How to Care for Outdoor Bromeliads

Bromeliad plant in bloom

Bromeliads are tropical plants, like pineapples, that add strong visual impact when grown in the home garden with their vibrantly colorful, showy foliage that forms a rosette. Depending on variety, leaves display hues like red, bronze, silver, green and pink. Prized also for their flowering species, these bromeliads yield central flowers that form a cup-shaped area within the top of the plant that acts as water storage. Though commonly grown as houseplants, bromeliads successfully add interest outdoors as well.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• All-purpose soluble fertilizer

Instructions

1. Grow bromeliads in your outdoor gardening space if your region allows for warm daytime temperatures as these tropical plants can tolerate weather that surpasses 100 degrees F, explains the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. Clemson University Extension suggests maintaining a minimum temperature range for bromeliads of 60 to 70 degrees F.

2. Grow the bromeliads in areas of the landscape that provide full to partial shade for best growth as only some of the species tolerate full exposure. Grayer, thicker bromeliads tolerate greater sun exposure while greener, thinner bromeliad foliage thrives within lesser amounts of light, notes the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

3. Maintain porous soil with extremely good drainage as bromeliads have extremely shallow roots and can quickly fall ill to root rot if the site remains wet or waterlogged. Irrigate only when soil feels dry as these plants tolerate drought and absorb much of their water through their central water storage cups.

4. Add 2 to 3 inches of organic content like compost to clay soil or soil with poor drainage to improve the health of your bromeliads.

5. Fertilize your bromeliad in intervals of three weeks. Use an all-purpose soluble fertilizer and maintain an acid soil pH. Apply the fertilizer at a half-strength concentration, says Colorado State University.

6. Flush out the cup on the top of your bromeliads with clean water to remove stagnant water that acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Tips & Warnings

• Yellowing leaves are a sign of too much sun; dark, long leaves signal excessive shade.

• Avoid temperatures that drop below 40 degrees F as bromeliads fare poorly in cold weather.

References

• Clemson University Extension; Bromeliads; Karen Russ, et al.; October 2007
• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Bromeliads; Robert J. Black, et al.; May 1993
• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Bromeliads at a Glance; Sydney Park Brown; July 2007
• Colorado State University Extension: PlantTalk Colorado - Bromeliads