Blooming Bromeliads Again
Reblooming Bromeliad Plants Information, Tips and Suggestions
Ever wondered if your bromeliad is going to bloom again (rebloom)?
Here is a great informational post with some great tips on bromeliad reblooming…
Let’s deal with the old flower first.
A few months have past since you have gotten your bromeliad, the “flower” was beautiful and added color in exactly the right spot. You’ve held on as long as you could and now, the flower is fading, in fact it is getting near ugly. The question is “Now that the bloom is gone, what do I do with the plant?”
Questions this guide will answer…
- Do I cut the flower off?
- Will the plant die?
- Will it ever bloom again?
Do I cut the flower off?
The answer is yes. The plant has finished its course and no matter what you try you’re not going to be able to make the flower “hang on” any longer. The most common varieties that will have to be cut off are the Aechmeas, Guzmanias and Vrieseas.
Take a sharp knife or even a pair of your favorite pruning shears and cut off the bloom spike as far down as you possibly can. You may not have any color remaining and be left with a sorry looking excuse from a bromeliad, but you can still keep growing your plant.
Will the plant die?
You can keep growing your bromeliad plant just as you did in the past. If you have a Guzmania or Vriesea, it’s probably a good time to give the leaves a cleaning with some fresh clean water and a soft cloth.
Over time, the bromeliad will begin to put out new plants or what we call “pups” from the base. These pups should remain on the parent plant until they reach approximately 1/2 to 3/4 the size of the parent plant.
Now is also a good time to move the bromeliad into brighter light, if possible.
Will it ever bloom again?
Although your bromeliad will never bloom again from the original plant, the “pups” will grow and can even produce a blooming flower if given enough care, water and light.
Remember that most of the bromeliads produced today never grow to their full size. Many times, when the plants reach about 3/4 of their full, size they are treated to flower and shipped out.
The treating is simply a gas such as ethylene (which is given off by ripening fruit) that will force the plant to induce a bloom.
Bromeliads are wonderful plants for indoor use that can add beautiful blooming color to any interiorscape, whether home or office.
Bromeliads Blooming Information
June 8, 2006
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carol posted on September 8, 2006:
Question: I have two bromeliads that I have put outside this summer. The mother plants leaves have turned white from the sun. The mother plant is still healthy and is producing “pups”. Do I cut off the sun damaged leaves or just cut the pups?
admin posted on September 8, 2006:
@Carol - I would leave the leaves alone and wait for the pups to grow to the size explained above. After you cut the pups you can discard the mother bromeliad and start caring for the pups. Good luck!
Dory posted on September 17, 2006:
If you place apples or other fruit in the soil or on the soil in the pot at the base of the plants will that encourage the pups to produce flowers?
admin posted on November 6, 2006:
@Dory - You got it! As the fruit decomposes it will give off nutrients that will trigger the bromeliad to bloom.
Alison posted on November 29, 2007:
You are the BEST! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I recently moved to a more humid area, and Bromeliads love it here. Now I have finally found a site to answer all my questions regarding the proper care for my new finds. My pups are half the size of their mom- looking forward to raising them properly! Sincerely, Alison
Deborah posted on January 13, 2008:
Question: If a bromeliad has frozen, can it produce pups in the spring or should the entire plant be thrown out?