I have a "prize- winning bromiliad" that has not bloomed in the 2-3 years after it was given to me. It sits under our big, shady oak tree in a large pot, next to another bromiliad with varigated leaves and pink blossoms, (also in a pot) that blooms quite often. Neither get much sunlight. They both recieve the same care: the cups are always filled with water and sometimes I throw some crumbled egg shells on them, as a friend recommended. I finally fed the one that is not blooming some plant fertilizer, but no results. It's leaves are green, and the plant looks very healthy, no sign of rot. How can I get it to bloom? Does it need more sun? Thanks for your reply-- Matrisa
I'd be willing to start with more sun for your "prize winning bromeliad" (sp. check). Don't expect immediate results and ease it gradually into more sunlight. Cheers, LPN.
Matrisa....has that particular bromeliad flowered before? Or is it the new pups that haven't flowered before? The reason I ask is because once a bromeliad flowers it does not flower again and dies but not before it produces pups which will then flower in turn. What bromeliad is it? I have one currently that has been throwing out pups but no flowers and i have been waiting 2-3 years, this particular one is 4 ft high, perhaps same brom. Pls let me know Ed
Edleight7 is right on. Most people don't realize that bromeliads like much more sun than they are often given. Just not direct hot sunlight in most cases. Many species live high in the canopy of the rain forest growing on a tree branch, not in the ground. They are epiphytes (a plant that grows upon another plant). In fact, far more species grow "up there" than "down there". They are one of nature's ways of providing a source of water to all the animals that live high up in the trees. And scientists now estimate that 70 to 90% of both plants and animals in a rain forest live up in the canopy. If given adequate light, the bromeliad will produce new pups which will turn into new plants. They will produce an inflorescence based on the specific cycle of that species. Don't be alarmed if the parent dies. That is normal. Once a plant blooms it has completed the life cycle other than producing "pups". Once the pups are established the parent plant's life is complete. Once a pup is firmly established you can remove it and give it a container of its own. The bromeliads collect water up in the forest and many animal species live inside their cone. Frogs often complete their entire life cycle inside one of these plants from tadpole to adult. Some species are capable of holding as much as 2 gallons of water. Birds use them as a source of water which is far safer than flying down to the jungle floor to confront a predator. So don't be alarmed if it hasn't bloomed. If it is still alive, it is doing what it is intended to do. But you'll likely see an inflorescence sooner if you give it brighter light.
