Abromeitiella brevifolia: Care and Propagation Guide

Abromeitiella brevifolia, also known as Deuterocohnia brevifolia, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family. Mainly native to Bolivia and Argentina, you can also grow this succulent on your own. Once it grows a bit, it begins to resemble a mat, especially as ground cover.

Below, you can go through the Abromeitiella brevifolia care and propagation guide.

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How to Care for Abromeitiella brevifolia

If you want to grow Abromeitiella brevifolia at home, there are some care conditions you will need to keep in mind and follow. You can go through these below.

Light

Abromeitiella brevifolia tends to prefer full sun while growing. This includes several hours of sunlight in a given day along with a bit of shade in the peak afternoon, especially if it tends to get quite hot where you live.

If you are growing Abromeitiella brevifolia in a pot, make sure you place the pot in a location that receives this kind of full and bright light, such as a balcony or windowsill.

Watering

Just like other succulents, Abromeitiella brevifolia has fleshy leaves that can store water and keep the plant going for a long time. For this reason, you should water the plant only moderately during the growing seasons. Essentially, see that the soil has dried out completely from the previous watering so that you can prevent root rot.

Reduce the frequency of watering as it starts getting colder. You can also avoid watering in the winter months unless the plant shrivels up.

Soil

The soil that you grow Abromeitiella brevifolia in should be well-draining so that it does not hold any excess water. You can use a potting mix, but make sure you also add coarse material such as bark, pebbles and perlite so that you can loosen it up even more.

You will also need to maintain the soil pH. Abromeitiella brevifolia usually prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil to thrive, although a minor bit of alkalinity can also be fine. Make sure the soil pH ranges between 6.1-7.5.

Fertilizing

At the start of the growing season, you can feed the plant with a bit of mineral-rich fertilizer, although you can also stick to organic fertilizer. If you use a commercial fertilizer, make sure you dilute it considerably and halve the dose so that you do not end up harming the plant too much.

You will not need to fertilize Abromeitiella brevifolia more than once or twice a year. This should also be restricted to the growing season instead of leaving it for the colder months.

Climate

The Abromeitiella brevifolia grows best in the months of spring and summer when it can receive full sun and sufficient warmth. The plant is hardy in USDA zones 9b-11b and should ideally be kept away from temperatures falling below 39°F or 4ºC.

If there is a bit of frost at this time, it might be okay as long as the weather outside is dry and not wet. Keep the plant indoors if it gets too cold.

Pests and Diseases

Generally, Abromeitiella brevifolia is not particularly vulnerable to pests and diseases. However, if there is too much humidity in the air or if the soil is too moist and wet, this can make the plant prone to diseases such as rotting, which can end up killing the plant if not corrected on time.

You should also keep the plant safe from pests like mealybugs, thrips and aphids, although these are rare.

Pruning

Abromeitiella brevifolia grows at a relatively slow rate, although you might still need to prune back some of the older growth so that new growth can emerge. If there are damaged or dead parts of the plant, make sure you remove them.

Potting and Repotting

Make sure you use a pot with a drainage hole so that you can get rid of all the excess water. Once the roots seem to be growing out of this drainage hole, you will need to repot the plant into a bigger pot with fresh and coarse soil.

Propagating Abromeitiella brevifolia

It is rare to grow Abromeitiella brevifolia from seeds since they are difficult to source, although if you do manage to find them, you can simply prepare them in a seed tray and sow them in the soil in your pot.

An easier way is to use leaves (with a part of the stem) or cuttings by cutting them off from the mother plant and letting them sit for a couple of days so that they can dry out and develop a callous. You can also dip them in rooting hormone to encourage quick and easier root growth.

Once this is done, you should:

• Prepare the pot with well-draining soil.
• Sow the cuttings in the soil. Make sure you do not place them too deep inside.
• Moisten the plant a bit and then continue to follow the regular care conditions.