How to Care for a Red Bromeliad

Plant your bromeliad in a medium-sized pot with a light, porous soil mix that drains quickly. If you're planting outdoors, mix the potting soil with the existing soil to a depth of one foot.

Place your plant in a south, east or west window for the best light exposure. Do not let the sun's rays hit the plant directly. If the leaves turn pale, move the bromeliad to a location with less light. If the leaves turn a much darker green, move the plant to a location with more light. Outdoors, place the plant where it will get plenty of light but never direct sunlight.

Keep indoor temperatures around 72 degrees during the day and around 62 degrees at night. Outdoors, the plants can tolerate temperatures over 100 degrees, but they will die with prolonged exposure to temperatures below 40 degrees.

Place a humidifier in the same room as the bromeliad if the indoor humidity is less than 40 percent, or place the pot on a 2 to 3-inch bed of gravel and keep the gravel moist. Alternatively, you can spray the plant several times a day with a fine mist. In regions where the plant survives year-round outdoors, humidity should not be an issue.

Ensure good air circulation indoors by opening a window when possible, or keep a fan turned to a low setting in the room.

Water the bromeliad thoroughly when the surface of the soil is completely dry, about once a week. Overwatering will cause the roots to rot.