by Matt Gibson
If you live in a tropic climate , you could grow bromeliads outdoors in your garden . If not , you may mature these lovely , colorful , sun - kiss works indoors . Growing bromeliad as a houseplant is relatively promiscuous and bring a splash of color and texture to your indoor space . As these plant have a drastically dissimilar natural home ground than most common houseplants , they also have unparalleled pauperization when it comes to plant sustainment and give care . These need are not necessarily more difficult than manage for other houseplant , just a spot different . instruct how to provide a stable environment for bromeliads and how to worry for them indoors and you will have a unparalleled , tropical , long - lasting houseplant that is attractive , downcast maintenance , and worry - free .
About Bromeliads
There are nearly 3,000 unlike species of bromeliad , and nearly all of them grow naturally in the tropic and semitropic regions of the Americas . The big number of bromeliad mintage is found in Brazil . Bromeliads can be grow both indoors and outdoors in areas where temperatures never devolve below freezing . They can easy adapt to both hot and inhuman climates , as well as moist and teetotal conditions . Bromeliads have a wide variety of plant specie from achmea toSpanish mosstopineapple , and number in a wide range of type and sizes , crop from miniature industrial plant to elephantine plants . Bromeliads are develop as ornamental plants because they are loose to grow and maintain , they are comparatively cheap , and they develop attractive , long - hold out salad days .
rather of producing just one principal blossom , bromeliads make clusters of tall , bright flush that work a rosette soma . All bromeliads have small scale that serve the works trap and absorb H2O called trichomes . As bromeliads mature , new leaves continue to germinate up from the center of the plant . The leaves of bromeliads are bright and eye - catching . Foliage colors include chicken , orange , red , brown , green , and purpleness .
Before a bromeliad plant dies , it develop pups , or new offshoots that feed off the host plant until they are prove enough to produce their own tooth root systems . These pup will finally become plants of their own accord and will get on and blossom . The roots of bromeliad plants do not for in the ground , but form on top of environmental objects , such as trees , or rocks , which pull in themair flora .
Because of the flesh of bromeliads leaves , most plants in the species are capable to hold a hatful of rainfall in the leaves themselves . With constant moisture which get algae growth , a solid food mountain chain is create within the bromeliad , making the plants a small , ego - contained ecosystem . Snails , insect , tree diagram frog , and other tiny insects often make bromeliad plant life a menage throughout their lives .
Varieties of Bromeliad
All bromeliad species fall under the umbrella of one of three subfamily : Bromelioideae , Pitcairnioideae , or Tillandsioideae . The bromeliads that are most often cultivated are epiphytic works that grow naturally in the tropical or subtropical Americas .
Guzmanias are the most common houseplant diversity of bromeliad . They flower in cluster of red , yellow , orangish , purplish , and white flowers . Pineapples are grown for their fruit , but there is also an ornamental version of the pineapple plant life which have spiderlike leaf and miniature pineapples on top of the flower spike . Neoregelias are another popularly cultivate houseplant miscellany of bromeliad . They have bold pinkish , red , imperial and orange blooms . Last but not least , the Vriesea specie is know for its tropical , feather - like blooms and striking variegated foliage .
Growing Conditions for Bromeliads
As indoor specimens , bromeliads need mass medium to smart lighter to thrive . The leaves of bromeliad plant life turn around a central loving cup - like center . The cup overtake water in the plant ’s home ground . Therefore , bromeliad plant do not need mysterious pots or thick potting soils , but favor shallow throne and low soil metier , such as orchidaceous plant mix , or a blend of sphagnum moss , barque , and constituent amendments .
Care of Bromeliads
There are no particular tools or fertilizers postulate for growing bromeliads . Just bung them with a half persuasiveness fertilizer every calendar month during the grow season . tearing is super well-situated , just a bit unlike from what you may be used to . Simply fill the cup at the base of the leaves in the nerve center of the plant . Empty the water supply that call for in the pot on a weekly cornerstone , and remove any debris , drained insects , or stagnant water that may have collected into the cup when wield the plant . Set the potful into a saucer lined with gravel and occupy the disk about halfway full of water to increase the humidness and help to imitate a tropic climate . check that that the solution are not submerged in the body of water so that you do not invite root rot .
Some bromeliads will grow better without a pot , but as tune plants . These can be glue or nest onto logs , moss , or other non - soil constitutional items . Tillandsia , for example , can be wire onto coconut casing with no soil . The plant life will collect any food or moisture that they need with their leaves but require a little helper from you to establish a lasting placement in an indoor context .
How To Grow Bromeliads In
Containers
Bromeliads are most often grown indoors and do great in container . Choose a container that ’s at least doubly as broad as the bromeliad is at its base and a peat - free-base potting soil . If drainage is an return with the soil you choose , you could mix in some Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin to increase it . Bury the bromeliad up to the radix of the plant life in the territory , using a post to shore up it up if necessary . You do n’t want to inhume further than the theme of the plant to discourage rotting from dissemble your bromeliad .
Choose a berth for the container that befit the light , humidity , and temperature penury of the specific change of bromeliad you ’re growing . water system when the soil is dry at the top two column inch , which you may test by sticking a finger into the soil . If the ground cling to your fingerbreadth , it ’s still dampish . When you irrigate , be sure to do so profoundly enough , let the urine drip out the drain holes in your container .
How To Propagate Bromeliads
One of the amazing things about bromeliads is that they really spread on their own . After flowering , the bromeliad will begin create “ puppy , ” which are modest infant bromeliads that mostly occur from the base of the plant . you could either leave the pup where they are or remove them once they ’ve uprise large enough to plant them in their own container . The mother plant will spend one or two years putting her energy into create pups after flowering , then the mother plant will croak to allow the pups to substitute her ( if they are still attach ) .
How To Plant Bromeliad Pups
If you adjudicate to remove the pups from the female parent to implant individually , wait until they ’re at least one third the size of the mother plant . Some nurseryman recommend waiting longer , until the pups are more like one-half or 75 percent of the size of it of the female parent plant , because they say they have better success keeping the whelp respectable after transplanting them . Once you ’re ready , apply a shrill , sterilise gardening tongue and cut as airless to the base of the pup as you’re able to , bringing along as much of its stem and roots ( if present ) as you’re able to get .
You ’ll desire the container you take for your whelp to be at least twice as all-inclusive as the puppy is at its base . expend a peat - free-base pot grime , and bury the pup up to the base of the plant . Do n’t immerse mystifying than this , or you may face issues with rot . If the shallow root system is n’t enough to keep the pup upright at this depth , you may demand to employ a stake to support it .
Once you ’ve embed the puppy , piss it well ( until the body of water drips out the bottom of the container ) . Dilute some seaweed fertiliser in your water to help your pup grow strong and healthy in its new home .
Garden Pests and Diseases of
Bromeliads
There are usually no trouble with plague and bromeliad , so you should n’t have to worry about major infestation , but they are susceptible to mealy bug and scale . Both of these plague are dewy-eyed to manually murder as long as they are noticed and contained early on . Mealybugs can be pass over off well with a fleck of alcoholic beverage and a q - tip . plate can be removed with a dull brand or your fingernail . Do n’t employ fossil oil to treat small louse infestations . Using horticultural oil , neem fossil oil , or other oil based sprays can smother or suffocate your bromeliad plants .
Common disease are usually the result of unfavourable growing weather , such as spoiled potting mix , or overwatering . If you furnish a unchanging uprise surround and keep an eye on right care pedagogy , you should be capable to avert any disease progeny . However , bromeliad owners sometimes encounter issues with crown buncombe , root rot , helminthosporium leaf spot , and rust disease .
Common Questions and Answers About
Bromeliads
Are bromeliads drought tolerant?
Yes , bromeliads are exceedingly kind of drought and require little watering . Overwatering them can conduct to job like root rot . Their permissiveness of drouth makes them an splendid outdoor gardening and landscaping choice in hot , ironical climates .
Are bromeliads easy to grow?
Most bromeliads are easygoing on the gardener , although there is pas seul among the dissimilar coinage . Some mixed bag expect a certain temperature range , amount of light , or humidity level . However , most bromeliads are more forgiving and just ask to be water every once in a while . Do some research into the specific variety of bromeliad you ’re consider to ensure it ’s one of the easy - care types before purchasing , if potential .
Can bromeliads be planted
outside?
In regions with atmospheric condition that is similar to the tropical clime bromeliads come from , they can be planted outdoors . Check the USDA hardiness zone recommended for the bromeliad species you ’re originate to obtain out specifics .
Can bromeliads survive winter?
Bromeliads can come through wintertime if they are brought indoors until the atmospheric condition warms up again . Move your bromeliads indoors as soon as freezing weather condition becomes a threat . Bromeliads in the Dyckia , Puya , and Hechtia genera can withstand temperature into the twenty , but others draw the line at 32 degree Fahrenheit . Choose a locating for your bromeliads indoors that has brilliant indirect light and high humidity . Kitchens and lav typically work well , or you could apply a humidifier near your bromeliads to raise the humidity in the elbow room where they ’re kept .
Can I grow a bromeliad indoors?
Bromeliads are very well suited to indoor gardening . Grow them in a potting sensitive that furnish excellent drainage , as they do n’t tolerate overwatering or too damp dirt well and can get solution rot . Never use a metal container to prevail water you ’ll be impart your bromeliad , as the works are sensitive to metals . When you irrigate the bromeliad , use enough for the water to start out dripping out of the drain maw in the container to flush salts from the soil . You ’ll know it ’s prison term to water your bromeliad when the top two inches of the soil are dry , which you could check by simply bind a fingerbreadth into the soil . When soil clingstone to your finger’s breadth , it is still moist . If your bromeliad has a “ tank , ” which is a cup - like establishment in the centre , pour H2O into the tank as well . rain is best , especially for filling the tank . Bromeliads that grow without soil are water via mist a few times a week . Most bromeliads prefer at least 60 percent humidity , which is more than most homes provide , especially in the wintertime . you could increase the humidness in your plate by running a humidifier near where you keep your bromeliads . unlike varieties of bromeliad have different needs when it comes to short level . The absolute majority of bromeliads do well with bright , collateral light . That said , explore the types you ’re grow , as some need partial or full tint . expend a water - soluble fertilizer occasionally , but do not use fertiliser to the bromeliad ’s storage tank . forefend giving bromeliads too much fertilizer , though , or they can become leggy and their colors can fade .
Can I trim bromeliad leaves?
you may apply fresh , hygienize shears to trim down bromeliad leave if they become damaged or brown by too much sun . you’re able to remove the entire leaf if necessitate or only remove the damage portion . There is no pauperization to trim the leave of bromeliads if they are not damaged .
Can I use Miracle-Gro on
bromeliads?
Miracle - Gro ’s web site recommends using their orchid industrial plant food mist if you choose to use Miracle - Gro on your bromeliads .
Do bromeliads die after
flowering?
Most bromeliads do break after they ’ve flowered , but not immediately . Once they ’ve flowered , though , they begin the operation of dying . This process can take a class or two , however , and is when the bromeliad produces pup that will become new plants . Do check into the living cycle of your special species of bromeliad , as there are some that flower regularly and not just once .
Do bromeliads need full sun?
The various type of bromeliad have different sunlight need , and there are bromeliads that thrive in specter all the elbow room up to full sun . Bright stilted light ferment well for most bromeliad diversity growing indoors . For specific information , explore the type of bromeliad that you design to grow .
Do bromeliads need soil?
Some bromeliads are epiphytes that grow attached to trees or Rock and do not demand filth . These bromeliads are also refer to as air plants . However , not all bromeliads are epiphytes . The I that are not epiphytes tend to do well in a very well - draining dirt .
Do bromeliads only bloom once?
Most bromeliads bloom just once before focusing their remain yr or two of life on produce pups that will mature into new plant . Some bromeliads bloom regularly , however , so it reckon on the variety of bromeliad you plan to grow .
Do bromeliads spread?
Bromeliads do not have a in particular wide spread , and they are slow - growing . The size they ’ll grow to depends on the specific form , but grown as houseplants , they change from just one inch to up to three feet tall . peculiarly big outdoor varieties can get up to 10 metrical foot tall .
Do you have to remove bromeliad
pups?
You do not have to remove bromeliad pup from the mother plant . If left alone , they will grow as they do in the wild — the pups will continue to get bigger , the mother industrial plant will die , and the puppy will grow to take her position . This often results in a cluster of several plant that may all bloom together .
How big do bromeliads get?
The maximal size depends on the bromeliad variety . As a principle , bromeliads planted alfresco will grow larger than those that are houseplants . There ’s a extensive reach of variation in maximal sizes for bromeliads among unlike species , from two inch all the way up to 10 feet .
How cold can bromeliads get?
Most bromeliads need to be brought indoors when temperature get to freezing ( 32 degrees Fahrenheit ) , but there are some specie that can withstand temperature down to 20 degree . These specie include those in the Puya , Hechtia , and Dyckia genus .
How deep do you plant bromeliads?
Bromeliads typically have shallow root systems , and planting them too deep can cause decompose . Plant bromeliads just to the base of their foliage . If it necessitate avail to stay , upright , you could use wooden stakes to help hold the plant life .
How do you fertilize bromeliads?
Bromeliads should only be fertilise during their develop season , which is from April until September . commence surmount down the amount of fertilizer in August so the plant life can develop for its dormancy . After the last dose of fertilizer , curve the amount of pee you give the bromeliad in half . The type of fertilizer to use varies depending on the type of bromeliad you have .
How do you repot a bromeliad pup?
Using a sportsmanlike , sterilized garden knife , trim back the pup away from the female parent plant , retaining a curt stem on the puppy . You may wish to first dispatch the total flora from its soil so you’re able to easier get at the whelp . Pull off any parting that are beat or damaged . Use a container twice the width of the radical of the pup and a moist peat potting soil . implant the whelp with the soil just reaching the stand of the plant . If it call for help to stand up , you’re able to use a wooden stake to support the pup . water system well , using a diluted seaweed fertilizer to help give up off the pups ’ growth in their new container .
How long do bromeliads last?
Most bromeliad motley live between two and five years before the mother plant kick the bucket . However , if you leave pups impound to the female parent plant , they will clean up where she left off , create a cluster of plant that may all blossom at once .
How long does it take for a
bromeliad pup to bloom?
look on miscellany , it takes bromeliads between one and three twelvemonth to hit maturity and salad days . The bloom lives for three to six months , and then the female parent plant produces whelp for another yr or two before finally die to be replace by the pups .
How often do you water a
bromeliad plant?
Water a bromeliad plant growing in soil when the top two inches of the grease are dry . you could check the moisture by plainly sticking your digit into the territory . If it stick to your finger’s breadth , the soil is still moist . Epiphytes that grow without soil should be misted a few times a hebdomad , or you may choose to souse the plant in H2O instead .
How often do bromeliads bloom?
Most bromeliad varieties bloom just once in their living , after which the mother plant will drop a year or two producing pup . The female parent plant will then die to permit the pups to take over . The entire unconscious process from planting the untested bromeliad to its death takes between three and five age , depending on the variety .
Is a pineapple a bromeliad?
Yes , the pineapple plant is a bromeliad and is also the only bromeliad grown as a commercial solid food crop .
Is bromeliad an indoor or outdoor
plant?
Bromeliads are often grow indoors , but in climates that mimic the tropic locations where bromeliads come from , they can be grow alfresco as well .
Should I cut the dead flower off
my bromeliad?
utilize a sharp , sterilized horticulture tongue to cut the dead peak off your bromeliad . Make your cut as far down the flower stalking as you may .
What do you do with bromeliad
pups?
You have the choice of either depart your pups attach to the female parent plant life or removing them to station them in their own container . If you leave the pups seize , when the mother plant ineluctably die , they will take her place , eventually spring a cluster of bromeliads that may all bloom at once . If you remove the pups , wait to do so until they are at least a third the size of it of the female parent plant . Some gardeners advise waiting longer , until pup are 50 or 75 percent of the size of it of the mother plant life , to ensure they will stay healthy when dispatch . Remove the whelp using a sharp , aseptic gardening tongue , taking as much of their root and ascendent ( if present ) as you’re able to deal . Plant the pup in a container twice the width of their basis , using a peat - based potting grease . Bury them just up to the base of the plant , using a stake to support the pup if needed . Water profoundly after planting , with a dilute seaweed plant food , to kickstart their maturation in their raw home .
Want to learn more about how to grow bromeliads?
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