Bromelaids?
By n2organics
8 comments
Yesterday was my 53rd b-day and my wife gave me two new “pretties” pictured below:
I examined one of them and it appeared to be growing in a medium similar to Orchids. Looks like peat moss and the pot is closed on the bottom:
The tag for the little Bromelaid plants says:
Requires bright, indirect lighting.
Keep the central “cup” filled with water.
Fertilize twice monthly with Bromeliad fertilizer.
Ideal temperature is 75 deg. F.
Has anybody grown or experimented with different growing mediums on these plants?
I just love the little guys and want to give them the optimum growing environment to see what they can do!
Any suggestions or tips about growing these adorable little things?
N2O
(Yes, the background photo on my computer in the 2nd photo is “Smokey Boy”, my prized cat! {chuckle} )
22 Jan, 2011
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Comments
sorry dont know about the plant but happy birthday!
22 Jan, 2011
How cool, Seaburngirl!
What is "babybio"?
Will they grow in conventional organically prepared potting soil?
23 Jan, 2011
Belated b/day greeting, N2O! :-))
I've grown these for many, many years - often in the same pot for years at a time! I rarely repot them & rarely give them fertilizer! But I do water them in the vase the leaves form! The actual compost sometimes becomes as dry as dust! They don't seem to mind though, they are very forgiving plants! They often grow in full sun on my kitchen windowsill which you would expect to not suit them at all being as they originally come from the big rainforests & grow in small depressions on the boughs of big trees. They would have dappled sunlight, too, I would imagine.
The red vase in the middle will eventually die away after a few months but in the meanwhile several offshoots will spring up from the base &, in the course of time, will also develop red vases!
We got a new plant a few months ago - arrived just in time (don't remember now who gave us it) as the old plant was on its last "legs" & shortly afterwards I had to throw it away.
25 Jan, 2011
OH Balcony, thank you SO much for some insight on these little beauties!
Now that I know what their native habitat is like, it should be quite easy to duplicate and "tweak" to encourage an optimum growing environment.
Thank you SO much!
~N2O~
26 Jan, 2011
You're welcome, N2O :-))
I found a couple of photos of the plant I mentioned we had, it was given to my wife for her birthday at the end of Feb last year! The plant is still growing strong in the kitchen window & has 3 or 4 young growths around its base.
26 Jan, 2011
How awesome, Balcony! Is there a way to separate the "pups" from the "momma plant" and propagate them?
I took your advice about watering them and used a "turkey baster" to water the natural "cups" that they form and my little guys are looking great! They just loved the highly diluted mix of compost tea last feeding time!
~N2O~
27 Jan, 2011
It should be possible to gently pull them away from the mother plant. I'm not sure now but I think I've done that in the past, though it must be many years ago! I'll have a look at the one in the kitchen window as it has at least 3 babies around the base.
28 Jan, 2011
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happy birthday, I have had them as houseplants in the past and watered into the centre and gave the a feed of babybio once a month.
22 Jan, 2011