How do you grow Bromeliads?

I may not know much about growing plants, nor do I know about how to grow Bromeliads, but I did some research about how to grow these plants. They are considered very strange yet beautiful as stated by Jon VanZile from his article "Growing Successful Bromeliads". He explains many tips of how to take care and grow these Bromeliads. He first illustrates that the plant would prefer well-lit, bright Windowsills, but not direct sunlight (VanZile). VanZile, explains that a planter must pay attention to the lighting, temperature, water, soil, and fertilizer that they use to plant these Bromeliads. He explains that Bromeliads cannot be directly in contact with the sunlight, instead they prefer temperature in between 50 degree Fahrenheit to 80 degree Fahrenheit. VanZile states "Bromeliads are very tolerant of drought conditions. In a normal house, it's not necessary to keep the central cup filled with water, but this is an option if the light levels, temperature and humidity are high enough. If you do centrally water your bromeliad, make sure to flush the central cup every so often to remove any built-up salts. In general, however, it's enough to water these plants through the soil weekly during the growing season and reduce watering during the winter rest period. Never let the plant rest in standing water." He shows that Bromeliads are able to withstand drought conditions, but they should not be sitting in water. He soon demonstrates that Bromeliads can grow in a fast drain potting soil. In addition, they need to be water every so often throughout the years. Lastly, VanZile writes "Bromeliads are not heavy feeders. During the growing season, use a liquid fertilizer at 1/2 or 1/4 strength. If you use a slow-release pellet fertilizer and water the central cup, a single pellet dropped into the cup will suffice for a season. Slow-release pellets can also be mixed into the soil compost." He explains that Bromeliads do not need much fertilizer, so instead, using just a liquid fertilizer of about a half to a fourth strength will help the plant for a season. Even though I may not know much about Bromeliads, I hope this will help many planters about how to grow them. For more understanding of these Bromeliads, visit VanZile's article at this website http://houseplants.about.com/od/bromeliads/a/Bromeliads.htm.

Source:

VanZile, Jon. "Growing Successful Bromeliads." About.com. 2010. 10 March 2010 <http://houseplants.about.com/od/bromeliads/a/Bromeliads.htm>.