is blue, however, undersized varieties of Alba are more often grown as home bells:
“Bride” (with white inflorescences)
“Maya” (blue or purple-lilac form, popularly called “Groom”)
With proper care, the plant blooms profusely and for a long time, from early summer to mid-autumn.
There are also varieties in stores:
Crystal (with white flowers)
Victoria (with smaller narrow dark purple flowers)
As you can see in the photos above, this type of indoor bell is very decorative, it can be used to create spectacular compositions, one of the most common, in which multi-colored species are planted in one planter, is called “Bride and Groom”.
Quite often, the brittle or fragile bell (C. fragilis) is grown in pots, its fluffy creeping stems with short-leaved heart-shaped leaves are abundantly covered with flowers from June to mid-summer. These housebells have white or blue flowers with a light center. Most often they are cultivated as annuals , while the numerous seeds formed after flowering are simply poured into a container with the mother plant.
Much less common as an indoor flower is the Carpathian bell (C. Carpatica) , it is usually sold in the spring in bloom as an alternative to traditional bouquets. Compact cultivars are grown in pots: white-flowered Alba, purple Torpedo, etc.
For seasonal decoration, you can also use another ampelous type of open ground, Pozharsky’s bell (C. posharskyana) , whose blue, white or purple flowers appear in large numbers from May to July. At the end of flowering, it is better to plant it in open ground.
Recently, more and more often you can find a bell with double, pink flowers among indoor plants. This hybrid, obtained by crossing the Carpathian and spoon-leaved bells , is distinguished by its miniature size and abundant flowering that lasts all summer.
His garden forms:
With white flowers (White Wonder)
Blue flowers (Blue Wonder)
They are used outdoors as ground cover plants, and are also successfully grown at home. Above are photos of a hybrid indoor flower planted in a container as an ampelous culture.
Sometimes a pyramidal bell (C. pyramidalis) is planted in pots, however, this tall (up to 1.5 – 2 m) species is still too large for room culture.
Home plant indoor bell: care and other subtleties of agricultural technology
All types of indoor bells have similar agricultural practices. They prefer bright lighting without direct sunlight, they feel best on eastern or western windows, they will also develop well on southern windowsills, but subject to light shading in the summer at noon. The peculiarities of the culture include the cool temperature of the content, not higher than 20 ° C, it is this temperature regime that is most optimal for the formation of flower buds. At 22-24 ° C, the plant feels oppressed.
Most homemade bluebells bloom actively from spring to autumn. At this time, they are watered abundantly, however, avoiding waterlogging of the root system, which can lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. With proper watering, the soil always remains moderately moist, but not wet; water should not be allowed to stagnate in a pot or pan.
During the period of growth and flowering, the culture is regularly, twice a month, fed with small doses of mineral or organic fertilizers. When fertilizing with ready-made fertilizers for flowering plants, use a concentration that is half that recommended by the manufacturer. All domestic bluebells do not tolerate drafts, but they love fresh air, on warm summer days they can be placed in a light shade in the garden or on the balcony. In order for the bush to bloom for a long time and abundantly, you need to keep it clean and be sure to remove wilted flowers, cut off faded shoots.
In late autumn and early winter, the plant goes into a dormant state. During this period, it is placed in a cool (not higher than 10-14 ° C), well-lit place, usually on the southern window sills near the window glass. During the winter, the flower is not fed, watering is sharply limited. Excessively wet soil combined with low temperatures are the main cause of flower death in winter. At this time, it is watered very carefully, only after the earthen coma has completely dried, sometimes it is better to replace watering with loosening the top layer of soil.
Proper pruning of the bush is an important element of care. It is recommended to cut the indoor bell in the fall, while removing the dried branches so that a healthy lower part of the shoots remains, from which new shoots will subsequently develop. Well-developed bushes are recommended to be shortened to 10 cm, in which case they may bloom again at the end of December, although, of course, much weaker than in summer.
In early February, the stems are pruned a little more, and after the appearance of young shoots, usually in March-April, they are transplanted into fresh soil. The plants are undemanding to the soil, they grow in any universal soil with a loose consistency and a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. The nutrient mixture can be prepared by yourself, using leafy, soddy soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 1:1:1:1, with the addition of a small amount of lime. Drainage is required at the bottom of the pot. Young specimens require an annual transplant, adults need it every two to three years.
Most home bells are perennials , however, after 2-3 years of vegetation, they usually lose their decorative effect, after which it is recommended to renew them. To obtain young plants, seeds, dividing the bush or cuttings are used.
Cultivation from seeds is used for annual species, for example, for brittle bell, or for species perennials, varietal plants and hybrids in this case do not inherit parental traits. The method of seed and vegetative propagation of indoor bluebells is the same as for open ground species.
Most often, cuttings are used to obtain young plants at home, which are harvested in the summer. For better root formation, sections are treated with phytohormones. The cutting is planted in a container with moist nutrient soil, which is covered with a jar or placed in a mini-greenhouse. For successful rooting, the cuttings are regularly sprayed, aired from time to time. With proper care, planting starts to grow in 3-4 weeks. The following summer, young plants bloom.