Gardengal, a photo may help those in the know ID your ?Red Chestnut?
Love those Ralph Davies, though they look rather spikey. I must be due for another brom fix. Had better wait until this cold weather is over though. Some of mine are looking rather sad at the moment.
Karen
This Neo. Fairy Paint X Chlorosticta, also from Wendy, is pupping up nicely and looking very colourful.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 3:02 PM
I think this is my beefsteak
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 6:01 PM
no i was wrong (just checked) its either sun valley or sunset.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 6:25 PM
some of my neo's i have ralph davies(the darker red one on the left i think) and Lymanii is the other.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 6:23 PM
Gary Hendrix.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 6:22 PM
ones had little purple flowers. This is a really small plant thats currently got a little pup growing on it.
Its called fire cracker.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2011 6:21 PM
Hi everyone,
Pam – Regarding your Vr. Red Chestnut question, you have really opened a “can of worms”. I can’t answer your question, but if you find out the answer, please share it with us.
The topic of Red Chestnut was dealt with in some detail a while back in the Bromeliad Section of the Garden Web http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bromeliad/msg081746027901.html
If you type Vriesea Red Chestnut into the search engine at the top of the page and then select from the results, the first post called “Vriesea fosterianas” on Sat Aug 29 2009 you will be able to read the whole interesting yet complicated story with lots and lots of photos. The end result seems to be that the original Red Chestnut which was a cultivated variety of Vriesea fosterianas var. Seideliana has been crossed with other fosterianas and selfed so many times that no ones now seems to know which is which. Many of the resulting “look-alikes” have been incorrectly called Red Chestnut which they are not! Crossing one Red Chestnut with another Red Chestnut will only give you more Vr. fosterianas not more Red Chestnuts.
Further more the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry has this and quite a bit more to say about Red Chestnut also “http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=VRIESEA&id=9024#9024” , again more interesting reading.
I think I’d better leave it there for now, but remember, you did ask the questions.
Sorry to take up so much space
All the best, Nev.
Hi everyone
Bree - It seems you opened up a "can of worms" also with Neo Beefsteak.
Read all about it from the BCR and the article written by Derek Butcher (Uncle Derek), and then you'll know why I'm often confused with names
"Neoregelia ‘Big Bands’ by Butcher Mar. 2011.
In the Jan 2011 issue of Meristem the Journal of the Caloosahatchee Brom Soc I found out some fascinating information about the Neorgegelia called ‘Oeser’s #100. About 1977, Joe and Peggy Bailey of Florida acquired a supposed unique neoregelia from a nursery in California.
In 1991 when Fort Myers horticultural artist, Kiti Wenzel was asked to create a poster for the 1992 WBC “Bromeliad Safari” to be held in Tampa Florida, Peggy provided a picture of the Neoregelia ‘Big Bands’ (also known as Oeser hybrid #100) as the model for the poster. It was reported in the Journal of the Bromeliad Society International, May-June l992 issue that this plant was the only one of its kind and at that time was felt to no longer be in existence. Actually this is not true, because today Neoregelia 'Big Bands' exists in many collections, at least in Florida gardens; and this is again due to the generosity of the Baileys. Another inconsistency was in the colour of the banding. Photographs on the Bromeliad Cultivar Register http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php show a contrast with the one from Peggy Bailey showing gold/yellow banding as is the plant depicted in the poster by Kiti, whereas the other from Tropiflora shows light green bands.
The description given to Don Beadle by Peggy Bailey for the 1998 edition of the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry – “Dark, rich red spotted and banded with chartreuse - irregular very distinct bands to half the upper leaves evident even in small offsets”. This suggests variation depending on what intensity of light the plant is subjected to.
Seeing the photo by Tropiflora reminded me of a photo I took of ‘Happy Thoughts’ that was at one time known as ‘Green Bands’!
This in turn had me looking at Oeser numbers and what had happened in the USA and Australia. It seems that about 1965 he sent packets of hybrid seed numbered 1 to 20 AND 100 to 111 to California without advising parentage. How do I know this? When Don Beadle checked all records in his preparation of the 1998 Bromeliad Cultivar Register he followed the lead of Brian Smith (see Manuscript of Bromeliad hybrids and cultivars, 1984) where detail had been captured from Nurserymen’s catalogues but he went further by recording which nursery was using the cultivar name AND the date. This way I was able to glean that the earliest references were coming from California! Oeser’s hybrids seem to have been grown by several Californian nurseries but whether they went to one Californian who distributed the seed to interested people, it will never be known. What is strange is that he did not apparently quote any parentage and yet he did when sending seed to Australia!
No doubt you have asked yourself what happened to the numbers between 21 and 99. Well, we do know that we have seeds numbered between 40 and 60 by Olwen Ferris in New South Wales, Australia AND he divulged that they were a cross between carolinae and a hybrid of chlorosticta. Because one was a hybrid we know you would get variability even with one seed pod! Most of those selected out as being worthy of growing on and naming had spots! To see the 6 sibling names involved refer to ‘Beefsteak’ which was what we called the grex name in the 1980’s. Alas, we do not have photos of them all. The photos of ‘Happy Thoughts’ are especially intriguing as mentioned before! I can see links between this and ‘Big Bands’ and it could well have similar if not the same parents.
From records currently held Oeser sent seed to Australia in this same period of
1. (carolinae x chlorosticta hybrid) which became ‘Beefsteak’ with 6 siblings
2. (carolinae x redleaf carolinae hybrid) which became ‘Nomad’ with 11 siblings
3. (carolinae x chlorosticta) which became ‘Dark Delight’ with 18 siblings
4. (ampullacea x chlorosticta) which became ‘Jodie’ with 7 siblings
5. (ampullacea x carolinae) which became ‘Petite’ with 3 siblings
6. (chlorosticta x ?) which became ‘Red Marble’ with NO siblings!!!
Let us now move to California where the US seed raising started and I regret to say that Peggy did not get a unique plant from the Californian Nurseryman. If it was Oeser #100 then the Californians called it ‘Michelle’. So Oeser #100 had at least two names that we know of – ‘Big Bands’ and ‘Michelle’. We do know that a plant called Oeser #100 was imported to Australia but we do not know by whom. All we do know is that in the 1980’s the Butchers got hold of a plant of this name from Queensland and because it was not like ‘Big Bands’ called it ‘Michelle’ instead! We do know that ‘Big Bands’ got to Australia in 1987 because it is in the Pinegrove Ledger but who is growing it now?!
Oh, what a tangled web we weave! Dr Richard Oeser has much to answer for. Or, did I hear a chuckle from up in that Bromeliad Heaven because even after 45 years some of his hybrids are still being grown even if we do not really know their parents! Where else did he send hybrid seed? We think that New Zealand got at least one packet because of ‘Bea Hanson’.
If this has a moral, it is that you are sure to create angst if you hybridise and let others raise the seed. Hybridising is not a game but a creation where the hybridist has responsibilities."
To see the accompanying picture go to "http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=NEOREGELIA&id=3094#3094"
All the best, Nev.
Hi all.
What a can of worms. We have bought a batch of seedlings from John and Genny Catlan which are from straight seed collected from Red Chestnut. He didn't cross these seeds at all but nature may have. We deliberately picked all the seedlings which looked so different to the parent red chestnut. These are all labelled "vrisea fosteriana cv red chestnut". I know of one other local who also bought some of the same batch of red chestnut cultivar seedlings (for $5 each) and I noticed he recently had them on ebay as red chestnut seedlings for $12. If people are buying these as red chestnut they are not because I have seen the range of differences in the seedlings. I will take some photos of these seedlings to show you all the range of patterns you can get out of one seed pod.
Nev we do have a few galactic warriors, one in flower at the moment. If anyone is growing this plant, don't discard any pups which come out without varigation. We had a couple without varigation which we decided to grow on anyway to see what they would come out like. After a period of time the new leaves in the middle started coming out with small stripes and now you can't tell which ones they are among all the young plants hanging together. So don't be too quick to discard.
Oh I noticed one of our guzmanias today with one leaf with a wide white stripe the length of the leaf. It looked quite unusual. I've never seen it before. I'll have to go look for it again tomorrow and get a photo. I bet I can't find it again though.
Jen I'm getting impatient to see the new shadehouse. If you don't give me the nod soon I'll have to sneak around for a peek while you are at work hahahaha. Just kidding...... but I am dying to see the what you've done.
Oh one more word of warning .... I was told today that the tax dept is looking into regular sellers on ebay to see who is actually running a business and not declaring income. And facebook was also mentioned by the person too. I know a couple of growers up here who are shaking, so if you do sell on ebay think about keeping records to show income doesn't come near expenditure spent on your HOBBY. I know a lady who works in the tax dept. I wonder if it is ethical for me to ask her if there is an investigation like this happening. Perhaps she will not be able to divulge an answer.
Wendy
Hi everyone,
Wendy - To solve the Red Chestnut "can of worms" (in your case), simply label the seedlings as Vr. Fosteriana c.v. Red Chestnut x ?. This tells buyers the whole story, ie. the plants were from seed taken from Vr. fosteriana c.v. Red Chestnut which was the result of a crossing with either itself or some other unknown plant. (this could have been done by an unknown party either man, bird or insect). This won't decieve anyone as you're telling all you know of the true parentage of the seedlings
Re. your comment on Galactic Warrior pups; this is exactly what I've said about seedlings and pups all along, you don't know what you have for sure until you grow them to maturity. Unfortunately there must be thousands of good ones getting dumped on a regular basis simply because growers just don't have the space to do this, and they just select the obvious, good looking ones. Besides, there's always the chance you could get another unusual sport; after all, this is how Galactic Warrior came to be.
Look for your Guz with the stripe and put it somewhere so you won't sell it.
Now carefully read the details in "http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=AECHMEA&id=32#32"
This is the story of how John Catlan developed Ae. Aztec Gold from a pup with a single stripe. If it can work for an Aehmea why not a Guzmania? You're fortunate to be able to talk to John about this so who knows where it may all end up. Please keep us posted.
All the best, Nev.
Lots of food for thought there Nev.
Wendy, there is indeed a notification on Ebay that they have had a request from the Tax Office and Centrelink for details of any seller who sold over $20 000 last year, including user name, contact details and IP address.
I'm off to do some reading on Gardenweb.
Pam
Hi everyone,
love all the pics everyone has put up, there are some lovely broms in among them for sure, beautiful.
I am not getting into the cans of worms, lol, it's all too advanced for me yet (blushing). I am having system overload at the moment with slowly one by one going through all my named broms and checking the spelling and details on FCBS or BSI, it's a pain staking job, but I don't have that many yet, so easier to do now and get it all sorted then to try and work it out later. I only just learned about the whole capital letter for a hybrid and loswercase for a species, and i think most of my tags will be written incorrectly, I automatically use a capital on every name. So the hybrids will be right, lol. I don't think I have that many species, so I won't have too many to change, but I still want to get it right.
oh I have a Neo Beefsteak as well, in fact I brought two pups of a lady over the other side of cairns and she told me which one was Beefsteak, and the other was a NOID, but by the time we got home up a twisty coast road, I had no idea which was which, they both look very similar to me. Both currently have no tags on them, so I must put a tag in them today while I think of it. Actually we have about 4 that all look roughly the same, it actually blows me away how many names there are for things that look so similar to what must be my 'untrained' eyes. In another forum the other day, (forgotten the name of the vriesea) but it looked like Tiger Tim to me, i would of sworn it was, but nope, it was something else. To many names I think.
As for the sales on ebay, I need not worry as yet, lol
Okay, just keeping this short, hope you are all well,
Tash
Wow, information overload! I should get more organized too about naming my broms while I can still do so. This one still has its tag, and it reads Blushing Tiger, now with a very nice looking pup. Should I leave the pup attached or would it do better if separated?
Karen
Hi Karen,
yeah I have Blushing Tiger too, only a recent one I got, but it's so nice. Yours has lovely colour, very nice :)
Yeah in regards to keep records, I am just using an excel spreadsheet and then saving it into 2 formats, PDF so it looks nice and I can print it out and not lose it and also as the excel spreadsheet. The reason I decided to use the spreadsheet layout is you can sort the whole spreadsheet using certain cells, so I can sort alphabetically so that it's easy to find what i have and more to the point...what I don't have, lol. So I have the names sorted alphabetically, then I save it as the PDF file and when I print it, it looks nice and I can have a copy in the brom house, a copy inside, you know...copies everywhere, lol. Mind you I only have 47 in my spreadsheet and only about 10 to go and I'm finished, lol. So as you can see, I don't have that many yet. I have a lot of other broms that have no names though. But you can also use a pencil to write the number of them you have beside the name if you wanted too. Dunno just my idea for now, might change the system as the numbers grow if it's not working well enough later on :)
Tash
hi girls, Karen, you don't need to remove the pup, but sometimes its nice to just have the one in the pot. Its personal preference I think. Also, If you remove the pup, mum might go on to produce more, faster than she would if you left it on.
Tash, I do the same as you, re-excel. I have a spreadsheet for the different genera, although I have more than one genera per sheet, except for Neoregelias, because I have such alot of them!
Sorry I haven't been on much. but I'm battling the back ache again, and the computer is the worst culprit, so I can only do a little each day, and generally its Facebook these days.
Not much going on here, just been pruning and making sure the greenwaste bin is full every week. I've been throwing out old, sick plants and any that just struggle in our climate, which has given me a bit more space for the good plants. Its a good feeling cleaning out the cupboards, so to speak.
Sue
Vriesea 'Sunset'
Hi all
Tash I didn't know about capitals and no capitals for hybrids and species. I usually write all tags in complete capitals. I'm going to have to retrain myself. I'm trying to work out what is a speices and what is a hybrid. I would have to go through FCBS name by name and record it on my spreadsheet. I also use excel but only have one file with a worksheet for each genera. I still come across plants in the yard which I somehow missed putting on the spreadsheet. DOn't know how that happens but it does.
We went to a friends house today to see his broms. He had vrisea seed blowing everywhere. I was itching to just start collecting but then I would have had a hand full of mixed seed cause there was no way I could have kept all the different ones separated. He does sow seeds but just in foam boxes out on the ground. No heat source or even lid on top to keep the warmth in. And he wondered why they don't grow too well for him.
Must share with you all something my son said recently. He said he had lots of pups to take off but didn't have time to pot them up. I told him to put them in a pot with water in a saucer underneath so the pups would send roots out looking for the water. He came back that he had a better way to strike roots. He puts all his grass cuttings in a pile down the back. When he takes pups off he sticks them in the grass. The heat in the grass makes the roots grow quickly. He said in a week they all have roots but after 2 or 3 weeks they have a good root ball and when potted they take off straight away. We are itching to try this method but we hardly have any grass let alone a pile somewhere. Now I just thought I mowed the yard next door today and got 2 wheelie bins of grass cuttings. I might have to make a foam box of grass and try the pups in grass method. mmmmmmmm tomorrow.
I have a fosterella elata coming into flower at the moment. I love the shape of the plant BUT I haven't taken a single photo of it yet. Not sure whether to do it now or wait for the flower to open first. OK I'll take a photo tomorrow for you LOL.
Night all
Wendy
love blushing tiger...i gave the parent plant to a friend and kept the pup.
This message was edited Jul 26, 2011 5:21 PM
Hi everyone,
Firstly, let me say I’m sorry if I bored a lot of you with some of the “long winded” explanations I’ve posted recently, but it’s a fine balancing act between writing something for growers who are just starting out and experienced growers. If it’s too complicated it is hard for novices to understand and if it’s kept simple for novices, it bores the more experienced growers. I’m just repeating a lot of stuff from much more experienced growers than I, as I can’t shorten it without it losing the true meaning of the information. I think it gets down to the fact that “you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time” and I promise to try and keep it short and sweet in the future and just give references for further reading if required.
Tash – Although it’s nice to have all your name tags written out correctly, don’t get your knickers in a knot if they aren’t. I reckon that the most important thing is to make sure you have a name in the first place and that it’s the right name and spelt correctly. Writing the labels according to the rules can be done any time, it’s a good inside rainy day job, and once you’ve done a few it comes automatically. With unknown plants, just give them a specific number of their own which acts as a “temporary identity”. Each time that plant is divided or a pup is removed that same number must go with it and this saves more and more unnamed plants from appearing in your collection. If at any time in the future, you are able to find out the correct name, it’s a simple matter to just change these numbers to the name. Keep a list of these numbers and when the name is found, put it on the list next to the number so that each time you pot a plant with a number you can check against the list to see if a name has been listed to change with the number. Don’t rely on committing names to memory, because one day you’ll get old like me and won’t remember them!!!!!!
Karen – Blushing Tiger is a nice little plant which will pup well and grow quickly. Removal of pups is a matter of personal choice, and it’s true if pups are removed it will give you more pups quicker as Sue says, but if you’re like me and don’t have the space to put them, this is probably not a good idea, besides a large plant in a pot really looks good anyway. With this particular plant, if you hang it high up beneath your shade cloth, it will enhance the colour greatly.
Tash – Oh if only you girls lived closer, I could give some of you a job laying out a spreadsheet for all of my plants in exchange for some pups or seedlings. How that would simplify things for me, but I’m afraid it’s out of my “computer illiterate” ability and I’ll still have to keep using typed alphabetical lists which I keep misplacing and forgetting to update anyway. On a friend’s recommendation, I even bought a specific computer programme to keep track of all my plants but find I just don’t understand how to use it, so there it sits on the desk.
Sue – I can sympathise with you about back ache, whatever you do, think very long and hard and do a lot of research before you ever decide to have spinal surgery, I wish I had! I love the pic. of your Vr. Sunset, it’s a beautiful plant and is another that will take much more light than a lot of people realise. I’ve been making green waste also, I pruned the Golden Robinea out the front yesterday and if my wife goes out today, the Tibouchina around the back cops it as well. (That’ll teach it to drop its mess all over my shade cloth)
Wendy – I’m very interested in what your son says about the lawn clippings, as theoretically it makes a lot of sense. In fact for some years now I’ve thought about making a “hot box” for striking pups and sitting it on decaying grass clippings to provide the warmth, but never seem to get around to doing it, and I’ll be very interested in what you find when you try it. I think posting pic’s of your fosterella elata in flower would be a good learning curve for some of the newer growers who have never seen fosterellas of any type and it would also be good if you included some cultural tips as well.
That’s it for now, all the best
Nev.
Hi everyone,
he he he, guess we all use a spreadsheet, lol. I haven't bothered splitting mine up, just put everything in the one sheet, but that means writing Neoregelia quite a few times so if I had of just done a sheet for Neos, I wouldn't need to write Neoregelia each time, just the name, doh!! Well it's done now and as I slowly get more I'll add them.
Yeah Wendy, I had to look each and every name up, but I only had 62 names to look up, lol, you would have heaps!!!!!! LOL
No doubt I have probably missed some mind you. I have tried to walk around and take a photo of all our broms and then those that have been identified or have tags, I put the names to them and put them all in an album on the computer. so each time we get a new one that has a tag, we take a photo, add it to the album with it's name on it, and then now into the spreadsheet. I usually then happen to share my newbie on facebook and if it's the wrong name I generally get told fairly quickly, lol.
Sue I hope your back starts to come right, I had a very sore back about 2 years ago and had to get it looked at which i think hurt it even more! apparnetly my back pain is caused by my bugger knee, because I limp sometimes and favour that knee alot it changes my posture and affects my back. But the point I was making is that it really was awful having a sore back, so I really do feel for you. Have you tried a back brace or support? or a kidney belt? Dunno just some ideas :)
I like your Vr 'Sunset' very nice :)
Wendy that grass cutting pile sounds excellent, I would be worried up here about them rotting as when we have had a pile it's been VERY hot and steamy in there, but .... he he he he he..... I think I might try it too :) I'll try it on a not so precious pup first..... pity the grass is all DEAD right now, lol, need a bit of rain to green it up then I'll try it :)
I am still waiting to see some Vriesea seeds start growing, all the Neo trays from about 6 weeks ago have nice little green shoots going on, some bigger than others, but nothing in the vrieseas yet..... maybe I not going to be too good at vrieseas? or maybe they are still trying to grow???
ok best get going again, check facebook and then off to do some things :)
Have a great day everyone
Tash
Hi Nev, I just posted and you must of as well, so i missed commenting on what you said in my last post, so doing another one now :)
Great idea about the numbering system for NOID's, I have been meaning to do that, I did start, I have a PD1 and PD2, which means for me, it came from the Port Douglas markets, number 1 and 2, lol. But I need to walk about the yard and do that numbering on all the NOID's while my numbers aren't out of control. Oh and the memory is already failing me at my young age, god help me when I get older if I can't remember now! LOL We were walking around yesterday and then I found myself saying, where did that come from? Is that a pup of that...or ????? hmmmmmmmm gotta do them tags and keep track of pups like you said.
Hey Nev, so you have the program Microsoft office excel? If you do and you have some kind of list..... you could post it to me if it's not on the computer, or email if it is, and I would be happy to do the spreadsheet for you. Not all in one week as no doubt you have heaps and heap and heapssssssssss, but whenever I have time, I will work on it for you. the offer is there. Up to you. :)
I am a quick typer, and I don't work, just hang out at home with my little man, so I have time on my hands ;)
Okay off to check facebook, talk to you all soon :)
Tash
Nev if you have microsoft excel I can send you my spreadsheet. You could enter all your plants names and fill in the cells or rename the cells to make it suit what you need.
Like Tash I consider myself a quick typist but unfortunately I'm having a lot of trouble with my fingers developing NODAL ARTHRITIS. The doctor said it is quite common in women over 50 but I'm yet to find someone who has heard of it LOL. It's reeeeeealy common. I'm being sarcastic .... women have the problem they've just never heard the term before. My fingers click now and don't want to bend or straighten these days. The other day I had the same problem with one elbow .... pain when I tried to bend it and then it clicked and bent. AHHHHHHH it sucks getting old. I rattle with glucosamine, fish oil capsules, nurofen cream and tablets. I'm sure picking up 3 or 4 pots at a time in each hand doesn't help; right????
I think we might try that grass in a foam box and see what happens. Nev Johnny tried an experiment with that last lot of seeds you sent. I bought take away trays which were split in the middle into two parts so Johnny filled one side with coir and one side with spahgnum and sowed the seeds. We are now waiting to see which ones grow first etc. Keep you posted.
Tash I would show you a photo showing three mature plants which look very alike but all with different coloured pups. BUT I took the computer to the computer doctor today and unfortunately the motherboard is fryed. The case is old so he would have to doctor the connections to fit a new motherboard and there is no guarantee it would work with other older parts. Then there would be labour. Much cheaper to have him build me a new one and he will even install the old hardrive as a piggyback one. Anyway new one is being built now. Duh just realised photos are all still on camera so I can upload from there. As I said. SUCKS GETTING OLD.
I'll post this for now so I don't lose it but will upload photos as soon as I dowload them from camera.
Wendy
These are my potty plants. These ones contain small vriseas corcovadensis, scandens and flamea and tillandsia juncea.
I have a box of the toilet brush holders coming and will release my potty plants for sale once I get those. Would you buy one if you saw them for sale????
Wendy
and one on its own to show you. this one vr scandens
yeah i'd buy one, very cute.
My wild gossip....
Hi everyone,
there you go Nev, you have offers all over the place, just depends if you have microsoft office with excel in it :)
Oh Wendy, that's no good about the fingers, I know on really cold mornings here that my fingers ache when I type, so I'll probably get that too when I am older, I am fairly quick at typing, as in I use all my fingers and don't have to look at the keys, but I am no where near as quick as a receptionist, lol, and I have to hit backspace quite often as I get a bit carried away sometimes, lol. Need to proof read more often ;)
Yeah when we came home in the new year after a week in prosperine, our computer died too, it was the motherboard as well, and it was only 3 years old!!! then they fixed that and the screen died, and the video card frig me!!! LOL It was a very very expensive tower 3 years ago when we brought it, top of the line as I was doing a lot of internet work on it and the old one just wasn't keeping up with me, so it still worked out cheaper to fix this one than replace it. Then our laptop died too!!! Didn't replace it. Only have the big desktop one now. I would love one of them Ipads, but hmmmm, out of my budget I'm afraid, lol.
Your potty plants are very cute wendy, he he he he, I'm sure they'll sell very well.
I keep meaning to ask, the seedlings you sent me, do you know what date they germinated? A few people have seen them and asked me how old they are and I have no idea. They are growing very well in the little brom house we built and haven't looked back since they arrived, touch wood.
I decided to try a couple of trays of sphagnum too, only as I seem to be having no luck getting my vriesea seeds to germinate, so I had a couple left over and thought I'd just try something different, however, after doing it, I read somewhere that if you use sphagnum, they will be over run with algae! Hmmmmm DOH!!!!! Oh well live and learn they say. So we'll see what happens there, again not holding my breath.
I just want to see some vriesea babies sprout!!!!
Here is a pic of another one we were given the other day, yet another NOID to the collection, it had a couple of pups hanging off it too and has past it's prime, but even if it's just one to add to the garden somewhere until it finishes pupping and rots away. Jason brings all sorts of things home that people give him and i'm not complaining. I'll take a photo of the brom house we built and add it later, I have some on facebook but we've added a little shelf outside now, so I'll take a new photo.
Tash
This message was edited Jul 28, 2011 11:08 AM
Here is one of the brom house we made. It's still quite empty for now, but slowly we'll fill it up :) We added a window cause we were a bit worried about air flow and it give some a bit more morning sun, and when it's windy like the other day, we close it up :) If we end up with air flow problems, we will change things as we go. I think we'll also need an additional layer over it in summer as ... as you can see, it doesn't have any trees to shade it.
It's only simple but we like it :)
Oh and you can see how dry winter has been...grass what grass???? dust bowl more like it!
Tash
This message was edited Jul 28, 2011 1:05 PM
Hi everyone,
Wendy – I like your little loos, they’re a good novelty items and should sell well. That was a good idea about the spread sheets. In fact I have a spread sheet here about something else so I’ll play around with that and see what I can learn, but don’t hold your breath.
As for the nodal arthritis, well any sort of arthritis is painful and very inconvenient to say the least and yes I have heard of it before. It usually strikes white females and usually around late middle age. It often coincides with menopause but there’s no definite connection with hormones and HRT is not usually helpful. ($10 for the consultation thanks). Don’t worry about the creaking and clicking of joints, you haven’t got that on your own, in fact sometimes when I’m down weeding and I try to stand up I think I’m gonna “snap” in two and you say old age sucks, well wait till you’re an old fart like me, you’ll creak and grown every time you move, but at least I’m “still on the right side of the grass”!
I tried the sphagnum once and found the seeds grew well but unfortunately the sphagnum grew faster, I didn’t have a problem with algae as Tash describes, just the faster growth of the sphagnum. This of course is due to the fact I used live sphagnum and I read where one grower in Hawaii uses nothing else, but she uses a dehydrated dry form that doesn’t re-grow. Apparently the dehydration process causes it to go sterile and when it’s re-hydrated it makes an excellent medium for brom seeds, but I don’t know where we can get it in Australia.
Bree – That’s a nice looking Wild Gossip you have there, looks a bit like two others I have called Predatress and Hot Gossip. Apparently the “Gossips” are both Skotak hybrids with links to Predatress and Predator and that’s probably why there is some similarity.
Tash – When I first looked at the window in your shade house I thought it was there as a counter to sell stuff from for when you get overrun with plants. Also I don’t know when you planted your Vriesea seed, but be patient as I find they’re much slower to germinate and grow than Aechmeas, Billbergias and Neoregelias.
All the best, Nev.
Hi again,
I meant to post this on the previous page and forgot.
Another Blushing Tiger
All the best, Nev.
Tash which seedlings did I send you and I will endeavour to advise when they were put down. They were grown in sphagnum too. Johnny prefers live sphagnum for seeds. I tried zapping it in the microwave and planted heiroglyphica seeds in it but alas nothing grew and the sphagnum was dead too so......... I've tried some more in live sphagnum and have a few shooting so far.
I had 2 potty plants with my tillandsias in them when we had a sale just before mother's day. Everyone wanted them then and that's why I went all out trying to find some more. I now have 6 planted up and have just ordered a box of 18 but they won't be in Australia until Sept/Oct so I'm not sure whether so try out with some of the 6 now to see if they would sell before I get the box.
Tash I used to be able to take minutes of board meetings typing on a laptop. i could type as fast as they could talk. Now my fingers probably wouldn't bend the right way and I'd be hitting the wrong keys all the time. I used to think it was my coeliac disease causing the aches in the fingers. I always put it down to eating something with gluten hidden in it but no xrays showed a definate build up on the joints. My mum knitted non stop till almost the day she died so she didn't have a problem with hands. Dad doesn't either so maybe it was the milkman ?????? or worse the dunny man ... LOL.
We used to play jokes on the dunny man and the biggest joke used to be sitting on the toilet when he opened the trap door at the back. I guess we were bum flashing him. Charming weren't we? we even said we hoped he would drop the tin until the day he got caught up in the clothesline and spilt it all over himself and the yard. We had to hose him off and the yard stunk for weeks YUKKKKK. Hands up all those who remember the dunny man collecting the dunny tin.
We didn't put any windows in our shadehouse Tash. Thought I would show you what our backyard shadehouse looks like. Note the different heights of the tops.
Wendy
Wendy, thanks a lot for your photo. It was great timing. Never realised before that your shadehouse had different heights. I'm going to study it to for ideas and inspiration.
Jen
Wendy I do remember those days with the out house, and the ice deliveries every morning for the ice box (fridge). My how things have changed.
Karen
Hi everyone,
Wendy - I for one remember the "Dunny Man" and reading about you exploits proves you were just as devious as I was when I was a kid. We once strung a rope at ankle height across the track that went through the long grass to the dunny. Our "Dunny Man" usually came about 4.30am when it was still dark and obviously didn't see the rope. You should have heard the commotion, it woke up the whole house and every dog in the street was barking while I pretended to still be asleep and not heard anything.
I must also relate another true story about when I worked with the construction carpenters in the steelworks. We had an Italian carpenter’s labourer called Danny; Danny didn’t speak much English but he did understand the word “snake” as he was terrified of them. Where we were working at the time was a swampy area with lots of blackberry bushes and of course a few “red bellies” (red belly black snakes). On this particular day Danny went to the loo (similar to the one you mention above with the rear trap door), after a couple of minutes, one of the apprentices took a short length of steel re-enforcing rod, opened the door a little and dragged it across Danny’s bum at about the same time as one of his mates called out loudly that “a snake had gone in the dunny”. Poor Danny came out of the dunny like a bullet, with his pants around his ankles and he came out so fast that he almost knocked the old door off its hinges as he half hopped and half ran away from the “dunny”. Even to this day when I drive past that part of the steelworks I still have a bit of a chuckle as I remember what happened.
Back to bromeliads now, and I must say I love the design of your shade house, it’s so professional looking that it could be architect designed and I especially love the totem poles at the entrance. The whole thing is just so neat and tidy.
All the best, Nev.
Good morning everyone
ok to keep the ball rolling with the dunny stories..... I have one too, he he he.
When we lived in PNG when I was younger, we were all at dad's work, a big timber yard. We were playing and mum was helping dad with paper work...she went into the loo, (a normal ol' dunny) and next minute we hear her screaming her head off. We all came running to see her burst out of the dunny ripping her knickers up, tripping over her shorts, white as a ghost screaming "snakeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Now my mum does not easily get hysterical. So once we got her calmed down and dressed, lol, we inspected the dunny.
The snake was hugeeeee!!!! Probably as round as a 100 or 120mm pot and so long, all coiled around the base of the loo. Dad had to get a worker to help him rig up and pole with a rope through it to catch it's head and drag it out and bag it up. It was later identified as a very venomous snake, (can't remember the name now) and that mum was only extremely lucky that is was shedding it's skin otherwise it would of attacked. But the only reason it was in the dunny was cause it had seeked out a safe place to shed it's skin, otherwise it would of never been there.
Let's say going to the dunny at work was NEVER the same after that, lol. Poor mum.
ok back to broms.
Wendy, your shade house looks great, and all on concrete by the looks too, so neat and tidy, very nice. I wish we owned a home so we could do what we like and make things permanent, we have the cart before the horse I'm afraid, collecting plants before owning a home, but if we wait for the home first, it just might not ever happen. Seems so hard to buy a home now days, prices are just so out of reach. I think we'll end up with a shed on a property somewhere, someday. We are not into flash things, fancy things or mod cons, which is good, life is simple and we like it that way.
Oh the seedlings... there were two different types, one are concentrica and the others are Gee Whiz seedlings. I don't think I have them in the right mix either, as I really wasn't sure what to put them in. They seem to be doing fine though???
How much light or sun should they be getting? I just have them in my brom house, does that sound ok? Means they get alot of filtered light through the shadecloth, but I was wondering if perhaps they should be in more shade than that?
Okay thanks heaps,
Tash
Hi everyone,
Gee Wendy, you’ve started something now with your “dunny” story.
Tash – There’s a lot to be said about having brom’s before having to pay off a mortgage and for starters there’s more money to spend on brom’s. Besides the brom’s don’t care whether you own a home or are renting, they’ll still grow on just the same.
As for your seedlings, concentrica and Gee Whiz are both good plants and proven breeders.
Gee Whiz has 72 registered hybrids to its name and concentrica has over 500; and remember these are just the ones that have been registered and I expect there are many, many more that are not registered. So it looks like the “runs are on the board” and you have a good chance of getting something worthwhile with parents like them.
I've loaded a pic below of a concentrica cross I did about five years ago, it is of a pup from the original seedling and shows just how they can improve in shape and colour with the next generation. It's not the best one from the cross and not everyones "cup of tea" but I like the shape and the dark segments of the leaves and will probably use it in future breeding.
As for light requirements, it depends on what % the shade cloth is, but the old rule is “if they’re doing OK where they are, don’t move them. They are probably OK for now but maybe erect a bit of extra protection from the hot Queensland summer sun.
All the best, Nev.
Hi everyone,
Nev your concentrica cross is lovely, I really like it, very well done.... quite the hybridiser aren't you :) Love the rich colour in it.
Yeah I feel very special about the seedlings Wendy sent me, what a wonderful gift and they give me a guide as to what mine should grow up to look like, I love checking them each and every day. You know the things that amazes me at the moment with broms, the way they change their leaves in relation to light. I have one I have shared on facebook, that we got somewhere along the line, not sure if it was the dump actually, and it had such long huge strappy leaves. It reminded me exactly of an Ae blanchetiana but a different colour and different teeth. Anywho, we put it in the front garden which gets full sun all day. it's been there for a few months now, and the leaves have changed...and I mean mid way down the leaves, they have gone from being perhaps 2-3 inches wide to now at least 4 i'd say at the guess, but you can see where the leaves were skinny and now the new growth is really quite fat and shorter. It is going to completely alter the look of the plant people who have guessed to to possibly be a Neo cruenta may actually be right, I really dont' know. But it is so amazing to look at each day. The leaves are changing in such a very obvious way.
And today when I was studying the seedlings, they too have changed half way down their leaves too, now becoming much fatter since I have put them in the shade house. Really amazing to see and watch.
I always seem to find something else of interest in my broms each day :)
Tash
Tash our concentrica seedlings and gee whizz seedlings are growing in full sun on trolleys. The trolleys are on the north side of patio and actually shade our seedling houses behind them on the patio. There is just enought sun shining through them to warm the seedlings each morning and fog the houses up for the day.
Anyhow back to seedlings. Some of the concentricas are getting so big and lots of different hapes, colours and patterns happening now. We've just potted up a couple of the larger gee whizz seedlings into big 8 inch pots so they should power on now and get even bigger. Some of the gee whizz seedlings are only small but a couple of them got the big gee whizz size. I will have to take a photo of the gee whizz seedlings though. I haven't taken any yet.
This is a photo of some of the bigger concentrica seedlings taken a month or so ago I think. I think I took this to show the range of size, shape and colours in some of them.
Wendy
Hi everyone.
Colleen - Have you found that Gee Whiz is proving to be dominant and the majority of seedlings turning out to be large plants?
I have some tiiny Gee Whiz x Rosea Striata seedling which I'm hoping to get some large radial reds from and I also have another cross of Rosy Morn with Gee Whiz, so hopefully they should all be large plants, but then Mother Nature may have other ideas.
Now that our weather has settled down, I'll get some seedlings off to you Monday or Tuesday.
All the best, Nev.
Hi everyone,
wow Wendy are those seedlings from the same batch as mine? Same age??? Mine are no where near that size. They are growing nicely and now that they are in the shade house and the leaves are fattening up. When you say yours are in full sun... is that fun sun all day? So do you know how old mine are, I am shocked at your photos if they are the same age as mine, as mine are still so much smaller and younger looking. they have changed since I have had them, I've had them just over a month I think..... surely it's been longer than that?? I had to go look, about a month and a half I've had them for. A couple of them are starting to change colour a bit, I love watching their little changes. Thanks for showing me your pic.
I'd love to see some photos of your too Nev, how full is your nursery and kindy? LOL How do they go over the cold months?
Okay best keep moving,
Tash
Hi Tash. Yes those are the same seed batch as yours. However these are some of the first ones potted up from the seedling trays and yours were probably some of the last ones. I think the seeds just keep germinating in the trays over a long period. Even after you pot some up they have a dormant seed attached to the root ball and you sometimes get an extra seedling growing in the pots after a period of time. I will take a photo of some of the very biggest ones and post it.
Nev the gee whizz seedlings are getting quite big. We actaully gave up on potting them after a while and gave what was left in the tray to someone else to pot up so haven't kept too many of them becasue we thought we would be pressed for room to raise them.
Yesterday the mailman brought me a beautiful surprise. sue had send me a batch of seed which I wasn't expecting. Wow I was so excited. I potted up the hieroglyphica x fenestralis, heiroglyphica x platynema variegata, and platynema variegata today. I have to find some more trays to pot up the other two tomorrow.
Pic is my neo freddie which is starting to flush with colour. I have this and Kathleen (aka golden king) which is the opposite of freddie side by side. one is albomarginated and the other is variegated. They look nice flushing together but they rarely crack it at the same time.
Wendy
I forgot to say Nev your gee whizz crosses sound very nice. some pics of their progress would be nice. Apparently we have a black beauty x gee whizz cause i found a photo of it. Can't really see the gee whizz or black beauty in this pic. I'll have to look into it and find the plant.
Wendy
