i got one of these 'Giant Fieball' bromeliads last year, and it is growing as easy as the small version. I had it all nice and red, and it has lots of stolens on it, looks like it came out of a gardening book it was so perfect. This year, it is SO hot, it was deep red, but it was so hot, I moved it to some more shade. When I moved it, THEN it got what I assume is sunburn on it. I would have thought it would have gotten burned IN the sun. But it came out when it was in the shade!! Well now it is in the shade, and it is nearly all green. With lots of sunburn splotches on it. I am going nuts trying to figure out how to redden it up again.

I know I can't get rid of the sunburn, why it showed up in the SHADE, i dont know, but thats when it did. But how do i get it red again? It is till SO hot and sunny all day. Heck i am surprised that my cactus dont burn up in the sun!

But how do i get it back to red> Green is boring, it was so pretty red. I know I am suppose to move it into the early morning sun a bit at a time over a period of a week or two, then give it longer times in the sun, then it will redden up.

BUT, what about when it is back in the sun, it is SO hot here in south Fla., will drapping it with 'cheese cloth' give it shade, or trap in heat? THAT is what I am really worried about. Will it get to hot? Can a bromeliad get to hot, like this one?

The regular one I have is kind of ratty looking, and it is in the sun till 2pm or so, but it is rooted into a huge pot with a small tree in it, so I cant move it out, and I can always take a pup off, and start over if I wanted to. But it is the Giant one i want to get red first, and then, keep it red and not burn it, or overheat it.

Will drappping it with cheese cloth trap in heat? OR should i find a branch someplace in my Plumeria tree and hope it gets enough sun to make it red, and then it will get lots of fresh air, and no chance of it over heating. I have nearly all my bromeliads hanging from baskets in my big Plumeria tree. They are all in full color, during the summer the leaves give out just enough shade for the bromeliads, and then when it goes bald in the fall/winter, it lets in more light, to keep everyone in full color all winter:)

Its just that this one is so big already, I would like to put it on one of my outsdie tables, and use it for decoration, like most bromeliads can and are used for. But will the cheese cloth trap in heat? I dont know.

Just standing outside even in the early morning it is HOT to me! So...is the cheese cloth ok, or will it trap in the heat from the table or if it has to go on the ground, from the soil? Or should i find a place in the Plumeria and start looking up, and it should redden it up in a week or so. Any tips would be very helpful.