Bromeliads for novices and serious addicts #14: Oct 2010

One even has a flower about to happen...

Hi Karen, I've got 36 different Vriesea varieties but only about half are foliage vrieseas which means they have pretty leaves and most of mine are only small pups or seedlings. I agree with you though, they are very addictive. I bid $150 for one on Ebay today but luckily I wasn't even in the race. It went for $293. This is my favourite at the moment, Vr. Tiger Tim. Jen

That's a beauty, Jen. These are new to me. Why would some go for such high prices, and others not even get a bid? If I see any at the markets, I'll grab it, for sure.

I suspect I may have one or two growing around the place, but with the plain green foliage, nothing interesting. I need to wait for them to flower again to see just what I do have. I had no idea there was such a large range of vrieseas. 36 is good. I wouldn't have space for so many, so I am going to try to work on colours and patterns only.

Karen


This message was edited Oct 31, 2010 1:08 AM

Hi all. Thanks for all the compliments on our backyard reno. We had so many people over the last 2 days who had been here before and were amazed at the difference. Lots of compliments received. We had a very busy weekend. Weekend shopper really worked for us. People from as far as Everton Hills, Coorparoo, Yeronga etc.
We didn't get a chance to take off pups and put them out but I did go around and cut mini neos. I filled up 3 large shallow pots at least 5 or 6 times and put them out at $1 each. Every time I looked the pots were empty and I had to race out the back to cut some more. Lucky we have some large overgrown pots of minis as well as clumps in trees etc. Yesterday morning we set out 2 trestle tables, 1 3 tier planter & one coffee table of flowering vriseas, guzmanias and nidulariums. Most went yesterday and this morning only had 1 trestle left. This arvo we put about 6 back out back.
We cleared out a lot of plants so have some room to pot up some more. Jen when are we going shopping for new ones. Flush with funds now and some in paypal as well.
This is Johnny favourite folia vrisea. It is called "John's favorite" but it was named by John Buchanen who was the hybridiser.
Wendy

Hi all. I've been on a bromeliad weekend witha good friend, and managed to get some great plants, as well as meeting nice people and seeing nice gardens and eating yummy food.
Wendy, your pathways and wall look beautifull. I would love to be able to make walls like that. I bet you're really pleased with it! How did your sale day go? I haven't seen Nid longiflorum before, and haven't seen or heard of one changing colour. Bonus!
Thanks theresa for keeping the troops entertained with photos while I was gone! That Vriesea Nova is going pink, and I'm worried it might be stress. If its not, it will be very pleasing, so I have my fingers crossed its not ailing but just maturing.
Karen, you got a good slection of broms there. i agree with jen on her iD's. Your little mini looks like neo pauciflora again. And in your other pic the left one looks like Aechmea 'red ribbons' and the one on the right might be Aechmea 'Bert' or an orlandiana or fosteriana hybrid? It will probably get a red flower. my A. 'Bert' is coming into flower now. The ones that the bats are knocking the hairy bits onto are Aechmea nudicaulis. You often here them referred to as the xmas brom, because they flower for xmas, but they seem a little bit early this year? Mine are just flowering now too. As with jen, I have seen some ridiculous money spent on Bromeliads on Ebay, and saw one go for $3000 once! Now thats just crazy addicted!
Wayne, good to see those broms are doing well for you. The alcantarea pup has grown quite a bit! And your V. rubyae must be in the right spot if its flowering. Thanks for keeping me updated. Its always nice to inow my babies have gone to good homes!
Jen, I just love that V. ospinae 'Gruberi'! Its gorgeous!
This is my friend, Joans, Vriesea 'Kiwi Sunset'. Its just beautiful!
Sue

Wendy, so pleased your weekend went well, and that the weather stayed fine for you. Love that John's favourite.

Sue, that Kiwi Sunset is gorgeous. I am really falling in love with these vrieseas. Need to start saving, fast! But $3000??? That is crazy keen. I'm not going to get that bad.

Thank you too for ID-ing more of my broms. It is good to start giving some of my older ones names as well.

Karen

Ebay is a hit and miss event isn't it? Fancy getting $3,000 for one of your broms. Wouldn't you be cheering that idiot on approaching end time. With my first broms ever listed last week the guz which I would normally sell for around $20 a pup, I got one bid in the last minute and got $7.99 for it. The neo which I would probably sell for $8 to $10 went for $10.50 and I even made some money from the postage. I sent the lady an extra pup because it was a very good price. I also sent a well established pup instead of a new pup. If I had had a new pup of the guz I would have sent that but I only had a very well established pup which required a bigger box and I couldn't shake all the mix off the roots without damaging them so postage was higher than I estimated. All a big learning curve isn't it? The worst is the neo fury which would have been my personal pick to bid on didn't even get a single bid. Go figure.
This is the neo which I sold - neo carnival.
Wendy

when we renovate the kitchen here I want a box bay window, lots of room for plants...
wonder if broms would like it on a south facing windowsill?
Gets late afternoon sun,(when the sun shines that is) good light but not overly hot.

Sue - I just wish I hadn't been so dozy from the trip up, I could have deleted all the old pics off my memory stick & then been able to take more photos of your broms.
Isn't hind sight a wonderful thing

Hi all, Wendy, don't worry too much about your Ebay sales. it IS a learning curve, and you'll find it hard to get decent sales untill you build up good feedback as a seller. Just sell plain things to begin with and save your dearer stuff for home sales or to sell later on when it picks up. I have had things go for too little, and then some go for really silly money (thank you bromeliad addicts). I always start with the lowest price I want as my opening bid, and then you only need one bid to get that. The postage is a hit and miss thing too. What you make on one parcel, you'll lose on another, and you never make back the time you spend packaging everything up.
Karen, I am only too happy to help with Ids, if I know them.
Theresa, a south facing window will be fine I think. It would depend on what you want to grow. http://www.bromeliads.co.nz/ Have a look at this site and check out what is listed as cold hardy. Then have a look on trade me as the website owner mentions he sells there occasionally. Good luck and never mind about the pics. At least you have your memories!
Sue

Jen did you want one of those Neo roxy that I have? I have now found 3 pups of it and put them out the front with the big one. They are all colouring up nicely. I love getting a name for one of my NOIDs. It is like getting a new one .... almost (ha ha). We also took pups off broms in front yard including the one you were looking at on the weekend.

I went around the yard today taking more photos of all the broms flowering and flushing so colourfully. I now have a collection of photos labelled Neo .xyz1 and Neo .xyz2 etc showing all the different versions of the same plant. You think it looks good enough to take a pic and a month later it looks even better so you take another one. Ahhhhh the addiction really bites hard. Is everyone like that?????

My white Nid longiflorum is still hanging in there with no colour except on the very tips. I took a photo today but camera is still downstairs so will upload photos tomorrow. Going to have an early night tonight as we are babysitting tomorrow all day. Chasing a 2.7yo around all day can be tiring.
Nite all.

Sue thanks for that link.
Amazing to see there are some broms that can take -3 frosts...
if I see any for sale it will be very hard to resist now that I know a little about them.

Hi Wendy, great to hear you had a big weekend. All that money has come just in time for Mt Cootha on 13th Nov and the Tropical foliage Festival on 20th . I agree with Sue about Ebay. It is very unpredictable. I've got 6 listed at the moment and they all have about 8 watchers but no bids. Never mind. It's fun to watch when you do get some bids. Postage is a real pain. I always lose money if I have to send to South Australia. It's so hard to predict until it's packed and weighed. Thanks for the offer of Neo Roxy. It's very pretty but I've got a couple very similar and not a lot of space. I'd still love a pup of the one in the front with the dark leaves and "slime". Don't have anything like them. Sue I love that Vr. Kiwi Sunset of Joan's. It's really lovely. Hope mine looks like that one day. Thanks for those photos of Sue's place, Theresa. I love that big Vriesea Nova. Isn't pink good Sue? Johnny and I had to pay more for a tiny little pink one at Catlan's because they are quite rare. Bought Neo Amazing Grace and Amazing Grace red form last year. They both stayed green for a long time and I was beginning to think I'd been duped but they are finally colouring up and worth the wait. This is Am. Grace and the 2nd photo is red form. Jen

Neo Amazing Grace red form.

Good morning fellow brom lovers. Jen, I love Amazing Grace esp. the green stripes. This is the tiniest brom I've ever seen. Neo. Lilliputiana. It gets very pretty blue flowers.

Karen

Hi Karen, I saw one of those last weekend, and Boy are they tiny! I nearly bought one, but resisted the temptation. (aren't I strong?)
Hi jen, your Neos. 'Amazing Grace's are looking nice and in good colour. I notive the pups off the light form stay green awhile before developing stripes. I thought I wasn't going to get a replacement, but am happy to say the pups coloured up well with age. As for that Nova, if the pink is just colour, and not an indication of stree/rot, I'd be happy, but I have a baaaaaaaad feeling about it! I tipped the water out today, but now its raining again. I might go and put it somewhere dry for awhile. I envy you being close to all those bromeliad sales, but in a way its good I am so far away, because I'd be forever poor!
Theresa, I hope you find some more bromeliads somewhere. i'm sure if you contact that website owner, he will put you on to someone who can get you some.
Wendy, I am the same! I take photos all the time. I just name them, then add the date (which is always different) then organise them by name. So you can see them in order, except when the months start with a higher/lower letter of the alphabet. (cause I date them as Nov 10 e.t.c) I suppose if you listed them with the month first in numerical value (ie jan=1, feb=2) it might bring them up in order, mmmm, must try it. Of course, then I burn them onto disc to stop bogging down the computer, and then its a mad scramble through the discs to find stuff! I'll geta system one day.
Anyway, must go do some paperwork.
Everyone cross your fingers for fine weather on sunday. i want to do the car boot markets!
Sue

Sue, I have a weak spot for miniature anything, be it plants or porcelain or whatever. I have another neo which looks very similar but the leaves are longer and maybe narrower, but I don't know if it lilliputiana or something else. Still quite small, this is in a mini tub. The pup is quite striped at the back of the leaves.

Early rain, but bits of blue sky peeping through.

Karen

Its been pouring since yesterday afternoon, so i think I'll have to give the markets a miss. I was really looking forward to going. I hope there is a market somewhere nearby next week, and I'll try again. I'd like to make a little money before xmas and free up some room in the shade house. I don't know what your little one might be Karen. Theres quite a few with the tiger stripes and I'm not very good at telling them apart. More light usually gives the a tubbier shape and more yellow tones.
This is (I think) Neo. 'Wee Willy' which is a lovely golden colour in bright light.
Sue

Beautiful, striking colours and markings in Wee Willy, Sue. I love it.

I am tempted to do the markets at Beenleigh again tomorrow to see the new ones one many is bringing in. Just have to get his nibs up early enough, and be fit enough myself.

Karen

Oh I have no chance of keeping up!! Folks I'm currently in hospital after being busy with visitors & not being well for a bit, so keep up the parade of pics & happenings - it adds so much interest to my day. Mind you I'm in luxury here - i have this fantastic room!!
I hope to be out in a few days. I would appear I've had a blockage in my bowel making me quite sick, but I'm on the mend now.
Leisa.

Hmmm just went looking for my pic of lilliputiana & realized I don't have any - too small maybe ha ha! It really is a cute little plant - I just had to have when I saw it. Karen with a bit of sun, you should get more spots on the leaves - mine are quite spotted and even stripped underneath. It's a lovely little stoloniferous plant - one of my favorites for it's size.

Wow, Leisa, where do they have hospital rooms like that? You could throw a party in there. Hope you recover quickly. Rest up and enjoy what you can of it.

I have the little brom under shade cloth, but even so, it doesn't get a lot of sun. Maybe because there hasn't been much sun to get, and then when it does come through, the leaves of other plants burn from the heat and the shock. This one seems to be standing up to the fluctuations quite well though, and the pup is well striped. The spots are light though.

Take care
Karen

OK, I went to the Beenleigh markets. I know, no will power at all. The brom man didn't bring many in today, but I got 2 from him, plus another from a different seller. This is the first, named Vriesea Kiwi Cream.

Karen

The second from a different seller is Vriesea Ospini.
Karen

Lastly, this UNK which isn't particularly special. It just needed a home.
Karen

here's a pic of my Ae. correiaAraujoi - it gets lots of sun.

Karens not addicted! Phfffft! I think your unknown might be Vriesea rubyae? Nice in a hanging basket. Congrats on your V. 'kiwi Cream' and V. ospinae. You'll love them! I went to the markets too, but i was on the selling end and had a very successful day, aswell as totally enjoying myself!
Leisa, Are you home yet? or did you have some pics of your A. correia-araujoi on your laptop? I cant get over how yellow it looked when we visited. i have a pup on mine, and when its big enough, I'm going to remove it and grow it in some sunlight to see If I can have a yellow one too.
Sue

Sue, the pic was taken in the past month sometime. The pic probably does look as yellow as in real life. I've go a pup too & I'm thinking of moving the whole thing somewhere where it gets a bit more rain, as where it is is under the eaves, so it doesn't get much water except what I give it. (another reason it's probably very yellow - poor thing).
I think my broms are doing ok despite the rain. A couple weeks ago I removed some pups & the inner part of one plant just fell out - too much water I can only guess!! But that was the only one. My main brom bed is getting a lot of sun now, maybe too much for some things, but they'll just have to survive for now. Luckily we've not had any real hot days, i think my palnts might get a good (bad) sunburn if that happen especially after so many grey raining days.
MAny of my Vrieseas are coming up to flower so that's good to look forward to. In a big pot of bright orange/red guzmanias that I'd won the popular choice award for last year, I've discovered 4 plants of a completely different guzmania (possibly white grape)- I only noticed now they are flowering!! Lucky the judges did notice the cuckoos in the pot ;-p

Leisa, I am having much the same problem with where to put my broms while this weather is so mixed up. I had a couple of small burn patches on one brom from just one day when it got too hot. Some are in too much shade. Thinking cap is on.

Sue, thanks for the ID. It does look like Vr. rubyae, I agree. I like the shape of the plant and they are very healthy. I love the Vr. Kiwi cream. The seller also had Kiwi Dusk but I couldn't afford both. He said he had Kiwi Sunset but it had sold earlier. The Sunset is truly beautiful and I wouldn't mind getting that later on. But no, I'm not addicted, just have ideas for a garden when the poisoning is done. Need to see Wendy again as she has a large brom I want, but will wait until I'm ready for it.

Karen

did you hear that everyone? she is not addicted! he he. Shhhh.....I think she's in denial.
You know I'm only toying with you Karen? I can't wait to see what you do with your broms and gardens when you really get going.
Leisa, I recently bought Guz. 'White grapeade' is that what you think yours is? What a nice cuckoo to have!
I have had a few broms out enjoying the winter sun, but now have to move them into their summer shade. My garden has been growing its canopy for about 4 years (aimed at protecting broms) so there are a few good places to put them. I like using the golden canes to keep the rain off, but there are a few pests lurking in them, so I have to keep an eye on those plants that I put under them. Some seem more immune than others.
I only have one plant I thought might be ailing from the wet, but I've had a couple of plants get sick from some water running off of treated timber, and dripping in the centres, my fault for putting them where I did, knowing what I know! They aren't anything too special thank goodness, but I'm still giving myself a swift kick!
I really must get a move on with these gardens I have planned, but time is screaming past, and I have a few busy weekends ahead of me before xmas, so who knows when I might get them done. One is well on the way, just waiting for the round-up to finish doing its thing. I might have to spray another batch, as the wet weather is keeping a few tough weeds alive. Now if I could just get a few fine days in a row, with no wind, and a free moment to get into it.
nevermind. Jen, whats flowering at your house.? Bree? Mike? Max? Jean? Colleen? you must all be too busy. Charleen, is it getting cold there yet? Do you get snow for xmas?
Sue
I recently purchased a pup of this one. Aechmea 'Dark Goddess'

Karen we were at the Beenleigh markets on Sunday. It was only about 9:30 - 10:30 when we were there. We met a brom lady called Liz from Eagelby and bought 4 neos for $10 - 2 I already had but neither had pups yet so thought I needed another ha ha. They were harmony and marble snow. The other two were fire engine and can't remember the other one. We then went up to Tamborine for a drive and stumbled across the markets up there but not much in broms there. Nice drive though if you like wine, avocados and B&Bs.
One the way back down we stumbled across a nursery specialising in bamboo and tropical plants. They had a lot of alcantareas for reasonable prices but thi neos were so expensive eg $20 for small pot of fireball (1 mum & 2 pups)
We redid the back part of the yard today. Found baddies in one pot of mothers so had to poison area and cover with plastic and stone. We took the opportunity to put totems in among the trees. Rings for about 60 broms up off the ground. Now we have space for pups. When we moved all the mothers to put down the plastic etc I took about 50 pups off them, mostly guz & vriseas.
Jen did you go out to M&Ms sale last weekend? Sylvia went and said they were actually a bit cheaper with prices this time except for a new mini neo called tiger cub. They wanted $50 for a single pup. Who would pay that for ini????? now that would be an addict.
Hopefully we will get some nice ones from Mt Cootha next Saturday.
Here is an update of the white longiflorum still holding off oncolour.
Wendy

Hi everyone.

Oh no, not me not I. No addicts live here :). Sue, I can't wait to see what I do with the gardens too. My biggest problem at the moment is not having a way to dispose of the garden rubbish. And there is a ton of it, with a lot more to come, as I want to remove some trees as well. Will just have to save up and get a skip, or something. That Dark Goddess is lovely.

Wendy, we would have been leaving the markets about 9.30 ish. It wasn't as good as the week before, but I must admit, I turned a blind eye for much of it as I was on a very restricted budget. Did you see the vrieseas? That seller had beautiful broms, but not so many this week. Can't wait to see what your longiflorum does.

I love Tambourine. Barry's car is elderly, like us, and doesn't do the trip up the mountain anymore, so we are restricted in our travels to the flats.

Karen

Wendy, I'm one of those addicts who pays big for new release Minis. I paid $50 for Neo. 'Tiger Cub' albomarginated, but mine is fully grown and has a pup coming already. I've seen pups go on Ebay for around the $100 mark, so thats why its worth paying the big price to buy them, you can make your money back if you're quick!
What baddies did you find in your pot? It sounds serious.
I went to the markets last weekend, but didn't buy anything. I did sell a bit though and was very hapy with the result. I love meeting interested people and could talk bromeliads all day!
I have to concentrate on my other plants this week and get them into bigger pots of fresh soil. Everything goes on the back bench when I get carried away with broms.
Sue

Hi Sue
The baddies were white ants. We've had them before but had them poisoned. We originally brought them into the yard in a pot of broms we bought. We've now had quite a few pots from the same place with them in. Anyhow that's why we put in shelves and totems - to get our broms off the ground. Lucky this latest pot was only a pot of mothers. The chooks new they were there - they kept knocking the broms out and scratcing the dirt out. We now have new paths, plastic and rock down in new beds and lots of totems.
Karen, Tamborine was nice to revisit - it must be 20 years since we were up there. The roads are still the same narrow, winding dangerous roads and some buildings are the same but there are so many new ones, especially B&Bs. We've seen it now and probably won't go back there again for years so your not really missing anything. Couldn't find a brom grower anywhere.
Look at this wonderful neo we have - megan. she is flowering and the colours are spectacular. I love walking around with the camera looking for new colour to shoot then downloading the photo and comparing with the last one of that plant. I have started taking shots of our painted delight seedlings grown from seed. So far none of them look like a real painted delight but some are stunning.
Wendy

here is a photo of our first seedling flowering. It has stunning colour.

and another seedling. this one has nice spots but it is still only half grown.

Hi Wendy, do the white ants get in to eat the bark or something? I've never had them in my pots, but I've certainly got black ants nesting in alot of them! I am checking them, here and there, and giving them a good soak in a bucket of water to try and drown them out. If it doesn't work I'll have to find something that will. I know they are a transmitter of pests (scale e.t.c) so don't really want them around, and also they undermind the mix and leave spaces in the pots.
I like the purple centre in your seedling, and especially like the way the second one grows horizontally like that! he he.
I have some seedling Neo. 'Fiesta's that I am keen to see mature. It will be a year or more yet I think, but they have grown alot over the last growing season, so maybe it will be sooner. I did a bit of pollinating this morning, and am trying to be vigilant in recording what Im doing, but sometimes paperwork gets lost, ink fades and labels fall out, so I'm trying all of that and tieing coloured string around Vriesea flowers that have been pollinated. I'm not planning on doing too many, as it takes so long to grow them out, and alot of room to grow them on. I have Aechmea bracteata seedlings and Edmundoa lindenii (have I mentioned this before?) seedlings that I've recently repotted and they are growing like topsy! I might have to repot them again before summer is over.
Where is everyone? I guess its been a very busy time in the garden and shade house? I plan to do some mulching and weeding this weekend, but only if the weather clears. Afternoon showers today, which has cooled things down thank goodness. It was really muggy this morning.
Anyway, time for a shower and then dinner, so catch you again soon
Sue
Some Edmundoa lindenii (back) and Alcantarea glaziouana seedlings (front)

Hi Sue
Aren't seedlings fun? We also have bracteata seedlings which are now quite big and red and lindenii seedlings which are probably about 4 or 5 inches high. they appear to have lost the varigation. What would you call a lindenii without the white stripes???
We also have some quite big concentrica seedlings taking up a lot of room as well as gee whizz seedlings getting quite big. We also grew on takamura x grace darling seedlings which are now getting quite big. There is some stunning purple colours in those. How do you pick out only so many seedlings to grow on and get rid of the rest. At the moment they are still our babies and you can't choose which baby is better than the others can you?????
We are planning to cross some vriseas and noticed today that the erotica red form is finally opening its flowers up so we can collect pollen to take to those now.
We were helping my brother today to pup all of his broms before he returns to work (in WA) next week. We scored some of his pups which we didn't already have but I haven't taken photos of them yet. He had a lot of pots with dead plants and labels which sounded interesting and we didn't have them. Now my brother doesn't have them either, but he did have a lot that we would like to have.
I lost a lovely neo called lava swirl. It had stunning colour but just rotted out in the middle. I will have to try to get another one of those. I have already spoken to the lady who I got my first one from. Thank god I record that info on my spreadsheet. I was able to ring her as soon as I discovered the rot.
Must go to bed now - babysitting a toddler again tomorrow so need my sleep fo that. Have a nice Friday everyone.

Wendy

Hello. What is today doing? I wonder if it knows itself. Is anyone from Brisbane going to the Mt. Cootha bromeliad thingie over the weekend, and if so, what day? Barry is lined up to take me, probably Saturday, but it depends how I am feeling. Have had a rather bad week so far. I won't be doing much buying, but do want to see broms I haven't seen before.

Wendy, what makes the centre of a brom rot out? Is it avoidable, or is it the result of too much rain?

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend lined up.

Karen

No much to report - no broms in sight here!!
Sue no as far as I know it's just Guz White Grape. I think the cuckoo was a plant given to me ages ago before I seriously got into broms & I thought i'd never get it to flower again. I'd forgotten what it was & just thought it the same as another plant given to me more recently. Both plants were gifts with the nebulous "bromeliad" tag, so really I have no idea what it is. But recently I bought White Grape as I always liked it.
If all goes well I'll be heading home for a few hours tomorrow - ie afternoon leave ;-) So I'm looking forward to seeing the cats & the garden & my life in general. Yippee!!

Hi Wendy, my Edmundoa came from variegated plants too, but none of the seedlings haveany variegation. Its still Edmundoa lindenii as far as I'm concerned, and they sometimes go as freebies in my Ebay parcels. I might keep a couple, just to see what they grow into.
Hi Karen, is your weather all up and down too? I hope you have a great time at the show, and that you get to meet a couple of DG'ers there. I'm envious and wish I was going, but I plan on doing a few things around the yard. Sorry to hear you haven't had a great week.
Broms can rot out in the middle due to fungal or bacterial disease carried by water, usually in the rain as it is splashed from the ground. Broms don't like being cold and wet, and this is when the rot is most active, so with this wet winter we have had, I expect quite a few people have had the misfortune of rotting broms, myself included.
Leisa, glad to hear you are getting some rest and recreation time at home. Is that so they can wash your sheet and clean the room? he he. I'm not familiar with White grape, so you'll have to post a photo of it for me, please. I guess you're not up to the Mt Coot-tha show either? Jen, Jen, are you there? Are you going to Mt Coot-tha?
Well, I must go supervise hubby, as he is pulling out giant Agaves with a chain and the 4x4! I don't want him to damage any frangipanis at the same time. If anyone would like some babies of these, please let me know. I have a gazillion!
Sue