Bromeliad care

Can someone tell me how to take care of my Bromeliad? At the moment it is on the window(about medium brightness without direct sunlight). Can I use a normal universal fertilizer or do I haave to buy a differnet one?

They are usually fairly easy to grow.Here is a tip page.

http://houseplants.about.com/od/bromeliads/a/Bromeliads.htm

Thank you, the website was very helpful. Hopefully I will have success with this one.

Oh,I'm sure you will!
Lynn

Just wanted to say WOW that's pretty! I love the pot that you have with it. It makes it look like a piece of art. Great combo!

ibrabec, Good link!

Just from my experience in working in many Garden Centers--I want to, briefly, pass this on. It is all covered in the link "ibrabec" provided, but if you did not want to read it all--here is a synopsis.

--Bromiliads you buy will always be in bloom--or about to bloom. Beautiful!!!
--The blooms will last a long, long time--and then start withering and getting "ugly". When
this happens--cut the bloom stem off as far down as you can. The blooming is DONE!!!!
This same plant (as it is) will not bloom again in your home, but it will continue to be a
beautiful, green plant and quite an accent peace. And--it will grow new "pups" from the
base of the Mother plant that will. slowly, grow into full sized Bromiliads.
-- Now you have a couple of options.....
1--You can allow the Mom and the Pups to keep growing in a happy, bunched family...
When Mom gets too scraggly looking--too tired--you can cut Mom out of the center and
let the "kids" take over the growing.....
--Or--when the Pups are fairly full-sized--you can, gently dig down and separate
them from Mama--making sure you have some roots attached to the pups you are
removing. Then, pot them up in their own pots and let them continue to grow bigger.
--Now--as in people kids--there will come a time when you say--"Hey! Put out, or shut
up!" Time for you to bloom and earn your keep!
That is when you do the ripe apple in the plastic bag thing. Neat trick! NO?

I tell you this, because too many people purchase these beautiful Bromiliads and think that they will become a forever-blooming House Plant. NO! Nada! Never!!!

It is a plant you can enjoy for YEARS--if you understand it's needs and it's life-cycle.

Needs? Keep that little cup-area--where all the leaves meet--always filled with clean water. Dump the old one when you refill. Do not think you need to water the soil the plant is in too much. Just keep it moist!
Remember--these plants are Epiphytes that grow in the tree-tops in the Jungle. Their only sustenance is rainwater they catch in their "cups" and "food" from any decaying vegetation and insects that happens to fall in there--and then decay. Because of this--they do not need full sun-light, just indirect light to grow.

I have read where--some people put sections of banana peels in the "cups". It is advised to do the same on top of the soil of any Orchid Cactus (also Epiphytes). Of course--we know that bananas are full of Potassium--so maybe it really helps.....Blooming--that is......

I guess the main thing to realize is that your LR, BR, or kitchen table--or any other area is NOT the Tropical Jungle and that the plant grows best in, and may not perform as you expect it to. Just cannot duplicate Nature here! SO!....Buy it! Enjoy it! And--if you do not feel like following up with all this "stuff" I mentioned above--chuck it! You can always buy a new, big one--all ready to bloom--for under $15.

Just FYI--I will NOT mind any other opinions, or corrections, on what I have written above. That is just the knowledge I have gathered on this plant from all my experiences with it. NOT saying it is "gospel".......but here in the NE--where we do not have a Tropical environment--this is what I know to do with Bromiliads.

Gita

Thank you, I didn't know about the banana peels!
Sasha