How to Grow Aechmea Fasciata

Aechmea fasciata, also known as silver vase bromeliad, is a perennial plant that has glossy, deep green leaves and spiky, pink or salmon blooms, with a blue center. Each plant has a cuplike structure in its center that is used to catch moisture. Aechmea fasciata is indigenous to Brazil and hardy only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10B to 11. In cooler areas, you can grow them as houseplants and move outdoors only during summer. They do best in partial shade and moist, but not wet, soil.

4- to 6-inch growing container
Potting soil
Peat moss
Water-soluble houseplant fertilizer
Clear plastic bag
Ripe apple
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a 4- to 6-inch-wide growing container with equal parts potting soil and peat moss.
- 2
  Plant Aechmea fasciata with its roots at the level they were originally growing.
- 3
  Fill the cup in the plant's center with water and add just enough water to the potting mix to barely moisten it.
- 4
  Situate the growing container in a partially sunny spot protected from excessive heat or cold.
- 5
  Add water to the plant's cup as necessary to keep it full.
- 6
  Feed once each month by applying water-soluble houseplant fertilizer, mixed at the strength suggested on the package.
- 7
  Encourage blooms by placing the Aechmea fasciata plant and a ripe apple inside a clear plastic bag for seven days. Make sure the plant's water cup is empty before placing it into the bag, to prevent the buildup of too much humidity.
- 8
  Snip off dead or damaged parts of the Aechmea fasciata plant with pruning shears.

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