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Thread: Re-blooming bromeliads?

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  1. #1
    Real Name
    Angie
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    Default Re-blooming bromeliads?

    My husband has a bromeliad that was in bloom when he got it. The blooms faded over a year ago, and it put up a strong new generation of growth. However, it has not re-bloomed.

    I've read you can force a bromeliad to bloom by putting it in a bag with a ripe apple, but my husband does not want to force it in case it is not ready to produce a new generation of 'pups' after the blooming.

    Is there anything culturally we should be doing to encourage blooming? Are they generally easy to re-bloom indoors on a windowsill?

  2. #2
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    Susan
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    Default

    Are you talking about Tillandsia type of bromiliads? I have several and they are growing with my out of control African Violet on a windowsill with a compact fluorescent light. I have had only a couple blooms, though one is getting ready to bloom right now. I suspect they need more light than most windowsills offer.

    Susan

  3. #3
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    whatever will bloom
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    Default

    It depends in large part on the type of brom in question. Many of the broms purchased in bloom -- especially from the BBS -- are forced into bloom to begin with. Many, as Susan mentioned, actually require fairly high light which the average windowsill does not provide.

    As far as "reblooming", broms do not technically 'rebloom'. The parent plant will never bloom again but the pups themselves will bloom. Also, I assume by the "blooms" fading you were refering to the colorful bracts from which the flowers emerge? (The actual flowers themselves are VERY short-lived each lasting only a couple of days.)

    If the pups are as big as the parent was, then you can give it the apple treatment and the plants should still be okay. However, there also is nothing wrong with waiting for the pups to exceed the parent in size before resorting to forced bloom.

  4. #4
    Real Name
    Bruce Brown
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    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pavel View Post
    It depends in large part on the type of brom in question. Many of the broms purchased in bloom -- especially from the BBS -- are forced into bloom to begin with. Many, as Susan mentioned, actually require fairly high light which the average windowsill does not provide.

    As far as "reblooming", broms do not technically 'rebloom'. The parent plant will never bloom again but the pups themselves will bloom. Also, I assume by the "blooms" fading you were refering to the colorful bracts from which the flowers emerge? (The actual flowers themselves are VERY short-lived each lasting only a couple of days.)

    If the pups are as big as the parent was, then you can give it the apple treatment and the plants should still be okay. However, there also is nothing wrong with waiting for the pups to exceed the parent in size before resorting to forced bloom.
    Thanks for the information!

    Cheers,
    BD

  5. #5
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    Angie
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    Default

    Despite my poor word choice , it seems my issue was understood. Yes, the blooms I was referring to were the bracts. As for the misuse of the word 're-bloom', oops. My husband does know that only the new generation of growth will get blooms.

    The tag only said bromeliad, but I just searched for pics of the Tillandsia type, and it does appear that's what we have. The pictures of Tillandsia cyanea look like a match.

    So we probably have a light issue then? I'll see what we can do about upping the light. The pups are a little bigger than the mom, but maybe with increased light they will continue to grow and even produce a bract. For now at least, we won't force it to bloom. (Even if that's what the BBS did)

    Thanks everyone!

  6. #6
    Real Name
    Angie
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    Default update

    We did move the bromeliad to a sunnier spot (still on a windowsill though), and it seems to have paid off. There appears to be a bract forming. My husband is very happy as it appears he will soon have his first earned bromeliad blooms. Thanks for the advice!

  7. #7
    Real Name
    Gita
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    fragrant phals, primary hybrid
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    Default

    This was great information for all of us!

  8. #8
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    jason
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    Nov 2008
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    Florida Panhandle
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    Default

    I appreciate the info! I have one that is just forming two pups...it's a tillandsia. It is summering outside on my deck. I had a problem with the blooms not opening...they unfurled and stayed attached at the tip. Prob too little humidity? I hope my orchids aren't reading this.

  9. #9

    Default

    Any chance anyone has any seeds from any of their broms? I owned two my freshmen yr of college..and for whatever reason i cant find those same ones in seeds, much less available to purchase online as a plant!!

  10. #10
    Real Name
    Satish
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    Outside 24/7
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    Vanda, Dendrobium, Aerid, Phal
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    Jul 2009
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    Bangalore, India
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    Default

    Typically when do the pups start to form? I have my tillandsia just "blooming" (the bract is now 4 inches big and needs to start putting out the flowers, I guess).

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