PROPAGATION

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Separating Guzmania

This is a Guzmania which is clearly past its prime. The bloom is fading and the keiki is larger than the mother plant. There is still enough color left that you could leave this in a flower bed where the bloom would not be unattractive if seen from a distance. If you want to pot the keiki so it can be brought into the house when it blooms, now is the time. The same instructions will apply if you have a Vriesea in need of separating.

Pull away the leaves on the mother plant to fully expose the point of connection where the stem of the keiki attaches to the mother plant. Cut the stem as close to the mother plant as you can.

In the picture above the stem has already been cut. You can see the light colored tissue where the cut was made.

The keiki has been successfully removed from the mother. The mother should be placed back in the garden where it will possibly produce more keiki.

One problem with allowing the keiki to get this large is that it is more difficult to keep stable in the new pot. It will need to be propped up with gravel, small rocks, or short chopsticks until the roots can grow to hold it.

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