How to Care for Bromeliads After Blooming

Bromeliads have marvelous leaves. Even when they by no means bloomed, these distinctive crops are eye-catching only for their foliage, which regularly is available in stripy, noticed, and variegated patterns.

However bloom they do, and it solely makes all of them the extra gorgeous.

Bromeliads embody a placing vary of species. Pineapples (Ananas comosus) and air crops (Tillandsia spp.), two very completely different species, are each within the Bromeliaceae household.

We hyperlink to distributors that can assist you discover related merchandise. If you happen to purchase from one in every of our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee.

However one factor that the majority bromeliads have in widespread is that they’ve the identical uncommon behavior of blooming after which dying.

We aren’t simply going to toss our crops into the closest trash after they flower, although. For one, they may stay one other 12 months or two earlier than they die fully.

On prime of that, bromeliads put out offshoots that may be propagated and nurtured as new specimens. It’s an ongoing cycle that may preserve you in bromeliads.

As such, the secret’s to determine methods to take care of bromeliads as and after they flower. Arising, that is what we’ll talk about:

Don’t confuse the colourful bracts on the plant with the precise flowers.

Truly, it doesn’t matter for those who confuse them, since they go hand-in-hand and seem on the identical time. However for those who’re curious concerning the constructions, let’s talk about.

Bromeliad flowers are typically small and seem in clusters on the finish of the flower stem. This is called an inflorescence, and it’s enclosed by colourful leaf-like bracts.

It’s the bracts that individuals typically mistake for being the flowers. The floral stems will be as much as 15 ft lengthy or below an inch tall, relying on the species.

Every precise flower has three petals and three sepals. They seem in teams, however they’re nonetheless not almost as noticeable because the bracts.

Now let’s discuss how the the lifecycle works.

Do Bromeliads Solely Flower As soon as?

The quick reply is “sure,” most bromeliads flower one time, after which the mum or dad plant dies.

The exceptions are species within the Dyckias and Hechtias genera, and a few Tillsandia species, together with Spanish moss (T. usneoides). These species can bloom repeatedly.

However simply because the plant will begin to fade after the flowers emerge, that doesn’t essentially imply that it needs to be tossed out.

Regardless that the mum or dad plant dies again, it would put out what are known as “pups” or offshoots.

These small plantlets will finally mature into grownup specimens, so that you’ll have one other bromeliad (or 5!) to develop and luxuriate in.

Why Does This Occur?

Most bromeliads are what is called monocarpic.

Vegetation like cherry timber, lavender, roses, and different perennials are polycarpic, which implies they produce blossoms and seeds yearly for a few years earlier than dying.

Monocarpic crops produce seeds one time, after which they die.

Nonetheless, it’s necessary to not confuse monocarpic crops with annuals. Annuals full their lifecycle in a single 12 months.

Monocarpic crops can stay for years earlier than they flower and set seed, however once they do, the mum or dad plant will die. It’d occur quickly, or it’d take a couple of years, however die, they are going to.

Within the case of most terrestrial bromeliads, the crops can stay for many years earlier than they bloom.

Once they begin to produce flowers, the crops transfer their assets to the flowering elements, taking the power away from the roots and foliage. This shift will finally outcome within the plant’s demise, which generally occurs inside a 12 months or two of flowering.

Care Throughout and After Flowering

To take care of a flowering specimen, simply carry on nurturing it as you’ve got been when it comes to water and lightweight. There’s no want to alter issues up at this level.

Must refresh your data about rising bromeliads? Take a look at our information.

As soon as the blooms fade and die, they are going to flip brown, dry, and go to seed. Until you need to accumulate the seeds, you’ll be able to reduce off the flower elements.

It received’t harm to go away the spent flowers on the plant, but it surely’ll look ugly. You’ll be able to go away the colourful bracts on for so long as you need.

Now, your job is to take care of the crops to assist them as they develop their pups, assuming that you just need to preserve the offsets. If not, let it do its factor and deal with it as you normally do.

The pups will become new specimens on their very own, however you received’t have any management over the place the pups root and mature.

To assist the crops if you wish to propagate the pups, present the common quantity of water and the suitable gentle publicity.

Meaning shiny, oblique gentle, and water when the floor of the substrate feels dry.

On the subject of feeding, present meals simply as soon as after the blooms fade. Use a light, balanced fertilizer to offer the specimen a lift of vitamins to assist the offsets.

Elevating Pups

I guess you didn’t assume you’d be elevating a litter of pups while you introduced residence your bromeliad, proper?

If you happen to don’t need to say “goodbye” to your bromeliad, you’ll be able to propagate the offsets it produces.

As soon as they’ve reached about half the dimensions of the mum or dad, you’ll be able to take away the pups and pot them up in their very own containers. They’ll quickly develop their very own root programs, and shortly sufficient, you’ll have full-sized specimens to get pleasure from.

If you happen to can, don’t take away the pups till they’re about half the dimensions of the mum or dad. That may imply you must wait till the plant is almost useless earlier than you’ll be able to take away the pups.

When the pups are giant sufficient, you’ll be able to gently reduce them away and place them in their very own pots.

If the pups aren’t capable of acquire a big sufficient dimension earlier than the mum or dad dies, don’t fear.

You’ll be able to nonetheless take away them and pot them up, however they’ll be fairly weak for some time, needing a bit of additional TLC.

Study concerning the particulars about methods to propagate bromeliads in our information. (coming quickly!)

Maintain the Enjoyable Going

Sure, it’s unlucky that these crops can’t flower repeatedly, however we’ve got to work with what we’ve received.

Simply because its life is over doesn’t imply that the enjoyable can’t proceed. Pot up these pups and luxuriate in them.

Fill us in on what sort of bromeliad you’re elevating within the feedback part beneath. Has yours flowered? Are you planning to separate the pups?

If you happen to’d prefer to discover different houseplants and methods to take care of them, take a look at these guides subsequent: