Bromeliad Growing Methods, Fertilizing Tips and Precautions

Has anyone here ever grown a red ornamental plant at home? That's right, what the editor is talking about is the bromeliad. So do you know how to grow a bromeliad? Is there someone who used the wrong methods when growing it and caused the bromeliad to die? In order to reduce the mistakes everyone makes when growing bromeliads, the editor will give you a detailed introduction to the precautions for growing bromeliads.

Bromeliad Growing Methods and Precautions

1. Bromeliad Growing Methods

1. Light: Bromeliads are accustomed to partial shade, so exposure to scorching sun should be prevented, and they should be placed in partial shade or near a bright window, indoors. The bromeliad's native state is as a kind of plant living under trees in tropical rainforests, so its demand for sunlight is not particularly great. When it is exposed to sunlight for too long, some of its leaves will turn yellow, and then the tips of the flowers will dry out a bit, and so on. If cultivated outdoors in spring, summer and autumn, appropriate shading should be provided, especially in summer, when 70% shade is needed. Direct sunlight will make its leaf temperature higher than the air temperature; too high a leaf temperature will cause scorching and burnt leaves, fade the flower bracts, and slow leaf growth.

2. Temperature: The most suitable growing temperature for cultivating bromeliads is 20°C to 30°C. The maximum temperature should not exceed 35°C, and the minimum temperature is 14°C. Below 10°C there is a possibility of cold damage at any time. In winter, it is best not to place it under a radiator, because in that case it dries out especially badly and will also be scorched by it; a person cannot stand next to a radiator all the time either, as it easily causes internal heat.

3. Water: For watering bromeliad potting soil, the soil surface should be slightly dry, that is, when the top 1 to 2 cm of soil is dry, water a second time. It must not be too wet; being too wet easily rots the roots. The leaf bases of bromeliad plants all have a leaf cup, and the leaf cup has a water reservoir. Make sure the reservoir always has water and is not allowed to run dry. After a period of time, for example about ten days, the water in the leaf cup should be replaced to prevent it from becoming foul. Usually you can also spray misty water on the surface, leaves and flowers. The most suitable relative air humidity is 70% to 80%, and it should not be lower than 50%, because maintaining relatively high air humidity in the growing environment is the key to successful anthurium cultivation. Therefore, leaf spraying should be done more throughout the year.

4. Soil: For potted anthuriums, a substrate with good drainage should be chosen. For large-scale production, a mixed substrate of peat, perlite and sand is used, in the ratio: 1 cubic meter of peat : 4 to 5 kg of perlite : 0.15 cubic meters of sand. Its pH should remain between 5.5 and 6.5. If a small amount of decomposed chicken manure, cake fertilizer powder or bone meal and other base fertilizer can be placed at the bottom of the pot, the growth will be even better.

5. Fertilizing: During the growing season from April to September each year, liquid fertilizer should be applied once every two weeks. Fermented organic fertilizer can be used, and a solution of 0.1% urea plus 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can also be sprayed on both sides of the leaves. Some very dilute liquid fertilizer can also be poured into the leaf cup, to be absorbed by the scale hairs at its base. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 10 to 15 to 20.

2. Precautions for Bromeliads

1. From late spring to autumn is the growing period of bromeliads. The amount of watering can be appropriately increased, and some clear water can also be poured into the leaf cup. You should change the water once every half a month to prevent the water from deteriorating and becoming foul.

2. Frequently spray water on the leaves. In winter, the pot surface should be drier, but it should not be excessive.

3. From May to September, apply nitrogen fertilizer once a week. Before flowering, appropriately increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote larger flowers and more vivid color.

4. When flowering, do not pour water into the cup. Store it in a place away from sunlight to extend the flowering period.

5. After flowering, it enters the dormant period, and the flower stalk must be cut off to reduce nutrient consumption.

6. Do not pour water into the cup in winter.

How to Fertilize Bromeliads

1. Fertilizing bromeliads can be determined according to their growth condition. Generally, fertilize once every 1-2 weeks. In winter, when the temperature is lower, you can try fertilizing once a month or not fertilize.

2. Do not fertilize bromeliads one month before flowering, otherwise it will affect the flowering of the bromeliad.

3. Bromeliads are very sensitive to copper and chlorine elements, which easily cause the leaf color to turn black, so try to avoid them.

4. Spring is the peak growing season for bromeliads, so pay attention to giving bromeliads more fertilizer.

How to Transplant Bromeliad Seedlings

1. Observe the growth of the bromeliad pups. When they grow to one third to one half the size of the mother plant, they can be safely separated from the mother plant.

2. Use a clean serrated knife to cut the pup off from the place where it is attached to the mother plant. The seedling may or may not already have its own roots. Either case is fine, because rootless bromeliad pups easily grow new roots after planting.

3. Place this bromeliad seedling in a 7.6 cm pot containing a loose, well-drained medium, such as a pine needle mix. Do not cover the lowest layer of leaves with soil.

4. Stick three to four straight sticks into the soil around the bromeliad pup to support it until it grows a strong root system intact.

5. Feed the mother plant a certain amount of fertilizer. When you remove the seedlings, do not throw it out even if it no longer looks beautiful. The seedlings usually induce the bromeliad to produce more vigorous offspring until they die.

6. Place the transplanted bromeliad plant in a warm room with bright indirect light. When it is rooting, do not expose it to strong sunlight.

7. Water the seedling enough to keep it evenly moist, but not soggy. Do not let it dry out completely. If it is planted in various kinds of cups, then fill the cup with water. Spray the seedling every day.

How Long Can Bromeliads Live

Generally speaking, they die after flowering. After a bromeliad flowers, the central leaf rosette dies, while the side shoots still continue to grow. They can be removed from the mother plant together with their roots and planted separately. In this way, it can be “passed down from generation to generation”. If you want to propagate more, you can repot in spring, cut off the small tubers growing from the tuber part of the mother plant for cuttings, or divide the rooted tender shoots sprouting from the roots of the old plant. In all cases, avoid shade, maintain moisture and keep warm.

People who grow bromeliads should note that bromeliads are different from other plants. They have a hibernation period in winter, and during that time there is no need to water or fertilize them. After that period has passed, water and fertilize them again. Moreover, although they can be placed indoors, in summer they easily attract insects and require special treatment.