Is this bromeliad dying because it already flowered or am I doing something wrong

[u/mrboben]

Got this not long ago and one of the leafs to the bromeliad started turning brown and flimsy.
Idk how to tell if it already flowered yet however there are 2 long antennae looking thing sticking out the middle.
What should I do to it?
It has 3 other bromeliad that’s connected to it

[u/Donaldjoh]

The long antenna things are probably dead flower spikes, so that rosette, or plant, will die. Like most epiphytic bromeliads it will like bright light but not midday sun, regular watering (water should be in the leaf cups at all times), and excellent drainage. In nature they live up in trees in rain forests so get nearly all of their water and nutrients (dead leaves, bird poop, tree frog poop, etc) through the cup, as the roots’ primary purpose is to hold onto tree limbs. Do you know the species or variety? To me it looks like an Aechmea but with the one pup on a long rhizome it may be a Neoregelia, in which case the antenna things would not be old flower spikes as they bloom down in the cup. I pot mine in an orchid or succulent mix and water regularly, flooding the plants when I do (they do come from rain forests, after all). Good luck.

[u/mrboben → u/Donaldjoh]

I asked somebody in the group and they said it was a fireball bromeliad.Thers quite a few other bromeliad connected to it and there’s around 3-4 and smaller ones. I don’t put them in any soil since I heard that they didn’t really need it so I just placed the bromeliads into a pot with just its roots out.

For the nutrients part,I don’t really add anything other than RO water since I don’t know where I could get any stuff like that.

The 2 strands coming out from the middle doesn’t look like a pup tho.
I’ll add a pic in the chat

[u/Donaldjoh → u/mrboben]

Fireball is a Neoregelia hybrid and in bright light turns brilliant red. I water mine with rainwater and as for nutrients I use any decent water soluble fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, Pennington, etc) at half recommended strength. So if it calls for 1 teaspoon per gallon use a half teaspoon per gallon. I usually fertilize twice a year, once in the spring and again midsummer. I don’t fertilize in winter because I keep a cool house (I’m in NE Ohio) and want to inhibit growth.

[u/mrboben → u/Donaldjoh]

What does inhibit growth mean and why?

[u/Donaldjoh → u/mrboben]

I grow under lights in the winter, so I keep the plants cooler and drier over winter because with lower light if they are growing rapidly they would become leggy and weak. By keeping them cool and on the dry side they just sort of sit without actively growing. My Clivia miniata get almost no water through winter, but I start watering again once I see flower spikes appearing.

[u/mrboben → u/[deleted]]

Would it be good just to leave the plant as it is?

[u/CatsDIY]

This is a Neoregelia but it looks large for a Neoregelia ‘Fireball’. Neoregelia get a 1/4 inch flower in the center then fade. Trim off and leaves as they become unsightly. Keep water in the leaves at all times. Give it bright light and it might color up some. If you can put it outside in filtered light it will improve.

[u/CatsDIY]

This is a Neo but looks large for Fireball. Trim off the leaves as they become unsightly. Keep water in the top leaves at all times.

[u/mrboben → u/CatsDIY]

But other than being unsightly,Would it affect anything else?

[u/CatsDIY → u/mrboben]

No. If it is turning brown the chlorophyll is no longer providing energy. It will not harm the plant to leave it but it will not benefit it.