Bromeliad plants bloom once in a lifetime. After your bromeliad blooms, the plant will slowly die. So what to do with mother bromeliad?
Mother bromeliad produces some offsets or pups before it dies. Also, she is very important for these pups. Once the pups are able to re-pot, you can separate them from the mother and clean the pot.
Here we will guide you on what you can do with mother bromeliad and how to remove it.
What Should You Do with Mother Bromeliad After Flowering?
Bromeliads are supposed to bloom only once in their lifetime. After they have flowered, they will die.
However, it is their nature to produce offsets or pups, which will take the place of the mother plant.
Here are guides on what to do with your mother’s bromeliad after flowering.
Cut the Stem Down
Once your bromeliad has bloomed, you can cut the stem down to the base. The plant will start to produce offsets or pups at the bottom of the plant. You can leave the offsets on the mother plant.
Wait Till the Offsets to Grow
You can also wait until the offsets have grown before you remove the mother plant.
Once the offsets are a few inches tall and have enough root system, you can then pot them up into their own pot.
Be sure to keep the offsets moist until they are established in their new pot.
Remove the Mother Plant
Mother plants eventually die after bloom, so you have the option to remove them from the pot. Today or tomorrow, she should be replaced by her children.
It is good to remove her and clean the place for the new generation. You can dispose of the plant in various ways. But all you need to wait until the pups are ready to re-pot.
How to Remove Mother Bromeliad?
Mother bromeliads are beautiful, but they can be difficult to remove. Here is the step-by-step guide on how to remove mother bromeliads –
Step 1: Cut the Stem
Use a sharp knife or garden shear to cut the plant’s stem. Cut as close to the base of the plant as possible.
Step 2: Remove the Leaves of Mother Plants
Carefully cut the leaves of the mother plant away from the stem. You want to make sure that you do not damage the stem.
Step 3: Separate the Offsets
To avoid any harm to offsets while removing the mother plant, you must be very careful.
Gently pull the offsets away from the mother plant. If the offsets are too big, you can use a knife to cut them out.
Step 4: Take out the Mother Form Pot
After removing the offsets and the leaves, you can now remove the mother from the pot. Slowly remove the soil around the base of the plant.
Step 5: Dispose
Once you have removed the mother bromeliad, you can bury the dead plant to help fertilize your garden or dispose of it in the trash.
With little care, you can remove the mother plant without harming the new generation.
Final Words
In conclusion, As bromeliads are a single blooming plant, they will slowly die after they flower.
So, you must have to remove the plant after it dies. Just wait until the offsets grow enough to consume nutrients from the soil.
Hope this article helped. What do you do with your bromeliad mother plant after blooming? Share your tips in the comment section below.
Resources:
- https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/2017/06/20/q-bromeliad-starting-produce-little-plants-off-side-need-separate-original-plant/
- https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bromeliads/
- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP337
