Do bromeliads grow better in pots or in the ground?
Bromeliads love pots with good drainage; we recommend cactus mix. They will grow very large even in a small pot. They can also be mounted or grown in the crotch of a tree; in this case use sphagnum moss or orchid bark secured with burlap, shredded coco coir or even an old cotton T-shirt. Most bromeliads prefer a filtered sun position with a free draining soil. If your soil is prone to waterlogging or isn’t free draining, plant your bromeliads on mounds, raised planters or even pots.Bromeliads only live three to four years, but they make baby plants. Free plants! You can propagate your favorite bromeliads from those offsets or pups. When the pups are about half the size of the parent plant, and start forming roots, cut them away from the parent and pot them up separately.Bromeliads flourish in tropical and subtropical climates and are often used in these areas as bedding plants for outdoor ornamental plantings. Since no bromeliads will survive freezing, they can only be enjoyed as indoor plants in more temperate climates.Bromeliads come from the south of America and grow in a wide range of conditions from tropical zones to cool mountain conditions (but only a few can handle light frost). It is a broad group of plants so it is difficult to generalise but many are very tough and can survive long periods without water.One plant generally produces several pups, so you usually end up with more bromeliads than you started out with. Pups can be separated from the original plant any time after they have grown to be about one-third the size of the original plant.
Where is the best place to put a bromeliad?
Where to grow bromeliads. Bromeliads grow best in bright, indirect light, both indoors and out. Don’t put them where the afternoon sun will shine directly on their leaves, as that can cause them to burn, but don’t stick them in a dark corner, either. You should cut off old bromeliad flowers once they start turning brown or shrinking in size, which is a natural part of the bromeliad life cycle. After blooming, the flower will not return, so gently remove it with clean, sterilized scissors.The bad news is bromeliads are monocarpic, meaning they only flower once, and then they die. The good news is that before they die, the parent plant will start to produce what are known as “pups,” small versions of themselves that grow from the base of the plant.Please don’t use an oil spray (like horticultural or neem oils) on your bromeliads as they can smother the plant if used too often. The good news is that these plants are considered non-toxic.
How many times do you need to water a bromeliad?
A good rule is to water your bromeliad when the top half of the soil is dry. In the summer, expect to water your plant every one to two weeks. When winter arrives, only water every two to three weeks. Some people think it’s necessary to keep the bromeliad’s leaf “cup” filled with water. A water-soluble fertilizer can be used to feed potted bromeliads each month during the spring and summer when the plant is actively growing. Feed the plant at its base since adding fertilizer to the central cup could burn new leaves. Never add slow-release fertilizer pellets to the central cup formed by the leaves.In their native habitat, Bromeliads use these cups for catching and storing rainwater as well as channeling the overflow to the roots. Under normal conditions water should be added as needed to keep cup well supplied but also allowing potting medium to somewhat dry out in between waterings.Bromeliads that have a rosette of overlapping leaves that retain water (often called tank bromeliads) should have the rosette kept full of water. Distilled water or rainwater is generally better than tap water (especially if you have hard water).Cut back on watering your bromeliads in the winter. Let the potting mix become very dry before you give water to the plant. When you do water soak the container throughly and allow the excess water to run out. You do not want the potting soil to remain soggy or the plant could suffer from root rot.Top 5 bromeliad care tips Water mainly through their central well or whorl of leaves, as this is where they absorb most moisture.
How to encourage bromeliad to bloom?
You can force a bromeliad to bloom by exposing it to ethylene gas. Simply cover the plant in a sealed plastic bag for up to 10 days with a ripe apple. Just make sure there is no water in the plant’s central cup before doing this. Once your bromeliad blooms, you can enjoy its beautiful flowers for up to six months. Forcing a Bromeliad to Bloom Sooner Add some dissolved Epsom salts to the cup once per month to encourage the production of chlorophyll and flowers. Forcing a bromeliad to bloom also requires an appropriate environment.To encourage your plant to grow quicker, you can make sure it is well fertilized and watered and is receiving the proper amount of light and warmth. A small addition of Epsom Salts (Magnesium sulfate) may help promote growth and initiate blooming. Magnesium is critical for the production of chlorophyll and flowers.