Bromeliad

[pikevi]

I bought this Bromeliad today and re-potted it a mixture of potting soil ,perlite and fine bark with a few coconut husk chips and charcoal.

After watering it I found quite a lot of water sitting in the crown as is found in nature. Do I leave it there? Draining it may pose a bit of a problem.

Thanks.

[electric.chowder]

from what I've gathered this is how they should be watered. I got my first one in spring, and that's how I've been watering all summer and it's still alive

[tom499]

Thats how they collect water in the wild. Some have evolved to become semi carnivorous and catch insects which land in the pools of water. They die and rot, and the plant absorbs the nutrients. Been meaning to get one, they look rather nice.

[pikevi]

Thank you electric.chowder and tom499.

I know that is the way in nature. But inside the homes I thought the stagnant water may become stale.

But since electric.chowder's is still alive I will let it be .

tom499: I did not know they are 'semi-carnivorous'. I know some frogs have part of their life cycles spent in such pools of water.

Thanks.

[sandra]

Pikevi, keep watering into the leaves. That's how they're supposed to be watered. I've got several bromeliads. When the centerpiece dies, keep watering because the plant will put forth new growth, similiar to the way paphs grow and will grow a new plant with a new centerpiece! They're a lot of fun, easy to take care of. I plant all varieties up in regular potting soil and water once a week. They last forever and are just so pretty!

Enjoy!

[tom499]

Catopsis berteroniana and Brocchinia reducta have both been observed to use insects caught in their tank pools as a source of nutrients.

Catopsis berteroniana is an epiphyte that produces a powder on its leaves which reflects ultraviolet light. This is the type of light many insects navigate by, so during the day the plant appears as open sky! The insects fly into the plant and often fall into the pools. the powder is also slippery to hinder the insect's escape.

Brocchinia reducta acts more like other pitcher plants, producing a sweet nectar to attract insects, then uses its waxy leaves to cause insects to slip into the pool tank. The pool tank is acidic to help protease enzymes break down the insects (very similiar to animal stomachs). Although the plant itself does not produce the protease Its argued it doesn't need to as there are enough bacterial and fungal breakdown going on within the tank. The bacteria and fungi get their food from the catch, and the bromeliad gets the remainder of the broken down insects.

[pikevi]

Thank you sandra and tom499.

sandra: I will do just that. I wonder why they are expensive. I have seen only three colours in this type. There are spear-shaped flowers which I am not a great fan of. I am looking for the red one and the yellow one.

tom499: thank you for the info. I have to get more involved in plant physiology.
I guess we will die thinking about nature's wonders.

[tom499]

i have a plain pointy yellow one. flower stem is starting to look old. I look forward to what happens next. The new growth should be fun as mines in quite a small pot compared to the plant. I've read the old section of the plant slowly dies off once the new growth has matured, anyone had any experience of this?

[sandra]

Pikevi, I hope you find them. They're all over here in Florida. If you're interested, I can ask some of the growers if they would ship some out to you. They range anywhere from $5 (4") - $10 (8") and up, in increments of around $5 more as sizes increase. Have you ever seen the fan shaped ones? Those are stunning also, tightly woven in pinks, purples, reds and at the tips, grow these purple, paper thin flowers which last only a day or two but they continue to blossom from the bottom, daily till it reaches the top tip. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticken' to it Again, enjoy your bromeliad.

[pikevi]

Thank you sandra. May be I will check the 'net and see anyone has those red ones here. I have not bought any online yet. In any case it may have to wait 'til next spring. Next week it is is going to be 16C . I like it but the plants don't

BTW, I like the story and we, at least I, will take it as gospel truth. Well ,since I don't know anything about it I am 'forced' to take your word on it!!!!

Thank you for the offer.

[electric.chowder]

Went outside to water all my plants this morning and decided to check up on my brom. just because I hadn't inspected him in a while, and he's starting to shoot out a baby off the side

I'll post a pic when I get the chance

[pikevi]

That is neat, electric.chowder.

At least I now know where babies come from in bromeliads

I am myself excited at the thought of seeing the 'mom and baby'

[morphiii]

I have the same plant that I bought a few weeks ago but the flower never opened.

I was just wondering how long does it take for the flower to open on a mature plant.

I also see a new pup coming out from the side of the center. Is that normal?

[evagentry]

I also have a bromeliad that I brought a couple of months ago, it is a bilbergia nutans, it bloomed shortly after I took it home, their inflorescents is pendant, I have brought others though and had them blast after I got them home,but there were still pups for growing on. eva

[Tobi]

I have had this Bromiliad for about 4 years now. The original mother cup was
in flower when I bought it. After it bloomed it produced 2 pups. I cut off the
2 pups when they had grown some and repotted one and gave the mother
plant and other pup to a friend of mine. Once the mother cup flowers, she
will not flower again, but will produce 1 to 2 pups. It usually takes 2-3 years
for the pup to flower. You can induce the plant to flower by putting an
apple at the base of the plant, covering it with a plastic bag for 7-10 days.
The ethylene gas that it produces will trigger flowering. If you do this, you
have to be careful in that ethylene gas can be harmful to other plants
and I do believe orchids can be one of them. Here is a picture of the plant
now. The second is a picture of the 2 pups that it has produced at the
base of the plant.






The name of it is Aechmea fasciata and her is a pic of what the flower looked
like this spring.



The one thing I also learned from mine is that they say you can pour a small
amount of water into the cup, I lost one of my pups to rot doing that. I
occasionally mist the cupule now and that seems to work better.

[pikevi]

Thanks for the photos Tobi.

It seems like it produces clones ( stolons).

I will be looking for them on mine