How much water (how often) does a potted bromeliad need?
Same question for a potted dwarf date palm?
Thanks Michelle
How much water (how often) does a potted bromeliad need?
Same question for a potted dwarf date palm?
Thanks Michelle
The answer isn't the same.
Bromeliads that have a water reservoir in the center should always have it filled with water and the whole plant misted every few days. Those that don't have the water reservoir also should be misted every few days. Most use the soil, if any soil at all, for support not nutrition and that should be moist not wet.
Do a google search for bromeliads for more info.
Palms should have their soil moist but not wet.
Do a google search for palms for more info.
Most in the Phoenix family prefer to have evenly moist, on the low side. Always better to err on the side of to dry.
Phoenix is a palm genus. The palm family is Arecaceae. Some still like to hold on to the past by using the obsolete family name Palmae.
Bromeliads are in the family Bromeliaceae.
Thanks for you usual due diligence in correcting the errors in my description.
Fact remains most in the genus Phoenix prefer growing conditions moist an on the drier side....
Change the water?! What, turn the plant upside down? I never changed the water in mine, nor did I notice it becoming "scummy." I just topped it up when it got shallow. In fact, (help me here, Cereoid) I thought decaying insect and leaf bits provided nourishment for the plant in the wild. I used to take small bromeliads out of their pots and let them "vacation" in the hollows of big crape myrtle. Unless it was *very* dry, I didn't even need to water them all summer.
Never disputed that, said so even in my original reply you felt the need to second guess.
I keep my bromeliad on the dry side in a south window. It grows very slowly. It bloomed once (a large pink spiked bloom). The the mother plant died and I potted up the pups. I keep the center filled with water, that's it. One of those plants that thrives on neglect, I guess.
A heads up for David,
If the water reservoir is getting scummy, you are doing something seriously wrong. If you are just second guessing nature, that's your problem and you need to deal with that on your own. The plants have been doing well all by themselves for millions of years before you had the notion to play god. It is best to leave the water reservoir alone because it is a normal function of the plant and important to its proper growth and survival.
Just a minor but important piece of additional information you left out.
We mist everyday and remember to change the water in the reservoir or it can get scummy.
An interesting discussion. Has it been determined wheather these plants are inside or outside? Or did I just miss that part?
zhan
It appears that the relevent question was asked by "Michelle" on 11/10 regarding the water requirements for a potted bromeliad and dwarf date palm. I assumed this was in reference to indoor plants, and perhaps muddied the water(!) by mentioning my own plants summer vacation outdoors.
Worked in a greenhouse with Bromeliads for about a year. The owner always had us change the water in the reservoir.
These plants grow wild outside. Inside makes it a different story. Some places are very humid and the water does need to be changed because the plant might not use it all within a normal amount of time. Remember these are native to a place that is hot and the water in is used more quickly.
What a complete waste of time and effort that was!! (At least you were getting paid to do it, eh?)
In a greenhouse or outdoors, you could simply flush out the water reservoirs by watering them until they overflowed!!!
Would be better to rotate the types with water reservoirs and replacing them with fresh plants every couple of weeks.
In any case, would not recommend using the types with a water reservoir as indoor landscaping plants because they are too much work to maintain properly. That is way you typically see the Tillandsioid types without water reservoirs such as Guzmania and Vriesea cultivars (especially in flower) more commonly used as decoration instead in malls and other indoor plantscapings.
Not when the plants are being used in a business. Paid to weekly maintain these. Can't let them overflow there. But the ones in the greenhouse you are right about.
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