How to grow bromeliads? Bromeliad growing methods and precautions
Bromeliads originate from the forests of Mexico to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. Bromeliads are highly ornamental flowering and foliage plants, especially suitable for growing indoors, and as home garden ornamentals they are of very high taste. Many people do not know how to grow bromeliads, so this article introduces the growing methods and precautions for bromeliads.
Bromeliad propagation methods
Bromeliads have become the most important ornamental flowers for indoors, and there are quite a few flower lovers who like to grow bromeliads. The propagation methods for bromeliads can be divided into three types: cutting propagation, division propagation, and seed propagation.
1. Division propagation: small shoots will continuously grow from the leaf axils at the base of ornamental bromeliads. When they grow 5 to 6 leaves, they can be cut off for cutting propagation, and roots will grow in about 1 month.
2. Cutting propagation: this can be combined with spring repotting, by cutting off the small tubers growing from the tuber part of the mother plant for cuttings, or by using the young shoots with roots that sprout from the roots of an old bromeliad plant for division. In all cases, keep them shaded, moist, and warm. Use a soil of half leaf mold and half plain sand. When the roots grow to 2-3 cm, they can be planted out.
3. Seed propagation: under conditions of 25°C to 30°C, sow the seeds obtained after artificial pollination following flowering. Seedlings can emerge in about 4 weeks, and in about 3 to 4 years they can grow into flowering bromeliad plants.
Bromeliad growing methods
1. Light: bromeliads are accustomed to partial shade. Prevent exposure to scorching sun; place them in partial shade, at a bright window, or indoors. The native state of bromeliads is as a kind of plant under trees in tropical rainforests, so their demand for sunlight is not especially great. When they are exposed to sunlight for too long, some leaves will turn yellow, and then the tips of the flowers will become somewhat dry, and so on. If cultivated outdoors, shade them appropriately in spring, summer, and autumn, especially in summer when 70% shading is needed. Direct sunlight will make the leaf temperature higher than the air temperature. Too high a leaf temperature will cause sunburn and scorched 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 them under the heater, because in that case they dry out very badly, and it will also scorch them, just as a person cannot stand beside a heater all the time being baked and easily get heaty.
3. Water: for watering bromeliads in pots, wait until the pot soil surface is slightly dry, that is, when the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, then water a second time. Do not let it become too wet, as too much moisture easily rots the roots. Plants of the Bromeliaceae family have a leaf tank at the base of the leaves. The leaf tank has a water channel, and you must ensure that there is often water in it and that it does not run out. The water in the leaf tank should be replaced after a period of time, for example about ten days, to prevent the water from becoming smelly. 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, choose a substrate with good drainage. For large-scale production, use a mixed substrate of peat, perlite, and sand, with the ratio: 1 cubic meter of peat : 4 to 5 kg of perlite : 0.15 cubic meters of sand. Keep the pH 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, growth will be even better.
5. Fertilization: during the growing season from April to September each year, apply liquid fertilizer once every two weeks. Fermented organic fertilizer can be used, or a solution of 0.1% urea plus 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed on both sides of the leaves. Some very dilute liquid fertilizer can also be poured into the leaf tank to be absorbed by the scale hairs at its base. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 10 to 15 to 20.
Growing precautions
1. From late spring to autumn is the growing period for bromeliads. The amount of watering can be appropriately increased, and some clean water can also be poured into the leaf tank. You should change the water once every half a month to prevent the water from deteriorating and smelling.
2. Spray leaf water frequently. In winter, it is better for the pot to be on the dry side, but it should not be too dry.
3. From May to September, apply nitrogen fertilizer once a week. Before flowering, appropriately apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote larger flowers and brighter colors.
4. When flowering, do not pour water into the tank. Store in a place away from sunlight to extend the flowering period.
5. After flowering, it enters a dormant period, and the flower stalk must be cut off to reduce nutrient consumption.
6. Do not pour water into the tank in winter.
The above is the relevant introduction to bromeliad growing methods and precautions. Bromeliads are very suitable for indoor decoration. They like at least 3 hours or more of ample sunlight exposure each day, but they are also tolerant of partial shade. In summer they like coolness and ventilation, and they can also tolerate a slightly dry climate.