Finding the answer to how long do bromeliads last can be tricky, considering that it is a large plant family. However, you can expect them to bloom for as long as six months and live for five years. This is an attractive premise, but you must also consider the variety and provide the ideal conditions for this beautiful plant.
The good news is that bromeliads are easy to care for. Some gardeners even grow them in the greenhouse because it’s more convenient to control temperature, humidity, and light indoors. Below is some information on what to expect with this plant and how to make them last.
How Long Do Bromeliads Last And How To Make Them Last
How long do bromeliads bloom?
As mentioned earlier, you can expect your bromeliads to bloom for as long as six months. However, it’s also common for some varieties to only last for three months. More so, remember that a bromeliad is only meant to bloom once for its entire lifespan.
You can also extend your bloom time on your plant by placing it somewhere stable. The environment should be warm and bright, without putting the bromeliad in harsh temperatures. And much like with other plants, you need to keep your bromeliads well-watered but not overwatered.
Lastly, some maintenance practices will encourage blooming on your bromeliads. Remove the dead flowers to encourage the plant to bloom more. Some gardeners also remove all the pups from the plant after it finished blooming, so you have new plants after the parent plant dies.
How long do bromeliads live?
The fact that bromeliads live for as long as five years interest many gardeners. However, this still depends on the variety you get, their growing environment, and practices throughout the plant’s lifespan. Expect that bromeliads can live between two to five years, but you can always get the offshoots after flowering to create new plants.
How to take care of bromeliads to make them last?
Location
What’s excellent with bromeliads is that these plants will thrive well, even in containers. They don’t have an extensive root system, so even if they mature, you don’t have to transplant them to a new location. The ideal soil for bromeliads would be light but has good drainage and aeration, and the site itself should be somewhere warm but out of direct sunlight.
Watering and feeding
It’s crucial to maintain soil moisture when growing any plant. However, a common mistake that you must avoid is overwatering the plant, leading to root rot. Remember that bromeliads are tropical plants, so only water when the soil is dry.
A safe way to water bromeliads is by soaking the container and let it drain. Besides, don’t forget to adjust to your environment accordingly. If the conditions are drier than usual, then you should water often.
How to feed bromeliads? You can fertilize bromeliad with diluted products during the growing season. Otherwise, these plants are not heavy feeders.
Managing problems
With proper management and a stable environment, you shouldn’t face many problems when growing bromeliads. However, it’s best to know what pests they are prone to, which are mealybugs and scale. If you notice these bugs, don’t panic because you can quickly eradicate them early on.
You can use a rag with dishwashing soap to wipe off these pests and relocate the infected plants to prevent their spread. If you need to use a pesticide, you should always check the label if it is safe for the plant.
What Happens When A Bromeliad Dies?
While bromeliads bloom for quite some time, you should know that it is also the end of the plant’s life cycle once this finished. This also presents the opportunity to gather the pups that this article mentioned earlier. A bromeliad’s offshoots are termed as pups, and you can break them off and use them for quick propagation.
How To Grow Bromeliads From Pups
Once the parent plant is dead, and the offshoots themselves are about half the original plant’s size, you can start harvesting them. Use a sharp and sterile knife to cut them off and place them in a container that’s twice as big as the pup’s base. An ideal medium for propagating bromeliads from offshoots is a peat mix, but make sure that it is moist.
At this point, you don’t have to do other practices except watering once the medium gets dry. You can also place the container in the greenhouse to protect it from insects and harsh conditions. It’s also likely to start with rootless pups, and if this is the case, simply tie them to a branch until they develop roots.
Conclusion
Everyone wants a long-blooming and living plant, and bromeliads make an excellent consideration. If you’re curious about how long do bromeliads last, these plants can bloom for six months and live for five years. However, it’s worth noting that the end of flowering is also the end of bromeliads’ lifespan.
This presents an opportunity for you to propagate bromeliads from the pups that the parent plant has grown. Overall, bromeliads are, without a doubt, a worthy consideration for any garden. You should experience its extended blooming period and long lifespan, given that you maintain it properly in a stable environment like the greenhouse.