Hi everyone.

Newbie - Growing bromeliads like this isn't the best way to go about it and is purely a marketing ploy to sell more plants. The reason behind this is that these types of commercially produced Guzmanias and Vrieseas are sold mainly as a replacement for cut flowers and a cheap way to bring some colour into the home.

It's certainly a mucth better financial proposition than buying cut flowers which only usually last a couple of weeks whereas these will last for months.

The plants in your pot are two Guzmanias and a Vriesea and the reason these are chosen to plant together is that they have similar growing requirements (in the short term) albeit not the same.

You say you want to plant them in a terracotta pot, obviously because you find this more appealing to the eye, remember however that a terracotta pot dries out much quicker than a plastic one and as both of these types of plants like a dampish potting mix (not wet) I think you would be better to plant in plastic and stand them inside terracotta for appearance.

You ask, "Should the three should be placed in separate pots?" My answer to this is yes. Growing in the same pot is OK for a short period and catches the eye of the buyer but you must remember they are plants of different genera and will grow at a different rate and size with the Guzmanias eventually overwhelming the smaller Vriesea.

Re-potting such as this can take place at any time of the year however spring time would be the best and safest time. If my eyes don't deceive me I think I can already see a new pup appearing on the declining Guzmania on the left and the Vriesea on the right and just imagine how crowded it will be when they all produce a few pups and they are competing for space.

I'm not meaning to criticise, but when trimming dead or broken leaves, don't just cut them straight across, trim them the same shape as the leaf tips on the other leaves and it will improve the appearance greatly.

As for potting mix recommendations, I use a 50/50 mix of bark based orchid potting mix and a good quality general purpose potting mix. It must be open enough so that it can drain freely but still retain some moisture.

Please use my suggestions just as a rough guide; and as we live in different countries you would be better advised to ask these questions of growers in your own area where growing conditions are similar.

All the best, Nev.

Thank you very much for your advice. I really appreciate the time you put into your explanations.