Bromeliads get ragged after bloom

[Persephone]

I have them all over the garden; have moved them; have taken "pups"
to plant elsewhere. They seem to do well --for a while. Then the
leaves get ragged-looking after the flower fades. Is this normal? Or
should the same plant bloom again later?

I will post a picture if need be, but meantime have found this site:

http://www.bromeliads.co.nz/lightshade.html

that has a plant much like mine. It is Aechmea Fasciata "Morgana".

Can anybody comment on whether I should pull up the ragged-looking
ones -- or will they bloom again?

Thanks.

Persephone

[Farm1]

<Persephone> wrote in message
> I have them all over the garden; have moved them; have taken
"pups"
> to plant elsewhere. They seem to do well --for a while. Then the
> leaves get ragged-looking after the flower fades. Is this normal?
Or
> should the same plant bloom again later?
>
> I will post a picture if need be, but meantime have found this site:
>
> http://www.bromeliads.co.nz/lightshade.html
>
> that has a plant much like mine. It is Aechmea Fasciata "Morgana".
>
> Can anybody comment on whether I should pull up the ragged-looking
> ones -- or will they bloom again?

I don't know specifically about that type of Brom but the ones I have
are all reported to die after flowering although they may produce pups
for a few years after flowering and before they die.

[David E. Ross]

Persephone wrote:
> I have them all over the garden; have moved them; have taken "pups"
> to plant elsewhere. They seem to do well --for a while. Then the
> leaves get ragged-looking after the flower fades. Is this normal? Or
> should the same plant bloom again later?
>
> I will post a picture if need be, but meantime have found this site:
>
> http://www.bromeliads.co.nz/lightshade.html
>
> that has a plant much like mine. It is Aechmea Fasciata "Morgana".
>
> Can anybody comment on whether I should pull up the ragged-looking
> ones -- or will they bloom again?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Persephone

From what I have read, my Guzmania -- having bloomed -- will eventually
die. Although I removed the spent flower stalk about 6 months ago, the
plant is still quite green. It already has a significant offset that
should survive to replace its parent.

This life-cycle is common with many monocots -- bromeliads, yuccas,
agaves, bulbs, corms, etc. They flower and die, but produce new plants
vegetatively before dying.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/>