How to Care for a Bromeliad
Attempt to identify your bromeliad., Learn which type of planting material to use., Look up year round temperature and humidity if planting your bromeliad outdoors., If planting indoors, use a plastic pot unless the area is unusually humid., Place...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Attempt to identify your bromeliad.
There are thousands of species of bromeliads, and different varieties grow best in different levels of sunlight, temperature, and humidity.
If you purchased your bromeliad from a nursery, the employees there should be able to tell you the exact genus and which environment to put it in.
A gardener, botanist, or bromeliad identification book could also help, especially if you know the region your plant is native to.
Visit an online photo gallery of bromeliads to see if you can narrow yours down to a specific genus.
Searching for that genus name should be enough to provide the basic care information you need.
If you can get an exact species identification, search online for the name of that species to learn more specific information about temperature, soil, etc.
If you can get a genus identification but not a specific species name, which is common, follow the general guidelines on this chart.
If multiple boxes are checked in one category, follow whichever one matches the guidelines below, as that should work for the largest number of bromeliad species.
If you can't identify your bromeliad at all, follow the advice below for the most common successful care methods.
Monitor your plant closely and use the Troubleshooting Guide to alter your care if the plant appears unhealthy. -
Step 2: Learn which type of planting material to use.
Most bromeliads suffer in ordinary soil or potting soil, since it collects too much water and rots the root system.
It's better to use specific potting mixes designed for bromeliads, or to create your own to match the plant.
Identify your bromeliad's needs using these simple methods:
If your plant is labeled "air bromeliad"
"air plant"
"tillandsia"
"epiphytic"
or "non terrestrial"
it grows on other plants instead of in soil.
These plants are sold attached to a piece of wood, by themselves, or in a pot containing only dry bark or rocks.
Skip to the section Caring for Air BromeliadsIf your plant is a "terrestrial" variety, or if it looks similar to a pineapple, grass, or succulent, it requires a mix that can hold a little more moisture than other bromeliad varieties.The soil should still be on the fast-draining side as far as ordinary potting mixes go, so use a variety specially for bromeliads or mix 2 parts ordinary potting mix with 1 part perlite or sand.
You can also use a mix designed for cacti and succulents.
If your plant's leaves from a central cup or cylinder for holding water, or if the plant has no clear identifying characteristics, use a coarsely packed, well draining potting mix.
Purchase one specially made for bromeliads, or mix your own with equal parts pine bark nuggets (or mulch), perlite, and soil-less professional potting mix.
The end result should moisten quickly but drain well., If you live in an area with 50–75% humidity and no frost, you should be able to keep your bromeliad outdoors year round.
Most bromeliads originated in the tropics and are happiest in daytime temperatures between 75º and 90ºF (24–32ºC).Occasional, brief variations outside these temperatures and cooler nights shouldn't harm your plants.
If you can't find your area's humidity on the weather report, follow these linked instructions to calculate it yourself.
If your area's outdoor conditions fit the bill most of the year but not in winter, plant the bromeliad in a buried container.
Before the frost hits, dig up the container for an easy move indoors.If you don't know the exact species and maximum size, use a bigger container than you think you need to be on the safe side.
If your plant was sold with an identification tag or care guide, it may specify different temperatures that better match the specific species. , A plastic pot will hold moisture for longer periods, which is important in heated or dry homes.
If your indoor environment is typically quite humid, use a ceramic pot instead.
Remember to place a high-lipped saucer beneath the pot, or something else that will catch the excess water when it drains. , Almost all varieties of bromeliad are tropical, and thrive in warm but shaded areas.
Even if you don't know the name of your species, your plant may contain clues to give you more detailed information:
If the plant has thick, gray-green leaves, it grows best in bright, indirect sunlight.
Plant it somewhere it will receive light without being directly exposed to the sun's rays, such as indoors near an east-facing window or outdoors in mottled or mild shade.
Thin, green leaves should be kept in low indirect sunlight.
Plant this somewhere dim, such as beneath a tree that provides significant shading, or indoors near a north-facing window (south-facing if you live in the Southern Hemisphere).
Full, direct sunlight should only used on a minority of desert-dwelling species, and most of these are air bromeliads, not terrestrial ones.
If you're not certain of your identification, stick with indirect sunlight. , Do not water excessively; bromeliads can handle dry conditions much better than soaked roots.
Only water once the top two inches (5 cm) are dry, and drain any excess water.
Never use a metal watering can to water bromeliads.
Many varieties cannot handle the trace amounts of metal that enter the water.
If planted indoors, it may be a good idea to flush salt buildups from the soil by watering the plant until the water comes through the drainage holes.
Only do this if your plant is in quick-draining soil that does not stay soaked for long.
Mist the bromeliad daily using a spray bottle filled with water. , Many bromeliads have a cup or cylinder in the center of their leaves, intended for catching rainwater.
If one is present, keep it filled with rainwater or distilled water rather than tap water, especially if your tap water is hard.
Every week, empty the tank of water and debris by gently turning the plant over the sink.
Replace it with fresh water to reduce the risk of rot.
If your pipes, dishes, or sink regularly get crusted with a mineral deposit, usually white, your tap water is "hard" and should not be used for this purpose.
Never get water on the surface of a plant during periods of direct or high temperature sun, especially the late morning and early afternoon.
The heated water can burn your plant. , Bromeliads are slow growing plants, and cannot make use of fertilizers at the same rate many plants can.
Overusing fertilizer can make extra-long, thin leaves without improving useful growth, or diminish the plant's color, so be careful and follow these steps to fertilize properly:
Fertilizer should not be used on indoor plants, or during the winter months.
Fertilizer works best on grass-like bromeliads or on adult bromeliads you are trying to encourage to bloom.
Never apply fertilizer directly to the plant or into the central water tank between the leaves.
This can burn the bromeliad.
Plants with central water tanks should have their tank emptied and refilled every couple months to reduce rot, but they do lose nutrients this way.
Place a small amount of slow-acting, time-release fertilizer around the base of the plant after emptying the tank. , Bromeliads typically only flower once in their lives, then die, but their lifespan may cover several years before this happens.
Before it dies, it should produce the buds of new plants called "pups"
usually within or under the base of the lowest leaves.
Once the pup has had six months to grow, or the mother plant begins to die, cut them off near the base with a sharp, disinfected knife and plant one in its own pot.Disinfect the knife by rubbing the blade thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.
This can also be used to remove unsightly dead flowers, or brightly colored flower-supporting structures.
Try not to cut too close to the main plant. -
Step 3: Look up year round temperature and humidity if planting your bromeliad outdoors.
-
Step 4: If planting indoors
-
Step 5: use a plastic pot unless the area is unusually humid.
-
Step 6: Place in an area of indirect sunlight.
-
Step 7: Moisten around the base of plants in soil or potting mix.
-
Step 8: Fill the tank of the plant with distilled water if it has one.
-
Step 9: Fertilize only when necessary and do so carefully.
-
Step 10: Harvest young plants from your bromeliad once the bloom dies.
Detailed Guide
There are thousands of species of bromeliads, and different varieties grow best in different levels of sunlight, temperature, and humidity.
If you purchased your bromeliad from a nursery, the employees there should be able to tell you the exact genus and which environment to put it in.
A gardener, botanist, or bromeliad identification book could also help, especially if you know the region your plant is native to.
Visit an online photo gallery of bromeliads to see if you can narrow yours down to a specific genus.
Searching for that genus name should be enough to provide the basic care information you need.
If you can get an exact species identification, search online for the name of that species to learn more specific information about temperature, soil, etc.
If you can get a genus identification but not a specific species name, which is common, follow the general guidelines on this chart.
If multiple boxes are checked in one category, follow whichever one matches the guidelines below, as that should work for the largest number of bromeliad species.
If you can't identify your bromeliad at all, follow the advice below for the most common successful care methods.
Monitor your plant closely and use the Troubleshooting Guide to alter your care if the plant appears unhealthy.
Most bromeliads suffer in ordinary soil or potting soil, since it collects too much water and rots the root system.
It's better to use specific potting mixes designed for bromeliads, or to create your own to match the plant.
Identify your bromeliad's needs using these simple methods:
If your plant is labeled "air bromeliad"
"air plant"
"tillandsia"
"epiphytic"
or "non terrestrial"
it grows on other plants instead of in soil.
These plants are sold attached to a piece of wood, by themselves, or in a pot containing only dry bark or rocks.
Skip to the section Caring for Air BromeliadsIf your plant is a "terrestrial" variety, or if it looks similar to a pineapple, grass, or succulent, it requires a mix that can hold a little more moisture than other bromeliad varieties.The soil should still be on the fast-draining side as far as ordinary potting mixes go, so use a variety specially for bromeliads or mix 2 parts ordinary potting mix with 1 part perlite or sand.
You can also use a mix designed for cacti and succulents.
If your plant's leaves from a central cup or cylinder for holding water, or if the plant has no clear identifying characteristics, use a coarsely packed, well draining potting mix.
Purchase one specially made for bromeliads, or mix your own with equal parts pine bark nuggets (or mulch), perlite, and soil-less professional potting mix.
The end result should moisten quickly but drain well., If you live in an area with 50–75% humidity and no frost, you should be able to keep your bromeliad outdoors year round.
Most bromeliads originated in the tropics and are happiest in daytime temperatures between 75º and 90ºF (24–32ºC).Occasional, brief variations outside these temperatures and cooler nights shouldn't harm your plants.
If you can't find your area's humidity on the weather report, follow these linked instructions to calculate it yourself.
If your area's outdoor conditions fit the bill most of the year but not in winter, plant the bromeliad in a buried container.
Before the frost hits, dig up the container for an easy move indoors.If you don't know the exact species and maximum size, use a bigger container than you think you need to be on the safe side.
If your plant was sold with an identification tag or care guide, it may specify different temperatures that better match the specific species. , A plastic pot will hold moisture for longer periods, which is important in heated or dry homes.
If your indoor environment is typically quite humid, use a ceramic pot instead.
Remember to place a high-lipped saucer beneath the pot, or something else that will catch the excess water when it drains. , Almost all varieties of bromeliad are tropical, and thrive in warm but shaded areas.
Even if you don't know the name of your species, your plant may contain clues to give you more detailed information:
If the plant has thick, gray-green leaves, it grows best in bright, indirect sunlight.
Plant it somewhere it will receive light without being directly exposed to the sun's rays, such as indoors near an east-facing window or outdoors in mottled or mild shade.
Thin, green leaves should be kept in low indirect sunlight.
Plant this somewhere dim, such as beneath a tree that provides significant shading, or indoors near a north-facing window (south-facing if you live in the Southern Hemisphere).
Full, direct sunlight should only used on a minority of desert-dwelling species, and most of these are air bromeliads, not terrestrial ones.
If you're not certain of your identification, stick with indirect sunlight. , Do not water excessively; bromeliads can handle dry conditions much better than soaked roots.
Only water once the top two inches (5 cm) are dry, and drain any excess water.
Never use a metal watering can to water bromeliads.
Many varieties cannot handle the trace amounts of metal that enter the water.
If planted indoors, it may be a good idea to flush salt buildups from the soil by watering the plant until the water comes through the drainage holes.
Only do this if your plant is in quick-draining soil that does not stay soaked for long.
Mist the bromeliad daily using a spray bottle filled with water. , Many bromeliads have a cup or cylinder in the center of their leaves, intended for catching rainwater.
If one is present, keep it filled with rainwater or distilled water rather than tap water, especially if your tap water is hard.
Every week, empty the tank of water and debris by gently turning the plant over the sink.
Replace it with fresh water to reduce the risk of rot.
If your pipes, dishes, or sink regularly get crusted with a mineral deposit, usually white, your tap water is "hard" and should not be used for this purpose.
Never get water on the surface of a plant during periods of direct or high temperature sun, especially the late morning and early afternoon.
The heated water can burn your plant. , Bromeliads are slow growing plants, and cannot make use of fertilizers at the same rate many plants can.
Overusing fertilizer can make extra-long, thin leaves without improving useful growth, or diminish the plant's color, so be careful and follow these steps to fertilize properly:
Fertilizer should not be used on indoor plants, or during the winter months.
Fertilizer works best on grass-like bromeliads or on adult bromeliads you are trying to encourage to bloom.
Never apply fertilizer directly to the plant or into the central water tank between the leaves.
This can burn the bromeliad.
Plants with central water tanks should have their tank emptied and refilled every couple months to reduce rot, but they do lose nutrients this way.
Place a small amount of slow-acting, time-release fertilizer around the base of the plant after emptying the tank. , Bromeliads typically only flower once in their lives, then die, but their lifespan may cover several years before this happens.
Before it dies, it should produce the buds of new plants called "pups"
usually within or under the base of the lowest leaves.
Once the pup has had six months to grow, or the mother plant begins to die, cut them off near the base with a sharp, disinfected knife and plant one in its own pot.Disinfect the knife by rubbing the blade thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.
This can also be used to remove unsightly dead flowers, or brightly colored flower-supporting structures.
Try not to cut too close to the main plant.
About the Author
Matthew Evans
Committed to making lifestyle accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: