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Cacti & Succulents Bromeliads House Plants

Leaves of my bromeliad curling and turning brown

last year

last modified: last year

Hello, I have a problem with my biggest bromeliad. I water it almost only into the cup, just sometimes a little bit to the roots so they wont dry completely. I fertilize less than once in 2 months. Still, leaves of my bromeliad are curling and are their edges at the bottom are turning Brown. I have watered them by water for some time, but now I use predominantly Rain water, however the problems Last.Thank you for any insights.

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

last year

last modified: last year

If you are watering primarily in the cup, and supplying a dribble here and there to roots. All fertilizer salts are accumulating in the grow medium, which makes it continually more difficult for the plant to take up and move water efficiently. Eventually, as the level of dissolved solids/ salts in the grow medium continues to increase, water absorption will become impossible, or even act to pull water out of cells, reversing the normal process of osmosis and pulling water OUT of plant cells via the same mechanism curing salts 'pulls' water from the cells of meat destined to become bacon, jerky, ham, ..... . The technical name for what is occurring is 'plasmolysis', but more commonly it's known as fertilizer burn.

The fix: Flush the soil on a regular basis. The grow medium looks very dense, so you might need to use something that allows you to flush the soil regularly w/o the need for concern the medium will remain wet too long and cause root issues related to either function or health.

Al

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Comments (7)

T. H.
Original Author
last year
Here are the photos of the problem
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
last year
last modified: last year
You might want to edit your post to add the Cacti and Succulent forum as well as the House Plants forum as they are more active. Has it flowered and is it just the lower leaves?

tj
T. H. thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
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T. H.
Original Author
last year
Thank you.

It did not flower yet, it is about 1 year old. The problem is slowly worsening and affecting newer and newer leaves. But the centre is okay.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
last year
Is the soil as dry as it looks? If so, I would give it a good drenching.
Lars
last year
Bromeliads do best when they have lots of air circulation. I have all of mine outdoors all year, and many of them are planted in the ground. I have put some in pots with no soil, and they still thrive. I think it is because the roots (which are rather insignificant) get plenty of air.

I do not know where you are, but I have frost where I live, in coastal southern California. I'm in climate zone 10b-11a.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
last year
last modified: last year
I don't really see a problem with the pics shown, so far.

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