With their colorful flowers and striking decorative leaves, bromeliads ennoble the creative windowsill. Epiphytic species sit casually on branches or stones. Terrestrial species form small cisterns for water supply with their rosettes of leaves. Given the extravagant appearance, important questions about care arise. Read here how to properly water, fertilize and cut a bromeliad.
How do I properly care for my bromeliad?
Caring for a bromeliad includes proper watering with lime-free water, fertilizing with special bromeliad fertilizer and removing dead leaves. Withered specimens can produce offspring by continuing the normal care program.
How often do I water a bromeliad?
It applies equally to all types of bromeliads that they only receive lime-free, room temperature water. In what form and how often you water depends on the individual habitus of your bromeliad. How to do it right:
- Poted bromeliads: Pour water into the funnel, top up regularly and replace every 4 weeks
- Tied bromeliads: Spray with soft water daily in summer and 3 times a week in winter
It is important to note that the substrate of potted bromeliads must be kept constantly slightly moist. The interval at which you water depends on the time of year and the local conditions at the location.
How do I fertilize the bromeliad correctly?
The majority of bromeliad species absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. The roots only serve to stabilize in the substrate or on a base. The demands on nutrient intake are correspondingly modest. Add a liquid bromeliad fertilizer (€6.00 on Amazon) to the irrigation water every 2 to 3 weeks from April to October. You fertilize epiphytic species via spray.
Does cutting count as part of the care program for a bromeliad?
Bromeliads do not receive pruning. Over the years, older leaves sometimes shrink, yellow and dry out. In this case, it is beneficial to wait until the plant releases the leaf. With a slight pull it can be removed from the rosette without causing cuts.
If you find a drawn sheet disrupting the appearance, cut it out. Ideally, you should use a disinfected scalpel or an extra-sharp knife. Please dust the cut wound with primary rock powder or charcoal ash to prevent diseases and pests.
How do I care for a faded bromeliad?
Since the opulent inflorescence is made up of strong, colorful bracts and rather inconspicuous, real flowers, the flowering period of a bromeliad can sometimes last for months. Sooner or later the floral spectacle will be over and will never be repeated with this plant. However, this is no reason to throw away the dead bromeliad too quickly, as offspring are already sprouting at its base.
By continuing the current care program unabated, you give the daughter plants enough time to grow. This patience is rewarded with young bromeliads for free. This is how it works:
- Continue to water and fertilize a wilted bromeliad in a bright, warm location
- Cut off daughter plants with their own rosette of leaves when they are at least 10 cm tall
- Pot each child in bromeliad soil and water
To promote growth after separation from the mother plant, place a plastic bag over the nursery pot for a few weeks. Pour soft, warm water into the small rosette of leaves and also moisten the substrate. The hood has done its job when new leaves develop in the small rosette.
What diseases and pests can we expect?
In our living and working spaces there are bromeliads far away from their homeland. As a result, they are more susceptible to diseases and pests than native houseplants. We have compiled the most common problems in the following overview with tips for prevention and control:
| Diseases and pests | Prevention | Combat |
|---|---|---|
| Brown leaf tips | Spray regularly | Cut off, increase humidity, change location |
| No flower | Bright, warm location without direct sun | Place under a glass cover with fully ripe apples |
| Leaf rot caused by fungus (Colletotrichum crassipes) | Avoid temperature fluctuations and waterlogging, fertilize regularly | Administer or dispose of fungicide |
| Spider mites | Spray regularly | Shower, wipe with alcohol-soaked cloth |
| Aphids | No nitrogen-based fertilization | Shower, soft soap solution |
Bromeliads are very sensitive to chemical agents used to combat diseases and pests. The use of preparations that are too harsh causes large-scale necrosis on the decorative leaves of numerous species, which inevitably leads to the death of the entire plant.
When should a bromeliad be repotted?
Once the bromeliad has completely rooted its pot, repot the plant in early spring. This measure is also on the agenda if the floral piece of jewelry has taken on such a volume that it could tip over. Choose a tip-proof planter that is 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) larger in diameter. Fill with fresh bromeliad soil over a drainage made of pottery shards. Plant the bromeliad so that the previous planting depth is maintained and water.
Tip
Tropical bromeliads do not require any special precautions for he althy overwintering. During the cold season, you just need to make sure that the temperature at the location does not fall below 14 degrees Celsius. Since the plants almost stop growing due to the lack of light, the nutrient supply is stopped from November to February.