Bromeliad pups are exciting.

When a bromeliad plant reaches maturity it will stop producing leaves and the flower will bloom into a beautiful, unique formation. At this point, the healthy bromeliad will produce offshoot plants from the base called pups.

When your bromeliad begins producing pups it is exciting. The mother plant is reaching its maturity, but is leaving you with more plants to care for in the future. Proper harvesting of the pups can lead to more beautiful bromeliads and the potential for an ongoing generation of bromeliads for your plantscape.

Beginner’s Guide to Bromeliad Pups

Bromeliad pups are offsets of the main bromeliad plant often called the mother plan in this situation. The mother will grow its lone flower and will stop producing leaves. At this point, a mother will beging producing the pups. The pups are easily identified as new offshoots of the original plant. Pups will not have flowers at this point. You will be able to see the cup forming as the pup grows upward from the offset of the base of the mother. When the pup reaches a certain size you are able to harvest, plant, and care for it on its own. The original mother will continue to thrive as a flower and produce more pups. The pup will grow until it reaches its own maturity.

Defining a Bromeliad Pup

Flaming Sword Bromeliads ( Vriesea splendens )

A bromeliad pup is the offset of another bromeliad plant. Once a mature bromeliad reaches the point where it has a healthy flower and a strong core, it will produce pups. The original plant, also known as the mother, will stop producing leaves and will begin producing its pups.

There can be multiple pups grown at the same time. The pups will grow from the base of the mother plant. Pups will grow as they feed off the original bromeliad. Once removed, give plenty of food to the pups. Just as any growing organism needs food, the pups require much food and a good, but not too much, amount of water. The pups require enough food to grow into full blooming bromeliads.

Eventually, the pups will reach a point where they can be harvested and moved to their own location.

Pups form on nearly all bromeliads. The pups form in much the same way on each of the different varieties. There are some differences including specifically the way the pup can grow from the base of the parent, but for the most part the pups will grow from the base of the parent and can be removed by pulling and tearing sideways from the parent or mother bromeliad.

Harvesting a Bromeliad Pup

Pups will eventually start to grow their own root system next to the mother plan. It’s at this point, when the pup is about one third the size of the mother plan, that the pup can be harvested.

The pup can be removed from its place at the base of the mother plan. When the pup is about one third the size of the original plan, you can peel the pup away from the mother. There may be roots forming from the base of the pup. This is a good sign. It means the pup is ready to be on its own in a new pot or in the ground depending on where you are planning to set the plant. If there are no roots you are still in good shape. Make sure the bromeliad pup is of good size before harvesting and it should be ready to go into its own system and no longer will need to feed from the mother plant.

Often times there will be an outer leaf on the outside of the pup. You can tear this leaf away and reveal the entire base of the pup. You can then tear away or cut away the base of the pup from the mother bromeliad.

You can do this with all pups on the mother plant if there are multiple. You can replace the soil around the mother plant and it should continue to bloom and even grow more pups.

And then you can move the pups to their own pots and they will start to mature on their own.

Planting a Bromeliad Pup

There is some care necessary when planing a bromeliad pup.

After you’ve harvested your pups from the mother you’ll want to prepare individual pots or areas for planting. You’ll want to make sure the new plant is placed in a shallow bed of of soil with room for the roots to grow down. This way of planting will leave the pup plant a little top heavy so be sure to set the plant well so it’s balanced.

You can use wood sticks or stakes to hold the plant up until it reaches a level of root quality to withstand its own weight. This is a crucial period for the bromeliad pup. The roots may or may not have grown, but either way the roots will not be able to withhold the top weight of the pup. After some time the roots will form and you’ll have a healthy bromeliad pup that can sustain on its own without the support. It can be very rewarding at this point to know you’ve successfully transferred and planted your own bromeliad pup.

Caring for a Bromeliad Pup

Blooming Pink Bromeliad

Once the bromeliad pup is transferred there are a few steps to take to ensure its success. We’ve already mentioned that you’ll probably need to prop up the top of the plant with wooden spikes or staks. These will support the plant as it grows its roots, which will later support the weight of the leaves and the base of the bromeliad. You can tell the plant is ready to grow on its own by giving a slight pull on the plant. If there is resistance you’ll know the roots have taken hold in the soil and will be able to support the plant. You’ll have to judge a little from your own experience if there is enough support in the root system to support the weight of the plant.

You’ll want to give the pup less light than full grown, mature bromeliads. The pup will need water, but only enough to keep the moisture at a medium level in the soil. You don’t want to over-water the bromeliad pup since this could cause rotting at the base of the plant, which could lead to the plant not making it through this critical stage.

As the plant becomes stable with its roots system you can remove the supports and allow it to start receiving more light. You can provide the plant with some good light in the morning especially during the summer months. Shade for the rest of the day after the morning sun usually leads to a good bloom on a bromeliad. Light, warmth, and humidity seem to be the three factors that lead to strong blooming for bromeliads. This is evident by their nature to grow in the hot climates around the equator and in other areas of much moisture and hot temperatures.

Taking a bromeliad from the pup stage to the full maturity stage is very rewarding. It’s a process that can be repeated over and over. With proper care it can be a great way to slowly build your collection and continue fostering a beautiful garden for generations. With a few proper steps you’ll be able to effortlessly take pups from their mothers to their own pots and have them blooming and looking wonderful in a short period of time. The entire process of the bromeliad pup takes about a year to two years to transpire. It’s a very rewarding process for any gardener and bromeliad enthusiast.

Sources

BSI.org (http://www.bsi.org/)

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromeliaceae)