Bromeliad Care

Do you have an unprotected area of your yard and are looking to fill it in with some full sun bromeliads? Even though your bromeliad may be full sun tolerant or even love full sun, it may not be ready to be placed in it just yet.

Repotting a bromeliad with all the old roots still attached could be harmful to it's health. So pruning off the old roots actually helps the new roots off to a fresh start.

Spring is just around the corner and it's time to start preparing your bromeliads for another season of growth and propagation. After a crazy winter across most of the country, inspect your plants for dead and dying leaves.

I often get requests for bromeliads that can handle full sun, either in the landscape or as a potted specimen in a full sun location. On the surface this seems to be a simple question, and simple questions usually have simple answers, right? Well in this case, this is a much more complex question than you would think. All full sun is not created equal.

Bromeliads are tolerant plants that can survive in a variety of temperatures. Most of the bromeliads in horticulture prefer temperatures of 70-90°F for days and 50-70°F for nights. However, they can take even higher temperatures provided the humidity is increased. While they can also take temperatures down to freezing, they are happier if it doesn't get below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since these are naturally outdoor plants that receive constant air movement, they will be healthier if the air does not stagnate. In fact in the wild habitat, the most likely location to find and observe bromeliads will be in areas that typically are exposed to breezy if not windy conditions. Air movement keeps fungus and disease to a minimum by drying out areas that may be prone to disease or infection if kept constantly wet.