Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for novices and addicts, Jan-Feb 2011, 1 by brombirdie

brombirdie wrote:
Karen, your photos have inspired me. That's a beautiful Kiwi Sunset. I've got 2 but neither of them are as nice as yours. Are the Beenleigh markets on every weekend and is your seller usually there? Are they at the Showgrounds? What time do they open? Bree most common Neos, Billbergias and Aechmeas produce at least 3-4 pups and they will keep producing them whether you take the first pups off or not. It's quite common to have 3 or more pups on them at once. You don't have to get roots when you cut the pups off but they will grow better and get established faster if you cut as close as you can to the mother without damaging it. Foliage Vrieseas are a bit more variable with some giving quite a few pups but the more expensive ones are often slow to pup and don't have as many. Sometimes your mother plant will be damaged trying to remove them. Eventually the old mothers will start to look shabby and gradually die. Usually the earlier pups are stronger. Generally it's better to take the pups off during the warmer months if they are at least 1/3 size of the mother because they don't grow much over winter and will try to flower in Spring even if they aren't big enough. Aah! Too much information. You'll soon figure it put with a bit of trial and error. Practise on your common ones first. Just another thought about the white stuff on your new plants. In Qld If you use town water the darker plants can get those marks from the calcium in the water. It usually rubs off quite easily and doesn't do any harm. This is my Aechmea fasciata variagated flowering.
Jen