Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts - May 2013

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1305095/#9502209

Welcome to the Australian forum 'Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts' thread for May 2013. If you are interested in growing or collecting bromeliads, or would like to ask a question, please join us here, new members most welcome.

Shirley

pic is Vriesea Speckles X Milky Way



This message was edited Apr 30, 2013 7:29 PM

Hi everyone (and those who don't post any more) - It's getting quiet on here again so let's hear from you all just to make sure you're OK if nothing else – please don't let this friendly little forum die.

Ian – We must have both hit the send button at exactly the same time yesterday as I didn't see your post and I didn't get a message to say someone else had posted either.

I'm not sure about your NOID; it certainly looks to have Ae. Orlandiana or Ae. Bert in it but judging by the “droopy” foliage I would say it's a hybrid. The droopy leaves and absence of strong upper leaf markings may be a result of being grown in low light or possibly a hereditary thing. I know Ae. Orlandiana has been used quite a bit in breeding and there are about 35 crossings registered on the BCR and probably more that aren't listed. As now is the right time of the year to move plants to an area of higher light, I'd try growing it in bright light to see how it responds.

Neo. 'Small World' is a great little plant and it's the compact nicely shaped growth that makes it so special. It's a Grace Goode hybrid bred from Neo. 'Maid of Honour' as the seed parent with no pollen parent is listed. There were about ten or so registered from this cross with the majority being of the same small size and having nice conformity. I have found to maintain is small size it's best to confine it to a small pot. I have seen examples grown in larger pots and fertilised heavily which just resulted in a larger plant with strappy leaves. To see other from this same cross go to: http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?fields=Parents&id=7118&search=Maid%20of%20Honour

Sue – I'm amazed when you say that the igloo is full of Tilly's on the inside as well, as I thought with that many outside there wouldn't be sufficient light inside. But wow, what a selection, where would you start looking?

Just seeing you standing there with the bag over your shoulder reminds me of an incident which occurred during one of my sales a few years back. I usually only invite members of our brom club and people I know or who are recommended, but this particular day a woman somehow got in with a group of people and as it turned out later she was an imposter as no one knew her.

She was just casually walking around as though she was part of the group of growers looking at the plants. When they went into the shade house where there are a few Till's that have been given to me by friends and which I don't sell, she went in also and when they all came out I saw her hang back and she sneaked a quick look around before slipping a couple of Till's into her bag.

She didn't see me as I was on the other side of the shade cloth wall and she didn't know I was there. Anyway she then went out of the shade house, picked up a small $5 plant from the “specials table” and went to my daughter to pay. As my daughter asked for the $5 for the plant, I added, “plus $15 each for the two Tillandsias”. The woman went a very deep shade of red and after saying she didn't realise they were so expensive, took them out of her bag and put them on the table and started to leave. Another lady who had seen what happened said, “that will teach you” as she left and we never saw her again. If she had asked, I would have given her a pup or two from the plants she tried to steal, but the best part is, that she left the plant she had paid the $5 for in her haste to leave.

I didn't know Harley's made a bike for girls, chalk up one for "Girl Power"; anyway it really suits you and I hope you get tons of fun from riding it.

What's the connection with the Ae recurvata in Pic.3, is it just there as a size comparison for photographers? I like your Tilly necklace also, but you could have at least taken off the “sunnies” for the pic, as you look like you're incognito.

Shirley – Thanks for starting a new web, it seems like you have now got a permanent job each month.

Is the Vriesea one of Jack's hybrids? I know Vr. 'Milky Way' was one of his and was just wondering if he's now using it as a parent also.

I'll finish with a few pic's, firstly the location of the unexpected flowering Aechmea which I spoke of yesterday. As I said it was on a bench behind some hanging Neo's and Aechmeas and Pic.1 shows what I saw as I looked at the Neo's. If you look closely to the right of the middle Neo. you can just make out a touch of a bluish colour. Pic.2 shows what I saw when I removed the Neo's for a closer look, here you can see it between plants four and five on the top row. Pic.3 shows it more clearly after the Ae. orlandianas were removed and Pic.4 shows it a bit closer up. Does anyone here have an idea of what it is? My guess is as I said Ae. 'Shelldancer'. Pic.5 is Neo.‘DeRolf’.

All the best, Nev.

hello all.
Well done Shirley, for starting the new thread and remembering the photo and all! And what a lovely photo!
I got you a nice Guzmania musaica today and will post it up at the begining of next week. Peter was kind enough to give you one with a pup on, so you have twice the chance of killing it! heh heh. He says that particular clone is quite hardy, so should be fine.
Nev, the plants arrived today. Thank you so much! It must have taken you ages to wrap them and label them all! It took my at least half an hour to unwrap them. Tomorrow I will give them all a good soak and begin with the potting. The Mirlo is a beauty, and lucky I checked the wrapping before I tossed it, as I nearly missed the baby! Thanks again, and I will save the box to do a return swap in for the next one. Don't forget to let me know if you see anything you want. I'll have a word to a couple of the ones that I know you like, and see if I can't hurry them along?
I can see a resemblance to A. 'Shelldancer' in your Aechmea but couldn't say for sure if thats it. I have one or two, but I haven't got access to my photos from when it flowered, so can't do a comparison. It looks as though you had to go through layers to get to it?
I hadn't even noticed the Aechmea recurvata in that photo, it was the overall effect of clumps that inspired me to take pictures. Barry also gave me a cross he has done of Vriesea carinata x flammea, which looks like V. flammea but has a flower of red and yellow, and the bracts are slightly flattened. I know I have a pic here, hang on, there you go, photo one is the flower.
I have heard lots of stories about people knicking Tillandsias and small plants, and I never think that the grower might be watching me like a hawk, as I do take my bag, but its usually carrying a bottle of water, the camera, my wallet (most important) and maybe some panadol. heh heh. I've never noticed if anyone does look at me suspiciously, but I don't think there is anything wrong with asking to look in a big bag, they do it at Big W and most of the department stores.
Today I went for a visit to Peter Tristrams at repton and had a good old sticky around. I took alot of photos in the Tillandsia house, but I didn't take down names. Photos 2-4 are Tillandsias
photo five is A cultivar of V. ospinae gruberi. I think its V. 'Smudge Grub' but Peter had a couple of differently named varieties.
Anyway, more shelves made today, and its drying out enough in the igloo to sweep out the dirt, so hopefully I will get some gravel in there in the next few days.
Till tomorrow
Sue

Hi everyone, my second attempt at posting tonight ... my first one is out there in cyberspace somewhere

Nev and Sue, thank you both for your IDs on my NOID and also for posting the pics of your Ae Pie and Ae Pie in the Sky, Nev.

Sue, love that till in your first pic of Apr 30, what a gorgeous colour.

Yes Nev, Vr Speckles x Milky Way is one of Jack Konings hybrids, lovely isn’t it. Thanks for the photo of your wayward aechmea, it’s a lovely colour. Can you tell me the name of the neo hanging on the left in the top row and also the one on its right, both look lovely.

Your parcel of seedlings arrived today, thanks heaps. It must have taken you forever to wrap them individually and label them. I can’t wait to pot them up tomorrow and I promise to keep you up to date on their progress as they grow.

Sue, I was so pleased I got it right this time (starting the new thread) but it always takes me so long to do and I always have to go back and edit because I make a mistake somewhere along the way.

WOW, Sue, thanks so much for getting the Guz Musaica for me from Peter Tristram, I’m really looking forward to receiving it.

I love that vriesea in your last pic, what a stunning plant. I am having a bit of a vriesea thing at the moment and want every one that I see.

Well, that’s about it for me tonight,

My pics are 1 – Vr Poelmanii White Line x Hieroglyphica, 2 – Vr Big Red, 3 – neo Luna pup, 4 - neo Caribbean Sunset (thanks Sue)

Bye for now, Shirley

HI everyone!!! Not much happening here..i have tonnes of Carnivorous plants with weeds overgrowing them to repot even though nows not the right time. Looks like some action happening to my Paphs, they love this cooler weather and my Cymbidiums. Broms are a little neglected but i did make up that mix Nev you gave me to keep the mozzie population down and put it in my broms. We do have alot of water laying up the back in the paddocks though so i dont think we'll ever have no mozzies.
Whats the next step up for my brom seedlings in the chinese containers? do i put them in trays again with a new mix or small pots? they might be to small for pots yet but they do need spacing out and they degenatly need a new mix. Whats the mix again? peat moss and sand? coco peat and potting mix?
1. Heres my Luna Shirley, its getting a little old and daggy now though. Too much sun also.
2. Does this look like a Tricolor?

This message was edited May 1, 2013 5:28 PM

Good morning everyone – There seems to be a touch of winter in the air this morning down here with a freezing cold south west wind blowing and I'd bet pounds to peanuts it's coming off snow somewhere. All this after yesterday being such a beautiful warm almost summer day.

Sue – Glad the babies arrived safe and sound so that's two out of three, all I need now is for Trish's to arrive safely and I have a perfect score. As I said when I first made the offer of seedlings, an occasional pic along the way to maturity would be nice to share with everyone and I would especially like to see what they turn out like (I'll really kick myself if I've given away a champion); just joking, as the important thing was to find them good homes.

As for my suspected Ae. Shelldancer plant, yes I did have to go through layers of plants to get to it, but now I've got it to flower I'll pull it out and put it in a brighter spot in the garden; besides it has two large pups that need taking off as well, so I can try it in a few different spots. I forgot to mention, that it has rather savage spikes on the leaves, that's why I put it where I did. Since I've been taking Warfarin I bleed every time I get spiked, (no big deal, just a nuisance) so any plants with bigger than usual spikes are relegated to that “out of the way” bench.

As for asking to look in someone's bag, I wouldn't think of it as I only invite friends and people I think I can trust (I even let you into my back yard didn't I?); it's just that this woman somehow slipped beneath the radar; anyway “it takes all sorts”, but I would ask how could you enjoy a plant knowing it was stolen?

As I've said before, although I'm not a “Tilly” grower, I can and do appreciate them especially the bigger “pot grown” types like in your pic's. The winner however has to be the Vr. Gruberii cultivar, what a beaut! It is similar to Vr. 'Smudge Grub' but I think it has a lot more yellow on it than the Vr. 'Smudge Grub' plants I have seen, that's what makes it “jump out at you”.

Shirley – Isn't it so annoying when your computer or Dave's Garden eats one of your posts/ That's why I always now first type it on Word and then transfer it when I'm finished, if it goes off into cyberspace somewhere, it's still on Word and you can easily post again.

I'm pleased you like your babies and as I said to Sue, an occasional pic of them along the way to maturity would be nice to share with everyone here, especially me.

As for starting a new thread, you “did good” but as they say, practice makes perfect so I'll vote for you to be the “official new thread starter”, will someone please second the motion?

Now that you mention it it does seem that you may have a touch of “Vrieseaitis”, this is however reasonably easy to cure, every time you get the urge to buy a Vriesea, you just by a Neo instead.

Breeindy - Personally I wouldn't move the little seedlings until the weather warms up (although you may already have warm weather up there so if it's warm, then it's OK to continue) I've been getting good results from not so much “potting up the little seedlings” but thinning them out and still using the take away containers.

I usually plant 6 or 9 to a container depending on the size and use equal parts of Coco-Peat, Sphagnum Moss (chopped up finely) and Perlite for mix. They can then be left in the container until they are large enough to pot up. Some of mine are 6” high and still growing OK when grown in this way. I find if I use individual pots when the plants are still small, I get a lot of losses and that's why I do it this way instead. This suites my conditions down here in these conditions but maybe it won't suit your so you're probably better to ask some of the growers closer to your area.

That's it for today now for a few pic's; Pic.1 is Neo.'Knockout' a rather large plant better suited to the garden than a pot. Pic. 2 is Neo.'Lady Luck', Pic.3 is Neo.'Lambert's Pride' (Shade grown) and just for comparison, the next two are 'Lambert's Pride' hybrids with Pic.4 being Neo.'Lambert's Pride' x ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') and Pic.5 is Neo.'Lambert's Pride' x 'Charm'.

All the best, Nev.

Hello you three. I finally have a moment to catch up, as long as hubby doesn't need me for anything!
I have been cleaning up the black igloo, sweeping out the mud that formed with all the rain, and am hoping to start putting the gravel in tomorrow, which, I hope, will keep it firm underfoot when the weather is wet. I got all the lawns mowed today too, so feel I got a bit achieved. There is an awful lot of potting and repotting to do, and I will have to make the effort to get stuck in.
Beautiful Vrieseas, Shirley, nice neos, Bree, and Nev, My pick would be photo four, as i love the contrasting bands.
Nev, I am happy to keep you updated with photos of the seedlings, and will be happy to return a pup to you, of any good looking plants. All the Africa and kahala dawn crosses have good colour already. I'm quite excited about them.
photos today are a few more fromPeters
photo one is Aechmea 'Ensign' with a flowering sport
Photo two is a couple of nice Aechmeas. the albo marginated one is A. 'Buckwheat' and the variegated one is A. 'Pilfered'
Photo three, I think is Vriesea 'Smudge Grub' I think the other in yesterdays post was a german import
Photo four is a couple of nice Aechmeas. I think they are A. chantinii cultivars. the redish one is A. 'Roberto Menescal'
Photo five is Alcantarea 'Devine Plum' just gorgeous
Have a good evening all
Sue

Hi all, Not much to report from here. Irelaxed after work today and yesterday it rained enough to be a nuisance. Even so it would do more good than harm. I went snap happy and here are a few.
Have a good one.
Ian
Pic 1 and 2 Neo? Noid
Pic 2 Some Vresia here
Pic 3 Some bench top
Pic 5 Neo Heart of fire

Hi all,

I keep thinking it’s Friday today, not sure why. I guess that gives me an extra day tomorrow, maybe I can get something done for a change.

Bree, nice pics.

Nev, thanks for the ‘did good’ on starting the new thread for May but I like to share so I’m happy for someone else to get a little experience too. Thanks too for the ‘cure’ for vrieseaitis, I’ll give your advice a try but I’m not sure it will work for me.

Nev, love your neo Lady Luck, so pretty. Pic 4 - Lamberts Pride hybrid is lovely too.

Sue, those are lovely pics, the aechmeas are stunning especially the two Ae Chantinii cultivars in your last pic, Ae Roberto Menescal is awesome.

I am running out of photos, looks like time for some new broms …

Pics 1 and 2 – Ae Orlandiana, pic 3 – neo Spots and Dots, pic 4 – neo Gold Medal

Ian, you posted just as I previewed mine. Your NOID is unusual, looks a bit like an alcantarea except for the teeth … I like it. Neo Heart of Fire is another nice one.

Bye for now Shirley

Hi everyone – We had quite a cold day here yesterday which confined me to the garage behind my potting bench for the day. So although the weather was a bit crook, it still allowed me to get on with the much overdue potting of my seedlings.

Now for a bit of feed-back. Back on the 27th April Trish posted a pic of a NOID which looked like it could be a Cryptanthus. I offered to post a pic on a couple of Brom Forums to try and find an ID. After I did this, in fact I think it was the next day, Ian said he thought it was Crypthansus bahianus. Personally I had no idea, so here are the other responses as well as Ian's.

April 28 - Looks like a Cryptanthus -- maybe?

April 29 - Looks similar to Cryptanthus viridovinosus or C. 'Christmas Delight'.

April 29 - Nev, could be amongst the xCrypt group of bigenerics. A lack of photos on BCR doesn't help though.

April 29 – Nev, Have a look at xNeostropsis ‘B-Fire’/xNeostropsis ‘Shadeball’.

April 29 - Definitely a Cryptanthus Possibly C. warren-loosei, but there are other similar looking species.

April 30 - I agree, it could be Cryptanthus warren-loosei. It can look better, but not much better.

So I guess you will just have to sort out all of the answers and look up the pic's and make up your own mind as unfortunately there isn't a definite answer from anyone.

Sue – You make me feel very guilty when you tell about all the work you are achieving as mine just keeps on mounting up and not getting done. Anyway the good news is that Mum is well on the way recovering from her op. and bouncing around much better than I am and as soon as the doc gives her the “all clear” to do the normal things again, I won't have to keep watching her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't do anything she's not supposed to do, and can start cleaning up my garden again.

I'm hopeful you should all get something half decent out of those seedlings and I would have liked to grow them all on myself, but I just don't have the space. I thought the fairest way was to divide them into three equal lots and send one lot to each of you, so this is what if did and I hope you all get something worthwhile. There are still a lot more to sort out yet, but that won't be for a while yet.

They're a great looking lot of unusual pic's you've posted today , especially the first one as I've never seen an albino sport flowering before. I thought they would have died long before that, but I suppose it's still drawing its food from the Mother Plant.

They're certainly a nice collection of variegated Aechmeas, the Ae. 'Roberto Menescal' is a beaut but having Ae. Chantinii in it's breeding it's quite likely cold sensitive, so no good for me. The Alc 'Devine Plum' isn't half bad either, what a beauty. Thanks for sharing pic's of these plants with us that we probably wouldn't otherwise see, I'm sure we all appreciate seeing something different.

Ian – I like the look of your Neo. 'Heart of Fire' in the last pic? It has some nice shape about it and I'd like to see a pic of the whole plant, both now and when it matures. It's a Grace Goode hybrid and should colour up to have a brilliant red centre (as the name suggests) Read all about it at: http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=NEOREGELIA&id=4851#4851

Shirley – I've got news for you, it is Friday today and once more the weekend is almost upon us. I hope we hear from Trish as I'm a bit concerned that her plants may not have arrived yet and hopefully haven't gone astray. Although they are in a polystyrene box with a return address so they'll be OK, I'm sure.

You say you are running out of photo's, that's happening to me all the time and I have to revert to file pic's, but as soon as I get some spare time I'll take a few new ones before the brom's take over the back yard completely.

They're two nice looking Ae orlandianas, do they have varietal names? And I really like your Neo. 'Spots and Dots'; I have two; one which isn't variegated and a nice dark variegated one I got from Sue. Your nice pale variegated one would fit nicely in between the other two so could you please put my name down for a spare pup when you get one?

It looks like there's still a few of the old regulars missing, anyone heard from Colleen, Wendy, Jen, Jean and what about Gabi (the new girl who just posted a couple of times?) If you're still looking in Gabi we'd like to hear from you again as new members are always welcome here. Also best wishes to anyone on the sick list and get well soon.

That's it for me this morning and to-days pic's are Pic.1 is just called Neo. “Laurie Mueller hybrid”, Pic.2 is Neo.'Lovely Lady', Pic.3 is Neo.'Little Ocker', Pic.4 is Neo.'Magnifica Red' and Pic.5 is Neo.('Painted Lady x Concentrica) #3.

All the best, Nev.

Hello everyone.
I am still here looking in. I always enjoy looking at all the pics and I am absorbing info as I read your posts.
No new pics here as I have not potted up the last few broms yet.
I have been busy getting plants ready for the trash & treasure in Hamilton on Sunday.
I have about 20 brom pups that I am hoping to sell. There are never any for sale there so any money I make will be saved for eBay. Its the only place I can buy broms as the only nurseries around in Hamilton or over in Mt Gambier only have the usual unnamed few that seem to be the standard ones sold.

So many lovely ones on here that I would not even make a wish list. It would be too long.

Shirley, I am still more in favor of the vrieseas but have bought a few small neos.
You certainly have some beautiful vrieseas.
I have been drooling over the ones on eBay but thats as far as I go. They are very expensive.

Sue those tillandsias were amazing. I gave up on them here as they seem to grow in slow motion then die. Maybe too cold.
I still have bits of the original one that came with all the epiphyllums .It did flower, but tillandsias are just not what I like.

I am looking at putting a large piece of shadecloth over where I have had some of my brugs .
The area needs a bit of color and I thought ...aha... more broms.
It will be open on the east side so plenty of morning sun and some early afternoon sun.
Its where my shadehouses built in an L shape, meet so they give 2 sides of the square.

A good place for some of my old mums too.
I am finding that my broms like me and are pupping well.
I took all the large pups off in January and there are more coming .
I will be able to hang a lot in the new space when its cleaned up. I have trellis on the shadehouse walls so a ready hanging space..

I will not go on and say which of all your brom pics I love as it would take too long and how does one pick from so many beauties.

I may ask if there are any lovelies for sale, but not just yet.
I need to do some moving around of the brugs so they are out of the way in their own area.

Nev, your seedlings are looking good. and there is a bloom coming on Orange Sundae.

I will post pics of my new ones after the weekend.
Jean.

Hello again, getting in before hubby gets home and demands some attention! heh heh
Well, I got most of the gravel in today, although there is still half a load on the ute, and I'll need another one, so I guess what I am saying is I got half the gravel in today! heh heh. I also got some shelves made and once it is all finished, I will look at sorting through the plants and potting up what needs it, and planting out anything too far gone, and moving anything too small to another area. I want to keep the black igloo for mature plants that are ready for sale.
Nev, Peter couldn't understand why I got excited about the Ensign sport flowering, but it was for the same reasons you wrote, because I've never seen one flower. And yes, it was because it was left attached to the parent plant, else it would have died long ago. Peter has probably seen that so many times, as to not find it amazing anymore! I am happy to post photos of something new, as not everyone has the chance to get out there and see what other beauties are available (or will be available in the future) I haven't got much going on worth taking photos of, in my collection either, so it is a way of keeping everyone interested.
I like your Laurie Mueller hybrid. Can you put my name down for one? Also Little Ocker, if the list is not too long already for both of these?
Shirley, I think your 'Spots 'N' Dots' is the same as mine, possibly just a light difference? Mine has quite a bit more red/pink in it than yours. I quite liked that A.Roberto menescal' too! I would probably need to keep it indoors in our climate. Peter had it in the Tillandsia house, which is quite warm and dry. I DO think its possibly a bit warmer for longer up your way.
I can see where you're coming from with your comment on Ians Noid, about it looking Alcantarea-ish. It looks a bit Vinicolour. Unfortunately, Ian, it doesn't ring any bells for me, but keep us updated with a pic when it flowers.
Jean, good luck with your sales, and share some photos of the new area when its complete. I am looking forward to it.
Photo one to three is about halfway through the work I did today
photo four and five are Neo. 'Spots 'N' Dots'
Sue

Hello all,

Nev, your lovely seedlings are now all potted up and I bought another little greenhouse thingamy to put them into when it gets cooler. It’s just a little metal frame with shelves and a clear plastic cover to keep the wind out and the moisture in.

Nev, I have still been a day ahead of myself, thinking all day today that it is Saturday, because yesterday was Friday (in my head).

Not sure about the first Ae Orlandiana, the second one is Ae Orlandiana Rainbow. I have put you down for a pup of my neo Spots and Dots but I think it’s pale because it’s way past its best. Gee, I like that neo in your first pic, Laurie Mueller hybrid … could you add me to your list for a pup from that one please. Also, please add me to your list for a pup from the neo in pic 5, (Painted Lady x Concentrica) # 3 please … where does it get its albo margination from.

Jean, hope you do well with your brom sales at the trash & treasure. I have often thought about selling at one of the local markets but apparently sellers have to be on site by about 4:00 am to set up … can’t see that happening any time soon.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I have been hooked on vrieseas lately, I think all the beautiful (and expensive) ones that have been on eBay have affected my judgement. I do seem to go through phases … not so long ago it was all about aechmeas. But vrieseas are now my firm favourite.

Sue, your igloo is looking good … why the dark shade cloth? Nice lot of broms you have in there.

That’s it for me tonight … back tomorrow, Shirley

Pics are 1 – Ae Belizia, pic 2 – Ae Mary Hyde, pic 3 - Ae Sangria, pic 4 – Ae Mend

Hi Everyoe!

Just a quick hello as I just got back tonight and it looks like I have a lot of reading to catch-up on by the looks of things which I am looking forward to doing.

Nev thanks ever so much your parcel arrived safe and sound and all the seedlings look great and I can see myself potting them up tonight even though I am dog tired I feel like I need to do something to relax me and know this will do the trick. So possibly a sleep in after that will be needed he he. Nev I so appreciate all the trouble you went to getting these wonderful seedlings organised, wrapped and carefully labeled and cant thank you enough. Joe said he opened the parcel as soon as it arrived and had them all ready for me with their lables as he knew I would want to pot them up straight away (he knows me all too well). I look forward to sending you progress photos on how they are doing down the track.

Anyway I better get started on potting up these beautiful seedlings, wish me luck!

Look forward to speaking with you all over the weekend!

Trish

Good morning everyone – As I sit here this morning I can hear the cold south west wind blowing and I know as soon as I go outside I'm going to feel that familiar blast of cold air coming up from the southern snow fields, something you wouldn't expect living here beside the sea, however it's something I've become acclimatised to this time of the year. It started out the same way yesterday morning and then at about 11.00am the wind stopped and it was a beautiful warm day, so lets hope the same applies today.

Not much to report except it's time once more for our brom meeting and I was sorting out a few plants for the sales, I realised that there never seems to be any Nidulariums for sale; now this may be either because nobody wants them or nobody has any spares for sale so I've selected about a dozen plants to see how they go. I'm also taking some xNeophytum 'Ralph Davis' which are in flower and I don't expect to have any trouble selling as well as a couple of Aechmea 'Burgundy' and Aechmea 'Mirlo' just as a contrast with their dark coloured foliage. I just hope I can sell them as I've ordered a box of 100mm pots and I need the money to pay for them.

Jean – Nice to hear from you as usual and I look forward to hearing how you go at the Trash and Treasure Sale with your pups. You say there's never any sales there which makes you dependent on eBay, but don't forget that a lot of us sell plants also and if there's something in particular you're looking for let us know as you will know the price right away and not get caught up in a bidding war and end up buying something you can't afford. I can't speak for everyone here, but I give a money back guarantee or replacement plant if not satisfied and I think most growers here would be as reputable.

I was looking through the Neo's listed on eBay the other day just for something to do, and was amazed at one seller in particular who still appears to be digitally enhancing his/her pic's to embellish the colours and make them more likely to catch the unwary buyer. It's either that or there's some fault with the camera being used as the colours are just so unreal especially the purple tones.

This same seller has been doing this for a couple of years to my knowledge and I'm surprised that they are allowed to get away with it. Anyway make up your own mind and have a close look at the following pic's of Neo's: Blue Lagoon, Cliff Severd, Purple Rain, Opalescence, Prince of Baghdad, Heart Music, Pink Delight, to point out just a few. After you've looked at them for a while you will find you get to know who the seller is as soon as you see the pic's in the future; I know I can, and I wouldn't even consider their plants any more as I think it's just so deceptive. I know that plants vary in colour depending on the light they are grown under but no amount of light would produce these colours, so everyone BEWARE!

Now that I've had my little “tanty” for the day could I suggest that if anyone's looking for a particular plant, before being “ripped off”elsewhere just post a few lines about what you are after under the heading of “Wanted to Buy”or “Wanted to Swap” and anyone with that particular plant can D-Mail their availability and price or what they want to swap for. (I hope I'm not suggesting something here that goes against D.G.'s rules, if I am please let me know)

I'm sure you'll like Vr. 'Orange Sundae', it's a nice little plant and suitable for bringing into the home for a bit of colour and to save on the expense of buying a bunch of flowers.

You say that your brom's are pupping well, but did you know that once a plant finishes flowering if you give it extra fertiliser as well as adding just a single fertiliser “prill” into the axils of the lower basal leaves, it will usually produce more pups. The reason for this is that the plant has expended a lot of energy producing the flowers and the extra feeding builds it up again quickly.

Sue – What can I say, your shade house looks so neat and tidy with a place for everything and everything in it's place; oh how I wish mine looked as neat as yours.

Regarding that albino 'Ensign' sport, I've never seen an albino sport on 'Ensign' let alone one that's flowering so it was something pretty special to be able to see it for the first time.

The good news is that you're top of the list for a pup from “Laurie Mueller hybrid” and 'Little Ocker' although I don't know how quickly 'Little Ocker' produces pups as I've only had it for a few months, but the “Laurie Mueller hybrid” is no problem as I have several of them.

The bad new for you is that I think you've given me your best 'Spots and Dots' pup as mine has a lot more colour than the plants in your pic's. Do you have two different clones or are the ones in the pic's just not fully coloured up yet? Mine is exactly the same colour as the plant in your pic that you posted some time ago (Pic 1) and it's one of the best coloured 'Spots and Dots' that I've seen anywhere.

Shirley – You shouldn't need to “Molly Coddle” many of those little seedlings as most are well and truly “hardened off” as they have been in a shade house for a couple of years. There were a few which weren't hardened off yet so perhaps give them a bit more TLC with the colder weather approaching.

I've put you down for the two plants you asked about and I'm sure I have pups ready now, so I'll have a look next week when I have more time.

Great plants in the pic's you've posted again, I've always like the Ae.'Belizia' as it has that same natural gloss to the leaves that Ae.'Mirlo' does. I'm quite impressed with the Ae 'Sangria' which I've never seen before, but oh look at those spikes!

I was also surprised to find that it comes from Ae. fasciata v. purpurea.
See: http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=AECHMEA&id=527#527 for picture of adult plant and flower.

Once again we see the colourful Ae. 'Mend' which is another of the very beautiful c.v's from Ae. Luddemanniana. To read the interesting story about how it was named and see some more pic's, go to http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?genus=AECHMEA&id=359#359

Trish – Sorry to hear they have been working you so hard, but pleased to hear you got the plants OK so that now makes three out of three and 100% success rate with my mailing. I'm always interested to hear of the condition they arrive in as more than ever I'm now convinced that Poly Styrene boxes are the way to go.

Just think how you'll be able to wind down as you pot them all up and visualise all of the various combinations possible from the crosses as there are quite a lot of the parents pictured on the BCR; and before you think I had a”senior's moment” I didn't write Neo 'Orchid' by mistake, there is such a plant and it's a Grace Goode hybrid.

Anyway that's it for today; the first pic. is the one Sue posted a while back of her Neo 'Spots and Dots' just to compare with the other pic's of this plant, Pic 2 is Neo. 'Bill Morris' (uncoloured), Pic.3 Neo.'Bill Morris' (fully coloured), Pic.4 Neo.'Black Onyx' and Pic 5 is a seedling from my Neo.'Painted Lady' (sport) x Self.

All the best, Nev.

Hi all, had a busy day checking plants and potting up some pups. I even found a mini that I have absolutely no idea of which family it belongs, let alone it's name. It is unusual to say the least. I have posted it here before and No Nev it is not a trick of some other flower dropped in to it. This is a genuine plant.
Then comes a bilbergia that I think could be Theodore Mead in Pic 3.
Pic 4 shows a Bilmea that has parents of Bil Rosea and Quesnelia Tim Plowman. The others look a lot like Bil rosea. This 1 is unusual with its stripes on the underside. and darker colouring.
Pic 5 shows some seedlings N Small world X Break of day crossed by Nev.Thanks Nev.

Hi all,

Nev, thanks for adding me to your list for pups of neo Laurie Mueller and (Painted Lady x Concentrica) # 3 and also for the links relating to Ae Sangria and Ae Mend.

Ian, that’s a nice Bill in your pic 3 and I love that Ae Bilmea in pic 4. If you ever get a spare I would love to arrange a swap.

I did get some new broms today, some are named, some are not. I will take photos tomorrow and post them tomorrow night … maybe someone can ID a couple of them for me.

Well, that’s about it, not a whole lot of excitement happening here at present.

Pics are 1 – NOID aechmea, 2 – another NOID aechmea, 3 – Ae Malva

Till tomorrow,

Shirley

Hi Ian and Shirley – It looks like the others have deserted us today. Not much of a day here, cold south west wind blowing again.

Ian – All I can tell you about your mini NOID is that it's definitely a Neo and could possibly be a species and I would start by looking through the pic's of Neo species on the FCBS Photo Index. If it's not there well then you have the long road ahead of checking through all of the hybrids, but then if it's a hybrid it may not even be registered, so good luck with the search.

Both of the next two pic's are nice looking plants that I'd love to have in my collection. The Bill is very nice and if you get a spare pup somewhere down the line and are interested in a swap, please let me know. The bi-generic is also a good looking plant. There are a lot of bi-generic crosses made but not very often do you get a plant of this calibre. The markings are very much like the banding you would expect on a Ae. Chantinii or Chantinii hybrid and I think it's a “beaut”; is it one of your own crosses?

I'm pleased to see you have a good germination rate on your Neo 'Small World' x 'Break of Day', I'm hopeful of some nice small/medium well shaped plants from this cross,but then they are hybrids after all so who knows what will turn up?

Shirley – I don't have any idea what your first Aechmea NOID is, but the second one does look to have quite a bit of Ae. Recurvata in it and probably the best place to start looking is on the BCR and search the Ae Recurvata hybrids at: http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/bcr/index.php?fields=Parents&id=119&search=recurvata

That's it from me today and the pic's are Pic.1 Neo.'Happy Thoughts', Pic.2 Neo.'Mini-Con' (Meaning mini concentrica), Pic.3 Neo.'Mister Odean' Pic.4 Neo.'Mc Williamsii' and Pic.5 (It's not mine but I wish it was) It's a new hybrid as yet unregistered but is to be called Neo.'Hija Morado', I just love the unusual colour combination.

All the best, Nev.

Hi Everyone!

Hope everyone is well; I have really missed chatting with you all on DG. I did not get up to too much this weekend, mainly tried to rest up as I have been pretty tired so just listened to my body and took it easy over the weekend.

Hi Nev / Ian thanks ever so much for trying to identify my NOID Crypt’. Nev thanks for all the trouble you went to asking other brom people what my NOID could be, thanks to everyone as really appreciate everyone trying. I will look into some of the feedback and see what comes up? Ian I will have to look up Cryptanthus ‘Bahianus’ to see what it looks like. Thanks ever so much to the both of you.

Nev I did manage to pot up all the beautiful seedlings you sent me Friday evening and over the weekend I wrote them all little name tags as I think they are all doing really well, look so healthy which made me want to label them all so I can move them around as I need, when I need to do so. I have seen Neo’ ‘Orchid’ on the BCR before and really liked it, now I am the proud owner of some very nice seedlings thanks to you Nev.

I was excited to find that some of my neo seeds have germinated; the one’s that self-seeded in our garden. Today I fertilised all my vriesea seedlings and had their lids off them for the day which they appear to be benefiting from, a little bit of sunbaking seems to do them good. I do this every weekend so they get a bit of fresh air and more light to keep the algae at bay so that I don’t have to use the Milton Anti-bacterial tablets as often.

Hi Shirley thanks for starting the May thread, luved the vriesea pic you used of ‘Speckles x Milky Way’, what a stunning looking brom it is.

Shirley thanks for putting my name down for Neo’ ‘Gun Power’, I have also written your name down for Neo’ ‘Blood Plum’.

Hi Bree sounds like you have been busy in the garden with your orchids, carnivorous plants and broms, as well as with your brom seedlings.

Hi Sue sounds like you have been busy cleaning up the black igloo and getting the lawns mowed, the igloo looks amazingly organised and clean, what a fantastic job you did. At least that’s the hard stuff out the way; potting and re-potting broms at least will be more relaxing I hope for you.

Hi Jean sounds like you are busy with your broms with pups popping up everywhere, isn’t it a wonderful and rewarding feeling. Jean good luck with your brom sale on the weekend.

Fantastic Brom pics Everyone!

Anyway time to head and go make our salads for tomorrow.
.
Hi to anyone else looking in or on the Sick List.

Take care and Happy Gardening!

Trish

Pic 1 – Vriesea ‘Lake Innes’ - Grex
Pic 2 – Neo’ ‘Isabel Sport’
Pic 3 – Neo’ ‘Towsville x Self’
Pic 4 & 5 - Neo’ ‘Seed Pods’ – these are my very first I have ever seen / touched so I thought I would share a pic. See more in centre of well. I have already sown these seeds and they germinated very quickly.

Hi all,well Shirley and Nev anyway.
That bilmea was hybridised by a couple of friends in our local group. It has set 1 pup so far and it will be interesting to see how it develops. There could be a waiting game for another or it could appear soon. It depends on nature.
Bil Theodore I do have spares of, not sure how many but a couple at least.
I am finding plants that I had forgotten as I put them in a safe place when it got hot and forgot that I had them, or maybe where I put them. Most have been in too much shade. As I am building the new bush house I have confusion as I have to move plants , for their safety, out of the way where I am working. The result is that I have here is Confusion. When I finish I will have to do a stocktake to find out what I have got. Then I can sort out what I want.
1 Bil that I want is Bilbergia X windii one of the long flowering bills.
Have a good one.
Ian.
Pic 1 Neo Orchid
Pic 2 Alacantarea heloisae
Pic 3 Ae Bromefolia alba bracteata another one of Nevs thank you

1. I have Mary Hyde also Shirley.
Anyone want a Neo. Sunset, Martin, Tricolor, a full sized Olandiana black or normal or Sun Valley?

Hello everyone,

well, there goes another weekend.

Nev, sorry to hear it’s so cold at Shellharbour at present. The days are really nice here at the moment, the evenings and mornings a little cooler. According to the weather bureau we can expect rain all of next week … great!!!

Thanks for the help with my NOID aechmeas. I agree with you that neo Hija Morado is a stunner.

Trish, sounds like you are working too hard, hope you had a nice restful weekend and some time with your lovely broms.

I have just been looking at the BCR and found that the neo I have always known as Gunpowder is actually Gunpowder Too. Neo Gunpowder is quite a bit different looking and nowhere near as nice … learn something every day, hey.

Trish, I absolutely adore your Vr Lake Innes. I saw it on eBay and drooled pathetically … so beautiful.

Ian, I think you are going to need more than one shade house by the looks of the number of seedlings you have.

Bree, I would love the Ae Orlandiana black, please, if no-one else has spoken up. I don’t have neo Martin either and I don’t know neo Sunset.

Sue, are you still chasing neo Pemiento, I have just removed a pup and can send it to you if you like.

Photos are 1 – neo Crayola, 2 – neo Debbie, 3 – neo Leopard Ray, 4 – Canistrum NOID, can anyone help me with this one please.

Shirley



This message was edited May 5, 2013 11:30 PM

Hi Shirley

Your Pic 4 Canistrum NOID looks like Canistrum 'aurantiacum', but I dont have one to be able to show you a pic, yours should go yellow in the middle when it flowers I think? Look up its name and you will see a pic with a very similar flower.

Trish

hello everyone, sorry I have been AWOL, as per usual. Time has been a bit short to do everything I want, and although you all mean so much to me, the computer is often at the bottom of the list of things to do! I often get on a read the posts, but just don't have time to post my comments.
I haven't quite finished with the black igloo, as I need one more load of gravel, but have a couple of drains to dig, and ag pipe to lay before I get the next load, as I will be backfilling the drains. I hope to get started on that this afternoon.
Shirley, I have sent you the Guzmania musaica this morning, and invoiced you, but had I known you had N. 'Pemiento' there, I could have forgotten the postage in exchange! I would love pemiento anyway, so we will work something out. You asked why the igloo was black? I was given the shadecloth already stitched and made, so the igloo was built around the same size, as the shadecloth is probably the most expensive part of the whole project. It will be good for the nidulariums, Flowering Vrieseas and Guzmanias, and there should be some spots suitable for Neos, maybe closer to the openeings where they can get early morning sun? I may also put ferns e.t.c. in there, which will free up some space in the brighter sales igloo, and some Neos can go there instead.
I have a few shelves yet to make, and then when that is done, I will do a bit of potting. Once the weather ha gotten cold, both day and night, I will go back to working on the other igloo, as potting at that time wont be beneficial.
Nev, Your N.'Spots 'N' Dots' came from the same plants as I have pictured, as I only started out with one, so it must be due to light, the better colour. I must admit, it has been a bit crowded in the shade houses this year, so maybe not as much light getting to the smaller plants? I didn't use the topper this sumer, and had no burn, so that tells me the light levels were fairly low compared to previous years where I had burn through one layer of cloth. By the way, your N. 'Hija Morado's gorgeous.
Ian, I can sympathise with you over the confusion about plants. I seem to be moving them on a daily basis, and trying to organise them, but feel I am going in circles. Also, if I end the day moving plants, I start the next day trying to remember where I moved them to! I know I'll sort it out over time, and I am sure you will too. Its a good way to find all those hidden/forgotten darlings, and a chance to check on health, weeds and pups. I reckon I pulled a bucket or two of dead leaves off while moving plants last week! As for seedlings, as soon as I make a space for them, I need to find more space! I have started to sell some at sales and on Ebay, so that is going a long way toward stopping them from getting out of hand.
Bree, I've never heard of Neo.'Sunset' or 'Sun Valley' either, and am too lazy to go look. Any chance of a photo?
Trish, I agree with Shirley, your Vriesea 'Lake Innes' grex seedling is gorgeous! It looks to be fairly young, have you had it long?
Anyway, No pics from me today, but I will try to get some as I go around the yard doing the very many different things there is to do!
Back to work for me!
Sue

1. Heres my Sun Valley which look similar to the one on the register but i can't find Sunset but the 2nd pics a pup from mine. The adult plant looks the same coloured but its a huge plant.
I dont want to swap i want to give them away, you just pay postage. I have to many plants and not enough room.

This message was edited May 6, 2013 3:43 AM

Hi all – Nothing much to report today except not much has been happening around here to write about so I thought I'd give the rest of you a chance.

Trish – It's good to see you putting name tags on the seedlings; unfortunately some people try and commit the names to memory and you know what happens when we do that, we just create a heap more NOIDS. When you have a group of seedlings with the same “formula name” it's also a good idea to add a different number and code to each label so that it gives them all their individual identity. If for example you have say five with the same formula name the number and code in your case could be 001TG, 002TG etc. with the letters being your own initials. By using a number with your own initials this avoids confusion with other growers with the same cross who are just using numbers. It's not compulsory but it could save problems down the track when the plants are mature and you start removing pups.

You say, “I was excited to find that some of my Neo .seeds have germinated”, I know exactly how you feel but it's even better when the first one reaches maturity and flowers; even if it's pretty ordinary it's still special as it's the first and you created it

Ian – If you want to swap a plant of your Bill. 'Theodore' let me know what you would like in return. Sorry I can't help you with Billbergia X windii as I don't have it in my collection.

You got a good germination rate with the Aechmea Bromeliifolia albobracteata seed but they look a bit on the “spindly” side, maybe they are looking for more light.

Breeindy – I'm not currently chasing any of the plants you have listed but I'm sure someone will want to swap with you.

Shirley – I have to agree with you about Neo. 'Gunpowder' and Neo. 'Gunpowder Too', in my opinion Neo. 'Gunpowder Too' has much more colour even though they're both from Chester Skotak and from the same parents, but having said that, they're both worth having in a collection.

It seems to me that DG has switched your pic's and put Neo. 'Leopard Ray' in as pic.2. I can't help you with a name for your Canistrum but if you look through the FCBS Photo Index you may find it and there's not too many to sift through.

Sue – In regard to the black shade cloth, I previously had it on the roof of my original shade house before I changed to beige, but I did find the plants grew better beneath it than they do under the green, just thought I'd pass that on.

That's it, I've run out of time and the pic's today are Pic.1 Neo.'Serendipity Girl'. Pic.2 Neo.('Painted Lady' [Sport] x Self), Pic.3 Neo.'Mulford Foster Hybrid' (unreg.), Pic.4 Neo.'Orange Glow' and Pic.5 Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x 'Grace'.

All the best, Nev.

Hi all, nothing much to report here.I felt stuffed when I got home from work and only shovelled some mulch and just checked on my seedlings, some needed a drop more moisture so they got it. It is after 8.00 pm but now is the time the rest of the plants are being watered naturally, yes a bit of rain.
I found 3 Hohenbergia leopoldo-horsti seedlings up tonight and am waiting for more pods to mature, they seem slow, but that could be just that I am impatient at the moment.
Nev the Ae albobracteata seedlings are about a month old now and yes they were light starved partially due to cloudy weather. I have moved them to try to get more light
Shirley i nwould have to agree with Trish that your Canistrum is auranticum. It has a club thpe flower and as yet I have not collected any seed from mine, maybe I need to try harder or be more patient.
Too stuffed for pics tonight.
Have a good one.
Ian

Good morning Ian – Looks like just you and me today. Yesterday was a lost day for me as I seem to have picked up a “belly bug” (not very pleasant) and after what I went through yesterday (or should I say what went through me) I feel totally buggered today and it's still only 6.00am.

I'm unhappy to say that this friendly little forum has all the signs of going down the “gurgler” and I've seen it before on other forums, the posts just get fewer and fewer and then there's nothing. It will really be a great shame as this is/was such a friendly little site and if you possibly can spend a little time please continue posting and help keep it alive.

Today's pic's are five of my own hybrids using Painted Lady (Sport) as the seed parent. Pic.1 Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x 'Grace, Pic.2 is Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x Self, Pic.3 is Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x 'Grace', Pic.4 is Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x 'Ferny Grove' and Pic.5 is Neo.'Painted Lady' (Sport) x 'Ferny Grove'.

All the best, Nev.

P.S. It seems I missed Breeindy's post yesterday as we must have posted at the same time, but thanks for the offer Bree and anyone who doesn't have these plants would be unwise not to take you up on such a generous offer.

1. I found a flowering pic of my Sunset brom Sue.
2. Lila looking a nice colour.
I'll post photos of all the broms i want to get rid of when i have abit of time and if anyone wants them you can PM me.

Hi Everyone!

Bring out the winter woollies, I know I sound like a BIG sook but even we in Far North Qld we are starting to feel the change in the weather, especially in the wee hours of the morning and during the evening. I have well and truly broken out the cardie and trackie-daks but am still trying to find my purple bed socks he he.

The weather has been very overcast today and it has been raining most of the day with more rain forecasted over the next couple of days with things improving by the weekend.

Hi Shirley thanks for your kind thoughts, yes I have been working hard and am feeling pretty run down at the moment, but I am trying to take it easy where I can and Joe has been really looking after me and helping around the house and garden as much as he can which has been awesome. I took things really easy over the weekend with the only thing I really wanted to get done was to write up all the little labels for the beautiful bromeliad seedlings Nev had kindly sent me. I was over the moon to have come home to such a wonderful parcel full of beautiful seedlings and knew I wanted to pot them up straight away and was really pleased to wake-up the next day and see them all sitting proud in their pots. It was such a great way for me to unwind after such a hectic week and all I thought about while potting them was imagining what they would all grow up to be like. I am so looking forward to keeping Nev up-to-date with progress photos’ of all his beautiful babies that he raised from seed. I don’t think I could ever tire of the excitement you feel when you see bromeliad seeds germinate or discover seed pods, and like Nev said to me “It’s even better when you see the first one reach maturity and flower for the first time”, I am really looking forward to each and every day with all these seedlings plus all my vriesea seedlings.

Shirley I had heard there was a Neo’ ‘Gunpower Too’ but don’t own one. I will have to go into the BCR and have a looksee and add it to my ‘Want List’.

Shirley pleased to hear you liked my Vriesea ‘Lake Innes Grex’ – Hawaiian Rainforest x Milky Way. Joe got it for me from EBay and totally surprised me with it. I adore it and its’ doing really well and is sitting proud among my other beautiful Vrieseas. I like to look at all the beautiful Vrieseas on EBay and drool but I seldom bid for them. I prefer seeing them in the flesh and buying that way so I know what I am getting is exactly what I picked out with my own hands. But in saying so there are a couple of fantastic Vriesea sellers on EBay that never disappoint and we don’t mind buying from them if we are really chasing a particular bromeliad.

Hi Sue further to my above thread to Shirley and in answer to your question on “how long have you had Vriesea ‘Lake Innes’ (Grex)”, not that long about a three weeks, but would say it is a “very” mature pup as it is approximately 60cm wide, 40cm height, is well shaped / proportioned. I luv it to bits, especially all the white coming through its leaf pattern and its’ lovely pink tips, it is just such a stunning vriesea and can imagine that it still has a bit more growing to do even though it is of a good size now.

Sue sounds like you are keeping really busy and getting a lot done around the garden, just make sure every now and then while your’ working so hard to check and see if you have a smile on your face and if you don’t make sure you take a bit of time out for yourself and go sit under a tree with a cuppa, chill out for a bit and reflect on how well you are doing by gazing around your beautiful garden whilst listening / looking at the wildlife around you.

Hi Bree what a shame you are running out of room for your broms, are you still planning to collect them or are you going to wait until you clear some room first? I still have to look at my pup situation as I wanted to send you some more given the beautiful pups you sent me a while back, as the one’s I sent you some time back were not that overly exciting. Are you still interested in looking at what spares I may have?

Hi Nev that’s a great idea giving seedlings an individual number and code on each label to save confusion with other growers with the same cross who are just using numbers. I will have to do that with all the little seedlings on the weekend, a good start to getting into good habits and for clarity when taking off pups.

Nev great pics you posted on 06/05 (first lot of pics you posted). I especially adored your Pic 1 of Neo’ 'Serendipity Girl’, what a gorgeous brom. I have a small pup that is doing well that I am babying. I hear that it is a “very” slow grower? I also really liked your Pic 5 of Neo ‘Painted Lady’ (Sport) x ‘Grace’, I really like how beautiful the sheen is on this one along with its wonderful overall colour.

Hi Ian, hope you are not feeling stuffed today but if you are take it easy and just potter around the garden if or when you can. There are always easy jobs to do around the garden that don’t drain too much of our energy like watering the garden or pulling debris off broms, or if you can’t be bothered just sit and soak up your beautiful surroundings.

Nev / Shirley, before I forget my apologies for taking so long with sending you out parcels, I will be posting them to you not this weekend but the following weekend (Saturday 18th May) as we have a bit on this weekend. Unfortunately I will have to post them off that Saturday because I will not be able to get to the post office during the week because of work. I just need to get another polystyrene box so at least I know I have posted them the best way as whenever Nev has posted broms to me this way their condition has been fantastic. Also I did not realise that the Dwarf Red Ginger seedlings had a bit more growing to do before I could send them, I thought they were big enough but when I had a look at them on the weekend only some of them shooting from the flowers are big enough to take off, some of the other one’s on other flowers still have a bit more growing to do. Anyway I will split them up and send you both what I can for now and look at posting you some more in another couple of months so you both have enough to at least have a couple of pots growing of them. They are beautiful and the flower is strawberry red in colour, I will cut a flower and pop it in your parcel so hopefully you can see what the seedlings will turn out likes. As well as posting these gingers I will also see if any of the broms on each of your “Want Lists” that I have written down for you are ready, there may be one or two ready but I believe the rest of the pups are still too small or I am still waiting on some of them to pup for the first time.

Anyway time to get dinner ready.

Hi to anyone else looking in or on the Sick List.

Take care and Happy Gardening!

Trish

Recent buys:
Pic 1 – Neo’ 'Serendipity Girl’ (pup)
Pic 2 – Neo’ ‘Whosmedad’(pup)
Pic 3 – Neo’ ‘Once Again’ (pup)
Pic 4 – Neo’ ‘Beaw Hanson’ (pup)
Pic 5 – Neo’ ‘Roys’ Roger x Moby Dick’ (pup)

Hi all,
Just another day here with overcast weather and a few sprinkles until I got home then a decent shower just long enough to stop me doing much outside. On the positive I got an order of pots and hangers today. I ordered them Friday afternoon, they were processed on Monday morning. That is service that I would recommend.
Trish it hasn’t cooled down here as yet but the wind has just started and we have had a few showers tonight, maybe more coming. I watered some seedlings then read a few pages of a book.
I just started a new garden out the front for the toughies, it will cop full sun for most of the day. Ananas,Aechmeas,Dykias and maybe some tough Neos will be there. Prickly bed of thorns, oh what fun weeding is going to be. There ought to be some colour there all year round.
I have ordered the rest of my steel to build the new bush house out back today, should have it for the weekend. Got a group meeting then too and the Big market next weekend then off to Cairns in June.Ian stop spending(note to myself).
Nev I name all my pups and seedlings individually after I pot them on. Before that I just name the containers of seedlings.
I see on another site that Bruce Dunstan removes the lids when his seedlings are 3mm high and starts liquid fertilising then, at 5mm he then uses mini slow release granules. I fertilise mine from 8mm high and they grow most times. I don’t think I have killed any this way as yet. It works for me.
Have a good one.
Ian
Pic 1 N Princeps pup
Pic 2 N Annick
Pic 3 N mini Alley cat
Pic 4 N Red claw
Pic 5 N Bantu

Hi everyone.
didn't think it would take so long to read 7 days worth of posts. I realise I really miss this forum and will have to get over here more often. Sorry I haven't been here for so long. I pop in and read a few posts now and then but the catching up just seems like too big a job. I thought with this month only just starting I'd jump in.
Shirley we are all set up for a sale. You would all be proud of us ....... in 2 days we have filled 9 tables with sales plants. all cleaned, topped up with soft fall bark, pots washed, priced and out on tables. boy we worked hard. Friday is Johnny's infusion day so that one will be out. Jen said you won't be able to get over as your hubby is down and out at the moment. Johnny has been having a bad time lately as is Jen's hubby. Johnny now has been diagnosed with gout. they drained his knee twice a few weeks ago and tested the fluid and it came back as gout. so now some new meds to take with all the others. Anyway if you can make it over here Shirley I'd love to catch up again.

sounds like there's been lots of boxes going back and forth. you guys have really perfected the swapping haven't you?

Nev, I'm sorry to have to tell you that we had a bad time with rats recently and all of Johnny's lovely 2year+ vrisea seedlings which had just started growing really really well are now all gone. we lost 4 trays of 60 completely gone and another 2 about 2/3 gone. then as we covered the rest they moved on to other general including billbergias, neos and tillandsia. when all the seedlings were unavailable they started nibbling on the bigger seedlings. I guess Max always kept them away from the house but now he is gone they ventured down here. We also had a 9ft carpet snake chasing them around under the house, in the garden shed and even in the boat. He hung around for nearly a week rearranging boxes and furniture in his quest for rats.
Anyway I must be off to bed now. I'll pop back in tomorrow night and post some pics then.

Wendy

Hi all, just a quick post tonight to let you know I haven’t deserted. We have had a couple of long, very tiring days.

DG has been very unkind as well, swallowing up my posts and my D-mails and switching my pics.

Trish, thanks so much for your ID on my canistrum, I have to agree with you. I think my flower is well past its yellow stage but its still very pretty.

Sue, thanks for sourcing and posting my new Guz Musaica, can’t wait to get it. Hopefully my funds transfer to PayPal should arrive very soon … I think they hold on to the funds for a week before adding it to accounts.

I will post off neo Pemiento to you on Monday next week (hopefully) and will try to find something to send along with it.

Nev, I hope you are feeling better now after your bug and have got your energy back. Your pics are all very nice but I especially like your neo Serendipity Girl.

Nev, I totally agree that we can’t allow this forum to die off. Perhaps we can urge some of the ‘lurkers’ to post a few words and pics … PLEASE.

Ian, thanks too for your ID on my canistrum. Nics pics, I especially like neo Annick … love all the variegated ones. Looking at the pic on the BCR your neo Bantu will be a stunner as it matures.

Trish, it is getting a little cooler here in Brissie too and I am a big sook just like you … I really feel the cold and it makes my poor old joints ache.

Trish, the neo I have is Gunpowder Too and I will save you a pup when it produces them. It’s a lovely neo. No hurry to send a parcel, I’m happy to wait till you get around to it.

I love your neo Whosmedad and also neo Bea Hanson.

Just some garden pics tonight.

Bye for now, Shirley

Hi Wendy,

we posted at the same time, it's good to hear from you. I would love to get over to your sale but probably won't make it this time. Sounds like you have been working very hard to get ready ... hope it goes well for you.

You must be devastated that you lost your vriesea seedlings after two years and your other brom seedlings too. Did they get to your nice big tray of Vr Dad's Favourite. There must be something of a plague of rats at the moment. I noticed something has nibbled on one of my pumpkins which came up in the garden after I added some compost, most likely a rat or could be a possum.

Hope Johnny is feeling better and Jen's husband too. Our men are all falling apart, good thing we're so much younger than them, LOL.

Anyway, it's past midnight so I'm off to bed,

Shirley

There pretty flowers Shirley. What are they? I got your last dmail but not the one before. weird!
Trish- youve sent me plenty of plants, i think were even. hehe! Yeah ive stopped collection so many plants and am only saving the really really good ones. So ill post what i want to get rid of as soon as i get a spare 5mins in the garden.
I just so many jobs to do every afternoon after work and gym i dont have time and my plants are neglected. I just gotta have an obsession. ha!
I dont even have any new photos. ha!

Hello all.
I am always here reading the posts but dont have much news about my brom collection as you all do.
I have a couple of new pics and a list of some pups I can swap. My broms are mostly the more common ones I have bought on eBay so you will most likely have them all.
I am slowly starting to buy a few the lovely vrieseas that are on at reasonable prices.
I would love to have some of those beautiful , but very expensive broms.
Its something to dream about for when I win Lotto....lol

I am going to try the few markets in the closer small towns rather than going all the way over to Hamilton with the trailer
Maybe not as many buyers a lot less work as I can fit the trays in the car and wont have to take the tables.
I dont have any buyers looking for named broms here so I can sell noids.
Most people around here are just looking for pretty plants .

I did very well at the trash & treasure last Sunday, selling about 3/4 of the plants I took over.


I had a laugh when a lady asked me why her bromeliad wasnt flowering. She said it had flowered when her mother gave it to her but not since.
She was very surprised when I told her it wasnt likely to flower again as they start to die after flowering.
I told her how to care for it and she may get some nice pups from it.
I was a fountain of knowledge for the ladies who knew absolutely nothing about bromelaids.
Thanks to all the tips and info I get from you all on here.
I did feel good as it wasnt so long ago that I knew absolutely nothing about broms either. .

Of course, I would not sell any broms I buy or get in swaps as they are my babies. Hopefully the broms will keep giving me lots of pups to sell.
I do still have some irises and epiphyllums but they dont sell year round as the broms do.
Besides, the broms are a lot easier to look after .
I seem to be able to do less each year and am far past doing the digging etc that irises need .
The epis are okay as they look after themselves but dont sell much unless in flower.

My beautiful brugmansias are just for me as they dont sell around here at all.

Looks like I am becoming a brom person.
I still have room in the shadehouse and also have a bit of new space when I get around to putting up the shadecloth..

I have these pups if anyone is interested .....neos.. Cheers, , Zonata, Satsuma...sorry... already the others are gone.

There are a few other more common broms like spectabilis, Fosters Striate , Lucky Stripes, Compacta etc...

I am happy to buy if my swaps are something you already have .
Dmail me If you want anything or what you have to sell and I can tell you if I already have them.

My want list is endless and I am happy with anything I dont have , which is pretty much all of your collections...lol

A few pics of my latest buys. ...

pic 1... Lady Bella

pic 2.. a better pic of bill Red Raven now its potted.

pic 3... also a better pic of vr. Gultz , catching the lovely color.

pic 4.. a little gift that came with one of my buys.... a tiny alcanterea extensa and it has an even tinier one next to it, so I have two that hopefully will grow very large.

I hope all those of you not well soon improve and I will try to get on a bit more even if I bore you to tears.
I'm afraid the Tea Room is looking a bit the same these days. Noone seems to pop in for a chat much any more....

Jean.



This message was edited May 8, 2013 3:26 PM

Hi everyone – A bit cool here this morning just to remind us that winter is on the way.

Breeindy – Nice pic's of your Neo. 'Sunset' and Neo. 'Lila', they've both been around for a while now but still remain favourites of many growers and can look spectacular when well grown.

The interesting thing about Neo 'Sunset' is that there are two different plants shown on the FCBS site with the same name and credited to two different hybridisers, one to “Hummel” and the other to “Oeser”. Even more strange is that there are also two other plants called Neo.'Sunrise' as well and these are shown on the FCBS site as being bred by “Hummel” and “Oeser” also. What's going on here, was there a competition going on between these two breeders. Strangely, none of these plants are shown on the BCR which is the official register.

Although I have Neo.'Lila' I don't have Neo.'Sunset', but I do have Neo.'Sunrise' which is also a spotted type and strangely enough which was the first plant I ever won a place with in a bromeilad show. I won the Neoregelia Novice Section in our local show about twelve years ago, not long after I first started growing brom's seriously, and it's still being shown, so it's certainly still worth adding to collections.

Trish – I mentioned putting codes on your seedling tags as I'm firmly convinced that accurate record keeping can be one of the most important parts of brom growing. I know when we get our first plants the names are often discarded as not being of any importance, but when our collections grow we realise just how important they really are, especially if we decide to “dabble” in a bit of breeding. I remember years ago when I grew orchids I was told this and I thought I'd be clever and used aluminium name tags which we could buy then. You just wrote the name on with an old “Biro” pen and with the aluminium being so soft, it just formed an impression in the tag, never to be removed (or so I thought). At that time it was the done thing that at the start of spring, we topped up all of our orchids with fowl manure to give them a boost for the start of the growing season. What I didn't know was that the acid in the fowl manure eats aluminium tags (or at least the bit it comes in contact with) and I finished up with a lot of half eaten indecipherable name tags. The moral of the story is; use a good quality name tag that wont disintegrate when it contacts fertiliser or is exposed to bright sunlight.

Just to add a bit more about Neo.'Serendipity Girl’; yes it's a beautiful plant and I too have found it a bit slow to grow, but worse still it does seem prone to rotting down here in our area if it doesn't have sufficient air space around it, so definitely not one for overcrowded spaces.

Ian – It seems like you do the same as me and just tag your seedlings after they are potted up individually. Until then I just have a name tag in each container and because I have three inquisitive grandsons, I write the name on the container as well as on the lid (if they are still at this stage). Once again it's a lesson I learned from when I grew orchids when one day my little son brought up all of the name tags which he had removed so they wouldn't get wet when I watered; what can you say at a time like this?.

It's interesting what you say about Bruce Dunstan and his feeding of baby seedlings; from what I read he seems to be the “master” of growing seed, so maybe I should follow his example and feed mine earlier also, but then they would grow quicker and I'd have to find somewhere to put them, so what's a bloke to do?

Wendy – It seems like ages since I've seen you post and I certainly hope that Johnny's well on the mend by now.

It seems like you haven't had a very good time with rats; I have found over the years that just the fact that there is a dog or a cat on the premises seem to be a good deterrent to rates. I've also found that rats, mice and cockroaches won't be a problem as long as there isn't anything around for them to eat. Are you feeding birds in your yard, or does a neighbour have birds or chooks? Another often overlooked cause is that some growers use rice or oat hulls in their potting mixes to aid in aeration and the rats smell this and go looking for any stray grain. When they don't find anything they try other things along the way; I know of a friend on he hinterland in from Cairns had rats eating all of the seed pods on her Neo's; in one forum post she had written how all her Neo. crosses were almost ready to harvest and a day or so later the rats had eaten them all, a whole years work destroyed overnight.

Shirley – It looks like the belly bug's buggered off at last, but I still feel weak as a kitten, I lost 2.1 Kg. in that little episode and I know I need to lose weight but I could think of more comfortable ways of doing it.

It seems by the amount of posts this morning that my “Big Whinge” yesterday got some results. Let's hope everyone keeps posting as there's nothing better than comparing brom notes with other growers who don't live in the same area.

Just a few old pic's today Pic.1 Neo.'Dark Rose Blush' and four from past Brom Shows just for a change Pic.2 Tillandsia Butsii, Pic.3 Ae.Pineliana minuta, Pic.4 Till. Fuchii and Pic.5 xNeophytum 'Galactic Warrior' owned and well grown by an elderly lady in our society who claims they grow so well because she talks to them.

All the best, Nev.

Hi to all of you!!!

It's my first time to post on this thread and I'm a bit shy. I've been lurking around reading all your post for quite some time now and it has been a FOUNTAIN of INFORMATION for me. I'm a NEWBIE...a NOVICE & a NOWISE!!! (at least for now).

My name is Kristina and I started collecting broms just this January. I just LOOOVVVEE looking at all of your GORGEOUS collections. I live in Sydney, I don't have bigger space so I have a vertical garden that my brother built for me. I got my inspiration from this forum, in particular NEV's garden. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

I don't have anything to offer right now but I can be a VERY GOOD STUDENT listening to all of your advice which I really need. I don't have anything yet to swap but I'm REALLY INTERESTED to buy to widen my collection. Please, please let me know if you're wanting to sell some...For now I mostly collect NEOS for their BEAUTIFUL COLOURS & SHAPES!!

My WISH LIST....EVERYTHING!!!

I LOVE VARIEGATED/ALBO MARGINATED kind & anything that has VIBRANT colours...I guess that means ALL!!!

Can I get some advice on looking after broms in WINTER...do i need to shelter them from the cold? will the colour of my NEOS fade this cold season? also, some of my broms have this whitish film on their tips...how do I get rid of it?

Ooooppppsss!!! SORRY for all of those questions...GOT CARRIED AWAY!!!

THANK YOU for reading my post...I'll try to do this everyday...and I'll post photos of my vertical garden.

Cheers,
Kristina

Hello all, I'll work backwards up the posts.
Firstly, welcome Kristina, its always nice to see a new poster! In reguards to your questions, protecting the broms from the cold is always a good idea. Try to keep them sheltered from cold wind, and especially frost. You can use other plants to shelter them, or set up a barrier, depending on your circumstances.
The white stuff on your Neos is dried Algae, often caused by intense light and/or liquid fertiliser. You can remove it with a solution of White vingar and water, misted onto the leaf and wiped off with a clean cloth. I will have to get back to you with the ration of vingar to water, as I can't remember where I've written it. Remind me, as everyone here knows I have a mind like a sieve (thats the excuse I use anyway)
The colour of your Neos will only fade if they get less light. The winter sun is alot weaker, and comes from a different angle, so take advantage of it, when you can, and you will find that you can actually get better colour in winter. Try direct morning sun on any that have alot of red or yellow colouring, but introduce them slowly, over a week so that they don't burn.
I hope you stick around and become a regular poster here, as sometimes it gets a little quiet, but NEV, IT WILL NEVER DIE! heh heh
Nev, the brom thread does get quiet from time to time, but its been on the go for about 4-5 years, so its not likely to die off anytime soon. I, for one, have just been hectically busy, but am getting alot acheiveed while the weather is dry. Living here, we never know when the next week or more of rain is likely to fall.
I'm loving all your brom photos. Sorry to hear you had the tummy lurgy! the loss of weight is always the silver lining on that particular cloud.
Wendy, Is Johnnys new meds making a difference? Sounds like you guys ahve been very busy with seting up the sales tables. I'm having one this weekend also, but have it set up permanently most of the time, which means a quick pick over for weeds, dead leafing e.t.c. and putting the price labels out. I actually have to do a bit this afternoon, but that can wait a moment. Sorry to hear the rats have been giving you a hard time. I'm glad we don't have them here. The dogs would be bowling over pots left and right to catch them! I don't know which would cause more damage. What about getting a cat? Let me guess, Johnny hates Cats? Most men do.
Good luck with your sale.
Jean, I would love a pup off your N. 'Jewellery shop' x 'Lamberts pride' . I know what you mean about the Brugs, as they don't sell here either, so I just keep the two trees in the garden and don't need anymore. I have seed pods on my Old Sydney Apricot, and really must cut them into the bin before they sprout.
Shirley, sorry to hear your hubby is poorly as well. Geeze, you ladies must have cracked the whip too hard in your marriage! heh heh. I'm trying to keep mine healthy for as long as possible, as he keeps my bed warm in winter!
I hope your Guz arrives soon, and I am eagerly awaiting N. 'Pemiento' when she comes.
oh Gosh, Trish, bree and Ian. I will have to come back to you, as hubby is home, and will be wanting his lunch and then we are outside and into a bit more work. The gravel is down, two more benches to make and then pot, pot, pot!
I will try to get back later, and sorry, no pics again!
Sue

Hi all,
Another day to dodge the showers and try to get something done. I was successful in getting some hangers on pots of young pups and seedlings that are nearly 1 year old.I hung them too.

Welcome Kristina, there will only be 1 stupid question that you could ask, and that is the 1 you don't ask. as a group we come from all types of weather conditions. I live in Mackay the dry sub tropics so my conditions will be a little different to yours.The basic rules for growing broms are the same. They need good light and to be kept moist. They need good drainage and fertiliser with care.They also need good air, like all plants they take carbon dioxide out of the air and give oxygen. Natures air conditioners at their best. I use the walls of my bush house for vertical gardening and space saving.I just have to watch the drips from the upper plants as they can overwater the lower ones, then problems can occur.
There could be local markets that you could buy plants from. I have joined a local group of Bromeliad growers about a year and a half ago and have learned a bit, now I know just how much I don't know. I would expect that there would be more than 1 group to choose from if you wished to go that way. Enjoy.

Trish I had to put a shirt on today, not just to keep the mossies at bay but cos it is a little cooler than usual.
Have a good one Ian
Some old pics.
Pic 1 Bilbergia De Nada
Pic 2 Bil Afterglow
Pic 3 Bil Pink Champagne
Pic 4 BilCatherine Wilson
Pic 5 Bil Dangerous Dan