Sometimes when plants are uprooted and shipped it causes pups to appear before it blooms(maybe a form of shock) ..if that info helps

I don't currently grow this species of Portea, but I would imagine that it is similar to Portea petropoliteana in its preferences. P. petropoliteana can take full sun if it is hardened off gradually, and is often seen growing in back dunes near the beach, so it does prefer good drainage. You often see this growing best outdoors year round in southern California, where it can form big clumps with multiple blooms, and will typically pup before it blooms. Seems to prefer the warmer temps of southern California as a landscape plant, as it is very shy to rebloom here in the SF Bay Area for me, I have only had it bloom once from a pup in my garden, all the other plants I have had were bought already in bud down south. I think I did have this species at one time, but it was not as cool hardy as the Portea petropoliteana. It is a shame it isn't as easy to bloom as things like Aechmea caudata or A. distichantha, and a few of the Vrieseas such as V. bituminosa which are about the only other really tall spiked bromeliads hardy enough to bloom outdoors here.

It can take full sun here. The only Portea that I know of that can't is P. kermesina.

As far as the pup goes, that doesn't necessarily mean it's bloomed already. They can pup before they bloom. It's easy enough to tell, just look down inside the cup and if you see the cut stump of an old flower stalk it has bloomed. I doubt it, though. I don't think Michael would send you a bloomed-out plant without checking to see if that was okay. If it hasn't bloomed but you don't see any new growth on the mother plant and the pup starts to take off, then it's probably shocked, as HDD says.

I've never tried the apple method but it seems like about a day should do it if the fruit is really ripe. I don't think you'd get enough concentrated ethylene gas to do the trick without enclosing it in a bag. Just don't put it in the sun while it's in the bag unless you want a cooked Portea. I'd wait a while though, and let it get a good root system going and make sure the mother is healthy and actively growing before forcing it to bloom. The weaker and younger the plant the weaker and smaller the flower. It's also best not to treat it with anything when it's got a pup on it. If the pup gets exposed to ethylene, it'll likely bloom too even if it's immature. Just be aware that ethylene takes a toll on the plant. It's fine if it's healthy, but if it has any diseased or damaged leaves the ethylene will cause them to turn brown. It basically speeds up the aging process.

Porteas are not strict terrestrials in the same sense as Dyckias or Cryptanthus which can't be grown epiphytically at all. They're like Aechmeas, Billbergias and Neos, in that they can absorb water through both the roots and the foliage. They can be grown as epiphytes in a tropical setting, but outside of the rainforest you're better off putting them into a well-drained potting mix.

Thanks for the info everybody.

@Lisa, I was planing on trying the apple method with this plant until i saw the pup and went online for info. Once again reading one of your old posts stopped me from doing something dumb...you should write a book.

If the mother doesn't bloom i was planning to try it on the offspring once its mature.

The plant will do best potted in any free draining mix, in a 6-8" pot size. It will be happier outside during the summer months. It will take bright light but full afternoon sun during the summer may be too much. Full morning or late day sun is fine.