Thanks Nev! :) I honestly didn't know what to do when my fiance dropped the plant onto me this last Valentine's day, but I have immensely enjoyed it. I only recently realized there are approximately 3 flower shops nearby, so I'm planning a trip there to see about a larger pot (the one it is in currently isn't very large, and no matter what, I do think a larger pot would be best.) I know there is no way I could put my bromeliad outside-- far too cold here in Wisconsin!
I will ask at the shops what they think I should do with the plant. I have noticed leaves on the mother plant turning brown as of late and it bothers me, but if they're supposed to pup and die, then I guess it makes more sense.
If I went for a clump, how large of a pot would you recommend they have? I think that will be my biggest challenge as I live in a small apartment with my son and space is precious.

Tara- I'm in the Milwaukee area as well, although I don't have any Guzmania. It can summer outside out of direct sun (north side of a building) as long as the temps are above 60. Leave the repotting for later and when you do repot make sure the media you use is very well draining. Basic potting mix has too much peat in it. The link has some good info for you.

Guz care

tj

A flower shop would probably not be your best bet to find reasonably priced pots. If you have a store like Home Depot or Lowes they might have what you are looking for. Then again, pots are not that expensive and the ability to know where it is and not have to search for a place that carrys what you want might be worth the extra price. I wonder if a flower shop will sell anything except flowers. I guess it depends on what is meant by flower.
Have fun with your beautiful plant.
L.G.

TJ- Thank you! I may try to make a box to hang from my window (2nd floor apartmen ftl) to get it some sun this summer. :)
Lynn-

:) Yeah, I have a pot from one of my mom's old plants that I think will do nicely to give the bromeliad some space. :) I just want to be sure that I don't get too small of a pot for it, if that makes sense. :) This one is about double the space it has now, so I think the upgrade would be nice when its safe to repot it. :)

I admit that my previous comment was not very useful.

As far as a pot that is twice the size, you need to make sure that it has good drainage with an increase of that magnitude. If the ratio of wet soil to roots is to much it can promote root rot.

L.G.

The roots of a bromeliad don't get very substantial. Most bromeliads grow up in the canopies of the rainforests on the sides of trees, just like orchids. So they don't require large pots to grow in. Just one large enough to accommodate the plant(s). Bigger isn't necessarily better. Perhaps a wider, shallow pot, seeing as their roots don't necessarily grow deep but rather spread out.

I just recently repotted my bromeliad, which hasn't bloomed yet. When I removed all of the old potting mix, there wasn't that much of a root structure. Which is perfectly fine. I wasn't expecting there to be. After mine has bloomed and begins to grow pups of its own, I'll move them to a wider pot too, keeping the pups clumped together as one.

:) Ah. I didn't know they don't have a large root system. :) That makes me feel a bit better about it. I know this one is a standard little pot that I'm thinking of moving it to, but it drains a lot better than the one its in now (current one doesn't drain at all).

Just make sure you don't water the dirt just water the cups formed by the leaves. You don't even need a pot and can super glue it onto driftwood, the roots are just to keep it on the tree.

Interesting plant and tropical so it should stay inside in Milwaukee. It's an epiphyte that grows on trees. It's ok in the pot though. We have them growing wild in Florida. Thank him for that very special gift.

The dirt needs to be moist atleast part of the time.
This link can give you more information on how to care for your plant. For more just try searching the plant name.
This plant needs a pot. I think that Laura is confusing your plant with a group of broms called tillandsia. They are also called air plants because they do not need roots except to stay on the tree. With tillandsias you can glue them to a stick except the one tillandsia that needs a pot called pink quill. A pink quill does need soil but not even as much as most broms. Your plant is not a tillandsia, it needs a pot with good dirt. If you did try to stick a tillandsia (not pink quill) in dirt it would rot and if you tried up rooting your plant it would die.

Have fun with your plant.

L.G.

Hi everyone.

Tara - Now that the conversation has got around to pot types, I don't know what types of pots are used where you live but here in Australia, most brom growers use what we call a "squat pot". These are plastic and come in all the same diameters as the normal plastic pots but are shorter in height and are better suited to bromeliads than the standard pots. They are also available with holes in the sides for better aeration of the potting mix and roots.

All the best, Nev.