The Gardeners Almanac

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My Back Garden

Vriesea

Common name: Flaming Sword

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Week Numbers

Bromeliads

Compost

Division

Heating

House Plants

Leafmould

Watering

View of variegated leafed plant displaying a red swordlike flower

Overview:

This Bromeliad makes an interesting house plant.

There are over two hundred species of them and they come in a variety of leaf and flower colours.


Subject to variety they can grow from 150mm (6”) high to 1500mm (5ft) high.

The sword-shaped flowering stem appears in late summer.


Cultivation:

Week 12:

Re-pot every two or three years.

Propagate by removing any rooted offshoots, which appear either between the leaves or at the base of the plant, when they are half the size of the parent plants.

Leave the offshoots to dry for a few days, before potting up firmly in the same soil mixture as advised for full-grown plants.


Week 15:

Plant up into 125-150mm (5"-6") pots containing a compost of equal parts (by volume) sand and leaf-mould.

Place in a humid shady position, and maintain a temperature of 18°- 21°C (65°-70°F)

Water established plant/s freely from April to September, and sparingly for the rest of the year.