Depends on what bromeliad it is...2-4 years is average maturiy for most broms

Hi

I appreciate the answer, I am not sure what it was, nobody could ever ID it.
I guess we are doing ok so. Do I need to do something to help it flower?
I keep it under my porch it gets partial sun and loves it.

Thanks

Patrick

Did you post a pic here on the forum?

Hi Patrick,
Pups don't flower - but after they are a little bigger -
You can get a bromeliad to flower if you do do a couple of things:

1) AFTER your normal watering in an 6" flower pot - use 1/4 c. of the folowing mixture every Other week -

MIX -
In 1 pint of water mix 1 Tbls of Epsom Salts and use this twice a month AFTER you water your bromeliad. If you use this mix without watering your bromeliad first - you might burn your plant because the mixture is a fertilizer. So water First!

2) In the spring - put the bromeliad with all the water drained from its cup inside a tightly closed, clear plastic bag and a ripe apple. Keep the apple and the bromeliad for a little over a week to 10 days in this clear closed bag. Keep it in a cool place that gets indirect sun.

Soon you will begin to see the plant produce a flower. Take it out of the bag in 10 days. Just keep the bromeliad in an indirect sun and fetilize it as I mentioned previously.

* If you want to get more pups from a bromeliad - keep it pot-bound and in a smaller container than you need for the plant!

Good luck!

Get your plant identified before you do anything...if its a young pup it wont flower..no sense cooking in a plastic bag or getting fungus on the plant and killing it...small pots make small plants

Here is an old fashioned word :PATIENCE: Just let mother nature do her thing!They will eventually flower!!

To hotdiggetydam:

I haven't posted a pic of it but I can. Do you or anybody else want to see my pups?

Anita:

Very informative post, thanks so much for the help.

Sanga:

I have indeed let mother nature do it's thing as I watched the 2 pups take over the pot slowly over the course of winter. They are as big now as mother plant was originaly.

Thanks to all keep them coming (Posts!)

Patrick

Pictures are always welcome here :)