Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts - May 2013, 3 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone – Got a bit more done yesterday; not on the front garden though, the south west wind was just too cold so I shifted camp around to the back yard and “dead leafed” some more of the Neo's that are hanging there and found a couple more that I had forgotten were there.

Sue – It's good to hear that the shade house didn't cop too much damage. It seems that if you get a lot of wind in your area you might have to consider putting a few wind braces into the construction and as well as strengthening everything up, they would be another place to hang plants from.

Regarding that Cirrhopetalum I spoke of yesterday, I was told by the nurseryman himself that they had struggled to get it growing initially and it wasn't until they put it onto the dead Tree Fern stump that it really got going, so probably something worth remembering. There were just so many of us wanting to buy one after seeing that plant, but they just weren't available in those early days and I think the one he had growing had even been “wild collected” by another overseas grower.

I believe Vandas are propagated in much the same way as other orchids, i.e. from from seed or from new growths (pups) which are called "Kikies". These can come from the base of the plant or from higher up the plant as well (called aerial growths).

There are two different types of Vandas, the terete type (Pic.1) with thin leaves shaped like a “thin bean” and the ones with the wider leaves called “strap leafed Vandas” (Pic.2). The Terete types are the easiest to grow though and don't suffer from the cold like the Strap Leafed plants (or didn't when I grew orchids).

I really like your Ae 'Silver Streak'; another beautiful one from the Ae. Nudicaulis range. You've just given me a great idea for when the house next need painting. Now that I'm getting a bit “long in the tooth” to go climbing ladders, I'll just hang plants on the areas that need painting. I had a friend up Sydney way who had brom's hanging off his eaves all along the northern side of the house and boy did they make a great show, but my C.E.O. wouldn't let me do it here unfortunately.

Breeindy – Vandas do like a lot of light so if yours are growing in the shade, that could be why they aren't growing well.

I have a plant called Neo 'Braz-el'; It is a robust grower and grows into quite a big brom with attractive light green leaves and bright red “finger-nails” on the leaf tips.

Trish – Yes I have to agree with you about the FCBS and the BCR, what wonderful resources they really are and not just for the pictures, there is a wealth of other information on them as well, all about growing bromeliads. We all use these sites but it isn't until we have to find a few pic's to assist in the ID of a plant, that you really appreciate the mammoth amount of work the men running those two sites really do accomplish.

I'm pleased to hear that those little seedlings weren't albinos which I thought I could see, (must be going blind as well) and as for naming them, I would use the number system we spoke of the other day on the parents as well so at least you know which NOID they came from.

Because you can't say for sure they were selfed and don't know if insects may have pollinated them with something else, I think you would be best to just write, NOID (number) x UNKNOWN. That's a perfectly legitimate way of naming the cross as you only know the mother as a numbered NOID and don't know the father.

Nice random shots of around the garden; maybe I'll be able to do that too if I ever get this garden finished. It's raining here this morning so once agin the job's shut down and I'm held up again.

Shirley – It's good to see you are starting to take full advantage of the BCR and the FCBS site instead of just looking at the pictures. It's surprising where the time goes when you start on the trail of trying to track down a brom, isn't it?

They're nice pic's you've posted again; I really like the Neo in Pic.2 Neo. 'Red Earth' and I'm very pleased to say that I see it's on the list of all my plants. It's still a pup yet so I have that to look forward to.

That's a nicely marked Vriesea Platynema Variegata as well and I like the Vriesea 'Forrest' (2 r's). It's a Dilling hybrid and the BCR says the parents are unknown, but judging by the colour on the leaf tips I would think it has a bit of Vr. Platynema Variegata in it at least.

Time to go and still I have no new brom pic's to post so today I'm going to break all the rules and post a few pic's of orchids. Pic 1 is an example of the foliage on a “terete” type Vanda, as opposed to a “strap leafed” type Pic.2. Pic's 3, 4 and 5 are of a few of the newer Dendrobium hybrids.

All the best, Nev.