How to Care for Colorful Bromeliad
If you want to know how to care for colorful bromeliad and detailed topics about growing and maintaining this plant, here is the specific content:
Colorful bromeliad is an ornamental plant with bracts, also known as fire sword bromeliad, torch, or large parrot bromeliad. It belongs to the Neoregelia genus of the Bromeliaceae family, and is a perennial evergreen herb native to Central and South America and the West Indies. The bracts are bright red, with small yellow flowers. Potted plants are suitable for home, hotel, and office decoration. Let's take a look at how to care for colorful bromeliad!
Growth Habits of Colorful Bromeliad
Colorful bromeliad thrives in warm, humid environments with plenty of sunlight. It is not cold-tolerant, but can tolerate some shade and is afraid of direct strong sunlight. The soil should be rich, loose, and well-draining, with decomposed leaf soil being the best. The temperature in winter should not be below 12°C. It prefers warm, humid conditions and bright lighting, with an optimal growth temperature of 20-27°C. It should be planted in a loose, breathable medium rich in humus.
Propagation Methods for Colorful Bromeliad
Colorful bromeliad is commonly propagated by division, with spring repotting being the best time. Remove the mother plant and cut off the side shoots, then plant them in separate pots. They need to be shaded and the leaves sprayed with water. The potting soil should not be too wet, and normal management can resume after the roots have taken hold.
How to Care for Colorful Bromeliad?
1. Soil: For potted colorful bromeliad, a well-draining substrate should be chosen. For large-scale production, a mixture of peat, perlite, and sand is used, with the ratio of 1 cubic meter of peat to 4 to 5 kilograms of perlite to 0.15 cubic meters of sand, maintaining a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Adding a small amount of decomposed chicken manure, cake fertilizer, or bone meal at the bottom of the pot can improve growth.
1. Light: Colorful bromeliad prefers semi-shade and should be protected from direct sunlight. It should be placed in a semi-shaded area or near a bright window. It does not require much sunlight, and excessive exposure can cause leaf yellowing and dried flower tips. When grown outdoors, it should be shaded appropriately in spring, summer, and autumn, especially in summer when 70% shade is needed. Direct sunlight can cause leaf temperatures to be higher than air temperatures, leading to burns, leaf browning, bract discoloration, and slower leaf growth.
2. Temperature: The optimal growth temperature for colorful bromeliad is 20-30°C, with the highest temperature not exceeding 35°C and the lowest temperature at 14°C. Below 10°C, there is a risk of frost damage. It's best not to place it near a heater in winter, as it can become too dry and may scorch the plant.
3. Watering: When watering colorful bromeliad, the surface of the potting soil should be slightly dry, and water should be applied again when the top 1-2 centimeters of soil is dry. It should not be too wet, as excessive moisture can rot the roots. The plant has a leaf tube at the base with a water trough that should always have water. The water in the trough should be changed every 10 days or so to prevent it from becoming smelly. Additionally, mist the surface, leaves, and flowers with water.
4. Humidity: The optimal relative humidity for colorful bromeliad is 70-80%, and it should not be below 50%. Maintaining higher humidity in the growing environment is key to successful cultivation, so foliar spraying should be done throughout the year.
5. Fertilization: From April to September, which is the growing season, apply liquid fertilizer every two weeks. You can use fermented organic fertilizer or spray 0.1% urea and 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on both sides of the leaves. You can also pour a very dilute liquid fertilizer into the leaf tube, which is absorbed by the base scales. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be 10:15:20.
The detailed explanation of how to care for colorful bromeliad and its cultivation and maintenance methods, hoping this article can help you with green plant management!