I have that one too, will scratch my brain for a name...

Thanks, Hetty!

I got a start of that one a couple of years ago, Sandi. I think my friend called it 'Matchstick'.

Mine are not in bloom right now, but the flowers look just like yours.

That's it! You're right! Thanks!

So, what's the trick to getting Broms to bloom?? I have several guz pups from the mother. They are about a year or two old from a gift a neighbor sent over. One is tiny 4" with few leaves, some very good size. They overwintered nicely on a sunny window sill. I am thinking of keeping them inside. But if I need them to go outside to bloom, so be it. What's the trick??

Cheryl, I have several varieties now in bloom. Bromeliads have their own blooming cycle(s) and I don't know that there is a "trick", but mine bloom every year and sometimes twice a year. In my opinion the most important thing is to always keep water in the "urn" of the plant. Too many people only water the potting soil, but the potting soil watering is not important. Whatever flows out of filling the urn will trickle into the potting soil. In nature, drowned insects, rain-water, organic matter, and perhaps bird droppings feed the plants via the urn. You might have to add water every week during the spring, summer, and fall and then every couple of weeks during the winter months. I also fertilize my plants every-other-watering, but this is not a rigid schedule. I mix the fertilizer at 1/2 strength, but since there will always be at least some water already in the urn, the dilution might be closer to 1/4 strength. Since I grow 100's of orchids, I will either use orchid fertilizer, something like 8-12-20 or an epiphyte fertilizer, 17-9-26. General purpose 20-20-20 perhaps would do as well, but since I have these specific epiphyte fertilizers on hand, I just use them.

Now here is where I do things a bit differently than most. When the last danger of frost has passed and the night-time temperatures stay above 50 F, all my bromeliads (and mature orchids) go outside, hanging or sitting under oak trees. All my plants are already outside and will remain out until October. By now all the oak trees are fully leafed out, providing shade from 10 AM until 4 PM. My plants will get a few hours of early morning sunshine and/or a few hours of late afternoon sunshine. Is this necessary? I don't really know but I think EVERY plant does better if it spends some time outside.

Ken in Mississippi

on the time outdise, Ken. The oak trees drop stuff all the time, and that augments the feeding you give them.

Mine are outside year 'round, on or in the ground, and a few in pots that get moved around when they are in bloom so I can show them off. I rarely fertilize them, except if I am walking by with a little orchid fert in the sprayer, they get a spritz. They all bloom on their own schedule, some once a year, some twice. But Cheryl, I did notice that it took 2 years for a bloom to come when starting from a 'pup' that had been separated from a mother clump.

I would definitely put them outside under a tree, and just make sure they're not getting watered too much. At this time of year, if the nights are cool that might stimulate them to bloom, too. Indoors, the temperature doesn't fluctuate enough to simulate seasons for them.

All good points, Elaine. Though I have an "orchid" greenhouse and a "all other tropical" greenhouse, when plants are in the greenhouses they get pretty much the same watering, misting, and fertilization treatment. When they are outside, since I still have to water and fertilize my orchids, the bromeliads get watered and fertilized as well. I don't know IF bromeliads can be over-watered though. The "urn" should always have water in it and the potting soil is always a well-draining mix. It is not unusual during the hot summer months for my outside tropical plants to get watered every day or two, and that could be July-September. They are all drenched with a hose - nothing fancy. I don't remember ever losing a bromeliad, unless the "mother" plant never put out pups. Of course the mother plant will always die after blooming. Ken

I managed to butcher a bunch of brommies by spraying fertilizer on/in them. I foliar feed with Miracle Grow every couple of months because so many of our plants are epiphytic or kept for foliage...and they respond SO well to this way of fertilizing (especially Ti). The Salts in the fert. did them in.

Okey dokey! I got it! When I get home, The Brom 6 will be finding a home outside. Because of the trees, I think I will sink the pots into the ground so they can be unearthed every winter. I was thinking of putting them in that very shaded spot surrounded by trees. But very little light makes it through to there... I'll play it by ear. I am hopeful we will get it bloom some pretty blooms and remind me of the neighbor who gifted the mother to me, who moved away.

Never fertilize Bromeliads.

Difference of opinion. My bromeliads could not be healthier and never fail to bloom.

Do Broms like to be pot-bound or need some leg room??

drdawg said:Difference of opinion.

Probably more difference of growing conditions.

Probably right, Hetty. Growing in sub-tropical or tropical climates can be vastly different than growing in temperate climates.

Cheryl, if the potted plant is top-heavy, move to a larger and/or heavier pot. As long as there is room for the pups to grow adjacent to the mother plant, pot space should not matter. Most bromeliads have very little root formation, generally only enough to anchor the plant. I have found that when mounted, particularly on a porous surface (old soft woods, natural cork, etc), my bromeliads actually grow a stronger root structure. That's probably because the roots are more important to support the plant. Ken

Great idea to sink the pots, Cheryl. That will keep them a bit cooler through your hot summer months and help retain moisture.

Ken, you're right of course. Through summer here it often rains every day so it's probably not too critical about overwatering. Except mine never bloom in summer, they always bloom in either spring or fall, or both. Dry months. So I'm thinking for Cheryl's that have not bloomed yet, easy on the water might be a good idea - not good if they were near a lawn sprinkler that soaked them. I also sprinkle used coffee grounds into the urns to keep mosquitoes out of there. But never get fertilizer pellets in the urns.

Hetty, I do fertilize my broms lightly and usually about this time of year, just before the summer growing season (the wet season). When I bought the last ones at Tropiflora, (the local brom experts), the pots had pellets of either Nutricote or Dynagro slow-release fert in them. I asked about it, and they said when they're growing in a greenhouse or other shelter where they don't get the natural 'fallout' from the trees, birds and bugs, they like a little bit of fert. Also at Selby where they have fabulous broms, they do give them a very light sprinkle of slow-release under the plant in summer. They spray the ones in the trees with very dilute orchid fert because there are orchids up in the trees right alongside. My orchid fert is 1/4 strength at most, also. (I ask a lot of questions when I catch one of their volunteers in the orchid house there . .. )

I love them growing on the trees. I am willing to give a try to one of mine on a tree. But often in the winter we have a freeze. Not for long, being in tropical Houston, but temps definitely can can drop down "there". Can they be easily removed from a tree to save from frost?

If you have a tall enough ladder, Cheryl!

I have never grown them in trees - sure death here in NE MS with our numerous freezes. I see no problem moving them from their tree perches though. Roots may have grown into the crevasses of the bark and you would have to tease them out. I mount a lot of my small orchid varieties on numerous types of wood (another experiment) and most are hanging in the limbs of my oak trees and will do so until fall. Of course, I simply move the mounted plants back into my orchid greenhouse to over-winter. Ken

Okaaay! We have a winner! I will mount them to some bark first, then tie it to the tree. We had a storm recently and I large tree bark all over the yard. It's a good thing I haven't had time to clean it up. That bark will come in handy for something very beautiful indeed. Thanks!

Bark makes a wonderful mount. I use oak, hickory, and sweet gum. All have nice texture, giving the roots places to grow into and more surface area, for water retention and then evaporation. Lots of other barks would make equally good mounting material.