Both overwatering and underwatering can occur for your Imperial bromeliad, but overwatering is a more common issue. In fact, some of the Imperial bromeliad may show a slight ability to survive short-lived droughts despite preferring consistently moist soil conditions. On the off chance that you manage to underwater your Imperial bromeliad, you'll see that the leaves begin to turn brown and brittle at the tips and may begin to curl as well.

For in-ground plants, this issue is most common when you rely on rainfall for watering, but the rainfall volume has proven to be insufficient. Underwatering is a bit more common for container-grown plants, as the soil in containers often dries out more quickly and may not have access to natural rainfall. In either case, you can resolve underwatering issues by supplying more water. If you have an issue with overwatering, you may notice that your Imperial bromeliad has begun to wilt. The leaves of the plant may begin to turn yellow, and you may notice rot in the leaves and stem.

Additionally, overwatering can damage fruits and lead to accumulations of mold and fungus. Overwatering can occur for in-ground plants when you water even when there has been sufficient rainfall. In container gardening situations, overwatering often results from the use of heavy soils from containers that lack proper drainage holes. If you have an overwatered container-grown Imperial bromeliad, it's often best to remove it from its container, clean and trim its roots, and place it in a new container that holds looser soils and has better drainage. You should also plant to reduce your watering schedule if your plant is overwatered, whether it lives in the ground or in a pot.

During the growing season, you should water your Imperial bromeliad often enough to maintain consistent soil moisture without causing the soil to become waterlogged. If you grow your Imperial bromeliad in a container, this usually amounts to about one inch of water applied once per week. By contrast, if you plant your Imperial bromeliad in the ground, the plant may not need supplemental watering if it has rained about one inch during the week. As such, you may be able to go long periods without watering an in-ground Imperial bromeliad, assuming there has been consistent rainfall. Your watering frequency will need to change depending on the season. For instance, the Imperial bromeliad will need less water during winter than they do during spring, summer, and fall. Your Imperial bromeliad may also need more water depending on its growth phase, with the flowering a fruiting phase often calling for more water than usual.

It is possible to grow your Imperial bromeliad indoors in a large container. In fact, indoor growing is a necessity, at least for part of the year, if you live in a region with cold winters, as the Imperial bromeliad will not survive freezing temperatures. When growing the Imperial bromeliad indoors, you should note that it does not have access to rainwater, which can supply enough moisture for plants that grow outdoors. That means that you'll need to supply all the water that your indoor Imperial bromeliad receives.

Indoor growing locations are often dryer overall as well, often due to the presence of air conditioners and other appliances. That factor, along with the lack of rainfall in an indoor setting, often means that you'll need to water your Imperial bromeliad more frequently than you would if it grew outdoors. You should also consider misting an indoor Imperial bromeliad in addition to pouring water on its leaves as you would when watering this plant, regardless of its location. Misting helps create a humid environment where this plant thrives.

Each of these plants will need to survive several seasonal changes, each of which can call for different watering styles.

During the spring is when you should begin watering your Imperial bromeliad at the standard rate of about one inch of water per week.

In summer, when the weather is hottest, you may get by with the same watering frequency. However, the heat may cause your plant's soil to dry out more quickly than normal, which may result in it needing water multiple times per week to maintain consistent moisture.

During fall, you can continue the same watering rate you used during the spring. In winter, you can usually water your plant a bit less, but you should not cease watering altogether.

Your winter watering goal should be to maintain a slight degree of moisture and not allow more than the first few centimeters of soil to become dry.

You may also need to water your Imperial bromeliad a bit differently based on its growth stage. Mainly, when this plant is in a flowering or fruiting stage, it will likely require more water than usual. As is always the case, you can rely on soil observations to determine how much you need to increase your watering rate during those phases with the goal of maintaining consistent soil moisture without creating soggy soil conditions.

Pruning your Imperial bromeliad is a fairly simple process. First, you will need a reliable set of hand pruners or hedge trimmers. You may use a clean pair of sharp scissors if you don’t have pruners or garden shears on hand. It’s important to always clean your gardening tools before and after using them to prevent the possibility of spreading disease or infection to other plants. To prune your Imperial bromeliad simply allow your plant to go dormant over the Winter. Some time between late winter and early spring – or when new growth starts to appear – take your clean pruners or trimmers and cut away any dying, damaged, yellow or declining foliage. Repeat this process until you reach the base of the plant or until there are no dead pieces left to cut. When pruning, be careful not to damage the new growth that may be emerging near the base of your plant. These parts cannot be restored and pruning can increase the ventilation of the plants and facilitate their growth. Any pruning that is done to this plant should be cut straight across the blades or stems. No angled cuts are required. Diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Imperial bromeliad is growing.

Once you’ve pruned your plant, you should dispose of the stems and leaves either by composting the healthy ones or throwing out the diseased parts. You can also fertilize just before or after pruning, which gives Imperial bromeliad a little vitamin boost that can provide it the nutrients needed to better protect itself from any nearby pathogens or diseases. Do not water the Imperial bromeliad immediately after pruning as this can lead to fungal infestation of the plants through the wounds. You don’t need much after care when you’re done pruning. It might benefit from light watering and some liquid plant food to encourage new growth.

Early spring and late winter are the best times to prune your Imperial bromeliad on a large scale. If you want to control the size of your Imperial bromeliad, you can prune them as you wish, but be careful not to prune more than a third of the size of the plant. Yellow and diseased leaves may appear during the summer months when the Imperial bromeliad is growing vigorously and these types of leaves need to be pruned back immediately. These parts of the Imperial bromeliad cannot be restored and pruning increases the ventilation of the plant and facilitates its growth.

Strategic pruning is usually done at different times of the year or during certain stages of growth depending on the plant. However, knowing when to prune your Imperial bromeliad depends on where you live and how established your plant is. For example, if your Imperial bromeliad is a new resident, it’s a good idea to wait until the plant starts to grow back before you start pruning. On the other hand, if your plant is already established, you will want to prune the dry or dead parts in plant before new leafy growth appears in early spring or late winter. This is the time of year when plants are dormant and pruning causes the least damage to them. This is also the best time of year to do more extensive pruning. It’s important to note that if Imperial bromeliad is pruned too late in the season, it can leave new growth at risk for damage or disease. However, if your Imperial bromeliad is indoors this is not a problem and you can prune at any time. Since this can affect the long-term health and appearance of your plant, it’s important to keep this in mind when deciding when and how to prune. As your Imperial bromeliad grows larger over time, you can trim it as needed after annual pruning. Dead, damaged, or diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Imperial bromeliad is growing.

As jungle plants, Epiphytic Bromeliads grow in a variety of locations in the rainforest. Some of them are found closer to the forest floor, receiving only dappled sunlight that finds its way through tall canopies. Others grow as epiphytes higher up on the trees and are exposed to direct sunlight. That is why it is essential to know what type of plant you’re getting.

As a general rule, epiphytic bromeliads naturally exposed to more sun have thicker, stiffer leaves, while species naturally growing in the shade have more tender, thinner leaves. However, as stressed before, always check the individual species’ needs.

The safest bet for Imperial bromeliad is to be exposed to bright but mostly indirect light - e.g., from an east-facing window. Also, it is safe to assume that Imperial bromeliad will get sunburned if exposed to direct sunlight during prolonged periods, so avoid this with all family members.

The consequences of inadequate lighting for Imperial bromeliad can go in two directions. If Imperial bromeliad receives too much direct sunlight and belongs to species adapted to shady conditions, the leaves may start looking bleached-out and paler than usual at first. Eventually, leaf scorching is almost certain to occur.

On the other hand, if Imperial bromeliad receives too little sunlight, the foliage will lose its color and turn darker. That is especially true for variegated plants that may lose all their additional colors and turn solid green.

Also, as a general consequence, Imperial bromeliad that fails to receive enough sunlight according to their species’ needs will grow poorly.

Tropical conditions of Imperial bromeliad’s original homes are quite stable throughout the plant’s lifetime, and the light doesn’t have to vary between seasons. However, increasing the light exposure can trigger the plant to bloom - a highly desired event. Still, it’s not just about the light levels - all other conditions, such as temperature and humidity, should be met for this to happen.

If you have just bought your Imperial bromeliad from a non-specialized store, they have likely been exposed to low light conditions for some time. Even if the particular species belongs to the sun-loving Imperial bromeliad subtype, you need to gradually introduce it to brighter, natural sunlight conditions. That practice is called hardening. Start by exposing your plant to indirect window light, pulling it closer to the light source each day. After several days, the plant can receive its first direct morning light, but only for a very short time.

The absolutely ideal conditions for Imperial bromeliad - both temperature and light-wise - is a greenhouse setup with temperatures averaging between 70 and 80 °F (21 and 27 °C), with bright indirect light, good air circulation, and high humidity.

However, the popular Imperial bromeliad species are not overly sensitive and are easily grown in average home conditions. As a simple rule - if you feel pleasant in your room temperatures, these are likely adequate for your Imperial bromeliad as well.

East or west-facing window light is ideal for most Imperial bromeliad. However, if the west-facing window is in question, the direct afternoon light may be too harsh for some species, so ensure greater distance from the window or another type of shading during the critical part of the day.

If a south-facing window is your only option, keeping Imperial bromeliad next to it can be possible if you create some distance between the light source and the plant, plus filter the light through a suitable curtain.

Again, the ideal position will largely depend on the species in question, and you need to factor in other requirements, such as humidity, into the equation. For example, bathrooms are ideal for Imperial bromeliad regarding humidity but may not secure enough light for many species unless you have a window in there. However, some species may thrive under low-light bathroom conditions with some natural light available and some supplemented by artificial fluorescent light.

Other positions, such as kitchen windows, may provide ideal light but may be too dry. In that case, try increasing the humidity around the plant by creating a humidity tray under the pot or adding a humidifier.

Also, Imperial bromeliad will thrive outdoors in tropical climates and can be brought out during the summer in warm temperate climates. In outdoor conditions, they perform well under trees with broad and semi-thick canopies that create dappled light conditions. Also, shaded patios and bright porches are also great options.

Imperial bromeliad tends to prefer the same general temperature ranges. While they can tolerate temperatures as low as 50℉(15℃), this plant likes higher temperatures that more closely resemble those of tropical and subtropical regions. Being an epiphytic plant, meaning that most of the water of Imperial bromeliad comes from air humidity and not groundwater, higher temperatures are better.

The humidity that Imperial bromeliad prefers is best obtained with temperatures over 75℉(25℃). Since humidity is created when water is vaporized into warm air, maintaining humidity is easiest with warmer temperatures. Before you blast your air conditioner in the warm months, make sure these plants are out of the way of the coolest drafts! Anywhere from 75~90℉(25~32℃) is perfect, but cooler temperatures down to 50℉(15℃) are acceptable.

Imperial bromeliad doesn’t need a period of dormancy, or a cold period, to effectively bloom and reproduce. This means that ideal temperatures should be maintained year-round. However, if your Imperial bromeliad does experience temperatures cooler than 50℉(15℃) or hotter than 95℉(35℃) , it may cause some damage. The extent of the damage is specific to how long it was exposed to extreme cold or heat, its genotype, and what stage the plant is in.

Cold temperatures below 50℉(15℃) will cause frostbite on the leaves of a Imperial bromeliad. This normally appears as black spots or entirely blackened leaves, but this process can take a few days to become apparent. At first, the leaves will look droopy, then slowly become discolored. It’s difficult to save the Imperial bromeliad from this fate, but sometimes they can grow back over the course of several months.

If the Imperial bromeliad is exposed to very high temperatures, it will simply wilt. If the leaves become too dry, they may not revive; however, if the exposure wasn’t very long, then the heat spike may have no lasting effect. Imperial bromeliad can tolerate heat much better than cold.

You can easily keep the Imperial bromeliad warm without the use of a heating pad or nearby heater (though if you’re using one anyway, it doesn’t hurt to share!). To maintain optimal temperatures, consider planting Imperial bromeliad in a terrarium. By enclosing the space around the plant, you create a sort of micro-environment with higher humidity and temperature than outside the glass, which in itself holds heat for some time. If you live in a warm region where it may be too dry to place Imperial bromeliad outside, you can always place it near a warm window or an exterior wall that warms up during the day under full sun exposure; just be sure not to provide too much sunlight as a consequence of moving the plant too close to a bright window. Sheer curtains can remedy this issue.

On the other hand, if you live in a tropical or subtropical climate where outside temperatures stay between 55-90℉(13-32℃) day to night, you can grow Imperial bromeliad outside year-long. If the temperature drops below this range, simply bring them indoors for the night or cover them with a thin cloth to prevent cold damage.

Sometimes, temperature fluctuations can sneak up in ways you might not expect. One of the most common temperature breaches for Imperial bromeliad is from windows. If you grow your Imperial bromeliad in a window, be aware of how outside temperatures can affect the temperature of the window and how much of that cold or hot air reaches your plant.

Another common household temperature breach is air conditioning and heaters. We might not realize it since we don’t hover over these things in our homes, but a direct draft from air conditioners can chill Imperial bromeliad to well below its preferred temperature range. Similarly, heaters can effectively dry out it very quickly, which causes the leaves to harden and eventually wither away.

All plants rely on soil nutrients to facilitate their growth, and the Imperial bromeliad is no exception. However, it is not always a guarantee that the soil in which your plants grow will have all of the nutrients required. Fertilization and soil amendments help ensure that the plants in your garden not only have the basic nutrients they need but also that they get the nutrients that are specifically necessary to them.

Imperial bromeliad needs fertilizer to ensure that its roots and stems continue to develop in a healthy way throughout the growing season. Fertilization will also help a Imperial bromeliad a set of leaves that looks fantastic, which is especially important for this plant since its foliage is its main point of ornamental appeal.

A Imperial bromeliad will need the greatest amount of fertilizer during the seasons in which it is actively growing. This active growth phase typically spans most of the months that make up spring, summer, and early fall.

Once winter ends, you should plan to feed your Imperial bromeliad about once every two to four weeks. Continue feeding at this rate until the fall months arrive. Once fall arrives, you can reduce your fertilization rate, reducing the amount of fertilizer you give gradually until you cease feedings entirely in anticipation of winter, when the Imperial bromeliad will have far less active growth.

Throughout most of the year, including spring, summer, and most of the fall, you should continue feeding your Imperial bromeliad regularly. The only exception to this is if you notice that your Imperial bromeliad has received too much fertilizer or if you have managed to fertilize your Imperial bromeliad incorrectly, causing fertilizer burn or some other issue that you'll need to remedy before returning to a regular feeding schedule.

The only time of year when you should not fertilize a Imperial bromeliad is during winter. If you grow this plant indoors in an area where the winters are cold, it will enter a dormant phase during the winter. Feeding this plant during its dormant phase is not only unnecessary and unhelpful to this plant's growth, but it is also very likely to cause fertilizer burn.

The fertilizer for a Imperial bromeliad has a specific blend of nutrients, each of which is present in relatively low amounts. An ideal fertilizer will have an N-P-K ratio of 3-1-2. However, a general-purpose fertilizer that has an even blend of nutrients can work well in some cases. Still, even when using a balanced fertilizer, the ratio number representing the volume of each nutrient should be at 10 or lower.

The fertilizer you use can be either granular or liquid based. If you choose to use a liquid-based fertilizer, it is often best to dilute the strength by half. While there is not much downside to granular fertilizer, it is often most sensible to use liquid fertilizer, especially if you feed your Imperial bromeliad while you supply water.

The fertilizer that you purchase for your Imperial bromeliad will likely come with application instructions that you should follow in most cases. However, for a Imperial bromeliad, you should always fertilize just before or while you are watering the soil, as this will prevent the fertilizer from burning the plant's roots.

If you use a slow-release granular fertilizer, you should sprinkle it on the soil and then provide water immediately after. If you use a liquid-based fertilizer, you should dilute it with water, apply it to the soil, then supply a bit more water. Diluting your fertilizer by at least half is especially important in spring and fall when the plant's growth is ramping up and decelerating, respectively.

Since it is advisable to fertilize your Imperial bromeliad every few weeks throughout the growing season, overfertilization is not often an issue. However, it remains possible for this to occur. If you overfertilize your Imperial bromeliad, you may notice accumulations of excess fertilizer on the soil’s surface and foliage discoloration.

Fertilizer burn is the most common issue you should worry about when feeding a Imperial bromeliad. This issue occurs when you overfertilize, fail to dilute your fertilizer, or when don’t water during and after fertilization. In any of those cases, the fertilizer can draw moisture out of your plant’s roots, causing it to dry out. Often, fertilizer burn will manifest with browning and yellowing of this plant’s leaves.