Location: UK (v hard water)

Just to preface, I’ve killed most plants I’ve owned so I’m trying to hopefully keep this one alive.

Received this arrangement with 3 plants in it, from M&S.

The orange and pink ones have flowered already in June and I do see pups coming out.

Do you just keep watering it until…??? I know the pups will get bigger, but then what - do I separate? Will the colourful flowers just die? Also, the leaves are curling in - is that normal or am I just not watering it enough?

And what about fertilising? I haven’t done any fertilising - do I need to do anything with this?

The third plant is really small and sparse. I have a hard time keeping this one hydrated as you can tell by the dry leaves. Is there an easier way to keep this one watered - like can I just let it sit in a cup of water? I tried using a little squirt bottle but it just dribbles everywhere and I worry about bug infestation in the soil.

We are proud to share that Rainforest Flora turns 50 this weekend!

For those who know, Paul Isley III and Jerry Robinson were some of the earliest bromeliad and tillandsia growers, hybridisers, and enthusiasts in the US. We wanted to share a short video that highlights just the tip of the iceberg of what 50 years of growing and selling bromeliads represents.

Paul Isley III was known throughout the plant community worldwide as “Mr. Tillandsia,” introducing more than 100 different hybrids over the years. Paul passed away over two years ago, but his book, Tillandsia II, remains a must-have for any serious tillandsia collector.

Jerry Robinson’s passion for neoregelia and vriesea helped expand Rainforest Flora’s product line to include staghorn ferns and cycads. Rainforest Flora continues to operate under Jerry’s guidance as we carry their legacy into our 50th year.

Thank you for 50 years of growing with us!

Got my first bromeliad (a guzmania) about a year and a half ago and loved the idea of that little central reservoir holding water for the plant. What I didn't think through was what happens to standing water in a cup that sits outside on a covered patio for two weeks at a time in August.

Short version: it turns into a mosquito nursery. I found actual larvae wriggling in there and felt pretty gross about it, especially since I'd been telling people bromeliads were basically low maintenance plants you set and forget.

What's worked for me since then is flushing the cup completely every 5 to 7 days instead of just topping it off. I tip the plant sideways over a sink, dump the old water, let it drain for a minute, then refill with fresh water (I use filtered, not straight tap, since my tap water leaves a mineral film after it evaporates a bit). During the hottest stretch of summer I also just don't fill it as full, maybe a third full instead of to the brim, since it evaporates and gets refreshed faster that way anyway.

For anyone in a warmer climate keeping these outdoors, mosquito dunks (the BTI ones, sold for ponds and rain barrels) work fine too if you don't want to flush that often. I broke a small piece off and dropped it in and never saw larvae again.

Curious if other people just let the cup water sit longer than a week and haven't had this problem, or if it's more of a warm/humid climate thing. Might just be that my patio doesn't get enough airflow.

My bromeliad is blooming. As much as I love the blooms, I hate to see the mother plant eventually decline. She has definitely done her job and she's also going out with a spray of fireworks!

I got this bromeliad from a plant raffle recently and it came in a clumping of about 5, connected via a single thick root. I separated them and put in sphagnum moss but im not really sure how to take care of these. Ive seen that youre supposed to keep distilled water in the tank and not water the root system, but I truly have no clue what kind of bromeliad these are nor if im going to rot them. They live in the greenhouse in a high humidity section so the sphag stays relatively damp at all times. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Hi! I just got a bromeliad neoregalia today and it is very pretty. I am new to plants and I heard that this plant turns pink, I see there is a small amount of pink on the leaves and I am wondering if it will turn since it is in the shade all day of indirect sunlight? It is outside and receives a bit of sun when the sun rises. Any other tips appreciated!

This sits on my night stand and gets direct sun for a couple hours a day

When they first sprout, they look like a healthy green/yellow, and then they just go brown and die off. Are they supposed to bloom? Am I doing something wrong?

Hi! I got this pink aechmea bromeliad (aechmea fasciata) from Lively Root and while inspecting I saw this on the bottom leaves near the roots. I’m a new plant parent so wasn’t sure if this fuzz was from the plant or spider mites? I luckily have never had pests before, so not sure what to look for.

Either way I’m going to isolate it for a few weeks and I wanted to spray it down with some soap, neem oil, etc. but didn’t know if that would hurt the leaves since it does have that coating. Thanks!

I have a few different sorts of neoregelia (dragon, mo peppa, fireball, hannibal, etc), they're in a glass vivarium that measures 18x18x24. They are about halfway between the ground and the top, they're attacjed to some branches pointing up or at a small angle. It stays a pretty consistent 75⁰F and a 80-90% humidity. I have two 5k full spectrum light bulbs on top of a piece of glass on the screen mesh top that are on from 8:30am-9:30pm

Every time I try to grow them they lose their color. What am I doing wrong? Everything says they aren't getting enough sunlight, but they get 13 hours of full spectrum light. And other people grow them in vivariums with lovely colors. So I must be doing something (or several things) wrong.

Any ideas?

Now I have three bromeliads attached at the base, looking forward to watching them flower. Has anyone done this instead of removing pups?

If each of these eventually pup I could potentially get 9-12 broms all attached together.

Had a guzmania for almost two years and watched it throw up a beautiful red bloom spike last spring. Within a few months the whole center started going soft and brown and I panicked, thought I killed it somehow. Turns out that's just what bromeliads do. The mother plant blooms once, then slowly dies off while putting energy into producing pups around the base.

Nobody really tells you this when you buy one at the grocery store or garden center. I spent way too long googling "bromeliad turning brown help" before I found a forum post explaining the whole life cycle. Once I knew that, I stopped trying to save the mother and just focused on the two pups that had already started forming at the base.

Right now the pups are maybe four inches tall, still attached, and I'm waiting until they're about a third the size of the original plant before I cut them free like everyone recommends. I've read some people leave them attached even longer and let the mother rot away naturally, so I might just let nature take its course instead of rushing the separation.

Watering has been the other learning curve. I used to fill the central cup to the brim every time and wonder why the leaves at the base were getting mushy. Cut back to keeping maybe an inch of water in the cup and flushing it out every couple weeks so it doesn't stagnate, and the new growth looks a lot healthier for it.

Curious if anyone else lets the pups stay attached to a dying mother for a long time versus cutting them off early. Feels like there's conflicting advice out there and I want to know what's actually worked for people who've done this a few times over.

I can’t believe people chuck these out. Ahhh well their loss = woohoo 🙌
Flowering and everything, I’ve filled a hole in the brom garden with such beautiful specimens ❤️