Bromeliads are one of the most democratic houseplant ( and one of my favorites ! ) to grow due to their ability to flower for month indoors .
However , the most coarse bromeliads grown as houseplant are native to tropic South America , where they use their antecedent to ground onto Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree branch rather than growing in the ground . Therefore , we have a few thoughtfulness for growing bromeliads successfully .
To care for bromeliads , we require to mime some of the experimental condition of their native surroundings in our homes by placing them inbright , collateral light , sooner in a humid way , maintaining a temperature range of 70ºF to 90ºF ( 21ºC to 32º ) during the 24-hour interval , and water their central ‘ vase ’ as well as the potting soil …
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How to Water Bromeliads
As Bromeliads areepiphytes , their roots are primarily used to anchor themselves on a tree outgrowth in an orbit of bright light rather than tie up weewee and nutrients .
They meet all their tearing requirements from humid air by catching rain and canalise it with the form of their leaves , into their key tank .
Therefore , to water your bromeliad , keep their armoured combat vehicle topped up with water supply . I usually find out I have to top up the tank every week in the Spring and Summer during dynamic maturation and much less during Winter .
The bromeliad leaves are shaped to channel rainwater into their ‘vase’ or ‘tank.’
Despite the fact the bromeliad attains its water necessity by a central cooler ( rather than draw up moisture ) , It is also significant to irrigate the bromeliad soil as the roots can not grow and shew in rock - hard soil , and dry hard soil can prevent the developing of off cobblestone or ‘ whelp ’ which are small-scale industrial plant the develop from the great parent industrial plant .
Therefore we need to irrigate the dirt as well as the armoured combat vehicle !
Allow the top inch of the grease to dry out between each bout of lachrymation . Typically , I find that this means watering once every 7 days in Spring and Summer and once every 10 days in Winter .
50% pine bark-based orchid potting medium with 50% potting soil is the optimal soil mix for bromeliads.
Water your Indoor Bromeliad with Rainwater
Bromeliads are particularly sensitive to ‘ heavy ’ tap water and the atomic number 17 and fluoride found in pat water , which can turn the leaves brown and cause them to give out back .
Therefore , it is important to water your bromeliad with rainwater , bottled water , or distilled urine .
Mist the Bromeliads Leaves Every Few Days to Increase the Humidity
Mist the bromeliad leaves on a regular basis to create a humid microclimate around the plant , reduplicate the humid conditions of the bromeliad ’s native surroundings .
Misting the leaves helps to keep the plant hydrated . However , I find that if you are growing bromeliads in a dry climate or the air indoors is dry ( due to heating or melodic line conditioning ) then more humidity is needed .
Place the bromeliad on a tray of wet pebble , ensure that the bromeliad ’s pot and , specifically , the drainage mess are prop up up out of the H2O to let for good drain .
Orchid mist spray fertilizer is the best way to fertilize bromeliads.
The uniform evaporation of the water from the tray helps to keep the bromeliad healthy .
you could also purchase a plant humidifier ( available online or in garden centers ) that free humid aviation in the vicinity of your plant , creating the idealistic experimental condition for your bromeliad indoors . These are particularly effective for countermine ironic air from air conditioning .
I found that a humidifier work very well at keeping my bromeliad happy when I subsist in the dry mood of Southern California .
Where to Place a Bromeliad?
Bromeliads specifically anchor themselves in an area of brilliant light up in the forest canopy on a tree branch , so that it does not have to compete with terrestrial plant life for light .
Therefore , it is important to find a nicebright areain your firm to encourage your bromeliad to blossom and fly high .
Bromeliads do not grow well in deep nuance . However , their sensitive foliage also scorch in unmediated sunlight , so invalidate placing them on a windowpane sill in lineal light .
Useful tip : I personally commend grow bromeliads in a bright bathroom as the bromeliad appreciate the of course high-pitched humidness levels of a bathroom and the frosted glass also can protect it from any harsh direct light .
I would caution against place your bromeliad near any drafty surface area , such as near the front room access of your house ( that is opened and close frequently ) , as the temperature and humidity fluctuation from outside air can harm the bromeliad .
What is the Best Temperature Range for My Bromeliads?
The optimal temperature range for bromeliads is70ºFto 90ºF ( 21ºC to 32º ) and between50ºF to 65ºF ( 10ºC to 18ºC)during the night .
The bromeliadprefers a 10ºF decrease in temperature at nightcompared to the daytime temperature . This is because it recreate the rude variety in temperature from twenty-four hours to nighttime in its native environment .
So bromeliads opt the tender side of room temperature for optimal maturation and do not grow well in the cold . If your bromeliad leaves are turning brownish , this is an indication that the temperature is too cold for it to put up .
From work in the industry , a lot of growers recommend to me growing bromeliads at the fond ending of the spectrum as this promotes flowering .
I commend move your bromeliads from windowpane sills , peculiarly in Winter , as they often have a much cooler microclimate than the residual of the way . It is also important to assure that the leaves of the bromeliad are not in touch with the field glass of the windowpane on cool nights .
Repotting Bromeliads
If the bromeliad is in flower then I do not recommend repotting as the stress can cause the flower to die back . However , if the bromeliad is not in heyday and has simply outgrow its crapper , then re - pot the bromeliad to a tummy that is harmonious to the size of the bromeliad and only 2 inch gravid in diam than the premature batch .
If the bromeliad ’s pot is too large , then the ground dries out too slowly for your bromeliad ’s base to stick out , induce them to rot , hence the importance of using a proportionately sized pot .
Best Potting Soil for Bromeliads
From my experience , the proficient grime for grow bromeliads is a admixture of around50 % pot soil and 50 % orchid potting mix .
I personally prefer to apply soil and orchid pine tree barque - based potting mix as the orchids are also epiphytes ( grow on trees ) in the same environment . The pine barque recreates the bromeliad ’s natural increase conditions on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree branches .
The large particle size of the pine bark or perlite creates the optimal holey ground structure to prevent the bromeliad ’s delicate roots from rotting .
If you plant bromeliads in normal potting filth without rectify it , then the soil is too dense , and the bromeliad roots do not have enough oxygen , and the plant dies back .
Best Pots for Bromeliads
My favorite commode for bromeliads are unglazed Henry Clay or terracotta pot , as they are breathable , which allows the dirt to dry out out more equally after lacrimation . Plastic or ceramic hatful are impermeable , which can continue too much moisture for the bromeliad ’s root to tolerate .
However , be ensure that you may originate bromeliads in any pot with drain holes in the base to allow spare water to escape efficiently .
What to do when the Bromeliad Flower Dies?
Bromeliads are relatively curtly - lived plants , only endure for 2- 5 age . However , the good news is flower can last for months and even up to a year in the right conditions !
Have you ever listen of a houseplant that can bloom for up to a twelvemonth ?
Once the bromeliad has blossom , it has completed its life cycle , at which point the flower and even the parent plant die back .
However , the practiced news is that the parent plant fail back triggers the ontogeny of off - setts or ‘ pups ’ from the main infrastructure of the plant , which mature and eventually mature to acquire another flower .
Because the bromeliad bring forth off - cobblestone on a regular basis , you may have a uniform provision of bromeliad anthesis for days .
gratuitous works ? Count us in !
These off - cobble can be very easy spread …
How to Propagate Bromeliads
expect until the bromeliad ’s blossom sour brown and decease back , at which you may cut the browning flush back to the base with a discriminating duo of pruners . Keep the bromeliad in a strong , humid way ( such as a bathroom ) , and keep the territory moist but not boggy .
This furnish the optimal atmospheric condition for offsets to grow .
Wait until the off - sett is around1/3 of the size of the original mature bromeliadto ensure it is resilient enough to cope with stress before attempting to split it and re - pot it .
I recommend re - pot the offset printing into a terracotta pot ( as this is poriferous , which tolerate the soil to dry equally ) and using a potting mixture of 50 % potting soil and 50 % pine bark - based potting mixing . Keep the pot intermediate moist and increase the humidness with regular misting .
Propagating does call for a little extra precaution and attention , but I promise you it is worth it !
Here is a YouTube video recording which has a great visual explanation of how to separate bromeliad off setts from the mature plant :
How to Fertilize Bromeliads
Bromeliads should only be fertilise in the Spring and Summer . Do not use any fertiliser in the Winter when the plant is abeyant .
Bromeliads suck nutrients from the humid airwave around them rather than pull it up from the land . As there concentration of nutrients is downcast in the air , it intend bromeliads do not like fertiliser in high absorption .
I personally utilise an orchid mist atomiser to fertilize my bromeliads .
Orchids are not closely link up to bromeliads , but they grow in the same environments and absorb food through the aviation in the same way , hence why a spray is the good way to apply fertilizer as this replicates the fashion bromeliads absorb nutrients in their native environs .
Spray the farewell once a month during the growing season using a specialized orchid spray .
( If you have any problems with your bromeliad , read my articleHow to resurrect a Dying Bromeliad ) .
