How to care for Guzmania plant
Posted by Joel Richardson on 02 May, 2007
[ Category: Advice ]
Bromeliads consist of a large family of plants. Bromeliad house plants feature exotic looking foliage with colors varying from marbled green, red-striped, greenish gray and more.
House Plant Care Guide – Guzmania – Bromeliad
On most varieties a flower stalk rises from the center of the plant. In general, Bromeliads prefer bright light so if possible place in east or west facing windows. Watering Bromeliads is different then most house plants. Instead of watering near the base of the plant, you need to water by filling the center of the stalk (rosette) with warm water.
Most Bromeliad varieties prefer to be potted in a loose, coarse soil mix. Their roots do not like to be sitting in water, so over watering will cause the plant foliage to drop. Allow for good drainage by placing 1 – 2 inches of pebbles in the bottom of your pot and use pots where drainage holes exist. Due to this house plants exotic nature, Bromeliads prefer warm temperatures, making it a popular choice as an indoor house plant.
Most varieties of Bromeliads will produce offsets. These offsets can be cut or dug up and re-potted. The offsets usually will root quickly and continue growing into full sized Bromeliads!
Comments:
Joel says:
Just leave it for now. If it starts looking a bit tired then think about re-potting it. Many house plants enjoy being root bound.
Regards
Friday, 21 September, 2007
sherry says:
my husband got me one of these flowers and the beautiful red has turned to sad brown… do i need to repot it? i moved it into better sunlight and it’s gotten more brown.. i love this flower and i dont want it to die!! what should i do??? other then give it to someone with a green thumb?
Thursday, 04 October, 2007
shanicka says:
I HAVE TWO OF THESE PLANTS. I LOVE THE COLER. BUT THE RED IS STARTING TO TURN ALL GREEN. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Friday, 19 October, 2007
Joel says:
Guzmania can really be potted on at any time. Just make sure that you use an all purpose houseplant potting compost and keep the plant moist, but not over wet.
Sunday, 21 October, 2007
Joel says:
Keep the Guzmania away from direct sunlight but still in a very light position. They require between 12 to 14 hours sunlight a day to have really successful flowering.
The smaller the pot the better the flowering of the plant.
Sunday, 21 October, 2007
Shira says:
Hi,
How can I tell when it’s time to water the plant? I love the plant, and don’t want to overwater it..
Friday, 26 October, 2007
Joel says:
Hi
I would suggest watering every 10 days. You should be able to tell by gently pressing the compost anyway, but aim to water at regular periods.
Joel
Sunday, 28 October, 2007
kelly says:
i have one of these plants and it has one growing off of it,how do i go about taking this off?
Tuesday, 15 January, 2008
Noddy says:
Hi there,
Simply try cutting it off at the point where it branches out. This way growth will be concentrated in the main plant.
Thanks,
Noddy
Thursday, 17 January, 2008
Vanisha says:
Hi, I bought this plant for my mum a few months ago, but it has started to dry out at the top, and we dont know what to do, any help would be very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Vanisha
Monday, 11 February, 2008
Krista says:
I have had one of these plants for about six months now, I keep it at a window, but over the holidays I was away and my roommate was not responsible enough to keep it watered. The flower has turned brown, and feels dead. Although, since I have been home and keeping it watered, new stalks and leaves are appearing. The leaves seem healthy. Is there hope for the main flower, and how should I help it? Thanks!
Thursday, 14 February, 2008
Sharlene says:
Hi I need some adviceI have an off shoot that I’ve allowed to grow! both plants are next to each other and thriving but now I want to separate them is it still possible and how should I do it?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Sharlene
Tuesday, 19 February, 2008
Sharlene says:
Me again my red flower in the centre has dyed :( and is not growing back do you have any tips?
Tuesday, 19 February, 2008
Raewyn says:
Hi there
I have a guzmania wth a flower stalk that has died off. Should I remove it or let it come off naturally. Also will it flower next season from the same centre.
Thanks Raewyn
Wednesday, 20 February, 2008
Sarah Tracey says:
Will this plant live for a long period of time? I got it for Valentines Day and I dont know much about plants. Will it last as long as I take care of it?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2008
William Byrne says:
i have a guzmania plant & our cat has chewed the green leaves & the pink central rosette. Can l remove the tattered leaves & partly torn rosette as it is looking decidedly torn & ragged?
Thank you
Bill
Wednesday, 05 March, 2008
Brian & Wendie says:
i have had my plant for four years, it flowered when i bought it. how do i get it to flower again? i’d appreciate the advise. it does have three off shoots. which i should transplant. thanking you.
brian
Saturday, 08 March, 2008
Joel says:
If the Guzmania hasn’t flowered for a long time my advice to you would be to just follow the tips as above, re plant the off shoots and just have show a bit of patience. Repotting into a larger pot will encourage new growth as will a general purpose house plant feed.
When watering please water down the centre of the leaves and flower spike. This gets the water to exactly where it is needed. You will only need to water one a fortnight really.
If all else fails buy a new one! They are very economical house plants to buy.
Friday, 14 March, 2008
Mike says:
This is to everyone who have the “Dying Flower” problem. Guzmanias (and other bromeliads) only bloom once in their lifetime. The only way to get a new flower is to pot the off-shoots, or “pups”, and wait for them to grow. They will bloom in about a year but can take up to 3… it jsut depends on conditions. The original plant will contine to produce new pups until it eventually dies, but will never again grow a new flower of its own.
Thursday, 27 March, 2008
Alan P Harrison says:
Is there anything specific I should do to remove ithe sprout when my guzmania has sprouted a little guzmania? How long should I let it grow before removing it? Thanks
Wednesday, 23 July, 2008
Christina Taylor says:
I have a Guzmania that was going strong for ages, but the centre flower has died. Do I cut this part off or just leave it? I am a novice at caring for plants, so this might sound daft, but how do i recognise the off-shoots or ‘pups’?
Many thnaks for any help or advise
Saturday, 01 November, 2008
Noddy says:
Sounds to me like you need to cut out the dead flower, keep the plant healthy and wait for the new shoots to appear. Patience is the key here!
Noddy
Wednesday, 05 November, 2008
Nickie says:
Thank you for the information. A friend gave me a Guzmania plant as give. It is very beauty; however, I want to know when to re pot the plant. I just don’t want to kill it.
Thank you,
Nickie
Thursday, 20 September, 2007