Bromeliad Basics: Watering

Bromeliad Basics: Watering

Author: Melanie Dearringer7 Comments

Care and Culture

In this article you’ll find helpful information on the general water requirements for a bromeliad plant.

Watering

Your bromeliad is more likely to suffer from over-watering than under-watering. While their roots prefer to be moist, they can never be allowed to remain soggy. Water that does not drain properly through your potting medium can cause your plant to develop root or crown rot. It is often times sufficient to water your bromeliad once a week.

-Bromeliad tank

In the wild, most bromeliads gather water in their central tanks, or reservoirs. Only a small amount of moisture from natural rainfall is absorbed by the leaves and roots. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you keep your bromeliad’s tank filled with water. It is important to flush the tank regularly as stagnant water housed in this area can also lead to damaging rot.

-Tillandsia loliacea

Some bromeliads, like Tillandsia, are not grown in potting medium. These air plants should be misted several times each week. You can also submerge the plant in water for a few minutes to allow it to re-hydrate. Tillandsias are hard to over-water as they aren’t capable of absorbing more water than they need to survive. If you do use the “dunk method” to water your air plants, you will want to be sure to remove all excess water between the leaves to avoid rot.

It is best to water your bromeliad with rainwater or distilled water. The chemicals that are present in some tap water can be damaging to these sensitive plants. Slow growth or browning of leaf tips are often signs of hard water usage.

For even more information on bromeliad basic care, check out these great articles: Bromeliad Basics: An Introduction Bromeliad Basics: Temperature Bromeliad Basics: Fertilizer Bromeliad Basics: Lighting Bromeliad Basics: Potting Medium Bromeliad Basics: Repotting Bromeliad Basics: Propagation

Source Bullis Bromeliads http://www.bullisbrom.com/pages.php?page_id=5 Photo credit: Maia C via http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiac/116601213/ Tillandsia loliacea photo credit: James Ho via http://www.flickr.com/photos/mankitho/43972671/