Bromeliad Questions - Removing Inflorescence & Pups

8 years ago

A month or so ago, I picked up a bromeliad from the Lowe's clearance rack for something like $6 or so. Right when I got back, I started researching them, only to find out that the bloom is a sign of its last days (or year). My questions are as follows:

1. Does chopping off the mother plant's bloom help the pups develop faster?

2. Is there a time-table for pups to take root? Mine look slightly stressed compared to when I removed them from the mother, but I presumed that was just a normal thing.

3. The pups I removed don't seem to have a cup that can hold water yet. Is this fine/do I need to water/mist more frequently to compensate?

4. In the following pictures, you can see the pots the pups are in. Are these too small? I believe the pots are 4" pots.

Thanks in advance!

Steven

Featured Answer

splinter1804

8 years ago

Hi everyone.

Steven - Firstly let me say that I think the potting mix in your pots is too dry. I have found that Guzmanias like the mix to be kept more on the damp side (NOT WET). They like warm temperatures and are heavy feeders. A well known grower of amazing Guzmanias once said (tongue in cheek) that you need to feed them whenever you feed yourself.

I also notice you have the pups in what appears to be terracotta pots and you should be aware that these will dry out much quicker than plastic pots and once dry the terracotta will start absorbing the moisture from the potting mix.

Question 1. Once the flowers start to decline removing the flower spike will make more nutrition available for the pups. This is easily explained because while ever the flower spike is attached it is drawing food from the Mother plant therefore there is less for the pups.

Question 2. I find that pups do better if they are removed during the spring when the plants are actively growing. If removed during winter they will sulk and not grow very well until the warmer weather arrives; during this period they are more prone to rotting. Personally I like to leave the pups on the Mother plant and grow it into a clump, but that's my personal choice. As for how long it takes pups to root, this varies depending on the size of the pup the health of the pup and the time of the year they are removed. I find they are slow to root here where I live in Australia, that's why I leave them on the Mother plant.

Question 3. The pups will still have a well that can hold a bit of water although it won't be fully developed. Because of this, it doesn't hurt to give them a light misting, and like watering, it's best done during the early part of the day on the rising temperature so that they aren't left wet overnight during the lower temperatures.

Question 4. Are 4" pots too small? Guzmanias in habitat are epiphytes and because of this they don't need a particularly large pot, just one large enough to support them. But you must remember that once you put an epiphytic plant in a pot they must also be provided with such things as the food and nutrients they require as the roots are no longer free to spread out over the surrounding area seeking these things out.

Some would say that 4" pots are too small, because the main problem with small pots is that they dry out too quickly, but as long as you keep them damp they should be OK. I must add again, that each time I look at your pic's, the potting mix appears far too dry, but then I can only go on what I can see in the picture.

Shown in the picture below is Guzmania 'Hilda'. It produced three pups which I chose not to remove. Eventually the old mother plant died and they grew to fill the pot and produce three nice flower spikes

All the best, Nev.

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Comments (6)

hotdiggetydam
8 years ago
You should get pups but these aren't fond of hot temps.
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I didn't used to think it made a difference, purplestar. After all, once the plant has bloomed the growing point has stopped working anyway, so why would killing it increase the amount of pups? In actual practice, though, sometimes it does, or at least it can speed up the time frame. In some varieties I might get 3 or 4 pups at a time from "screwing" the plant, as opposed to 1 or 2 at a time otherwise. This is not always the case, however, and I'm not sure that in the long run you'd get more, you just don't have to wait as long. It seems to depend a lot on the variety, just as some plants are heavier puppers than others anyway. The first I heard of this method was in an old BSI Journal article, and the plant they showed as an illustration was Vr. hieroglyphica. The one in their photo was literally surrounded by pups! Well......... I tried screwing a couple of Vr. hieroglyphicas, and how many pups did I get? One. Per plant. That's it. Then the mother died. What's the point then? You're no further along than you were to begin with and you've ruined a perfectly good plant. Same thing happened with 'Nova', but several other foliage Vrieseas have given me much better results. It just seems to be an individual thing, but I do think there's a limit to how many pups a mother plant can turn out before she burns herself out. I don't know about removing the lower leaves or planting it deeper in the soil. I've done that with things that were developing a stalk and I've never noticed any increase in pupping. If they were coming out below the soil surface it might make them root more quickly, but they'd also be more difficult to remove and more likely to be deformed. I like them up where I can get to them. Maybe it has to do with humidity. If your air is too dry to support aerial roots then perhaps that would reduce pup production? I'm just guessing here, since I live in a humid climate where pups root easily with no media at all.
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All growers have different ideas largely based around their growing conditions. The following is just the way I grow my plants: I definitely agree that your pup's far too small to remove. I don't necessarily agree with the 1/3 rule either and have found the bigger the pup the better the plant it will turn into. You will get less pups but they will be far better plants. I never remove pups smaller than 1/2 the size of the mother plant and prefer to let them get to 3/4 in size. As for time of year, like all plants I think spring is definitely the best time when things are starting to grow and the weather's warming up; however this isn't always possible if you have a very large collection and some large growers have to take pups all year around. The climate you grow them in is an important factor also, I live just one street back from the sea and have a maritime climate which is often reasonably high in humidity from moist sea breezes. Some would see me as being over cautious, however the higher humidity also causes a lot of rot with pups if removed too small. All the best, Nev.
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Hi everyone. Carol - When we buy a plant, we do like to think we are getting the entire plant and not one that has already had the pups removed, however in the "real world" this often isn't the case especially plants bought from markets. It's not unusual for a plant to be in flower with a couple of pups attached and more often than not these pups are removed and the plant re-potted in fresh potting mix and sold at markets. The buyer is told the plant has just been re-potted and they don’t have to worry about that for a couple of years, which is probably a good sales pitch to the average market purchaser. However they aren’t told the pups have been taken as well. It’s not against the law so I guess it’s just a case of buyer beware and building trust between yourself and a reliable seller who does the right thing. You ask, “is there a way to know if pups have already been taken?”; the only way is to clear around the base of the plant, or better still take it from the pot and give it a good hose to see if there are any obvious spots of raw tissue still visible where a pup has been recently removed and that would have to be done at home as the seller wouldn't allow you to do it before you buy it. Absence of pups isn’t always a clue as a lot of brom’s don’t start to pup until the flower is finished, so just because it doesn't have pups doesn't necessarily mean the pups have been removed. My advice would be to only buy from reputable growers or nurseries or from someone who has been recommended. Unfortunately in most other cases , you buy your plant and take your chances. All the best, Nev.
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Steven
Original Author
8 years ago
Awesome, thanks!

I've made a habit of feeling the exterior of the pots (which seem to feel a bit cooler when more moist) as well as the top of the medium on a fairly regular basis. I also leave a spray bottle next to them and probably mist them every day or two.

When I first put them in the 4 inch pots, it was intended to be a temporary thing. I got eager to remove the pups from the mother and didn't have anything larger. I have a major test at the end of the month, so almost everything I've done for all my plants has been with the mindset of "make sure they're okay until the end of the month."

Regarding the potting mix, the mix I'm using is Al's gritty mix. I'm still learning it's properties and how to handle it. I've made a few different batches of it, with the earlier ones probably having been done improperly as some of the plants placed in it developed root rot. I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't filter out the fine particles very well combined with being in a glazed pot indoors and probably being watered too often. That said, though, I've taken a more cautious approach recently. I have noticed that the terracotta pots dry out quicker, and have come to really appreciate that for succulents.

I looked at some pictures I took of them right after potting and compared them to their current state, and it definitely appears like they're growing -- leaves have become notably longer. Is this likely indicative of root formation, or due to their epiphytic nature could it just be because of that? I've also moved them to another east facing window with a more constant bright indirect light and slightly cooler.

Thanks again for the detailed post,

Steven
splinter1804
8 years ago
Hi everyone.

Steven - Just one other thing I forgot to mention, I don't know about in the U.S. but terracotta pots here in Australia are noted for having just a central drainage hole of insufficient size. To enlarge it as we do here, soak the pot in water for twenty four hours and then take a hammer and blunt nosed punch and just nibble a little at a time around the edge until you have enlarged the hole to an acceptable size.

All the best, Nev.
Steven
Original Author
8 years ago
Oh interesting, I have a terracotta bowl that has had water retention problems with everything I've ever set up in it. Each time, though, I assumed there was some error on my part be it with the watering frequency or medium composition. Coincidentally, I just ordered a bunch of masonry drill bits and glass/tile drill bits because I have some pots/containers that I'd love to use but that have no drainage holes.

I'm about to turn this terracotta bowl into swiss cheese lol. Kidding, but I'm definitely going to add some drainage. Might even add some extra holes and just put insect screen over em.

Thanks again!
laticauda
8 years ago
I just stuck a blade in the hole and ground away in a circle to make the hole bigger.

Bromeliad Questions - Removing Inflorescence & Pups

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