Re: Bromeliad....YEAH!!!

Noreen
Thanks - terriic, concise info.  I'll print that out as a cultivation sheet
for people who ask what to do with these exotic plants.  Hmmm... I wonder if
I could locate a wholesaler so we could sell them?  Know of any?

Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <TeichFlora@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 5:22 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Bromeliad....YEAH!!!


> Running behind again...sorry. I used to shy away from  Bromeliads because
> every time I got one, it died...it either rotted or  after it bloomed it
died.  I
> was clueless, so stayed away from them.   I'm so glad that I met some
> wonderful folks whose passion are Bromeliads.   Bromeliads are now one of
my
> favorites.  I have them growing literally on  every tree, tucked into
Hibiscus,
> growing on my posts of the deck, on driftwood,  in the ground....you name
it.  LOL
>
>  The care of a Bromeliad depends largely on what genus it  is.   Can you
give
> me a little more info.....are the leaves stiff  or soft? Spiny or smooth?
Is
> the plant tall, foliage standing straight up  or are the leaves more
> flattened out to the side??  Is the plant  in an orchid type mix (bark
chips) or
> soil??  Pink or red center  could mean the color of the plant or it could
mean that
> it is going to  bloom.  Bromeliads come in all colors, shapes, sizes.
Some
> are  miniatures only getting to be an inch or two tall, others can get
several
> feet.  Most commonly available bromeliads somewhere in the middle.
>
>   Not all Bromeliads like to have water in the center  of their cups.....
> some bromeliads are terrestrial, and others epiphytes  (growing in trees
in
> nature).  The easiest way to kill a bromeliad is to  over water.  If you
are going
> to put water in the cup, then don't water the  soil.  Lots of bright
light,
> great air ciruculation, humidity.  Don't  fertilize much if at all
(different
> thoughts on this) since most agree that  fertilizing will cause the plant
to
> green too much.
> Most folks make the mistake of throwing away a bromeliad after it blooms
> (usually the Guzmanias and Vriesia types) because they think the plant is
> dead....but in fact all bromeliads pup out.  Eventually the mother plant
will die
> back (some genus sooner than others), since it only blooms once.   As the
> foliage dies back, you take that off.  Eventually they will form a  clump.
You can
> either leave the pups on, creating a large clump of  bromelads....or you
can
> take them off as they mature more and produce new plants  (specimen).   No
> problems with black spot or anything else with  Broms.   Members of our
society
> with greenhouses report problems  with scale, and others say that
squirrels
> love to eat theirs, but I've  never had any problems.  Once I learned
more, they
> have literally  become the easiest plant I have to care for.
>
> FYI:  Houston Brom. society:   _http://bromeliadsocietyhouston.org/_
> (http://bromeliadsocietyhouston.org/)
> Brom. society international:      _http://www.bsi.org/_
(http://www.bsi.org/)
>
> Noreen
> zone 9
> Texas Gulf Coast
>
>
> In a message dated 5/13/2005 7:09:34 PM Central Standard Time,
> gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:
>
> Humidity  is NO problem here in the lake area.  Even
> > during a 6 month  drought, it's STILL humid.  Welcome to blackspot
> > country.   But I have the perfect place on the front porch for it
> > (morning sun  only, shade by 11).  And yes, the leaves are green but
> > has a  little reddish cup-like structure in the middle.  Interesting
> >  plant.  How big so they get?
>
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