I have never found the need to. Pups will soon send out roots once potted up. Some even send them out while still on the mum.

If you live in an area that has constant high humidity...using rooting hormones is a bad idea. It causes mold and rot easily. And less is better than more... no matter where you live.

Rooting hormones often also have fungicide. When I was researching fungicides I read that some of them accelerate rooting in bromeliads by controlling fungus that eats the roots. So it might do that if nothing else.

I have tried many and all had the same result more often than not...in high humidity, no matter what the labels said about the fungicide contents, was not my experience. All I am saying becareful using ANY hormone on plants.

Somewhat important question: what kind of bromeliad are you working with? With epiphytic broms forcing root growth is next to useless unless you want something to work with for mounting or potting. The roots on these species do little (if any) uptake of nutrients and moisture, their function is support.

If you're working with a terrestrial bromeliad rooting is still a pretty simple subject. As long as the pup has had some time to develop on the mom plopping it in good soil and keeping it moist is plenty enough for them to start sending out roots.

For the most part rooting hormone just isn't necessary when it comes to bromeliads.

Thanks for the replies. I was waiting to see your responses before I used it. Going by the replies I won't use it at all.

Hi everyone.

bromilad - Some years ago I did a little experiment on Neoregelia pups to see if anything would help produce roots more quickly especially during the colder months of autumn and winter here where I live on the South Coast of New South Wales Australia and below are the results:

PROMOTING ROOTS ON NEOREGELIA PUPS

A few years back I decided to trial several different methods for promoting roots on Neoregelia pups during our autumn and winter which during that period the lowest temperature was 8 degrees C (46 degrees F).

Initially I found several plants of the same name and size, each with two pups. This gave me the opportunity to select pups (eight in total) of the same size and maturity so that the trial was a fair comparison between pups, (at least as fair as I could make it). All pups were "clean cut" with no evidence of existing roots.

I then decided what methods I would try. Like many growers I read different articles from time to time and end up putting the interesting ones in a file for future use. At this time I had a file about different methods of promoting roots on Neo. pups that were all claimed by their authors to be the best; so these methods were the ones I selected to trial plus two of my own ideas.

The pups in this trial were all accommodated side by side in a shade house protected by 75% beige shade cloth.

There was no fertiliser of any type used during the trial.

Where a potting mix was used it was the same for all pups.

Method 1 was to pot the pup up as usual in my normal potting mix. This would be the pup against which all others would be compared.

Method 2 was to pot the pup in just fresh Sphagnum Moss and nothing else.

Method 3 was to use a polystyrene box with holes in the lid of sufficient size to allow the base of the pup to be pushed through. The bottom of the box then had a couple of inches of ordinary tap water added and the lid (with pup) was fitted back onto the box so that the pup was suspended about ten inches above the water below; the idea being was that the humidity would encourage roots on the pup.

Method 4 was similar to method 3 except instead of water, the base of the box contained three inches of well soaked Coco Peat.

Method 5 the pup was treated as per instructions with a Hormone Powder and potted up in normal potting mix.

Method 6 the pup was treated as per instructions with a Hormone Gel and potted up in normal potting mix.

Method 7 the pup had the “heel” (where the roots emerge from) wrapped in fresh Sphagnum Moss and planted in the normal potting mix.

Method 8 the pup was potted in damp coarse propagating sand and nothing else.

The trial was carried out at the start of Autumn and after three months all pups were checked for evidence of roots; none were visible.

After six months (just at the end of winter) the plants were again checked for roots.

RESULTS:

Although there was no evidence of rot in any of the pups, the results weren't as spectacular as I was led to believe by what I had read in articles recommending the various methods. Because it was during the colder months the pups with no roots just appeared to have "sulked" and not grown at all.

Method 1 showed obvious roots just starting to emerge from the heel Method 2 showed a good root system developing with roots woven all through the Sphagnum Moss.

Method 3 had no evidence of roots whatsoever which was disappointing as this and Method 4 (again no evidence of roots) were supposed to give fantastic results according to the author who wrote the article recommending them.

Methods 5 and 6 showed the same root development as in Method 1.

Method 7 showed a reasonably well developed root system through the Sphagnum and just starting into the potting mix although nowhere near as advanced as the one in Method 2

Method 8 had a good showing of roots which were just 1-2mm in length.

So based on what I found with my trial (and I stress it was in my own yard under my own conditions and very different to conditions in other countries), I think that the hormone powder and Gel that I used were a waste of time and that the age old tried and tested Sphagnum Moss gave me the best results.

When the weather started to warm up with Spring, eventually all pups produced roots but even then, the pups from method 5 and 6 showed no better roots than any other pups.

I hope this helps in some way.

All the best, Nev.

Thanks splinter1804 for the detailed reply. I will try the sphagnum moss.

How well do pups stand up in sphagnum moss? My biggest problem isn't roots but support which seems to work out better in heavier potting mix. I am actually experimenting with denser mixes just because the dry stuff (even in terra cotta pots) is too easy to knock over. Birds, squirrels, dogs, the wind, all seem to delight in knocking my plants over.

Nev, I'm trying the sphagnum moss method on my new Billbergia 'Pipeline' pup....
I've had it for about two weeks, planted in potting soil a few days, then decided to dip it in rooting hormone and put it back in the potting soil, and still no sign of roots, so yesterday I stuffed an empty pot with sphagnum and put it in there - seems to stand up fine in the moss.
Hopefully it will root out soon...
Peyton

A nice trick I've found for standing up pups in any potting material is lava rocks (any medium sized rocks will do, of course). A simple ring around the base of the plant is great for keeping it upright while the roots take hold. The rock support also makes sure the lower sides of the plant aren't sitting in sodden media and can help prevent rot. For larger pups more prone to falling over I layer the entire top of the pot with lava rocks and build them up a bit higher around the base of the plant. I've had great success doing this on really tall and lanky pineapple suckers.

Hi everyone.

rpwalton - You say you've had your pup for 2 weeks and no roots after dipping it in rooting hormone a couple of days prior. I think if you get roots that quick, you could make a fortune marketing whatever product you're using.

In the meantime I would suggest you grow a big batch of patience because that's what you're going to need as they won't root that quickly, at least they won't here.

naoh123 - Your method of stabilising the pup sounds fine. I don't think it matters how you do it, you just have to prevent the pup from moving. I have found that any pup will be reluctant to put down roots if it isn't firm in the pot or anything its mounted on.

I just use 3 bamboo BBQ skewers as stakes to support unstable pups and they work fine. The skewers don't look too good but once there are some roots to keep the pup firm, they can be removed anyway. (Even the bamboo chop sticks you get with Chinese take-away are good as well)

See the attached pic showing the BBQ skewers holding up an old (rootless) Bill. sanderiana mother plant.

All the best, Nev

Yeah, a couple weeks is a short time, and I am impatient about getting this 'Pipeline' pup to root out....

One thing I didn't mention is that it seemed to be staying too wet in the potting soil - it's outdoors and we've been getting a lot of rain the past few weeks, and then I read hotdiggetydam's comment about rooting hormones possibly causing rot problems under wet conditions, and the hormone I dipped it in is the powder type so there was sticky clingy wet powder stuck on the stem....
And I like the idea of more air around the base with the sphagnum moss...

Something else I plant to try on other pups with no roots is haydite calcined clay - it works really great for rooting out hard to root succulents, so I expect it will work well with broms also...

I read a 2012 discussion in this forum about getting pups to grow roots. That discussion also suggested sphagnum moss.
Is it the moss or the moist open medium. Would vermiculite or a course mulch be just as good, although what I have read indicates sphagnum moss is uniquely good under most conditions provided the pups are secured.
I am also thinking of the pictures of Broms in the jungle in trees, the pups grow between the spent leaves still attached and the open roots of the mother perhaps sphagnum moss closely simulates this environment.
Maybe we need a second group of splinter1804 tests trying to optimize the spag moss / density/moisture etc..

Hi everyone.

Your suggestion of a second lot of tests is a good one bromilad and I whole hardheartedly support you and volunteer you to do it.

All the best, Nev.

Checked on my 'Pipeline' pup in the moss a few days ago and it had one nice big white root :-)

Hi Nev.

I'll try some tests once I get a few pups. Down here in Melbourne things are still a bit cool so the Broms are still fast asleep. Hopefully some new pups will be popping up soon.

Cheers Mike

When I pot up pups, I soak the pot in Seasol. I do this with all plants I pot, not only broms. This throughly soaks the soil and gets the air pockets out initally, then I just water normally.
By the time the brom flowers, usually 2yrs, the pot is full of roots and it is hard to get the plant out.

Hi everyone

Sunshine - That sounds like a good idea and one I've not heard of before, but then down here there's not many people using terracotta pots any more and it certainly wouldn't work on plastic.

Something a friend of mine always does (I haven't tried it myself) is to soak his pine bark based potting mix in a barrow with liquid fertiliser for twenty four hours when he first mixes it up. He then drains it for a couple of days before using it. It seems to work very well for him as he grows really nice plants.

All the best, Nev.

Interesting thread! Thanks, I learned a lot (though am terribly lazy and let the pups burgeon over the sides of the pots and eventually repot things when they look mangy.....) Janine

Hi everyone

Janine - Often the pups that are let go and get to a larger size do better than those taken off at the "recommended size" of 1/3 to 1/2 of the size of the mother.

They seem to continue growing whereas the smaller ones sometimes tend to "sulk" for a while before they put down roots and start to grow.

All the best, Nev.