Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR EVERYONE IN 2014, 4 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Good morning everyone – I think it's going to be another nice day even though it's still only 5.20 D.S.T. and it's not quite light yet, but the little Blue Wrens are twittering outside my window and that's usually a good sign. I didn't get a lot done yesterday, (too many aches and pains) but I did manage to relocate a few of the plants I had re-potted and now the hard bit starts, trying to find somewhere to put all the others. It won't be done today though as it's Thursday and my first day of the new year back at the Illawarra Light Rail Museum.

Jean – It sounds as though your plastic green house is just what the doctor ordered for the Vriseas, Guzzies, Nidulariums and of course your Chantinnii. Maybe this is where I've been going wrong with my feeble attempts to grow this plant as I was told to grow it in as much light as I could but not direct sun. I might try another one up in my Vriesea and Guzzie shade house at least it would be a bit warmer in the winter as it's about six feet higher up the yard and it has Lazar Light walls to keep out the cold winds. A few years back I grew my Guzzies in a shady corner of my Neo Shade house and they never did any good, so I decided to give them one last chance and re-potted the lot, gave them a good fed and moved them up the yard to their new “digs”. They never looked back and whether it was the new location or the fact they may have over-heard me when I said to my wife, “if they don't do better now, they're going in the bin”, they really took off and have been growing well ever since. They say there's no such thing as a “bad brom”, just a “bad brom grower” and growers who continually try and grow these plants in locations they obviously dislike come under this category and that includes me. Just a little more research and cultural tips from other growers is often all that's needed to get you on the right track, so you see, listening to where you grow your Ae. chantinii might just have been the snippet of information I needed.

Your other plant of Ae. chantinii x recurvata definitely looks similar to Ae. 'Echidna' and this is the one I have been able to grow easily which is probably due to the hardy recurvata influence in its breeding. Echidna is Ae. recurvata x chantinii; however your plant is Ae. chantinii x recurvata which is the reverse cross. Some hybridisers say that it doesn't matter what way the cross is done, the outcome will always be similar while others disagree and say the results can be completely different, so I guess it's a case of what's in the genes in each individual plant that dictates its likes and dislikes and how easy it is to grow.

I'll put you down for a Ae. Bromeliifolia albobracteata pup as soon as it's a tad larger and also I'll send you a bit of Ae. Bromeliifolia rubra seed to try. As I said, it's easy to grow and quite fast growing and you shouldn't have any trouble getting a stock of little rubra seedlings.

Where you say your nidularium reguloides is just starting to colour up reminded me that I read somewhere (probably the list of name changes which I can't find at present) that the Nidularium previously known as regelioides has had a name change, but I can't remember what it was. I have several Nidulariums out in flower now also and it looks like being a good year for them here where I live and I must take some pic's to add to my photo index for future identifications of NOIDS.

Shirley – It's good to hear Michael is on the mend and will soon be out chain sawing again, (not himself I hope).

Thanks for adding me to the list for a pup from 'Strawberry', I'll anxiously await its birth. Your comment on the Neo. cruenta 'Broadleaf' reminded me about how I got it. I didn't know of this plant and saw it as just a plain light green pup on the Sales Table at a brom meeting. As I believe it is the responsibility of all brom growers to grow at least a few of the species, I bought it and as I was walking away, one of the members said to me, “you won't be sorry you bought that, it's a beautiful plant”. When I asked what it was like he wouldn't tell me and just said, “Let's just say you'll be pleasantly surprised”, and he was correct, I was.

Unfortunately I can't tell you what's in the breeding of the plant of Peter Coyle's I posted on 28/12 in my Pic.5 as the parentage wasn't given but I have to agree with you the beautiful round shape does suggest that Royal Cordovan may well be a contender.

As for the Koala, well it's just like any other wild animal and always wary and afraid of the unknown and when a human or any other large animal is standing over them, they see this as a threat and will naturally defend themselves. I was told in 1963 by a Koala handler at a small sanctuary (which grew to be “David Fleay Wildlife Park“ in Queenland) that if as a stranger you approach a Koala on the ground you should first of all squat down to its level. That way you aren't seen as a threat, but even then they will still be very cautious of you as you are a “stranger”. Never try to pat one in the wild; extend your hand (palm up) and let them either come to you or ignore you, she said the same applied to any other animal.

I've never had the chance to try this advice on a wild Koala but I've used it on many occasions with stray dogs of all sizes and have never been bitten. This is why parents should never tell a child to “pat” a dog, the dog sees the palm of the hand coming down at them and immediately thinks they are going to be struck and straight away they retaliate by biting to defend themselves. This is the cause of many children being bitten by dogs and is the direct result of the child being given the wrong advice by a parent.......... Sorry I had to throw that bit of info in even if it isn't brom. related.

I have five different variegated miniature Neo's all slightly different and all carrying the name Neo. Fireball (variegated). I believe that when people buy or swap one of these as a NOID, they for some reason immediately put this name on it perhaps because its colour vaguely resembles another they have seen with that name.

There are quite a few with registered names such as the 'Rosy Fireball' you mention and quite often it's difficult to see any difference between these plants when grown as a single plant. When they are grown as a clump, differences then become more apparent. Some will have short stolons, some will have long stolons, some will have no stolons at all. Some will grow horizontally outward from the pot, some will grow out and upwards from the pot while still others will grow outward and down. However reading the information in the article on the BCR I mentioned yesterday could answer a lot of questions and aid in the identification of some of these plants.

I like the pic's of your Neo.'Apricot Nectar', I bought this plant quite a few years back now and have never ceased to be amazed at all the different colour changes it goes through on its way to maturity, a beauty in any collection. I've never before seen any from the Neo.'Hearts Music' x 'Grace Darling' grex and if yours any example, it will be worth keeping on the lookout for others as its a beautifully marked and configured plant. However, I don't think I'll try hopping the gate to “borrow” a piece, as your alarm clock may have other ideas.

Cody – Hi to you also Cody, it's early morning here now so everyone's awake.

Theresa - It's really amazing when you look at your whole growing area at all different times throughout the day; I know I was surprised to find areas of shade where I assumed there would be light and vise versa.

Of course the whole thing is constantly changing as the seasons change also so nothing is constant and it's necessary to keep a regular watch to see what light falls where.

I'll finish today with some more pic's of Peter Coyle's, this time just for a change, some of his beautiful Vrieseas for all you Vriesea fans.

All the best, Nev.