I would think you would thin it by removing the older plants that bloomed last year and leaving the babies that wil still bloom...but I don't really know.

I thin out mine by carefully removing the spent leaves & plants. I find the truly dead leaves do come off @ the base, but I need to pull leaves off individually, or just a few @ a time. It's kind of a fussy job & a pair of pruners helps - as do thick long sleeves & definitely gloves.

If I accidentally uproot a plant, I just replant it.

Ditto what Carol B said. I also do it that way - leaf by leaf - taking the truly dead ones that come off all the way at the base of the plant (at the stem). If a leaf doesn't come easily with a tug, leave it on. I also agree with wearing long sleeves and gloves. I do not use a pruners or scissors at all.

To me, your brom tree is absolutely beautiful. I'm a big brom fan. :)

Carol in Jacksonville

Yea, I have pulled off many over the past few years and since it is a weird network mother roots on bark I never can get it back on the tree.

Why pull any of it out? I think it looks spectacular!

The color has drained, it use to be a richer color and so many of the plants leaves are ratty and tattered.

It also seems to bloom later each year I think they are so crowed they are not getting as much light.

How it look summer 2013.

I will say now that it has so many plants it does put out more blooming stalks.

Getting lighter might mean it's getting more light, not less. My bromeliads turn lighter the more light they get. The increased blooming implies that too, possibly. have you trimmed the canopy at some point? Or lost some during a storm?

for trimming, get a string and loop it in a circle. Hang it and use it to decide the border of what you want the clump to look like. Then trim.

You could replant the casualties elsewhere...

fertilizer might help perk them up.

SMC, I hope you don't mind my calling Nev over from the Bromeliad Forum. I knew he would come through - and boy did he, in a big way! He is such a wealth of bromeliad knowledge. He is the pillar of the Brom Forum.

Carol

Great info and I appreciate it!

I too love how it grows up the tree. I just wanted to freshen it up by clearing the ratty looking ones, but had never found an easy way to do it.

We did have the tree trimmed in 2013 when we bought the house. It makes me feel better that the lighter color could be from more light and not that it is struggling.

Ideally, in my dream world (I dont see this being something that can actually happen, at least not with my limited talent) would love to clear out a few places and then get a few other types of bromeliads with different color blooms. Could you even imagine how pretty it would be with not only reds, but purple, pinks, and yellows!

I need to look into some seaweed ferts, I have so many plants that really could use a boost and miracle grow can only do so much. I dont recall seeing any at lowes, so I gotta start looking elsewhere. I am not sure if I have ever fertialized the broms and if I have it would have been in 2014!!!

That tree is Queensland is wicked!!! I cant believe how tall the Broms grow!!!

I wonder if I can find a pic of it bloom this last time.. might be nice to see the 1st year we were here compared to the most recent bloom. I cant take any credit for starting the plant, but would love to take credit for keeping it going and looking better with age!

Hi everyone.

Carol - Thanks for the compliment, however I don't see myself as "the pillar of the Brom Forum" as you put it.

I'm just an old bloke of 76 growing bromeliads and who's trying to give back some of the advice and tips I've learned from these forums and my own experience. After all isn't knowledge sharing what these forums are all about?

SweetMonkeyCheese - You say you would love to clear out a few places and then get a few other types of bromeliads with different color blooms.

Could I suggest you get some Neoregelias as these will grow happily under the same conditions as Billbergias. They can also be mounted in trees or if you prefer, grown in pots. If you prefer them in a garden just plant them (pot and all) - This way you can more easily move them to another location if required.

Although their flowers are tiny, they will give you a magnificent range of foliage colours that no other bromeliads can match. (See examples below)

Some of the different Neoregelias in my shade house

Finally a picture of a Billbergia to show they too can have attractive foliage colour - This is Billbergia 'Tarantella'

All the best, Nev.

I didn't realize that kind of brom would climb. They grow all over down here, are very cold hardy, so maybe I'll try growing one up the oak tree. Should be fun.

Those are very pretty, love the sunset colors!!!

Here are three of my tree-climbing bromeliads. Rather than shed blood needlessly, I rarely clean these out.

Neo. Martin climbing a Yucca:

Billbergia pyramidalis, probably the same as yours, in a massive Rubber Tree:

I've forgotten the name of this one, but it's just finished blooming:

And since we're on climbing/vining plants, anybody notice the Chamaedorea growing as a vine in this same tree? There are two visible loops, the one on the right going over the top of a night-blooming cactus, that's also climbing this same tree. The fronds are on the left, below the two thick limbs. The white wires are fishing line that's supporting a large wind chime:

I could not take it any longer..... I might have gone overboard!

There are still several red buds still attached to the tree, so I am hoping it will fill back in over the next few years.

Some are attached and some I took off a mother plant I yanked, I just kinda shoved them.between some roots to make it look attached and hoping they will take the hint!

Finished the rest, dang it was a lot!

One of my neighbors has them surrounding and climbing his oak tree. I didn't even notice it until it was blooming one day. It was spectacular.

I really like the look, but with so many old one crowding the tree it was taking so much longer for the blooms to arrive and the old plants were shades of pale green, yellow,and brown.

I am really hoping it revives them and I can watch it grow over time. I loved it so much 4 years ago when it was so nice and shapely!

Ouch... you might have killed them

I was afraid I had bc the lil red ones are no longer red, but I think they are starting to grow!

I see new green growing!

mine I pullout of its spot every 2 years they grow like crazy I think there 7 varieties maybe more. so pruning sheers cut clean remove and replant on top of leaf I live in Central FL.