Found in tropical regions, Bromeliads are a favorite among many plant lovers as they add color and brighten up the scenery and because they don’t require big amounts of investment in terms of time and money.
It may seem that a Bromeliad plant is high maintenance as they’re quite colorful with an attractive physical appearance. But in truth, they’re not. They’re tremendously easy to take care of and exceedingly beautiful to look at.
One of the best things about this plant is its rate of growth, which is immensely slow. This works out as the plant can survive for months if taken care of properly.
There are many varieties of indoor Bromeliads, including but not limited to;
- Ananas comosus’ Champaca’
- Neoregelia
- Vriesea
- Guzmania
Guzmania will mostly be found in households in the form of colorful flowers; white, yellow, purple, red, and orange. If you decide to buy this plant for your home or office, this is where you can find tips on how to take care of the plant!
Like most indoor plants, Bromeliad is also known for easy maintenance, especially regarding sunlight and water.
Sunlight
Bromeliad requires bright sunlight; however, it should be indirect, or the leaves will scorch and burn. Some plant variants can survive in the shade, but they bloom best in indirect exposure to sunlight.
Water
The best part about the Bromeliad plant’s low maintenance is that they don’t need as much water. In fact, stagnant water near their roots causes the roots to rot.
Therefore, if there’s a central cup in the pot, make sure to drain the excess water out.
Temperature and Humidity
They thrive in humid weather, with over 60% humidity. To create a humid environment, as most houses tend to not be humid, you can plug a humidifier nearby, place other plants nearby for the process of transpiration to take place, or spray a water mist on the leaves regularly. These methods are easy to adapt to and will help the plant flourish.
Fertilizers
In continuity with the low maintenance narrative, Bromeliads don’t need constant fertilization as they don’t require much nutrition. Hence, one slow pellet fertilizer once a month or once in two months, or a liquid fertilizer at only one-eighth of its strength, will boost the plant. Fertilizers can help, but they aren’t a necessity.
Air Purifier
The cheapest way to invest in an air purifier is to buy a few plants that suck up the toxins in the air. It has been proven that Bromeliads can be considered as air purifiers.
Additional Care
It’s vital to remember that Bromeliad plants are sensitive to metal; hence they should be watered from plastic containers. Moreover, when the flowers grow too long, you can cut them to give a neat look, using a sharp and sterilized instrument.
Additionally, live in a place where there is constant dry weather. It might be better to plant the Bromeliad in a plastic container as it’ll retain moisture. On the other hand, if you live in a humid region, then a clay pot works best as surplus water drains away by itself.
Common Issues
The only problem that can occur with Bromeliads is overwatering, which causes their roots to rot, and scaly and mealybugs can infect. The surplus water in the vessel attracts mosquitoes, which turn out to be harmful to humans more than plants.
Final Thoughts
The only drawback in keeping a Bromeliad plant is that once the flowers bloom and die, the central plant dies as well. The plus side is that the central plant always leaves behind a small pup, which has to be cut carefully and replanted. This pup takes around a year to grow, and the cycle begins again.
If you’re looking to brighten up your space, you don’t have to look further than Bromeliads, as they certainly are bright and beautiful to look at. And most importantly, the indoor Bromeliads don’t grow more than 3 feet; hence overcrowding doesn’t become a problem.
Moreover, Bromeliads can be grown in an outdoor space as long as they’re in appropriately dappled shade. They are not fussy about their home environment as much as other plants.
