Bromelaid woes

joshuatree · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 09:04 PM

I have rescued a bromelaid from the clutches of death (aka my wife

), but only to see it struggle on. Here is the deal. It is one of the Walmart, potted types. Its center "stalk" has turned brown and has a wilted look to it. I have tried to water more, I have tried to water less, I have tried to just mist it, I have watered it like a normal potted plant. It just whispers "ignorant moron". It is starting to get little side buds, has it given up on its main stalk? Should I prune it, or say a nice blessing, something in Latin and send it on its way?
Thanks,
Joshua

Edit: Does this sound like a light issue? I have it sitting by a window but it doesn't get direct.

Jesse · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 10:06 PM

Hey,

I read that some bromeliads have to die in order to produce pups?

Jesse

joshuatree · #3 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 11:16 PM

hmmm........
Just like the guy from Enemy Mind......interesting.
THEN I WILL RAISE THEM AS IF THEY WERE MY OWN!
I will teach them to be a man, er plant!
Seriously, anyone else know of this?

KeroKero · #4 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 11:22 PM

The bromeliads at walmart are sold in flower, I believe the stalk you are talking about is just a spent flower of a Vriesea - not death of your doing! The plant should live on for a bit longer, popping 1-4 pups or so. As long as the leaves remain green and happy you should be fine.

The bromeliads don't actually die to produce pups as much as die after producing pups - pups taken off at the right stage can actually cause the mother plant to live longer (trying to produce a full sized pup or 3) - or chopping a mother plant down to almost nothing causes a desperate pupping response (*that* version definately involves killing momma plant to get pups, ouch

)

baby brom > adult brom flowers > seeds disperse > produce pups > momma croaks leaving more room for pup babies

Isn't it cool how they reproduce two different ways? So cool... to me at least...

Bromeliads aren't the most long lived plants around, letting nature take its course its only a couple of years at best for most of the species and cultivars we use - larger species taking longer to mature so their life cycle is proportionally longer.

#5 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshuatree

hmmm........
Just like the guy from Enemy Mind......interesting.
THEN I WILL RAISE THEM AS IF THEY WERE MY OWN!
I will teach them to be a man, er plant!
Seriously, anyone else know of this?

Hahahahahaaaaa! Are you talking about that wierd sci fi flick with Dennis Quaid? If so, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol. Havent thought about that movie in a long while.
I too heard someone say that alot of Broms die after producing pups to make room for them. SO that could be it. As for the Latin, what would you say?

joshuatree · #6 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 10:45 AM

10 points for you, Khamul! Yeah, the was a great/terrible movie. As far as the blessing, I'm still working out the Latin (got a Rosetta Stone demo). Thanks for the replies.

So should I just leave it be, or get rid of the old to give the pups their own place? Or should they just be replanted in another pot?
Josh

KeroKero · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 11:46 AM

You have to leave the plant be... at least for now. The pups need to be 1/3 to 1/2 momma plant's size before all but the more experienced growers should remove them. You can remove the pups for use in tanks or what not.

OR, if you want a cool display in the pot, and don't really have need of the pup, leave the pups there. The momma plant won't produce as many pups (like when we remove eggs from frogs, they lay more eggs thinking their last eggs got jipped) but its a really cool process to see a brom be surrounded by her pups, and she'll slowly die off when her pups are mostly grown (crowding her out too!), leaving you with a very full pot of broms!