A few months ago I got a nice Vrisea "christine" bromiliad and of course it was in bloom (knowing that it's "over" for the mother plant I got one with two small pups on it. I planted this bromiliad in a cork bark tube stuffed with orchid bark and sphagnum moss. Apparently the plant is doing OK because the pups are now about 1/6th the size of the original plant (the pups are about 3-4" tall-they are also turning a beautiful red color due to the high light over their vivarium).
I'm wondering when it is safe to seperate the pups from the larger plant (which is still in bloom and looking just fine) and also, how do I seperate the pups? It looks like I could just "pop" em off but I'm sure it's more complicate than that...
BTW (slightly off the topic I'm asking about above) I heard a rumor that if I cut the bromiliad off the top of a fresh pineapple (leaving an inch or two of the fruit at the bottom) and plant it in good medium wand keep it warm and humid it will root and grow into a pinapple bromiliad. will these really live and grow? I've seen them already alive at the garden shop but I was juts curious if this "cheap" way oif getting a plant really works.
I'm wondering when it is safe to seperate the pups from the larger plant (which is still in bloom and looking just fine) and also, how do I seperate the pups? It looks like I could just "pop" em off but I'm sure it's more complicate than that...
BTW (slightly off the topic I'm asking about above) I heard a rumor that if I cut the bromiliad off the top of a fresh pineapple (leaving an inch or two of the fruit at the bottom) and plant it in good medium wand keep it warm and humid it will root and grow into a pinapple bromiliad. will these really live and grow? I've seen them already alive at the garden shop but I was juts curious if this "cheap" way oif getting a plant really works.