Australian and New Zealand Gardening: bromeliads for novices and addicts, sep, 2012, 2 by ianperry

ianperry wrote:
Hi all, Just lost everything i had written again. Bloomin computers
Sue thanks for the explanation on the name change. I think I remember reading something about it in an article by Derek Butcher in May last year. But I needed reminding. Nice piccies you are showing.
Nev, thanks for a more detailed site on the name change. With the partial id on Ae burgundy I have labelled it with? Ae Burgundy. When it flowers I will try to photograph it and try again.
KmnO4, condys chrystalls or potassium permangamate mixed with water tea to light pink and water my plants with it occasionally maybe monthly during the growing season. The Predatress that i posted was growing in full sun in Rockhampton until 2 weeks ago, then it found it's way home with me and still gets a lot of sun,It is under 70% shadecloth but it is still bright.I have already planted out too many seeds, particularly since there are about 12 trays of an unknown Ae. I have potted a lot and will observe what happens. It looks like I got a good strike rate with the portea's also. Fortunately they have less seeds per pod so I might only get 50 and that will be plenty. They are spread out in 2 take away containers.
The prices that are on some of my plants are from May last year bare rooted, now they have at least doubled for commons and go to about 1/2 Bnnings prices. Rarely can I afford nursery prices. I often deal direct with growers
Getting back to fertilisers, I usually use a liquid fertiliser, Orchid Bloom Booster because it is low in Nitrogen, and high in Potassiun and Phosphorus. At the beginning of the hot season, Now, I fully submerge the pots and give rootball a good soaking. Some of my pots dry out so much that they repel water, so I soak them until there are no bubbles rising to the surface. Pinebark and perlite float to the surface. If I fully submerge a plant I drain all mix out of leaves and rinse them off as fertilised in the crown can cause crown rot. A partial reason that my pots become water repellant could be because of Malleluca trees in the neighbour's yard dropping their leaves on my broms.
Your Vr pic2 is georgeous, i have seen something similar . Could I please use the life cycle of a brom at one of our local meetings. I may use another type of brom, depending on what is available at the time.
Have a good one.
ian

pic1Vr Splendens
Pic 2 Vr Heiroglyphica
Pic3 Al regina alba in flower
All photos tonight from May 2011