i have A bromeliad Aechmeas, It bloomed about 5 years ago, but the mother never had pups. And now its producing new leaves out th

Question

e center! What’s going on with my plant, any ideas!? I have worked as a florist for over 25 years and have never seen this happen.I also read somewhere once the mother blooms she wont be able to grow any new leaves out the center. I’m thinking about putting her in a bag with a ripe apple and see what happens! Another bloom or at least some pups would be nice! I have always gotten babies off the mother after bloom and then she promptly died. Never had one hang on this long and then grow new leaves! Not that I’m complaining!!

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Answer 1

I wouldn't expect much from it. This is just a last ditch effort for survival. Something is off with the soil (Most are epiphytic and don't actually use soil for nutrients, they are just planted in soil because they can survive but is by no means the best medium to grow in for these) so it is not producing pups. This will usually occur before the mother starts to die back.

This article will give you an idea of the conditions needed to growth these properly: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/bromeliad/growing-bromeliad-plants.htm