Gardening Articles

Bromeliaceae is one of the most diverse, beautiful and exotic family of plants that can be grown indoors or in a warm greenhouse. It counts over 2000 members, most of them being tropical epiphytes growing naturally on tree branches and rock faces, while others are terrestrial, growing in the earth. Almost all bromeliads are rosette-forming, with strikingly colored or variegated foliage and with flamboyant blooms.

The epiphytes members of this family are clinging by means of anchorage roots and obtain moisture and nutrients via their leaves directly from the atmosphere. For better display of this type of bromeliads it is best to attach them to a section of tree or branch, simulating the way they grow in the wild. This method of displaying also help to avoid the risk of rot which may occur if you grow them in compost. When you attach the plant to a piece of wood start from the bottom of the root ball, move upwards, gradually firming moss around the roots and keeping in position with wire, string or raffia.

Some of the epiphytes, particularly those with colored foliage, may be grown as pot plants, as long as you use the right compost mixture. The compost mixture must be extremely open, porous, high in humus and almost lime-free. You can use a mixture of half coarse sand or perlite and half peat or peat substitute. To make sure that any extra moisture drains away you can add pieces of partly composed tree bark to the potting mix. They prefer a place in bright filtered light during summer and bright light with several hours of direct sunlight in winter and spring to keep their leaf color and encourage flowering.

Terrestrial bromeliads may be grown in pots, indoors but they prefer a larger space if possible outdoors in a border if you live in an are where temperatures don’t fall under 7-10 Celsius degrees (45-50 F), or in a greenhouse or conservatory border. They prefer bright light throughout the year to keep them in maximum shape.

In order to thrive most of bromeliads need warm, humid conditions, with temperatures that will not go under 10 Celsius degrees (50 F).

The best known bromeliad is the pineapple.