Bromeliad Care for Indoor and Outdoor
Bromeliad is one of my favorite plants. They are adorable, great for landscaping and home decorating. Depending on the variety, these plants grow from one inch to 2 to 3 feet tall.
Bromeliads have more than 2,877 species. Perhaps the number of species even grows more as of this writing.
Many bromeliads are pretty easy to grow in the greenhouse or indoor. Many have exciting forms, beautiful colors; some varieties do even have flowers that can last long.
These plants typically live long. Most of them die after flowering, but they leave pups that you can propagate to form new plants.
Bromeliads can be classified as terrestrial or epiphytic. Terrestrial bromeliads require soil for growth, while epiphytic are those that grow in the air or can be attached to trees for support.
Care for this plant also varies depending on what variety it is. However, there are general ways to care for most of these plants.
Listed below are ways to care for your bromeliads, both indoor and outdoor.
Outdoor Bromeliads
The majority, if not all, of the bromeliads, love tropical climates. If you live in a region that doesn’t snow, it is safe to grow bromeliads outdoors. In fact, in the Philippines, where I live, I noticed that bromeliads love the full sunlight. Their colors are vibrant if they are getting the sunlight they need. However, you should also observe your bromeliads very well; if you think they are getting burnt, you should place a garden net over them.
Please understand that some bromeliads respond well to direct sunlight.
If you live in regions with colder weather, you might consider planting your bromeliads on containers. With containers, you will have various options to transfer your plants to different locations. Many gardeners and landscapers are using potted bromeliads outdoors. They bury the pot on the ground to look like it is planted on the floor. With potted bromeliads, any gardeners or landscapers will have much freedom to rearrange or transfer the plants should the weather change.
Indoor Bromeliads
I find bromeliads as great indoor plants as well. It is best to place them near the windows where they can get the morning sun.
In my experience, bromeliads can endure full sunlight. For potted bromeliads, I have never experienced having one rotted because of over-watering. Use a good mix of organic material for your potting medium that does not retain so much water. If you are watering potted bromeliads, make sure that the water runs out of the hole. This practice will allow your bromeliad to drain any salt build-up in your pot.
Water
Many terrestrial bromeliads have a cental tank or a cup, the center of the plant where all leaves meet. When watering your bromeliads, water is gathered on this part, which serves as a water reservoir for the plant.
For bromeliads attached to the trees, make sure that you water them regularly.
Potting Media
Most of my bromeliads are attached to dried tree trunks gathered on several pots serving for support.
For my terrestrial bromeliads, I use a lot of rice hulls with cow manure. Rice hulls drained so well. Hence my plants love them so much.
Light
Some bromeliads love the direct full sun; others love indirect or filtered lights, while others can stay in a shaded area. Many bromeliads love sunny places; their colors are great when they get enough sunlight.
Fertilizing
Most bromeliads require little fertilizers. For my plants, I use liquid fertilizer.
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