Bromeliad Question

[citychickinthecountry]

When my mother flower dies and turns brown (and the pups are starting to pop up beside the mother plant), how far down the flower should I cut it off? I cut it off just below where the green leaves drape outward. Does that make sense?

Or should I cut the dead flower as close to the plant as I can?

This is my first bromeliad plant to have the mother flower die off, but I can't find any information about how much of the dead mother flower to cut off.

 

[catjac1975]

I take my mother plan out of the pot, and carefully cut the pups off and replant them, tossing the spent plant.