Question
I have one that was rec'd as a gift. I want to know if I can get it to continue blooming. I've had it over a year in the same 6" pot.  

Answer
Hi Vicki,

Your Guzmania is a Bromeliads and in the same family as pineapples and Spanish moss. Bromeliads are "monocarpic." That means they die after flowering. The death is a slow one, usually taking up to 3 years. In the interim, 1 to 3 offsets (called babies or pups) are produced to carry on the species. I am sure you have noticed these offsets getting larger.

The pups can be left on the mother plant or they can be severed and potted up separately. If you choose the latter, then wait until the pups are about one-third to one-half the size of the mother. This takes about 6 to 9 months, so I am sure yours are large enough.

Remove the soil where the pup attaches to the mother plant. Most of the time the pup can be pulled away from the mother with a firm but gentle tug. Otherwise, cut the pup low on the woody part of the stem that attaches the pup to the mother. Allow the severed pup to sit in the open air (out of the sun) for a day before potting it. Pot the severed pup in a small pot filled with a mix of peat moss and perlite. Keep this mix damp and place it in bright light away from direct sunlight. Keep temps above 65 degrees. You may want to place it inside a clear plastic bag to help maintain high humidity for the first month after it is potted up.

It may take several years before the offsets are mature enough to flower. Make sure they stay tightly potted in pots no more than 6" in diameter. Provide lots of very bright light and of course keep watering properly. After they reach maturity, you may want to put the Guzmanias in a clear plastic bag along with a ripe apple for 7 to 10 days. The ethylene gas given off by the ripening apple will help stimulate flowers.

If all of this is a bit much, then just keep doing what you have been doing. Eventually the original plant will die and you can remove the dead leaves. You will still have a pot filled with healthy green offsets, even if they never flower.


Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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