my bromeliad is dying!

19 years ago

I am not experienced with this sort of plant and this is my first one. I have had it for nearly a year and the past month the very topmost red leaves are dying from the bottom up. nearly the whole top 3rd of the red part is now dried up and died. It gets indirect light all day and gets water in the base and a little in the soil every 3 days and fertilizer in the soil once a month. can someone explain why its doing this and if it can be saved? Thanks!

Comments (4)

madabouteu
19 years ago
It sounds as though your plant has bloomed, and now is doing what comes naturally - dying. There should be offsets coming from around the base, probably just within the bases of the outermost leaves. Your culture sounds OK, except that bromeliads need very little or no fertilizer. Too much fertilizer can hurt the plant.

If there are no offsets, don't let this discourage you. Most broms are very easy to keep - please try again! Try to find Aechmea fasciata or Neoregelia carolinae - they are very commonly offered for sale in all sorts of outlets and are very tough. Vrieseas are also often offered, and are almost as tough but do want indirect light (no full sun) and humidity. Guzmanias are also often seen for sale, but I do not recommend them for beginners.

Kenneth Quinn
amayon
Original Author
19 years ago
Are you serious? Every bromeliad I get then, will bloom and then die? none will actually keep living? Maybe im just not understanding you right LOL. I got mine from a grocery store, probably not the best place, and since then I have been looking at nurseries around here for more, but none have any. Where could I get more? I just love the one I have, its beautiful! (or at least, it WAS)

Thanks for the help!
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daveandlaura
19 years ago
Most bromes that you get especially at the grocery store are so pretty because they are in bloom. A bromeliad's goal in life is to bloom; after that, death follows.

Bromes multiply sexually (flower pollenation) and asexually. At some point, sometimes before flowering and sometimes after, it should put out offsets (also called pups) around the base.

I'm not an expert, but had a good teacher start me off (thanks madabouteu!)

Dave
jilliterate
14 years ago
Help!!
My neoregelia (variegated carolinae, I think)started dying when I got it home as well. The only difference is that it started before it bloomed and sprouted any new shoots. The leaves are all turning yellow and the cups went from red this grey color. I water it about once a week and put a little fresh water in the cup. It stays out of direct light and gets humidity. I think there may be two plants in the same pot, but I got it from a biology department's greenhouse at the university where I work and don't think that would be a problem.