Adorning your garden with various plant species adds character and vibrancy to your house. But with each different type comes a separate handbook on how to take care of them properly.
For example, some plants are required to be planted in direct sunlight. In comparison, others benefit from the shade. Similarly, some thrive in wetlands. But others may prefer the desert’s heat.
Summary
The most important things to consider for Bromeliad indoor and outdoor plant care is fertilizer, soil, sunlight, & watering. Part of the Bromeliad’s plant care is to ensure it doesn’t get too much direct sunlight.
In this article, we also cover the following topics:
Table of Contents
- How to care for bromeliad plants indoors and outdoors
- Fertilizer
- Propagation
- Outdoor tips
- Indoor tips
- Light requirements
- How often should you water them?
- After they flower
Continue reading
Taking care of plants is a complicated science. From succulents to garden roses, there’s a lot you need to learn before you plant an unfamiliar seed. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to belong to the arctic or the Sahara desert to have specific requirements.
For instance, the bromeliad family is a distinguished choice among homeowners. It can be grown indoors and outdoors. Additionally, there are over 3000 members in the family.
So you’re likely to find something interesting without ever branching out. The most common one in the family includes pineapple and Spanish moss. That should give you an idea of how varied and diverse the bromeliad family is.
But with each different type, there comes a slight alteration in the proper way to take care. As the plants move further away in biology, their requirements change.
But you don’t have to read through thick encyclopedias to figure that out. We’ve curated a guide to help you care for any bromeliad type.
How to care for bromeliad plants indoors and outdoors
Since Bromeliad plants are low-maintenance, you don’t have to follow each piece of advice to the dot. They thrive in high humidity and partial shade conditions. So they will survive even if you forget to take them out during the day or do not water them enough.
However, it helps to know the ideal condition in which a Bromeliad thrives. Besides, it only blooms once during its lifetime. So you must make sure to witness that glory.
Here are a few steps you can practice to give your bromeliad the life it deserves and properly take care of it indoors and outdoors.
Maintain a scarce water supply
As a drought-resistant species, most members of the family require little watering. It roots prefer to be in moist conditions but despise soggy soil. Therefore, only watering them once a week is more than sufficient.
Keep the humidity high.
Since most vans thrive under high humidity conditions, you must adapt practices that elevate the indoor humidity levels.
Such as, spraying a mist of water around the plant helps keep the humidity high. You can also consider growing it under a glass container to trap moisture.
Keep the blinds closed.
The Bromeliad plant family detests direct exposure to the sun. Therefore, making arrangements to allow only partial light into the room improves the growing period. You can install blinds or provide artificial light to control the exposure to the plants better.
Fend off against house pests
Bugs and pests can be a massive nuisance regarding house plants. Therefore, you must control their population from the starting point. You can frequently spray it with organic insecticide or use a mild soap solution to clean the leaves.
Fertilizer
The professional bromeliad fertilizer by Leaves and Soul offers premium quality liquid fertilizer concentrate guaranteed to improve the growth. It is ideal for indoor plants.
All you need to do is add a few drops of the concentrate to the water and spray the mixture into the soil. For 8 cups of water, about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the concentrate are sufficient.
The formula contains a blend of Potassium, Phosphate, and Nitrogen ions. The ingredients are carefully researched to promote healthy-looking plants. As a result of the fertilizer spray, the leaves and flowers will appear more vibrant. As for the roots and stems, the entire structure strengthens when essential nutrients are provided.
| Name | Professional Liquid Bromeliad Plant Fertilizer |
| Item Weight | 8.0 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 2.5 x 2.5 x 5.5 inches; 8 Ounces |
Pros
- We love how easy it is to get the right measurements with this product.
- It worked really well when we tried it.
- We saw new leaves sprouting as soon as we used it.
Cons
- We didn’t immediately hear back from customer support when we wrote to them.
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Propagation
The bromeliad family guarantees to add an exquisite, eye-catching collection to your houseplants. It showcases blooms of the last 3 to 6 months.
However, each one only blooms once during its lifetime. Therefore, making the entire experience quite rare and precious. To prolong the Bromeliad experience, you can propagate the plants.
Propagation is the process by which new plans are created. You can either use seeds or pups to develop new plants.
Seed propagation
Using the seed method is ideal if you can dedicate significant time to propagating plants. You can begin by sowing seeds during springtime. But since Bromeliads aren’t self-pollinators, you’ll have to lend a helping hand. You can either pollinate the plants using a brush or allow the pollinators to do their job.
You can begin the sowing process by introducing your plant into a container with a two-part moss and one-part coarse sand mixture. Place the container under a plastic bag and mist the soil to create ideal humidity conditions.
After a week has passed, readjust a plastic bag to allow moisture to drop in. Also, let indirect light seep into the soil. When the seeds develop into young plants with a few leaves, it’s time to relocate them into a bigger pot.
Pup propagation
During springtime, cut off the base of the plants to retrieve the pups. Once cleanly removed from the parent plant, leave them on a potting mix.
Ensure direct sunlight and plenty of water never let the soil dry. Additionally, maintain the temperature at 55°F and frequently spray the soil with a fertilizer mixture to promote growth.
Outdoor tips
The Bromeliad Family consists of plants that are native to tropical climates. Therefore, you need to make sure that the outdoor conditions are ideal for promoting growth.
Here are a few tips on how to make the outdoor conditions more suitable for a Bromeliad:
Partial shade
Direct exposure to sunlight can cause severe damage to the leaves. Therefore, you must closely monitor the amount and intensity of the sun on the plant. Avoid direct exposure or install a shade above where the plant is potted.
Moist air
Certain members of the family are better equipped to handle drier climates. However, most of them prefer a more humid atmosphere.
If you live in an area that offers high humidity, you don’t need to make an additional effort. But if you live in an arid climate, you will frequently need to mist the air around the plant with water.
Away from cold
Growing a bromeliad might be slightly more challenging if you live in a colder region. However, you can install a greenhouse setup to control the temperature settings around the plant.
Indoor tips
Introducing them into a home has proven to improve air quality drastically. But a bromeliad offers additional value with striking and vibrant colors.
However, taking care of an indoor plant can get quite tricky. So here are a few tips to help you keep your vibrant bromeliad in good health:
Hospitable soil
A drought-resistant option detests a saturated soil mixture. However, its growth will be affected if your soil doesn’t have a proper drainage system. Therefore, conduct regular checkups to ensure the soil isn’t soggy.
Pest-free environment
Insects and pests are a natural part of the ecosystem surrounding your plant. However, they can cause severe damage to different regions and affect its growth. Make sure to use organic insecticide and a mild liquid detergent mixture to clean the leaves regularly.
Healthy, vibrant leaves
The health of an indoor plant becomes evident by looking at the condition of its leaves. A struggling one will support a browning or wilted leaf. Additionally, keep an eye out for any brown spots or yellowing.
Light requirements
Each plant has a different light requirement. However, most family members thrive under indirect exposure or partial shade conditions. Since they are native to tropical climates where the light varies with each forest level, exposure is limited from 6 to 8 hours daily.
There are specific ways to assess if your client is receiving too much sunlight. For instance, brown spots on the leaves and wilting or yellowing of the plant suggest overexposure to the natural light.
Similarly, your plant will inform you if it isn’t receiving enough light. Underexposure leads to longer and floppier leaves. Additionally, the bright colors of the bromeliad bloom will fall dull, and the leaves will grow darker.
How often should you water them?
The nature of these plants is more susceptible to overwatering than underwatering. The drought-resistant plants detest wet or saturated soil mixture. If the potting mix doesn’t drain regularly, the roots will begin to develop rot.
Therefore, you must be careful not to let water saturate the soil mixture. Resultantly, watering the plant once a week should be more than sufficient.
After they flower
Once it blooms, you may be reminded of its inevitable end. However, your gear doesn’t end with the blooming stage. Even after it flowers, it has a few good years. Additionally, they propagate through pups which are crucial for growing your houseplant collection.
Step 1: Redirect ample sunlight
If you’ve put the bromeliad indoors, it is encouraged to introduce a blind or sheer curtain to control the exposure to light. If you’ve kept it outdoors, you may have to place the plant under a shed. Essentially, ensure the plant is exposed to indirect sunlight and partial shade.
Step 2: Water to an adequate level
For a growing plant, the water requirement must be carefully monitored. Since it prefers moist soil, remember to water it once weekly. You may risk its growth if you overwater it.
Step 3: Introduce a liquid fertilizer
To provide a helping hand, add liquid fertilizer to the soil.
Step 4: Prepare the ground for a separate plant.
Once it grows new pups, you can think of branching them out into separate parts.
