How to Asexually Propogate Bromeliads
When it comes to asexually propagating bromeliads, the plant does nearly all the work for you. This simple reproduction method of bromeliad plants helps make up for the fact that most species of bromeliad bloom only once. After the bloom dies, the plant produces pups, offshoots of the mother plant, that grow from beneath the soil line and receive their nutrition from the main plant until they're mature enough to thrive on their own. Learning when and how to remove the pups and how to protect the new plants will help you multiply your bromeliads with confidence. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bromeliad plant with at least one pup that's 1/3 to half the size of the mother plant
- Newspaper
- Clippers
- A 4 or 5-inch diameter pot for each pup
- Bark or wood chips
- Perlite
- Peat moss
Instructions
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1
Remove the bromeliad from the pot by gently grasping the plant at its base and turning the pot upside down. Gently pull the bromeliad out of the pot.
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2
Brush soil away from the base of the plant near the pup to expose the point where the pup joins the mother plant. Gently pull the pup at its base. It may separate from the mother plant without needing to be cut. If it resists removal, clip it off right at the base of the mother plant. Remove any other pups using the same technique.
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3
Pot the mother plant right away. Leave the bromeliad pup or pups in a shady spot for one to two days. This allows the base of the plant to protect itself with a callous so it will be less vulnerable to possible diseases entering through the tear or cut at its base when you plant it.
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4
Mix equal parts of bark or wood chips, perlite and peat moss and fill each pot to within 1 inch of the top with this growing medium. Center the bromeliad pup in the pot. Hold the pup in one hand and use the fingers of your other hand to create a 2-inch hole in the growing medium for the pup's base.
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5
Insert the pup in the growing medium. Press the mixture down firmly around your new asexually propagated bromeliad. Repeat this procedure for any remaining pups.
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Tips & Warnings
Water tank-style bromeliads in the center cup. Tank-style bromeliads such as certain tillandsias have a center basin with leaves radiating out from it.
Never saturate the growing medium with water -- this can cause the plant to rot.
Use distilled water or rain water to water bromeliads. Tap water can be too high in sodium and minerals.
Most varieties of bromeliad bloom only once, but you can keep growing it as a foliage plant. It may eventually produce more pups.
Keep clippers out of reach of children.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
