Overwatered Painted feather
Too much water for too long can cause your Painted feather to rot. Root rot can occur if you keep the potting mix too moist, which creates a hospitable environment for bacteria and fungus. Once present, they cause the roots to soften and decay. Too much water in the soil also suffocates the roots, making them unable to absorb nutrients or moisture to be used by the plant.
This type of bromeliad could also rot from the stem if the rosette is kept too full. It’s a delicate balance and you may need to add water to the rosette fairly often, so this might not be the best plant for you if you tend to forget about your plants for long periods of time.
Symptoms of rot include softening leaves that turn yellow or brown before eventually falling off. The plant may also look generally unwell and wilted. If you have overwatered this plant, it may not be possible to save it, so always try to stay on the side of too little water over too much if there’s any doubt.
At the first sign of overwatering, it is important to take quick action if you want to try to save your Painted feather. If the problem is too much water in the potting soil, the remedy is to remove the plant from its pot and replace the wet soil. Any roots that have been affected by rot (they’ll appear dark brown or black and soft) should be pruned off with a sterilized knife or garden shears.
If you have added too much water to the rosette and the stem is rotting, the process is different. Use your sterilized garden knife to cut off any part of the stem that shows signs of rot, and flush out the rosette cavity thoroughly to get rid of any bacteria that may be lingering. The plant may not be able to recover after this, but this method may allow you to save your Painted feather from dying.
Underwatered Painted feather
Painted feather can tolerate fairly dry potting mix, but if the rosette stays dry for more than a couple of days, you may run into problems. The symptoms of underwatering include dried out leaves, especially the leaf tips. Usually the top parts of the plant will be affected first, since those areas are farthest from the water source. In severe cases, their leaves may even appear curled, but this could also be because of low humidity. Be sure to check your soil before watering again.
If you forget about watering your Painted feather, don’t panic. Unless you’ve allowed the plant to get totally dehydrated, it will probably be able to recover. Simply give the plant a thorough drink of water both in the reservoir and the soil. You can also add humidity around your plant to revive it more quickly by misting the leaves with water. Remove any leaves that have dried out, and then just resume your usual watering schedule. The plant should recover shortly once it has the water it needs.