Guzmania passion plant problems - Please help

 


Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum and new to gardening and taking care of plants in
general
really.

My mother (God rest her) used to take care of a spider plants and stuff
when I
was a kid but we haven't had any plants in the house since.

We recently got a Guzmania Passion Plant.  Here's a pic I found on
google which
looks like the one we have:
http://www.valleidice.it/Guzmania.jpg

Anyway, I've been trying to look after it but it doesn't seem to be very
healthy
and I'm really sad about this :(  I don't want it to die.

I did some reading on the net when we first got it and found some advice
that
said things like:

- Keep it in filtered sunlight (not direct sunlight)
- Always have water in the cup

And there was some also some conflicting advice from different websites
about
fertalizer and stuff.  We eventually got some tomato fertilizer
(on the advice
of a guy in a garde centre) and diluted as instructed on
the bottle and I've
been putting it at the roots every two weeks.  There
was also some
recommendation on using slow-release fertilizers during
the winter months but
I've found it hard to find these.

The bottom of the leaves went a bit dry and brown.  I decided to move it
to a
place closer to the window so that it gets more sun.

I think it seems a bit healthier now.  I can take some pictures if
needed.


Please help me look after it.  I don't want to let it die.




--
the_new_mr

 
Sorry to bump.

But I'm really desperate :(




--
the_new_mr

 wrote:

Which Web sites did you visit?  I just did a quick search under
keywords "Guzmania passion plant" and found many sites.

Maybe try again and visit more sites.

Meantime, I hope someone on this NG who has grown the plant will
answer you.

Persphone

 

Bump works better if you include the original post or pertinent
information:
-----
We recently got a Guzmania Passion Plant.  Here's a pic I found on
google which looks like the one we have:
http://www.valleidice.it/Guzmania.jpg

Anyway, I've been trying to look after it but it doesn't seem to be very
healthy and I'm really sad about this :(  I don't want it to die.

I did some reading on the net when we first got it and found some advice
that said things like:

- Keep it in filtered sunlight (not direct sunlight)
- Always have water in the cup

And there was some also some conflicting advice from different websites
about fertalizer and stuff.  We eventually got some tomato fertilizer
(on the advice of a guy in a garde centre) and diluted as instructed on
the bottle and I've been putting it at the roots every two weeks.  There
was also some recommendation on using slow-release fertilizers during
the winter months but I've found it hard to find these.

The bottom of the leaves went a bit dry and brown.  I decided to move it
to a place closer to the window so that it gets more sun.

I think it seems a bit healthier now.  I can take some pictures if
needed.
-----

These plants and Bromeliads in general require very little fertilizer.  
I think you have probably toxified the soil with the tomato fertilizer.  
I would repot the plant with and fertilize maybe a couple of times a
year with a more dilute solution.

http://www.plantsindesign.com/care_tips.htm

At the very least, flush the soil it is in now with plain water (at
least 5 times the volume of the pot) to leach out excess minerals, and
don't fertilize for a few months.

Also, they like pretty high humidity, so frequently mist the plant.

 In article


Oops, that should read ... repot the plant with *a lean potting mix such
as those recommended in the following article* and ...


Best of luck to you.