Bromeliad Leaves Curling? (8 Problems and Solutions)

Why Are My Bromeliad Leaves Curling

Bromeliad plants are some of the most popular houseplants out there. They are easy to care for but can be a little particular about their soil quality and watering.

The beautiful green leaves and bright flower of a mature Bromeliad can brighten up any room, which makes them incredibly popular house plants.

The real trick to caring for a Bromeliad is making sure the soil conditions are just right, and not letting accidental problems with fertilizers or water quality stress the plant.

If you can manage to keep this plant healthy and happy then a bromeliad will reward you with rich green leaves and a flower that’s vibrant and beautiful. You might even get to enjoy several different flower colors if you’re growing multiple bromeliads at once!

So lets cover the most common issue with Bromeliads which are curling leaves. Curling leaves are an early indicator of stress on a Bromeliad, which is the plant’s way of telling you that something needs to be improved.

Here are common reasons that cause a Bromeliad’s leaves curl:

  • Overwatering
  • Low quality potting soil
  • Watering with tap water
  • Dry air
  • Over fertilization
  • Temperature stress
  • Pests
  • End of natural life

Unless the bromeliad has reached the end of its natural life, you can fix curling leaves on a bromeliad by placing the bromeliad in a relatively humid room with indirect sunlight. Allow the soil to completely dry before watering and avoid over-fertilizing or using fertilizer and water with any copper.

Before we provide a quick care guide on the bromeliad, let’s cover the most common issues and their solutions.

Here are the 8 most common reasons bromeliad leaves curl, and how you can prevent it.

1. Overwatering Causes Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Bromeliads might be a tropical plant, but that doesn’t mean that they like wet soil.

Bromeliad plants grow in soil that’s well-drained and have adapted to absorb most of their water from the air instead of the soil.

That means that the roots of your Bromeliad are more there to keep the plant anchored and safe. If the soil is too wet for too long then the bromeliad leaves will start to curl and the roots might start developing root rot.

Instead of overwatering, let the soil dry completely between watering and supplement your plant’s water by gently spraying the leaves.

When To Water The Parlour Palm

Follow these steps in order to determine when to water a Bromeliad:

  1. Insert your index finger into the soil 1 to 2 inches deep
  2. Feel for moisture
  3. Water if the soil is dry
  4. Do not water if the soil is wet or moist

The best part of this method is you will notice that the soil dries out faster in summer than it does in winter. So this will change the watering frequency based on the Bromeliad’s water needs.

Keep in mind that in winter, this plant goes dormant. This means the Bromeliad rests during the winter where all physiological processes are slowed down and reduced, so the plant will need less water.

2. Low Quality Potting Soil Causes Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Bromeliad plants might be easy to care for, but they are very particular about their soil.

It’s critical to only use bromeliad-specific potting soil, or you might struggle to keep your bromeliad’s leaves from curling.

Orchid soil is a good alternative if your local nursery doesn’t have soil specific for bromeliads. In a pinch, you can mix bark, sphagnum moss, and even some sand into regular potting soil to keep it loose and well-drained.

Having well-draining soil that doesn’t retain a lot of moisture is critical since bromeliad roots are particularly vulnerable to fungi and other diseases.

3. Watering With Tap Water Makes Bromeliad Leaves Curl

Tap water can often be contaminated with other minerals and metals that won’t benefit your bromeliad and can even stress the plant.

Copper, in particular, is a problem and is commonly found in some fungicides and treated-wood planters, which means these things should also be avoided.

Like many tropical plants, bromeliads need a relatively pH neutral and contaminant-free source of water to thrive.

The easiest way to keep your bromeliad healthy, even if you have to use unfiltered tap water, is to let the water sit in a container for 24 hours before watering.

Distilled or filtered water, or plain rainwater, are better options.

4. Overly Dry Air Makes Bromeliad Leaves Curl

Since bromeliad plants have specially evolved scales on their leaves, they need relatively high humidity to thrive.

Bromeliads are a plant that have evolved to get most of its air and even some of its nutrients from the ambient air around it.

If you can’t place your bromeliad somewhere that’s naturally humid then you can increase the humidity for the plant by misting the leaves 2-3 times per week, using a pebble tray, or even a humidifier.

Keeping the bromeliad in a higher humidity environment will keep the plant well-hydrated and healthy, which prevents its leaves from curling.

Simple DIY Humidifier: Pebble Tray

Pebble trays are a simple and effective solution to providing more humidity to plants. A pebble tray is exactly what it sounds like – a tray full of pebbles.

Most house plants, including Bromeliads, are tropical plants that can grow better in a humid environment.

Pebble Tray humidifier

In order to make a pebble tray:

  1. Select a shallow tray that is larger than the base of the plant’s pot
  2. Fill the tray with a single layer of pebbles
  3. Add water so it rises to about halfway up the rocks

That’s it! You have now created a simple but effective pebble tray for increasing humidity.

Next just place your plant on top of the pebbles and add water to your tray if it ever dries out.

Humidifier: Easy Way To Increase Room’s Humidity

One simple solution is to periodically mist your indoor houseplants to increase the humidity. However, this is manual and, personally, I’m too lazy to continually spray my plants every so often.

An easier solution is to place a humidifier in the room with all of your tropical plants. A humidifier will allow you to adjust the settings to provide the right amount of humidity year round.

Humidifier For Indoor Plants

I use this humidifier in my room and the water reservoir lasts for about 2 days before needing to be refilled. I highly recommend it for a low maintenance way of keeping the room humid for your houseplants.

5. Over Fertilization Causes Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Like most plants, bromeliads can benefit from a small amount of fertilizer from time to time.

However, as a tropical plant that mostly relies on its roots as a good anchor in the soil, bromeliads tend to need less fertilization than other plants.

Bromeliads are also particularly vulnerable to over-fertilization thanks to those shallow roots.

You should provide a small amount of consistent nutrients to your bromeliad by giving it a small amount of surface nutrients every 4 weeks during the growing season. Orchid fertilizer is a good option for bromeliad plants.

Keep in mind, under fertilizing this plant is better than over fertilizing this plant. It is much easier to provide more nutrients than it is to try to remove too many nutrients in the growing medium or soil.

6. Temperature Stress Causes Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Bromeliads do not do well in the extreme cold (anywhere near freezing counts) or with abrupt temperature changes.

If you live somewhere where your outdoor temperature varies by more than 15°F to 20°F from nighttime to daytime then it’s important to keep your bromeliad somewhere it’s protected from those drastic temperature changes.

If your bromeliad is in the window and its leaves start to curl then you likely have one of two problems.

The most common problem is that the light is too intense. However, if your window doesn’t let too much light in, and the leaves are still curling then the temperature may be causing the leaves to curl.

7. Pests That Cause Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Pests are an issue for almost any plant, and curling leaves are a common first sign that you have a pest problem.

Here are the most common pests that target bromeliads:

  • Aphids: Aphids tend to live on the underside of your plant and sap its energy by stealing moisture and nutrients from the plant.
  • Thrips: Thrips are usually hard to spot unless you shake the plant over a piece of white paper when the small bugs will become visible. They do cause deformed leaves and other more obvious signs of damage to the plant.
  • Scale: Scale infestations look like your plant has developed small scales on its leaves and stem. They can be removed with insecticidal soaps, alcohol, or other control methods, but will quickly repopulate the plant if you don’t remove all of them.
  • Weevils: Weevils are most common for outdoor bromeliads and less common for indoor plants. Weevils cause significant, rapid, damage to your plant. The best solution for weevils is to remove and destroy the affected plant as quickly as possible before the weevils can spread.

Treatment Options For Pests

Commercial and homemade insecticides can be used to treat almost all of these pests.

However, because bromeliads rely on their leaves to get most of their water and nutrients, along with normal plant respiration, you’ll need to wash off any insecticide to let the plant breathe.

8. End Of Natural Life Causes Bromeliad Leaves To Curl

Unfortunately, bromeliad plants only live for an average of 2-3 years. Bromeliads also only flower once during its lifespan.

If your bromeliad is a couple of years old, has already flowered, and you notice that the leaves are curling then it’s likely reached the end of its natural life.

Look for small pups or baby bromeliads around the base of the plant since you’ll be able to plant those to grow a new bromeliad.

Bromeliad Care Guide

Taking care of a bromeliad is fun and rewarding thanks to its beautiful leaves and flowers.

Here’s what you need to know to take care of your Bromeliad.

Proper Watering for Bromeliad

Bromeliad plants usually only need to be watered 1 to 2 times per week.

Bromeliads can withstand dry conditions better than they can withstand overly wet conditions.

Make sure you’re using filtered water, distilled water, or rainwater to help keep your bromeliad in top condition.

Indirect Lighting is Best

Like most tropical houseplants, bromeliads prefer to receive bright indirect light or filtered light.

So place bromeliads next to windows, near skylights, or near a grow light, but never directly in the path of the light.

Dark green leaves that don’t curl at the ends are a good sign that you’ve got the right lighting.

If you do not have any areas that provide bright indirect sunlight then you can provide filtered light by using a sheer curtain.

Hang A Sheer Curtain To Turn Direct Sunlight Into Bright Indirect Light

If the direct sunlight is too intense or is harming the Bromeliad then you can hang a sheer curtain to dim the sunlight’s intensity. Sheer curtains are transparent curtains that allow in a fair amount of light while blocking direct sunlight.

Sheer curtains for indoor house plants

Most indoor houseplants thrive in indirect sunlight so this is a great option if you want to place other types of plants near the sunny south facing window.

Not to mention sheer curtains add a bit of privacy. Sheer curtains can be found on amazon in all colors and sizes.

Soil and Fertilizing

Bromeliads like loose well-draining soil, such as orchid potting mix.

Bromeliad-specific potting mix is the best option, but you can also use other things like bark to loosen the soil and provide better drainage.

Organic additions are helpful since they also provide some nutrients to the soil.

Pups and Baby Bromeliads

As your bromeliad heads toward the end of its life, it will produce some small pups or baby plants at the bottom of the plant.

If you have additional bromeliad-appropriate pots for your pups, you can plant several new bromeliads for each adult plant producing new pups.

Use well draining soil and provide high quality water with bright indirect sunlight for the bromeliad pups to grow into beautiful adult plants.

Additional Tips:

  1. Misting or setting up a humidifier will help keep your bromeliad much healthier.
  2. Bromeliads tend to prefer slightly shallower pots. If the pot is too deep it might not drain as well and can attract pests and fungi.
  3. Airflow is also important for bromeliad plants. Consider keeping an overhead fan or placing your plant somewhere with more foot traffic to help move the air around it.

Final Thoughts on Preventing Bromeliad Leaves Curling

Bromeliad plants are a real joy to keep, and they are a great entry plant before diving into orchids and other more care-intensive plants.

Bromeliads are fairly hardy but need specific growing conditions to thrive.

Like many tropical plants, bromeliad leaves curling is one of the first signs of a wide range of possible stressors. If you notice a problem, likely lighting or watering are to blame.

However, it’s important to do a thorough check to make sure your plant isn’t suffering from more serious problems.

As long as you follow the tips in this guide you should be able to keep several generations of happy bromeliads!

Steven

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