I got a Vriesea splendens var. "Charlotte" for Christmas, and it has been going downhill for the past few months. I can't find much info on the proper care of the species... Most sources just say to keep the soil moist and keep it in bright indirect light. Well, that's what I'm doing, and it's not working! I am usually pretty good at growing most plants, and it's somewhat upsetting when they do not do well. When I got the plant it looked healthy, but over time it has been declining. I have it in my dorm on a north-facing windowsill (so it is never exposed to direct sunlight), and I keep the soil/moss moist (not wet) at all times. It has not been doing well, however - the leaves turn brown/yellow at the tips and begin to curl. All of the leaves are drooping somewhat as well. I can only think of one thing that might be causing this... I water most of my plants with water I take out of my fish tanks. This water usually has a nitrate content of about 10 ppm, and contains other trace substances. Nearly all plants I have found thrive on this water, as good as any commercial plant food, but I don't know if bromeliads like it. I have been hesitant about using the local tapwater on my houseplants because it comes out of the tap with a pH of about 8.8, which is effectively hostile to most aquarium plants (my specialty). I do water changes on my aquarium with distilled water - should I be doing the same for the bromeliad instead of using aquarium water? I'm not sure what the symptoms of some sort of nutrient imbalance is in Vriesea spp, so I'll post a picture here and see what you guys think I should do.
Id start using distilled water. Bromeliads shouldnt really be fed unless they've already bloomed and you're trying to get more pups out of them. Otherwise they get real leggy and lose their color. Along with keeping the roots moist you should also keep water in the cup it forms with its leaves. I also mist the leaves of my Vrieseas to help with the lack of humidity where i live. Also, it looks like you've got a few pups there so the mother plant will eventually start to decline until it dies off completely, leaving you with the pups. It's all part of the cycle.
Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll start watering it with distilled water now. It does have several pups coming off the side, but they are looking kind of crappy too (like the mother plant), so I'm guessing it's more than just the life cycle that's affecting the plant. The mother bromeliad had flowers (I guess that's what they're called?) when I first got it, but they turned brown and died so I cut them off. I don't see any more signs of it blooming again.
You say you're in a dorm and i can see that little open panel in the bottom left of the pic. Is that an air vent? Having it right next to a vent could be killing the humidity levels around the plant. If that’s the case then you could either mist if a couple times a day with a spray bottle or put it above a tray filled with pebbles and water. I take one of those plastic hefty plates stack a few cheap coasters in the middle to keep the pot out of the water and fill them with water and aquarium gravel. As the water evaporates it raises the humidity around the plant.
It is an air conditioner/heater, and it is usually only on for a couple hours each day (I can turn it on and off, it's not automatic). I've been keeping the cups in the leaves filled with water - would that be enough to keep the humidity at acceptable levels?
It should be ok with just the water in the cup and keeping the soil moist. I just thought of it because i live in a dorm too and had to deal with that problem. The only place with good light is right above the ac/heater and im a big baby and always have it on so my bromes have had problems with being too dry. You just need to find what works for your plant.
Less than a week later the plant is looking so much better than it did before. I've been watering with distilled water and keeping the leaf cups full, and it's made a world of difference. I've just taken a picture of the plant at the same angle as the previous one so you can see how much the leaves have perked up, and the general color of the plant is better as well.
