Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS IN SUMMER ..2014, 3 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone - Its quit cool and overcast here this morning, more like a mild winter's morning than summer. It seems every day is different , just to keep us on our toes.

Colleen - Glad to hear the "Tooth Fairy"found your home and left the appropriate reward for the teeth.

How long does it take the pups to grow roots when you stick them in awn clippings and are the clipping fresh when you first put the pups in? We all may as well get the advantage of your experience with this method of producing roots on pups.

All my Bill's are looking good now as well, but like everything else, need a lot of dead leafing, tidying up in general and pups removed. I don't know whether I mentioned it to you previously, but the Bill. pyramidalis x 'Windigig Special' pups you got from me, can be a bit sensitive to very cold weather so when winter or Jack Frost comes knocking at the door, best if you give them some extra protection.

I've never had a chook come into the house via the dog door, but I did have a hen once who would follow me all around the yard like a dog. I think she just wanted to be on the spot in case I started digging in the garden where she would scratch around and eat the occasional worm I dug up.

Teresa - Yes I thought you'd like the spotted Vriesea, certainly a bit different for a Vriesea, although there are a few Vriesea species with spots but not as dense as the ones on that seedling.

It seems like your friend's chooks had the cat bluffed, certainly something a bit unusual. We once had a Willy Wagtail here who I've seen chasing our cat up the yard "dive bombing" her as she ran. Certainly very much an uneven match, but then when it's a mother protecting her nest I suppose fear goes out the window and they are known for being pretty feisty.

As for the hostage crisis in Sydney yesterday, I'm sure we'll hear much more about that "animal" being allowed out on bail with such a long list of convictions and it wouldn't surprise me if after the investigations have all finished, a few heads will roll.

That's it for today and now for the pic's took yesterday to show just what a mess my plants are now in due to lack of on-going maintenance. Pic's 1-4 show Neo. Seedlings in tiny 3" pots. These plants are large enough to be in 6" pots with lots of space to grow instead of their present crowder situation. I'm ashamed to be showing them in this state, but then we have to take the bad with the good and I can only do so much.

The problem here is that due to overcrowding. I don't know which ones are the better quality plants with nice wide leaves as they all now have narrow leaves where they have been reaching up for the light.

Pic.5 is a little seedling which looks a bit different as it has some of the radial red striping of the 'Rosea Striata' parent as well as some fine spotting which has been inherited from its other parent, 'Fairy Dust'.

Only time will tell what it's going to be like when it matures but at this stage it's certainly something different and looks promising.

All the best, Nev.