Proper Lighting

• The bromeliad plant can tolerate a wide range of light levels, including low light, for long periods without any ill effects but it will look better if it receives the proper amount of light. Plants in the genera Ananas, Puyas, Hechtias, Dyckia and the hard-leafed species of Aechmea and Billbergia grow best in high light levels. For the genera Nidularium, Guzmania, Vrieseas, Neoregelia and Cryptanthus, low light is best. The bromeliad plant will indicate by its growth habit if the light is satisfactory. If the plant is a darker shade of green than normal with a more open or elongated shape, it may indicate low light levels; a yellowish or pale green plant may mean the light is too high.
  
  

Temperature and Humidity

• Many bromeliad plants can easily tolerate outdoor temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but if they are grown indoors they do best at 70 to 75 degrees during the day and 60 to 65 degrees at night. They can also withstand temperatures below freezing for a short period of time but optimally should not be exposed to temperatures below 40 degrees. Softer-leafed plants need a higher temperature while the harder-leafed plants can tolerate colder conditions.
  
  Bromeliad plants grow best indoors if the humidity is 40 to 60 percent. If the humidity is below 40 percent, you can increase it by purchasing an inexpensive humidifier; placing the plant on a 2- to 3-inch bed of wet gravel, making sure the bottom of the pot is not in or underwater as this could cause root damage; or spraying the plant daily.
  
  

Air Circulation

• Bromeliad plants require good air circulation because fresh air supplies them with carbon dioxide and moisture. You can either open a window on days that are not too cold or turn a fan on low for most of the day.
  
  

Watering

• The number of times a bromeliad plant is watered will depend on three things: temperature variation (whether it is summer or winter); variety (whether the leaves are thin or thick); and whether it is indoors or out. The best way to water a plant is to remove it from its container and either spray heavily or rinse it under a faucet until it is dripping wet both underneath and on top. For an indoor plant, spray or rinse two to three times a week, and for outdoor plants, four to five times a week.