Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for the novice and addict. April 2013, 3 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone – Just another short one today to say I hope everyone's well. Good to see you posting again Wendy and a big “Cherrio Get Well Soon” call to Johnny.

Shirley – I was a bit disappointed in the Neo. 'Gold Fever Select', I think the straight Neo. 'Gold Fever” is much nicer. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but where ever I grow it I can't get as much gold in the colour as the straight Gold Fever. Neo Kay Jay is a nice medium/small Neo with near perfect shape. It's very slow at the moment as I only got it from Queensland late last year and it usually takes about a year for them to acclimatise down here.

You've again posted a nice collection of plants but the three variegated Neo's are my favourites.

Trish – I'm sure you'll get a lot of enjoyment from growing the brom seed and as for the “culling”, well I still find it very painful. Nice pic's once again, what is the plant in the last pic. is it one of your gingers? (excuse my ignorance but I'm not familiar with many plants other than brom's).

Ian -The three plants in the first pic all have that similar look I spoke of yesterday and when you put them side by side it's easier to see. The pic's a bit blurry though; I used to have the same problem and overcame it by using a tripod. It doesn't have to be an expensive one, the one I got was only about $15 from K-Mart, but it was worth every penny (sorry I meant cent)

I'm still a great admirer of the plant in the second pic. I think Neo. Kautskyi is one of the best yellow coloured brom's around, and what's more it “selfs” readily and the seed is very fertile and very easy to grow.

That's it for today, I'm off to put the washing on now so it will be finished when I have eaten breakfast and then I can hang it out and that's part of my housework done already. Gee it makes me appreciate more what you girls do when I have to do it myself along with my other “male jobs”.

Pic's for today are Pic.1 Neo. 'Meyendorffii minor', Pic.2 Neo. 'Little Ocker', Pic.3 Neo. Medusa, Pic.4 Neo. 'French's Cruenta', Pic.5 Neo. 'Wine and Gold'.

All the best, Nev.