Bromeliad Care

Bromeliads are fascinating plants but are often misunderstood as being high maintenance and needing special green thumb skills. Let me show you how easy it is to care for and enjoy these beautiful plants. Bromeliads are bold and stylish houseplants and widely available at garden centers. These plants have gorgeous and long-lasting blooms in shades of pink, red and orange, that last for several weeks. The leaves are thick sword shaped straps that grow in a rosette. The rosette forms a natural cup structure that collects water in nature. Care of your bromeliad is easy, no special tools required. Place in medium to bright light. Fill the “cup” with water at the base of leaves. Be sure to empty weekly to keep the “cup” clean and free of debris. Bromeliads are drought tolerant so no worries if you forget to water from time to time. Now bromeliads usually only bloom once in their lifetimes and will begin to decline. But all is not lost. The plant will begin to produce structures called pups. This is a method bromeliad use to propagate themselves. When large enough they can be separated from the mother plants using a sharp knife and planted in cactus potting mix for good drainage. Continue the same care for these “puppies” that the mother plant received. It may take a year before the bromeliad “pups” mature enough to start blooming. Remember patience is a virtue. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.