rotting plant

[-okapi-]

About 2 months ago i bought a Flaming sword bromeliad (Vriesia). When i bought it, it had a large red flower that after about a week started to turn brown and die. Alarmed, i looked in a house plant book which said when this happens it means the plant is near the end of its life and is about to reproduce by forming "pups" which are little plants that grow off of the parent plant. After 8 weeks and no pups i was a little concerned. Then yesterday i noticed the plant was leaning a little in its pot. I picked up the pot to get a closer look (the pot was on a desk) and the whole plant just fell apart! every leaf fell off the main stem and down in the center of the plant just below dirt level the whole inside of the plant was yellowish and brown (rotting). Has this ever happened to anyone else?

[galad]

I have never had this happen but its prob from the bottom of the plant being to wet.
They need good drainage and if the soil is to wet they will rot.

Bromelaids can survive without soil by mounting them to peices of drift wood.

Drill a hole in the wood big enough for the stem of the plant to fit into. Then sucure the plant to the wood with a peice of copper wire. Withing a month or so the plant should root into the wood and you can remove the wire. Remeber to always keep the inside of the bromelaid filled with water, but soil conditions can not be to wet/


good luck with any future plants


ws