Bromeliads belong to an incredibly a diverse family of some 2,800 species.
IT was a Saturday morning during an outing to the farmers’ market at Hui Sing Shopping Centre’s carpark, when I was drawn to a red blooming Aechmea. Upon closer look, my memory went back some 20 years ago to a time when I did plant this variety, watch it grow and write about it.
The sight of this plant again brought me back to the initiative stage of the Flora World when many enthusiastic gardeners explored this charming flower.
Aechmea manilonia
It is a genus of flowering plants in the family of Bromeliaceae. The name comes from the Greek ‘aechmea’ meaning ‘spear’. The plant was distributed from Mexico through South America and the Caribbean. Most species in this genus are epiphytes. The simple leaves are basal, linear and sessile. The plant produces tubular flowers and berries. Aechmea bromeliads are popular house plants to grow, but one has to be careful as the green leaves have backward curving spines, like those on pineapples, which can cause cuts if handled carelessly.
The most significant feature is the pinkish long-lasting flowering bract, which rises above the plant like a spiky crown above the rosette of leaves.
Cultivation
All varieties prefer a half-shady environment on moist soil.
After the flower bract dies back, cut off at the base. New plantlets would emerge from the mother plant. The base should be removed for growth.
Growing tips
Aechmea are the uncomplicated bromeliads to grow. The most important thing is to keep the central part filled with clean water. It is best to plant it in a small shallow pot with good drainage without any water retention in the medium. The medium for growth should be of loose coco peat or leafy organic matters. Should the colour of the green leaves appear lighter than usual, it is necessary to expose it to more light, or put it on a brighter site.
However, the light source should be of moderate shade as it cannot be exposed to direct sunlight, though the plant may acclimatise to higher light level gradually.
It is very important to keep clean water in the central cup by changing the water to prevent bad odour and bacteria growth. The water can get dirty, as it may happen, when drops of fertiliser should land in the wrong site – if this continued, the plant could eventually die.
Liquid fertiliser is more ideal than solid pellets, to be applied sparingly during the growing season. Try not to allow the droplets to fall into the cup where all the leaves generate from.
Newly-planted bromeliads tend to fall over in the light and shallow medium, so stocking is needed to ensure that it sits in the medium properly.
General indoor, outdoor care
Bromeliads belong to an incredibly diverse family of some 2,800 species that would require various means of care. However, the majority of them do fall under the general guidelines on maintenance.
First, we must recognise that these are tropical native plants – the original habitat is humid and warm. Many are growing on shady forest floors or attached to trees as epiphytes, meaning that their nutritional demand is low when compared with other terrestrial plants.
For beginners, it is vital to understand these following steps in growing and maintaining these plants in the most optimal way.
- Provide bright light, but not direct exposure to the sun.
- Maintain good humidity.
- Have fresh air all around the plants.
- Have enough water for the plants, but not to the extent of the medium becoming soggy.
- Fertilise sparingly to maintain good health and growth.
- Let the leaf growth be compact, and initiate flowering.
- New sprouts generate new plants.
Another thing to remember: these plants do not like to have metal containers for growing or holding water.
Happy Gardening!