Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for novices and addicts September 2013, 3 by springer99

springer99 wrote:
Good morning everyone,
First of all, thanks heaps for the new thread Sue :) And can I just say.... awesome work finding that Resizer. I use to have one like that... but lost it along the way some where, was probably back with the XP version of windows, seems that all these newer versions of Windows and Microsoft, you lose things that were free and included beforehand. So I haven't had one for ages. And when I did have to resize for an email or something, I would usually have to upload to Pic Monkey, resize and save.... pain in the ass! So I downloaded the one you gave the link to, and it's a little ripper! Love it. Well done Sue :) Thanks.
Nev, yeah my chantinii's just grow in the shadier part of the garden, they still get some light, but I don't think they would even mind being in full shade. Where mine came from, they were growing under a massive tree all over and old combi van wreck. So they proabably didn't see much sun at all. Mine will grow in the sun, but they go more yellow and small, I'll try to get a pic to show you, where as the ones in the shadier spot, are green, good big shape without being strappy and such nice contrasting colour. And yeah I imagine in the garden would give more cold protection too for yours in winter, but that's only a guess :)
Thanks for the idea on the smaller growth possibly being due to the size of the pup when removed Nev. Myself I tend to take my pups around 1/3 to half the size of the mother plant, depending on the size of the mother and the shape of the pup, some I find can stay longer if they aren't crushing each other, and others I find need to come off eariler if they are crushing or deforming type thing. But I am not a fan of selling pups that are small. If I have taken off small pups, I grow them on until they are a good healthy size and well established. I generally wait until they have good roots. Some pups will never get roots on the mother I have found, like Neo Monstrosus, which I don't even bother removing pups unless someone wants one.
I think mine shrink... not sue to pup size, but just the amount of light. I can buy a full size brom, BIG brom, wide, like Jaws Too, and once it lives in our brom house for a while..... all the new leaves come out shorter and wider! LOL Just a result of light in my case I think. Which 9 times out of 10 is a good thing, but sometimes it can be a bit annoying. But usually it's a good thing.
As for the stabbing of punching, you can use any object that does the same thing, destroys the centre. For medium to big neos I find a fairly large screwdriver works well, smaller one for smaller neos and I know Chester uses Re bar for big Alc's. So the bigger the plant the bigger the tool ;)
Ohhh Nev.... that many huntsmen and you weren't freaked out???? nooooo noooo noooooo, I would STILL be beside myself with that many around the place...blahhhhhh.
Ohhh Trish.... that would of done my head in..... here I was saying the other day I think I would be ok with them now.... being older and hmm more mature..... pfftttttt.... forget what I said, ekkkkkkkkkkkkkk. Enough to make my skin crawl better yours and Nev's stories, yuk yuk yuk. Thank goodness we never see them where we are living now.
Yeah that Dreamtime Grex is lovely, I wouldn't mind one of them, meant to watch them last night... but forgot, opps. Jack will keep listing some more I imagine, so I'll keep an eye out :)
Ian, yes I probably gassed myself on the Baygon, nasty stuff that stuff. With the cinnamon afte stabbing, I dunno, about half a teaspoon? I brought 500gms from a health food shop and just have it in a Chinese container with a little plastic spoon, and I just scoop about half a teaspoon on there and tip in down the middle. Then I keep them under cover for about 24 hours and then back to where ever they were living. I talked to Chester about my cinnamon treatment and he said it would be better used on my breakfast, lol. He doesn't treat them with anything, he doesn't even tip them out to get the water out, just stabbed them. He says he lives in a good climate though so doesn't have to wait til warm weather etc. I would only stab in the warmer months for those living down south. Even I won't stab in winter up here. the plant does need to be old enough though, not point stabbing a young pup etc. You have to remember quite a few leaves come out of the centre when you do it, well they do for me. so make sure it is s decent size and losing quite a few leaves doesn't mean... no plant left.
Shirley, I wonder if you didn't stab them enough? When you say you saw no difference, do you mean they just kept growing or that no pups came and it died? If it kept growing, you didn't destroy the growing centre. Personally I'm not happy if part of the centre doesn't come out. As in.... the other day I stabbed one, and I then tugged on the little centre leaves, had to push my fingers right into the cup ti get hold of them... tugged.... nope... didn't budge. So I carefully and gently put the screwdriver back in, gave a little push and twisted again. Then I gave a little tug again... yes out it came. Then I was happy. Job done. I find it's always better to go little by little if you are unsure than just smash it in there and over do it. I don't think over doing it is fatal, never has been for me, but you lose way more of the centre, like once.... over half the plant came out!!! oppsss. Still had the desired effect and lived on etc, but i much rather prefer to have less come out, enough to wreck the centre, but only minimal type thing. Trial and error and only use non valuable plants to learn on, like I did. NOID's I didn't like and things like that.
Shirley my Aztec Gold is EXACTLY like your second pic, infact that could be mine in your pic, lol. I would LOVE to have one like your first pic. Mine has never looked like your first one. sigh.
I love Neo Down's Autumn, I am currently trying to find another one or two of them, hard to come by it seems.
Cody sorry to hear you and Alex aren't feeling well, I hope today is a far better day.
Ian good pick up at Woolies, you just never know what you'll find and where :)
Ok I had better go, hi to everyone else and anyone following along.
Pics??
I know, random vriesea shots :)
Cheers Tash
Ohhh wow..... so fast with small images.... I hope they aren't too small??? We'll see :)