Propagate ornamental bromeliads this way after the flowers wither, and they can bloom again two years later

Recently a friend asked me how to deal with ornamental bromeliads after their flowers have withered. Below I will teach you how to keep ornamental bromeliads propagating continuously. This method is actually division propagation, using its offsets for re-cuttings, and afterward they can still keep blooming continuously.

Ornamental bromeliads all like warm, humid environments. Even in winter, the temperature must stay above 10°C, and high air humidity must be maintained. This way, ornamental bromeliads can keep their flowering period for a longer time.

After the flower bracts of ornamental bromeliads wither, some pups will grow again from the sides. These are the new seedlings. There are more than 3,000 varieties of ornamental bromeliads, and they are generally propagated by division. Once their offsets have grown fairly large, they can be re-cut for propagation.

Did you see the offset in the red circle in the picture above?

The flowers of most ornamental bromeliads can bloom for more than two months, and some even bloom throughout the whole winter and spring. The red and yellow parts are actually their flower bracts; their true flowers are hidden inside and are very small.

After you see that the flowers of an ornamental bromeliad have withered, do not water inside the flower bracts, otherwise it can easily cause rot and also easily give off a bad smell. Withered flower bracts should be removed promptly. After that, maintain a certain level of air humidity, provide the care environment with appropriate scattered light, keep the environment ventilated, and keep the care temperature above 15°C.

Many people throw away ornamental bromeliads after seeing their flower bracts wither. In fact, they can continue to be cared for. They will grow new offsets, and as long as these grow to about 15 cm, they can be transplanted.

Their offsets generally appear after the flower bracts wither, though some appear during or before flowering. If you want to grow the offsets to flowering, it takes a very long time, generally about 1 to 3 years.

After the flowers of an ornamental bromeliad are cut off, keep as many leaves as possible. This can promote the sprouting of offsets, benefit growth, and bring more nutrients to the offsets. In subsequent care, avoid watering directly into the center of the leaves. Water directly into the soil in the pot instead. It is best to use peat soil mixed with bark, sand, or perlite. This can maintain good drainage, allow the roots to breathe, and also retain a certain amount of moisture.

Why do your ornamental bromeliad offsets still fail to bloom after growing up?

Some friends re-propagate ornamental bromeliad offsets by cuttings, and after growing them for two or three years they still do not bloom. The reason is actually insufficient nutrients.

I have asked some friends at the nursery. For relatively young ornamental bromeliads, ethylene gas is generally used to promote flowering. During the flowering period of ornamental bromeliads, giving them ethylene can make them bloom.

However, ordinary gardening enthusiasts cannot possibly have ethylene gas at home, so we can place some ripe fruit next to it. An apple left out naturally will release ethylene gas.

Generally, put an apple that is not yet fully ripe into a bag, then put the apple and the bromeliad together into the bag. Then, as the apple slowly ripens, the apple ripening in the plastic bag will slowly release ethylene. This generally takes about three weeks, and the bag needs to be opened appropriately every day for ventilation.

After 8 to 13 weeks, the ornamental bromeliad can develop new flower spikes.