Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts - July 2013, 2 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone – A very cold morning again here today but it looks like it's going to be sunny so hopefully a bit warmer than yesterday.

Jean – Bad luck about the tree fern, but as I think I said before, I didn't know how it would go being transplanted as I read somewhere that there are three different types and only one will transplant easily and I don't remember which one that was nor do I know which ones I have growing, but they just seem to “pop up” all over the place, just like Birds Nest ferns. In fact I even had a Bird's Nest Fern grow out of the drain hole in the left mudguard on my old ute which I used to jokingly call my “Mobile Fernery ” (See Pic's 1.2 and 3)

Cody – As I said, we're always here to assist with information; you only have to ask. Also, see Pic.5 of my Guz. 'Hilda'; that had three pups and I just potted it on without dividing it and it looked great for months; in fact it still has the spikes on it now although the yellow is now turning to lime green so it's time for them to come off. Your plant has four pups so just think how much better that will look.

Sue – As soon as I saw the name Neo ('Bucaneer' x johannis) self it “rang a bell”. When I looked though my list of Neo's I see that I have a plant with that name among my seedlings, so maybe you gave me one of the seedlings also. I'll have to find it and post a pic.

Yes you did send me a pup of the “Real” Neo. 'Rain Cloud' and I think from memory that's the one where the centre goes white as it matures, isn't it?

Neo. 'Orange Glow' is one of my favourites and I'm just hoping it puts out a few pups although it's a bit of a slow grower for me. I always try to keep a spare, but last year a lady from our brom society brought a friend of hers and her elderly Mum (who has terminal cancer). Her Mum liked my spare plant so much I gave it to her as a gift and it was really nice to see the enjoyment she got from receiving it and at this stage she is still enjoying it although she is now house bound. If my existing plant makes a couple of pups I'll send you up one.

Trish – I'll have to run through my list and see just what marble types I have; from memory I think there are about eight or so different ones.

Neo.'Lovely Lady' is another beautiful brom from the Rob Larnach “Aussie Dream” grex. However I'm not able to grow it to the perfection that some of the Thai growers can, I've seen pic's of it over there with stacks of leaves and with perfectly round shape. Pic 4 is a (not very good pic) but it will give you some idea of what is possible.

The Neo. babies look really great, at least they now have a chance to show what they can do and I hope you get some good ones out of them, but please keep the pic's coming as they mature.

Ian – Sorry to hear the weather's against you with your construction; but they also say the ,”Slow and steady wins the race” or as my Dad used to say, “Do it slow and do it properly”.

I now have seven different pic's of Neo.'Lime and Lava' and although they are from different parts of the country, and the different light levels do alter things a lot, there is also the other possibility that it could be a bit like Neo.'Amazing Grace' where there are light and dark coloured forms.

Shirley – They're great pic's and the one of Neo 'Painted Lady' x 'Georges Prince' is a “little ripper”. I'm now hoping that I might get a nice one also as I have done that same cross as well as a couple of others using Neo. 'George's Prince' as a parent.

Anyway I have to go so today's Pic's are a bit of a mixed lot with Pic's 1, 2 and 3 being my Mobile Fernery; Pic.4 is a (not very good pic) of Neo.'Lovely Lady' in a Thai brom show, but it will give an idea of the shape and number of leaves the growers over there can achieve. Pic.5 is for Cody and is the Guz. 'Hilda' which I just left to clump up without removing the pups.

All the best, Nev.