Growing Bromeliad Plants Outdoors Overview by Bromeliads.info
Bromeliads can be used in the landscape in frost-free areas of the state or grown in containers that can be moved indoors in areas where freezes occur. Since bromeliads require minimal care, they are an asset in the landscape.
Bromeliad Flower Family Care and Culture Information Overview
Information about the care and culture of bromeliad plants and flowers including ideal light, temperature, humidity, air circulation, water, soil and planting beds, potting media and fertilization.
Bromeliad Flower Family Propagation Information Overview
Bromeliads can be propagated by removal of “pups” or “offsets” from the “mother plant” (asexual) or by seed (sexual). Bromeliads slowly die over a period of a year or two after flowering. However, several pups usually develop during the flowering cycle and usually emerge from the soil near the edge of the container. The pups should be separated from the mother plant after they have developed a small rosette of leaves similar to the mother plant. To remove a pup, use a serrated knife, pruning shears or small saw. Coarse hacksaw blades may also be used for this purpose. Push the saw blade into the growing medium, between the pup and mother plant, and cut through near the base of the mother plant. The young pup may or may not have developed a root system of its own. Don’t be alarmed if it hasn’t. Add more potting medium to the area where the pup has been removed and transplant the newly cut pup into another pot. The mother plant, especially if helped along with a small amount of dilute fertilizer, will continue to produce pups until it dies. Pups should begin growing soon even though initially roots may be absent. Don’t overwater. These plants will normally flower in 1 to 3 years. Propagation by vegetative means (pups) is by far the best and most satisfactory method for home gardeners.
Bromeliad Flower Family Blooming Information Overview
Many factors cause bromeliads to bloom such as plant age, day length, light intensity, water and temperature. Some bromeliads bloom quite regularly while others do not. Research on the flowering process has shown that bromeliads can be induced to flower by exposing them to ethylene gas (a product of burning wood and leaves and ripening fruit and vegetables). After exposure to ethylene gas, the flowers appear, depending on the genus involved, within 6 to 14 weeks. A simple method that a home gardener can use to start bromeliads’ flowering is to place a healthy, mature plant with all the water drained from its cup inside a tightly closed, clear plastic bag for a week to 10 days with a ripe apple. During senescence (aging process), the apple releases ethylene gas that, in turn, induces the bromeliad to flower.
Bromeliad Plant Family Diseases Information Overview
Many problems commonly attributed to diseases are the result of unfavorable growing conditions. Low temperatures (40°F and below) and over watering can cause the crown of many bromeliads to rot. Also, plants subjected to mechanical injury, insects or sunburn may be invaded by one of many fungi. This invasion usually appears as a dark spot on the leaf, either with sunken or water-soaked areas and frequently with a radiating yellow area.
