Homestead Brooklyn’s Summer Rayne Oaks teaches the ins and outs of repotting bromeliads. Follow along as she explains the difference between a pup and a mother plant, as well as what occurs when the pup is removed vs. left on to continue growing. She demonstrates us how both eventualities in the repotting process appear using her extensive plant collection.
Summer Rayne demonstrates how to propagate a fresh new bromeliad from an old one. She was able to resurrect the plant with the proper care.
The best soil for bromeliads is a nutrient-rich barky airy mix, such as The Espoma Company’s Organic Orchid Mix.
You may either remove the pup for the mother to develop another or keep it on and watch it grow from the mother till it expires once it reaches 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant.
- Get a pair of gloves. You should take precautions because some of the leaves are thorny.
- Grab a pair of scissors or a pair of sheers. You’ll need something sharp to remove the pup before repotting if the mother plant is dehydrated or if you want to remove the pup before repotting.
- If feasible, take the bromeliad out of the container and detach it from the mother plant.
- Place the bromeliad in the center of the new container and fill it with Espoma’s Orchid Mix. It prefers to have room to breathe, so don’t tuck it in too tightly.
*Remember, you can plant a healthy mother plant and a healthy pup together or separately if you have both. It won’t be harmed in any case.
When should a bromeliad be repotted?
Bromeliads have small root systems, therefore they do best in compact containers. Plants that are still young can be safely potted in 4 inch containers. If a young bromeliad has outgrown its container, it may benefit from repotting. The optimum time to do this is in the spring. A planter pot no larger than 6 inches will suffice for most full-sized bromeliads. Overwatering might be a problem if you use a larger plant container than you need. Take care not to put plants too deeply or too shallowly when repotting a giant bromeliad or small offsets. Crown rot can be avoided by planting a bromeliad towards the base of the leaves. If the plant’s root system isn’t strong enough to keep it upright in its new container, use wooden stakes to keep it in place. Allowing the bromeliad to move about freely can harm the roots as they develop. The stakes can be removed once the plant has grown a root system capable of supporting the plant’s weight.
Check out these wonderful articles for more information on bromeliad basic care:
What type of soil do bromeliads like?
Soil. Indoor bromeliads thrive in fast-draining potting soil that retains moisture but drains quickly. It’s common to use a blend of two-thirds peat-based soil and one-third sand. Orchid mix, charcoal, or soilless potting mix are more options.
Do bromeliads like small pots?
Surprisingly, a number of gardeners I know have left some of their bromeliads outside during the winter. At ground level, the potted bromeliads are placed amid other plants. They’ve discovered that as long as temps stay in the upper to mid-20s, they’re surprisingly hardy in sheltered, protected settings. During the extremely strong freezes in January, bromeliads outside would have required to be moved inside. As a result, don’t leave anything outside in the cold that you can’t easily move inside if necessary.
The majority of bromeliads are grown in well-drained potting mix in containers. Your newly purchased flowering bromeliad won’t need to be repotted into a larger container. It will fit in the container you purchase it in. If you buy a young plant that still needs to grow, you’ll have to repot it into a larger container as it outgrows the one it’s in. When you do, mix equal parts sphagnum peat moss, medium-grade horticultural perlite, and fine fir bark in a light potting soil with some extra perlite, or make your own using equal parts sphagnum peat moss, medium-grade horticultural perlite, and fine fir bark.
Because most bromeliads have short root systems, they are usually cultivated in pots that are too small for the plant’s size. As long as the pot has drainage holes, it can be made of clay or plastic. Because of their weight, clay pots are more sturdy and may be ideal for plants that are top heavy. In the bottom of the pot, a layer of pea gravel can add weight and stability (this does not help drainage).
Bromeliads prefer to be allowed to dry slightly between waterings, therefore the mix should not be kept constantly wet. Many bromeliad species can store a significant amount of water in the vase-like center of the plant. Because the leaves can absorb water, this should always be maintained full of water.
Do bromeliads like sun or shade?
Many bromeliads don’t require direct sunshine and, in fact, thrive in shaded areas, which is why they thrive under large trees. Soft-leaf bromeliads, in general, want more shade than hard-leaf types.
How often do I water bromeliads?
Bromeliads are one of the most low-maintenance houseplants available. They prefer moist and humid settings and are native to tropical regions of North and South America. They are, however, drought-tolerant plants that can tolerate some neglect. You only need to water your plant every other week or so because bromeliads tend to dry out in residential surroundings. You’ll need to water both the soil and the cup, but just half-filling the latter to avoid rot.
Do bromeliads like coffee grounds?
Hello, Scott! Coffee is the solution! First and foremost, nothing compares to the taste of freshly brewed coffee…and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the morning…what could be better? You also get a supply of coffee grounds to use on the garden when you’ve finished your coffee.
For the past few years, I’ve used coffee grounds in and around bromeliads, primarily Alcantarea, to stop slugs and snails from eating the leaves, and it also kills mosquitos when poured into the cups. Now, I merely shake out the container of leftover coffee grinds over and around the plants, so I think I’ve utilized it in moderation. It would be fascinating to see how much could be put into (and remained in) the brom cups before any damage occurred. My advice is to use it and then give the bromeliad a nice flush with new water over the next 24 hours.
Coffee grounds may be used to ‘treat’ palms and cycads, as well as bromeliads…this was mentioned on the plam discussion forum, so I tested it on Dypsis and a few scale-covered cycads. No more scale problems after mixing the coffee grinds with a pail of water and pouring it over the plant.
I’ve recently discovered a new application for them. I dug up an area of garden in our patio about a month ago, added nice fresh garden mix, and planted it out with mini mondo grass…well, the local cats loved it, digging up my fresh garden mix to use as their litter box…leaving mini modos scattered everywhere…after replanting them many times over, I thought about tipping coffee grounds over the area…and it worked, we haven’t had a single cat visit since. It would be interesting to observe if the coffee grounds method works with dogs, as they appear to enjoy delving into the stinky center of some broms.
How big do potted bromeliads get?
Bromeliads can grow to be anything from 1 inch to 2 or 3 feet tall when cultivated as houseplants. They grow slowly and can survive a long time if properly cared for. Their unusual look sword-like foliage and bright, stunning blossoms can create the impression that this plant is difficult to grow.
How do you root bromeliads?
Remove the pups using a sterilized, sharp knife. To see where to make cuts, it’s generally best to remove the mother from the container. Cut the pup from the parent, keeping a little portion of the parent and the offset.
Plant bromeliad puppies in a suitable moist peat mixture. The container should be twice the size of the puppy’s foundation. You can tie the puppy to a cork board or even a limb if it doesn’t have roots. Before watering the puppy in its tiny cup, let the medium dry out a little.
Repot and care for the mother plant as usual if she appears to be in good health. With any hope, she will have additional pups before she passes away.
Do bromeliads only flower once?
You’ll want to get rid of the flowers once they’ve finished flowering. This instructs the bromeliad to devote more energy to its young. Although my Aechmea had done blooming by late October, I didn’t remove the flowers until December. Even so, the bromeliad continues to generate more pups. You’ll need to water the bromeliad again, as you did before. In its core cup, as well as at the margins of the soil, I give it filtered water. My plant appears to be doing well, despite being set back significantly from a south-facing window. Bromeliads with stiffer, thicker leaves require stronger light, whereas softer leaf species can withstand some dappled light.
What do you do with a bromeliad after it blooms?
Cut the bloom stem with a sharp, sterilized blade to remove a wasted bloom. Make a clean cut as close as possible to the remaining plant without hurting it. You can discard the bloom in the trash or compost it once it’s been plucked. Don’t give up on your bromeliad just because the blooms have faded. Now comes the exciting part: the pups will start to appear. Check out our free Bromeliad Puppies Guide or our post A Beginner’s Guide to Bromeliad Pups for more information on how to recognize bromeliad pups, remove them from the mother plant, properly pot them, and care for them.