How To Grow And Care For Guzmania Plant

Guzmania plant leaves are long banded, light green, slightly red on the back, thin and bright. The spike of Guzmania plant is higher than the leaf cluster, and the flower stems, bracts and several leaves of the base fruit vine are bright red. This guide can help you learn more about caring for Guzmania plant.

Guzmania Plant Quick Info

Botanical/Scientific Name	Guzmania
Common Name	Tufted Airplant
When to Grow/Bloom/Harvest	Bloom in 6 to 10 weeks
Uses	Improved Air Quality
Origin	The north-west of South America and the Caribbean
Light Care	Low light
Soil Care	Potting mix moist
Temperature Care	At least 55 F. (13 C.) or higher
Humidity Care	At least 50% relative humidity
Watering	Water once a week
Pruning Care	Cut the bloom stalk
Fertilizer Care	Liquid leaf plant fertilizer
Propagation	Division/Cuttings
Toxic	Non-toxic for cats and dogs
Flower Color	Brilliant pink or red flower

When does Guzmania Plant Bloom & Harvest

There is no fixed season for the flowering of Guzmania plant, which is generally related to growth time and maintenance. As long as the growth time is more than 8 months, Guzmania plant is strong enough (including more than 20 dead old leaves). The flowering period is mainly in late spring and early summer. In order to make the ornamental Guzmania plant bloom as soon as possible, most of them will be artificially stimulated. When some festivals are coming, people will artificially stimulate the flowers in order to enable people to see the colorful Guzmania plant at the festival.

Guzmania Plant Care in Detail

Guzmania Plant Watering

In general, we need to water Guzmania plant once a week. In summer, the temperature is high and the water evaporates quickly. We need to water it once a day in the morning and evening. In winter, the temperature is low, so we can water it once a month. When we water Guzmania plant, we should ensure that the surface of Guzmania plant basin soil is slightly dry, that is, when the soil surface is 1 ~ 2cm dry, we can water it for the second time. We can't be too wet, which is easy to rot the roots.

Guzmania Plant Soil

We also need to provide loose soil for Guzmania plant. Rotten leaf soil, pastoral soil and river sand can be prepared in the ratio of 3:1:1, or the mixed soil of peat soil and perlite prepared in the same ratio can be selected for planting, so as to make Guzmania plant grow better.

Guzmania Plant Light

Guzmania plant needs to grow in a warm environment. We should keep its growth temperature at about 15 ~ 20 ℃ to avoid temperature discomfort affecting the growth of Guzmania plant. We should also do a good job in semi shade maintenance. We can take full-time photos in winter, but we should pay attention to shade in spring, summer and autumn to avoid sunburn.

Guzmania Plant Temperature

Guzmania plant likes temperature and shade, and has high requirements for temperature. Generally speaking, the temperature of pineapple growth during the day is 22-28 degrees, and it should be maintained at about 20 degrees at night. In autumn and winter, the temperature should also be maintained above 10 degrees, and it is very easy to be frostbitten if it is lower than 10 degrees.

Guzmania Plant Humidity

The blades of Guzmania plant are generally wide, thin and soft, requiring high air relative humidity, generally 55% ~ 75%. We can't let Guzmania plant dry up for a long time. At the same time, we should spray some foggy water on the leaves of Guzmania plant with a watering can. At the same time, there should be a certain humidity in the air to ensure the water demand of Guzmania plant during its growth.

Guzmania Plant Fertilizer

Guzmania plant has underdeveloped roots and no taproot, so it is not recommended to add too much fertilizer in the basin, which is the main reason why the leaves are withered and yellow and the roots are rotten. It is recommended to plant in small pots, let the roots of Guzmania plant contact the air, and add some pastoral soil or peat in half to the soil, the effect will be better.

Guzmania Plant Pruning

After Guzmania plant blooms and withers, we need to cut the withered flower stems from the plant and apply carbendazim or plant ash powder on the wound to prevent the plant from rotting down from the cut. When pruning Guzmania plant, if we find dry and weak leaves, we should also prune them properly and apply fertilizer appropriately to promote the renewal and rejuvenation of Guzmania plant and rapid recovery of growth.

Guzmania Plant Repotting

When changing pots, we should take out all the roots and soil from the original pot of Guzmania plant mother plant, pay attention to protect the integrity of roots and try not to scatter the roots. Then take out the new basin and put the newly prepared nutrient soil under the new basin. We can put the divided Guzmania plant in the center and gradually add soil around. After planting, put the basin soil in a ventilated and cool place for maintenance.
During the maintenance of Guzmania plant after transplanting, we should keep the soil moisture sufficient, but pay attention to avoid ponding. If there is, the ponding should be discharged in time.

Guzmania Plant Pest & Disease Control

• Black mold

Black mold will cause small black spots on the leaves of Guzmania plant. If left unattended for a long time, black mold will continue to spread rapidly to every branch and leaf of Guzmania plant, affect the photosynthesis of Guzmania plant, cause poor growth, and then gradually wither, resulting in the death of the whole plant.

• Prevention methods

If we find that there is black mold in Guzmania plant, we need to strengthen ventilation, move it to a place with sufficient sunlight, increase the amount of watering, cut off all the diseased branches to prevent it from spreading to other branches and leaves, spray 500 times of 50% succinic acid copper wettable powder or 800 times of 60% fangmeibao ultra micro wettable powder for control, spray it every 5 days, and spray it three times in a row to relieve the crisis.

• Scale insects

Scale insects are common pests in Guzmania plant. They will have a great impact on Guzmania plant. They will attach to the leaves and flower buds of Guzmania plant, absorb the juice in the leaves and promote the deformation of the leaves. They will not only affect the beauty, but also may not produce beautiful flowers. They will cause black mold for a long time, which will seriously and directly cause the death of Guzmania plant.

• Prevention methods

If we find an appropriate amount of scale insects on Guzmania plant, we can deal with them manually. If we find a large number of scale insects, we can spray 1500 times of 50% malathion, 1000 times of 255 iminophos, or 1000 times of 40% Omethoate for control. We can spray it every other week and spray it three times continuously.

Guzmania Plant Propagation

Guzmania Plant Propagation from Cutting

After the failure of Guzmania plant, we should cut off the pedicel in time, then add nutrient solution and continue normal cultivation. When the Guzmania plant seedlings have 4 to 5 leaves and several roots, they can be vertically cut from the mother plant to the seedlings with a knife for Guzmania plant propagation from cutting, and can be planted separately in a special culture medium. The mother plant can be used to continue to cultivate seedlings until they wither.

Guzmania Plant Propagation from Division

In Guzmania plant propagation from division, if you don't want to move the mother plant and are not ready to change the soil and basin of the original basin, you should first remove part of the soil at the connection between the mother plant and the side plant by hand until the foundation of the two Guzmania plant plants is exposed. Then, you find the connection point between the two strains, use a sterilized thin knife to cut and separate the two strains and complete the separation.
Later, if you planted it with loose sandy soil, you can gently pull out the side seedlings of Guzmania plant. This kind of soil is more convenient to operate, but if the soil is hard and sticky, you need to use a branch or chopsticks to assist, loosen the soil around the roots of Guzmania plant and gently pull it out.
The key point of the operation is not to use too much force, especially do not break the root of the lateral plant. If the new seedlings do not have roots, although there is a certain survival rate, the survival rate should be greatly reduced.
If the flowering plants need to be divided, all the aboveground parts of the original flowering plants on the Guzmania plant mother plant should be cut off except the new buds, but the roots should not be moved. When the leaves of the new buds of Guzmania plant turn outward, they can be transplanted. When dividing, the old roots should be brought as much as possible, so that the survival rate after dividing will be higher.

Guzmania Plant Propagation from Seed

Guzmania plant propagation from seed is one of the most commonly used breeding methods, that is, a way of breeding by sowing Guzmania plant seeds. When planting Guzmania plant, we can choose the soil mixed with river sand, perlite and peat soil as the matrix. If you want a high survival rate of sowing, it is best to disinfect the soil.
When conducting Guzmania plant propagation from seed, we should adopt the method of picking and sowing immediately. Because the seeds of Guzmania plant are very small, they will lose vitality soon after they leave the mother, so they should be sown immediately. The best sowing temperature is 25-30 ℃, the seedlings can emerge about 4 weeks after sowing, and the flowering Guzmania plant can grow in about 3 to 4 years.

Guzmania Plant Benefits

Guzmania plant can purify the air and beautify the environment. It can breathe at night, absorb carbon dioxide in the air, release a large amount of oxygen, purify indoor air and create a comfortable living environment for people. Guzmania plant is also an edible flower. After harvesting, its fresh flowers can be dried and used to soak in water. It can also be made into various pastries. Guzmania plant is non-toxic and contains a variety of nutrients beneficial to the human body. It can supplement the human body with some natural enzymes. After eating, it can improve the body's immunity.