Garden Column for the Salisbury Post
Preston Askew, Rowan County Master Gardener Volunteer
November 25, 2002

    A very beautiful and overlooked plant for traditional season decorating is the Bromeliad. It adds seasonal beauty as an individual display or in groupings with other indoor plants. It's interesting to note the bromeliad is in the pineapple family.
    Bromeliads are versatile and available in different size assortments. Plants vary from 2 1/2-inch to 4 and 6-inch pot sizes. The pot size variations result with arching foliage ranging from 4-to-8 to 12-to-15 inch leaves. These leaves may be green, gray, maroon, or spotted. The flower cluster varies from 2-3 to 4-6 inches tall, and vary in color, usually white, pink, or red.
    Placed as a focal point on your table, one bromeliad looks very graceful. Enhancement to your decorating begins at the time more than one small or large grouping is arranged. For example, large bromeliads can be centered around small or large poinsettias, or the reverse ...small or large poinsettias around bromeliads; the contrast is fascinating. Then surround the plants with nandina or holly foliage with their berries, or pine or magnolia leaves, or fruit, and/or your favorite Christmas ornamentals (angels, Santas,etc.).Just let your creativity takes over, as there can be numerous combinations of decorating designs.
    The colorful blooms last for months. My wife received a bromeliad in May of this year, and we enjoyed the flower's presence for at least 12 weeks. It stayed fresh looking and appeared to be an artificial bloom because of its constant glory, but it was real. Eventually it dried-out and was cut off. The green leaves have continued to exist and should do so for another year or so. Bromeliads bloom only once but normal life of the plant is about 1-3 years.
    To maintain your bromeliad after the Christmas season, here are some suggestions:
A general recommendation is to place bromeliads in a window with a southern, eastern, or western exposure, and must not receive direct rays of the sun. Bromeliads will "ten" you if light levels are satisfactory. A yellowish or pale green plant indicates the light level is too high, thus darker green colorations indicate low light levels.
    For proper temperature in a home, bromeliads will do best at 70-75 degrees during the day and 60~65 degrees at night. The relative humidity should be 40 to 60 percent. The average humidity in most homes is well below 40 percent especially during the winter months. Although humidity is important, it is not critical. Your bromeliad can stay fresh with frequent misting, daily if possible.
    Most problems encountered with bromeliads are associated with rot caused by over watering. Under normal household conditions, watering thoroughly once a week is usually sufficient. If the plant pot is placed on a water-collecting saucer, be sure to pour off excess water. The pot should never sit in water.
Actively growing bromeliads require light applications of fertilizer .During winter months they need little or no fertilizer. A general purpose, liquid houseplant fertilizer can be applied to the potting mix at 113 to V2 of the recommended dosage every 1 to 2 months.

    As you continue to admire your bromeliad, note that after it dies, if properly cared for, it should produce offshoots or 4'pupS", which provide for the steady renewal of the plant. Bromeliads are now available in garden shops and retail stores in Salisbury and Rowan County.

Preston Askew is a Master Gardener Volunteer, class of 2002, and a member of the Master Gardener Writers Forum.