Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS JULY & AUGUST 2012, 3 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone, I'm back at last and hopefully no more computer problems. Without going into too much detail, the hard drive in my computer was stuffed and as I couldn't afford a new computer or a new hard drive, the computer doctor installed a second hand one and gave me a full twelve months warranty (which is all I could get on a new one anyway) and at present everything is working great.

I've very much missed the friendly chat from this forum but I've just been able to flick through the pic's although I haven't had time to read all of the posts.

Sue – That Ae. nudicaulis seedling looks a bit different to some I have already flowered. When I mentioned on another forum that I was sowing seed from my Nudicaulis, all of the experts said that they would all be “selfings” as that particular nudicaulis always “selfed”, however some of the ones I have flowered so far have definitely taken on some of the traits of Gamosepala, so even the "experts" don't know everything!

Knowing just how fast Ae. Gamosepala grows and the fact that insects seems to pollinate it with anything that's going, I suspect that it may well have been the pollen parent in some of the cases with this nudicaulis cross as the flowers have a touch of gamosepala about them. Also the growth habit is different from a nudicaulis in as much they don't have the “thumb print” at the base of each leaf. As well a this, they seems to be very fast growing with three and four pups not being unusual, so perhaps I may have created some “monsters” that will take over the earth????? … Ain't hybridizing fun?

I really like the pic of the beautiful Bill 'Estrella' you posted and I must contact Jen to see if she has a spare pup she would like to sell/swap. Does anyone know how she is and if she's over the bug she had? I also communicated with Colleen and she is still having a lot of trouble with her back and still needs help around the house, but she says she has great neighbours and the two boys have also been a big help as well, so hopefully she'll be back on the forum soon.

I'm going to be visiting just briefly for the next couple of weeks as I have heaps of work to do preparing plants for our annual spring show, but I will have a lot of pic's to share with you all when it's over, but for now unfortunately it's still some old file pic's. 1 is Ae. 'Cylindrata', 2 is Ae. 'Ensign', 3 is Ae. Fasciata 'Rubra', 4 is Ae. 'Mirlo' and 5 is Ae. Recurvata 'Blushing Pineapple'

All the best, Nev.