I am on my second bromeliad (guzmania) that I have as a houseplant. The first one rotted because I watered it like a normal plant, right into the soil. This one I watered into the cup, just like the tag said, fertilizer once a month. Now the thing is all brown and dried up. What did I do wrong? Is it salvageable?
:(
Can't grow bromeliad to save my life!
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Well I just trashed it. It was covered in little white insects. I'm guessing they are spider mites? There were threads of silk like what spider webs are made out of--do spider mites do that? Anyway, maybe I'll dig it out of the trash and put it in the yard. I definitely don't want it in my house.
It was just in plain potting soil. Low, but steady, filtered light.
Well, if you have really good eyes, you might see spider mites, but normally they are pretty hard to see (and they are usually brownish) Their webbing is also nearly invisible, and adheres tightly to the leaves. I personally haven't seen a problem with spider mites on a bromeliad. Mealy bug and white fly are also white and much more visible. But mealy but doesn't usually make webs... so my guess is you have white fly (white, hair-like 'fuzz' hanging off the leaf, and/or circles of white lines on underside of leaves?). Bromeliads can handle watering frequently if it's really warm and you have very well draining soil. They also can tolerate a good deal of drought, but not as much as a cactus. Warmth and excellent draining soil are the keys. But I admit being hopeless with house plants- bromeliads are nearly bulletproof outdoors here if you don't plant them in clay or overfertilize them, or plant them where frost will kill them off. Good luck.
i am the type of person that can kill a pothos.........or a cactus....i have a large collection of bromeliads....i have mine in pots so i can bring them in as i am in missouri...i found that if i use 1/2 regular potting soil and 1/2 cactus soil, that i dont have any trouble.......these are the types of plants for me.....by the time i remember to water, they r ready.....i mist all my plants daily so they will have water in the cup.....i wish i was in a zone where i could put them out doors, but in my pots they seem to be fine......cindy
Everytime I get a baby on mine, the momma dies. I'd rather have a bloom than a baby
One tip to do: When watering one grown in the house, dump out all of the water in the center cup, (at least once a week), and give the "cup" a fresh drink allowing some to spill over and water the soil when dry. If you don't dump the old water, it begins to grow bacteria which can rot the plant as well as stink.
Robin
thanks! I'd never heard that before.
Flushing the water every week is a great thing to do, and will flush out mosquito larvae. Ztasusan, you did the right thing by trashing a Guz with spider mites, but in your climate you can keep them outdoors about 9 months of the year. This helps prevent spider mites, or so I believe. BTW, guzmanias are about the hardest bromeliad for me to grow, even here in humid New Orleans.
Tig,
It occurred to me to tell you,...broms only bloom once. Then, hopefully, they have, or will, produce offsets before they kick the bucket so to speak. That's why I'm never in a hurry to bloom mine. ;o)
Robin