Plants and humans are co-dependent on each other in many ways. Aside from ecological reasons, people tend to have a nurturing side when it comes to indoor plants. Almost everybody is obsessed with taking care of plants. Even the millennials’ social media stories are full of succulents and houseplants.
One specific kind of plant that gained popularity is the bromeliad plants. Its striking color and appearance made it famous to plant enthusiasts. But, it is one thing to own them, it is another to care for them.
Learn how to care for bromeliads and enjoy their companionship for a long time.
About Bromeliad Plants
Bromeliads are a diverse family of plants. They are a native of tropical and subtropical climate. They grow in a humid and shady environment or sometimes attached to trees.
Bromeliads are resilient plants. They are more tolerant than other houseplants and only need low maintenance gardening skills.
Bromeliad’s beautiful thick foliage grows in a rosette formation. Most bromeliads produce flowers only once in their lifetime. Astonishing sword-like colorful leaves go with the bromeliad’s blooming. These leaves are called bracts. It is where an inflorescence or flower will grow.
Varying colors of bromeliad can come in dark green, red, purple, orange, and yellow. You will get to enjoy the enticing color of the bromeliad flower for a few months. After this, the plant will reach the end of its life.
How to grow bromeliads
In an outdoor environment, bromeliads thrive in a warm and shady climate. They are classified as epiphytes or air plants. It means that they harmoniously co-exist with trees by clinging to them. The trees provide them support and access to indirect natural light and moist.
Some genera of bromeliads are tolerant to fluctuating outdoor temperatures. However, exposure to direct hot sunlight can cause leaf burn. Make sure to check your bromeliad’s site if you decide to place it outdoors.
They can also endure careless feeding or watering. Just make sure to mist its leaves when they are dry.
Bromeliads make for a perfect indoor houseplant. They can easily adapt to the indoor conditions of your home.
Bromeliads prefer the presence of organic matter in their soil. They do well in potting soil with an adequate drainage system so the water would not be trap inside. Overwatering can cause rotting of its roots.
How to grow a bromeliad pup
After its flower dies, the plant itself will also decline. As the bromeliad starts to die, it will produce offsets called pups. These are the babies and carbon copy of the mother plant. These small offsets develop around the base of the plant. On rare occasions, they can develop on top of the flower spike of the mother bromeliad.
When the pups grow at about ½ or 1/3 the size of its parent, remove the pup by cutting it with a gardening knife. It is best to take a small part of the mother bromeliad when cutting the pup away. You can now propagate bromeliads using its pups.
Bury at least one inch of the bromeliad pup’s base in a container with a moist peat mixture and a good drainage system. Tie it to a branch or steady it in place using a rock until new roots develop.
How to water bromeliads
Bromeliads can hold out against drought rather than overwatering. Thoroughly water your bromeliad once a week. Make sure the medium has a fast drainage system to avoid your bromeliad from drowning in too much water.
The tropical nature of the bromeliad makes humidity important to them. If your indoor humidity is too arid, mist your bromeliads plenty of times a week. Use plastic pots that can keep moisture for long periods.
Most bromeliad’s center part where leaves meet forms a cup-like structure that acts as a tank. These leaves can hold water like a reservoir. Keep the central cup filled with ¼ or ½ water at most.
Tank bromeliads (this with central cups) are prone to salt damage. The build-up of salts is sometimes caused by using tap water. Rainwater best suits the needs of bromeliad plants but if not available, distilled water will suffice.
Some bromeliad growing outdoors have different water needs. Some can survive through regular misting. But, their cups still need about ¼ or ½ water reservoir.
What kind of soil do bromeliads like
Bromeliads do well in moist and acidic potting soils. They prefer orchid mixes, peat moss, and other special potting mixes made for bromeliad use. You can use a mixture of your own. Like a mixture of compost, orchid bark, worm castings, succulent and cactus mix.
Never use garden soil as it is too dense and does not allow quick drainage.
Use a potting media that has excellent drainage but can hold moisture for long periods. There is no need to repot them often. You can repot them every 4-5 years.
How to fertilize bromeliads
Bromeliads are low maintenance when it comes to fertilizers. If you choose to fertilizer your bromeliads, use liquid fertilizers diluted at ½ to ¼ strength and spray it over your plant. You can also use special fertilizers specifically made for bromeliad use. Either way, the important thing is to not over-fertilize them.
What makes bromeliads fun to grow
Bromeliad’s flower comes in a variety of colors. Their spiky leaf structure and eye-catching color make them an excellent visual design. They can provide an exotic vibe to your home or workplace.
Bromeliads can grow at any season of the year. Every season is bromeliad season. It makes a good companion all year long, especially for plant enthusiasts. Your original bromeliad may die but it sprouts a bromeliad pup to take its place. How cool is that?
Conclusion
Bromeliad plants have infiltrated our hearts and homes. Growing and caring for them has been a fulfilling hobby. Not to mention its long-lasting purpose and benefit to our lives.