How to Propagate and Care for Bromeliad Pups

Without getting too technical, bromeliads are a type of air plant or epiphyte, meaning the plant actually draws what it needs from the humidity in the air. This plant doesn’t technically need soil, but soil does provide a nice way to anchor the plant into a pot while providing an extra boost of nutrients and water. In nature, an epiphyte’s roots attach to trees or other plants, anchoring them to a good place where they can catch the best nutrients and humidity from the surrounding air.

Last year I bought a gorgeous bromeliad with vibrant fuchsia leaves in the center. Sadly, she is now faded and dying, but before she goes she has gifted me with four pups which will become new plants for my home. And it is now time to think about transplanting each pup in its very own pot!

4 small pots (about 3-4” in diameter)
fungicide/rooting hormone
sterile knife
potting mix
peat moss
bark
bin or container to mix soils

When choosing soil for bromeliads, it’s important that it be well draining, as these plants—like most plants—don’t like sitting in soggy soil. Soil mediums like sphagnum peat moss, sand, and orchid bark may work well. Good potting soil with bark or sand mixed in can also work well with bromeliads. Once your bromeliad is in the proper soil, the plant will not typically need repotting, unless you are propagating pups. 

The mixture I decided to use—based on what I had on hand—was 1/2 potting mix, 1/4 sphagnum peat moss, and 1/4 orchid bark. I feel like this mixture will give my pups a good draining soil with just a little boost of nutrients to help them survive the trauma of separation.

First, gently coax the plant out of its pot by turning and squeezing the pot to loosen the soil from the sides. Once the plant is free of the pot, start to loosen the soil a bit by gently massaging around the base of the plant. This will help you find the roots and better see where the plants are connected and find the shield leaves between the mother plant and pup. I do not like cutting into the plants if it is not necessary, so I just use my fingers to continue to loosen the soil and gently—and slowly—nudge the pup away from its mother. If you really must, you can use the sterilized knife to cut the two apart, making sure to keep a piece of the mother plant attached to the pup.

So in my haste, I forgot to buy rooting hormone and fungicide! Many plants need this step to help kill any fungus or bacteria from the cutting/separation process and to help them grow roots. So…I had to do a little quick research on how to make my own homemade rooting hormone. 

For my own project, I decided to use apple cider vinegar and water as a rooting hormone and fungicide, being careful to only apply a thin coating to the plant base. Then I just popped the pups into the soil mixture and watered all the plants. Rooting hormone problem solved

Your new bromeliad plants need bright indirect light, and keep newly planted pups out of direct sunlight for a while.