How to Grow Beautiful Bromeliads
Bromeliads are simply very pretty pineapples. Although they're not edible, this ornamental plant is prized as a houseplant in all climates and as an attractive addition to outdoor landscaping in tropical locales. Bromeliads range in color from red to purple to chartreuse. They can adapt themselves to many different climate conditions and environments. You can grow them successfully in a pot or even tied to a tree or a piece of driftwood. They are low-maintenance plants with lots of eye appeal. This article will focus on growing them in a pot as a houseplant.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Potting mix (orchid mix works well)
- Clay or plastic flowerpot with drainage hole
- One or more bromeliad plants
-
-
1
Purchase a bromeliad at a nursery or break off a "baby" from a friend's plant. If you start your own, try to get a piece that has some roots.
-
2
Fill the pot about 3/4 full of potting mix.
-
3
If you're transplanting a bromeliad from a smaller pot to a larger one, gently remove it from its pot and shake off some of the dirt in which the roots are growing. Then loosen the roots a bit.
-
4
Place the bromeliad in the larger pot and center it.
-
5
Gradually begin filling the pot with potting mix, tapping down the mix after each addition so that it secures the base of the plant.
-
6
When the pot is full up to about 1/2-inch of the top, find a spot that has good air circulation and light and make that its home. You'll want to include a plant saucer to protect your furniture and carpet.
-
7
Give the bromeliad a drink of water, but don't overwater it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you grow your bromeliad in a plastic pot, water it less often than plants in clay pots.
Plants grown indoors in low humidity need to be watered more frequently than plants that grow in higher humidity conditions.
Bromeliads will be more colorful if they are located in an area where they get plenty of indirect natural light.
Indoor temperatures should be 70 to 75 degrees in the daytime and no lower than 60 degrees at night. Some species tolerate much colder temperatures: check with your nursery to learn about the specific conditions your plant favors.
To encourage blooming, use a low nitrogen fertilizer ("blossom booster") once or twice a year. You can also put your plant into a clear plastic bag in which you have also placed a ripe apple. Take it out of the bag after seven to 10 days and wait for the bloom to happen.
If you live in a tropical climate and grow bromeliads outdoors, keep in mind that they can provide a habitat for mosquitoes to breed when water collects in their centers.
Do not overwater bromeliads, as they can rot if left in too much water.
