Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for novices & addicts, October 2012, 0 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi all – We had a very “wild and woolly” night last night with thunder storms and very strong winds. There is a lot of thunder this morning as I start to write this at 6.00am and the forecast is for wide spread thunder storms, heavy rain and gale force winds, so there won't be much getting done out in the yard today. The rain will get a chance do a lot of good though, as the couple of days of light drizzle has softened up the soil so the predicted heavy rain will be able to soak in rather than just run off and be wasted.

Ian – Firstly, thank you for your pic of “Mushroom Scale”, it is the same as what we call “Soft Scale” down here and no doubt it's known by other names in other areas. The main thing is that we all know what it is when we are talking about ways of eradicating it. Your first pic of Ae 'Cherry Fizz' is an unusual looking plant with its attractive “spreading form” but I can't find any record of it being registered so I guess we won't know the parentage of it. The root system on your plant in pic two is very extensive, what do you contribute this to, is it the Condy's Crystals or do you have some secret magic root building formula you use?

I can't help you with a name for your NOID in pic three but I'd hazard a guess that one of its parents is Neo. Concentrica as I can just make out a few (very faint) "tell tale" concentric rings on the pup on the right. (the leaf closest to the centre)

I think your Bill seedling could have some promise as it has Bill. 'Poquito Blanco' in its past breeding as one of the parent of 'Carioca' and I think the name of the second parent could be Bill. 'Euphemie Waterman' as there isn't a 'Euphamie' registered. Russ Holzheimer bred a great looking Bill called Kolan 'Black Frost' using Bill. Domingus Martins x Euphemie Waterman so you may just be in with a chance of good looking seedling with that cross.

Wendy – I just looked up Neo 'Strawberry' on the BCR and although it's not a very good pic, there are certainly some similarities between that and Shirley's plant. Unfortunately it's of unknown parentage.

Wendy, when I take a pic of a tall plant, I just get back far enough until I can fit it all in the frame without turning the camera. I then crop the sides as required and that way when it's posted on here it is still the right way up.

Your Pic's 1 and 2 are of a seedling which came from a batch from American seed supposedly from Ae. emmerichiae which is a species and very similar in size and habit to blanchetiana. As I didn't collect the seed myself I can't guarantee its authenticity.

Congratulations! I think the plant in pic 3 is a real beaut and well worthy of registration; it's just as well you didn't sell it otherwise you wouldn't be able to swap me the first spare pup would you? Is the name of the other parent known or was it one that was pollinated by insects? It doesn't really matter how it was done anyhow as it's certainly a beautiful plant.

Like you say the plant in pic 4 is very different to the plant in pic 5 and I don't think they are the same plants because in my experience the pups from the original seedling are generally as good as or an improvement on the original plant which isn't the case here so maybe the name tags were mixed up somehow, however the plant in pic 5 is well worth keeping on its form alone.

Wendy, as for asking me to remember if there were any plants I had asked you to send and haven't yet received, that's a bit rich as I can't remember what happened yesterday, but I have checked the list of all my Neo's and I didn't get any plant from you called 'Narelle's Joy'. I will also have some more Neo seed which I'll send up in a week or two. By the way, sorry, but I can't help you with the ID of your Aechmea.

Shirley – Your Neo 'Hot Blooded' has certainly coloured up nicely. That's a great idea showing the three stages in that Neoregelia's growth and it does very clearly demonstrate how people can misjudge a plant from a pic especially if it's a pic that has been taken before the plant was mature and fully coloured up. As I've often told people, the only way you know for sure what you are getting is the correct plant is to get one when it is mature and fully coloured up. You should definitely only buy uncoloured pups from someone you know or a reputable dealer otherwise you run the risk of being “caught out”.

Sue - Bill. Allan Ladd isn't yours? What a "bummer" I thought you'd struck it rich. At least you got to see it in the flesh which is more than I have.

That's it for now, time for breakfast. Just a few random Neo. pic's today with Pic 5 being one of my own seedling crosses which is just starting to colour up.

All the best, Nev.