# BROMELIAD ROOT broke off! Is it going to die?!



## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi Guys,

My bromeliad root broke off... no idea how... i knocked it over in the tank and noticed the root lose and i tried to fix it but it broke off. It broke off pretty far too.. when i flip the bromeliad upside down i can what looks like the inside of the plant or root... it looks kinda raw and not hard like the bromeliad root normally is...

The thing is i really dont want to lose this brome! I like it a lot... is it going to die now?

Thanks in advance....


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Is it mushy at all, Frank? Kind of sounds like too much moisture around the root area has rotted it and it was already doomed before you knocked it.


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## BonnieLorraine (Jan 23, 2011)

Did just the stolon break off, or did the bottom of the bromeliad rot off too? If just the stolon came off, you can pot it in some well draining soil and save it (can't really think of another way to remount it). I've had two come in with stolons broken off, I potted them both, and they've since sent up pups, so as long as it's not rotten through it should be salvageable.


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## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi Pumilo and Bonnie

It appears that the stolon had broken off... It did feel a little soft so maybe it did rot a bit? I find it a little hard to believe it would rot as I just picked this up less than a week ago!!! The base of the plant is very firm still. Overall this looks very very healthy.

But just to confirm it appears JUST THE STOLON has broken off and now you can kind of see the raw inside of the plant.

I also find it weird that it would rot as I had placed it into a piece of wood which is in my substrate. There is no substrate on top of the wood... and I've had another brome in this spot which did not rot and pupped actually.

I just drilled a LARGER hole in this wood and put the brome in it with a LITTLE apoxy to hold it upright as I have no stolon now to hold the plant!

So this brings me to my questions....

1) Do you think it will die?
2) Will this brome never be able to pup now that the stolon is broken off? 
3) will the apoxy stop it from pupping? I put just a little on the bottom


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I'm outa here, Frank. Bonnie will just make me feel stupid when it comes to plants! 
Why don't you give her a couple of good pictures to work with?


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## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

Haha Pumilo... I like how you are able to pick your battles... anyhow you are an awesome contributor to these forums thanks for always trying to help when you can...

As far as pictures... not much I can do now the brome is in the wood and glued in with the apoxy.

I tried to describe it as best as I could...

BONNIE - What do you think?!?!?!

Thx

*Edit* question #4 - will this slow the growth of my brome now?


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## BonnieLorraine (Jan 23, 2011)

I'd be worried if you drilled a hole straight down into the wood that it's going to retain water around the base of the brom and rot it. With the stolon broken off, it should just look like a white pulpy area, usually if there is rotting it turns black. Yes they can still pup, both of my broken ones in the pots have pupped, but with epoxy around the base, that will probably prevent it, seeing as that's where the pups come out.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Frank, you said twice that you can now see the inside of the plant where the stolon broke off. It sounds to me like it likely broke off at a point to high to be saved. That is, if it broke off up closer to the "flesh" of the plant rather than the lower wood of the stolon. But so long as the break does not enter up into the green ( or whatever color your brom is...) theres a good chance that it will survive. For the time being, I would pot it up in a VERY well draining mixture, that will help it heal up and deter any possible rot or bacterial growth that could kill it


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## Devo (Mar 20, 2012)

BonnieLorraine said:


> I'd be worried if you drilled a hole straight down into the wood that it's going to retain water around the base of the brom and rot it.


I'm with Bonnie on this one.

If there is damage to the base of the brom, the worst thing to do is stick it in a hole. 
My advice is to pull it out, dip the base in Flowers of Sulphur & keep it quite dry until the base heals over. If you think too much of the base has broken off, then a little tip is to place the base into the cup of another brom, so the broken base sits right in the cup water. There is something about the water in brom cups that can prevent rot, & will give your plant a good chance of not only surviving, but going on to produce its own pups.

Good luck, Andrew.


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## froggymike (Jan 11, 2010)

Follow your nose! When the brom starts to smell really bad like its rotting, it is mosy likely too far gone to save. The exception is if it is only the outer axils that rotted. When the center rots its a goner. Thats it for me and follow whatever Bonnie says.


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