How to Care for Your Bromeliad

The rosette of broad leaves on a bromeliad creates a "cup" or "vase" in the plants center.. these plants hold water in the cup and leaf axils. Plants with cups should be filled, and not allowed to remain empty for too long. If you have a tillandsia or a guzmania they can tolerate a little longer period of dryness.

If you have purchased one of our SkyFlowers (a bromeliad or combination of bromeliads, tillandsias, orchids, epiphytic ferns and or orchids on driftwood) then the root ball where the bromeliad is attached to the wood or stone will also need to be watered periodically. Overwatering and over-fertilizing will cause rot, so LOOK at your plants.

Flush out with plenty of water the cups once in a while to prevent possible stagnation. This periodic flushing also prevents a build up of salts left when water in the cup evaporates. This also helps keep mosquito population down if you are growing them outside.

Water should be removed from the cup if the temperature is likely to fall below 40 degrees. Hopefully this won’t happen to you inside. This practice will prevent cold damage which appears as a brown line across each leaf at the water level.

If you are growing indoors, you may need to mist the plant about twice a week in addition to your watering in order to prevent drying of the leaves by the low humidity. We like to put ours in a cool shower once or twice a week if they are living inside. Bromeliads are like most other plants in that they will tell you when they become stressed from being too dry. Drying the plant out can cause permanent cellular damage to the leaf structure. So if you see them with brown tips soak them thoroughly for a few hours so they can re-hydrate.

In homes where the relative humidity is low (during winter months and in air-conditioning) plants must be checked and watered more often.
They like rainwater the best, but tap water can generally be used for watering the pots and soil area or driftwood. If you use city water, and it contains excessive salts, flushing of the plant periodically will reduce the chances of salt damages.
Most of the problems encountered with bromeliads are usually associated with rot caused by overwatering, or by dryness due to underwatering .

Lighting is also important- you need a relatively bright light where you could read a book easily but no direct sun. Some bromeliads with tougher leaves can stand brighter sunlight- even some direct light but be careful! If you notice burnt leaves cut them off or back and move the plant to a shadier location.

Bromeliads indoors can offer year-round color. When they bloom, the blooms are usually very striking and long lasting. After the bloom spike dies back, then it is good to cut it off. Actually, it is good as a general rule to cut off any brown leaves or rotting leaves to upkeep the overall health of your plant.

After the bloom spike is cut back, and probably even before that, you might see little shoots coming off of your plant. These are known as “pups" , baby bromeliads. Bromeliads are pretty prolific and will grow and multiply all over your driftwood piece. Within a year your plant will more than likely have plenty of little ones. If you want to remove them you may, but not until they are quite big, almost the size of the original plant. Carefully cut them off flush with the mother plant and put them where they are going to be growing- even in a pot if you wish, just make sure it is draining very well.

Tillandsias (the smaller, drier airplants) like it better when they are growing in colonies, so as a general rule of thumb it is better to let them grow that way, and not aggressively remove the pups. Occasionally one will fall right off into your hand though! That’s a gift and would be a good one to start growing, or give to a friend.

If you have let a group of pups grow to mature size and they haven’t bloomed you might think of cutting up an apple and placing it in the leaf sections, then cover with a plastic bag. This helps them come bloom- just remember to remove the apples when you take the bag off!
With care you will be able to enjoy many generations of bromeliads in the years to come, and share plenty with your friends and family. : )

If you have any other questions, e-mail us at skyflowerfarms@hotmail.com