General Care and Info
It is common to see Bromeliads in places like hotel lobbies and restaurants, where they are used for color rotation for about three months. After this period, the faded plants are replaced with new ones. The original Bromeliad won't bloom again but will produce offshoots, or 'pups,' which can be transplanted or left to grow, eventually multiplying from the single original plant.
Watering:
Bromeliads should be watered by filling the center cup and allowing it to overflow into the soil.
You want the soil to be moist, not soaking wet. The season and location will impact how often your plant needs to be watered.
Grower Tip: You will have better results growing on the dry side
Fun Fact:
36 years ago I started this business loading an old van with Bromeliads. I would buy and resell from flower shop to flower shop all over the State of Florida. I honestly would go to a town, find a phone booth, rip out the yellow pages and sit in my hotel room mapping out the next days sales route. Boy times have changed! Today, Tropical Earth has 218,000 square feet of ongoing production supplying the wholesale and Interiorscapes markets and now I am super excited to offer my Bromeliads directly to you!
Growing:
Inside - No repotting is necessary. You could simply drop existing pot into a ceramic pot, wicker basket or anything that works with your decor, then place in a location that needs a little color.
Outside - Generally, light levels outside will be far superior than an inside planting and blooms should hold color without much issue. When planting outside, keep plants out of direct sunlight.
Grower Tip: The bloom should hold nice color for 2-3 months. If you see the color seems to be fading early it's probably in need of higher light levels. Simply move to a new location and look for changes. You are now becoming a grower! Be patient as Bromeliads are fairly slow to respond.
Temperature Range:
Not all Bromeliads are the same, but here at Tropical Earth in Sorrento, Florida, we have reached temperatures as low as 45 degrees and as high as 98 degrees in our greenhouses
Feeding:
If you plan to enjoy the bloom and then discard the plant, feeding is unnecessary. However, if you want to grow bromeliads, use a well-balanced, water-soluble fertilizer at half the recommended rate. A used milk jug works well for mixing and applying the fertilizer, using the same method as watering.
Grower tip: A general rule of thumb for feeding Bromeliads is less is better.