Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Basic Newbie Question, 0 by mellielong

mellielong wrote:
Do you know what kind it is or can you post a picture. Most bromeliads don't really need soil; they'll attach themselves to rocks and branches and things. I plant most of mine in the backyard which is good old Florida sand. If I pot them, I tend to use orchid mix. Just make sure whatever you pot it in drains well and don't plant it too deep! Bromeliads will rot if you plant them too deep. Basically, just make sure it's in there enough so that it will sit up straight, but don't put any of the leaves under the dirt. Most bromeliads don't really get their nutrition from roots. The roots are pretty much there for stability and to attach themselves to stuff. They get their nutrition from whatever falls in their cup.

Don't worry - bromeliads are really tough plants, and lots of them will grow well indoors (I'm assuming in your zone it will be inside most of the year). Try to use rain water or bottled water as the minerals in tap water will build up in the middle of the plant and make little spots on the leaves. Just make sure there's always a little water in the cup, and try to give it a decent amount of sun (this does depend on what kind you have, though). I don't ever fertilize mine, but if yours is going to live inside, you might want to feed it a really weak solution every now and then. Hopefully, some other members can help out with that one.

Here's a pic of one of my favorites - Neoregelia "Pemiento". I took this picture at Michael's Bromeliads in Venice, FL when I visited a few months ago. I was in bromeliad heaven!

Melanie