Bromeliads: a new one and updates on the older plants
This Neoregelia bromeliad was a gift a year ago and I decided to mount it on wood. I hung it outside during summer and it's grown quite a few more leaves and coloured up nicely and there's an offset developing. I don't keep it in the sun but hang it in a shady place, although that was a good photography spot.
It started making more roots but I think the wood needs to be a lot wetter before they will grow adequately.
On Tuesday I got this Bromeliad at a local nursery, it's a Neoregelia fireball and they didn't know how to keep it properly, it likes some sun and the leaves should be mostly red or purple. The medium it was planted in was breaking down and waterlogged so I decided to put it in a different growing medium while I look for a suitable piece of wood because Neoregelia grow on trees in nature.
Although there are a lot of roots, they don't do much besides anchor the plant and I've put it into Orchid bark in the meantime
Watering is done in the central cups, not the bark! These bromeliads also don't do well with tap water, they should only get rainwater in the central cup. Then it should be gradually exposed to more light until the leaves go red. Putting it in too much sun immediately will burn the leaves badly.
This bromeliad does grow in the soil, it's a Cryptanthus Bivittatus – Earth Star Bromeliad although it turns yellow in the sun and needs to be in indirect light only to keep its colour
The pineapple tops I planted are doing well and I'll put them into bigger pots next spring, hopefully also see a pineapple or two.
I repotted the Dyckia today, They are worse than aloes to handle and it took some manoeuvring to get it into a bigger pot, the spines are hard and sharp
The Puya below is the worst of all to deal with, those little hooks are extremely sharp and tend to break off in your skin. It's made a couple of heads this season, now I'm hoping for flowers in the spring, Puya are spectacular when they do bloom. None of my bromeliads have flowered before and I look forward to seeing what they produce
Wow! Bromeliad extravaganza! I never heard of the neoregelia. It is beautiful. Its care requirements sound a lot like those of air plants. Well, air plants are considered bromeliads as well so I shouldn't be surprised. I hope you do get some spectacular and exotic blooms!
Yes, Neoregelia are just bigger versions of the tillandsias and other similar species. They do like warmer climates so they are probably not commonly kept where you live
Beautiful plants!
I like when they have red leaves.
Me too! I don't really like variegates much our sun is too strong for them but the red leaves are my favourite
The red leaves are look very pretty!
oh, those spines indeed look dangerous. Did you use some gloves for protection? I would definitely not do it without them, I repotted once a cactus and said: never again 😂
The pineapple tops are doing well 👌
No I didn't, they were too intricate for gloves but yes,cacti and gloves are a must!
The pineapples are fun although I think it's a little too sunny for them
As someone who lives in the Northern Hemisphere where these plants don't grow, they look like alien creatures to me. So wonderfully bizarre and exotic!
It is fun to be able to grow weird plants!
you have an awesome bromeliad collection there!! I loved them. I have a neoregelia too (the first one you show) and I haven't managed to get the plant to bloom :( It gets little sun and is completely green. I have a pineapple too and its leaves are really thin haha, guess I don't have good hand for bromeliads xD
I got curious about bromeliad flowers and went to read more: it seems that they flower only once in their lives and then they die, such plants are called monocarpic so it can be a while before they bloom and in your case, the pup will not cause the death of the mother plant but it's good that it is making pups because then you will have others once it does flower. I think that my first neoregelia probably got a little too much sun to make it so pink.
Pineapples like warmth but not too much sun, I have to be careful that my plants aren't cooked. This is why I grow them in pots, so I can move them as needed. Thinner leaves are not such a bad thing
Thanks!! It means I still have hope to see it flowering!! The pineapple I planted it for experiment and I really didn't thought it was going to grow!! Iguess I just have to let it do its magic ;)
Yes! Pineapples take 2 years before they flower
What a beautiful collection. I love it.
I also love all kinds of plants but I don't have such a beautiful collection like you.
Thank you. Living in warmer climates does make it possible to grow exotic plants without a greenhouse so I am grateful
The Neoregelia Bromeliad is really beautiful, and I'm looking forward to seeing them flower.
I would love to see that Puya in flower too. Despite the sharp hook thorns on it, I find it's a very aesthetic plant to look at.
Great post as always, I enjoy your amazing gardening posts :)
Thank you! Neoregelia makes a tiny little flower that just sits in the cup. Puya is supposed to be very spectacular so I look forward to it too. It should flower now that it has made offsets. I didn't realise that bromeliads die after flowering so you want plenty of offsets before it does, then you only lose the mother plant
Hi Nikv! I love the Puyas, you're right, the blooms are spectacular, here they have blue colors that are very rare in nature. I have been looking for it for some time but here in Italy it is not easy to find ...
Nice work with bromeliad and above all nice composition of echeverie and sedum in the background!
Thank you! My garden is doing well now in its second year
I'm surprised: Puya is common here and easy to grow