Bromeliads

How many of you grow any bromeliads? I've been growing them since 1975, often from seed, and at one time or another have grown nearly all the genera in cultivation. My favorites are the Tillandsias and Vrieseas - no spines!!! I'm very fond about growing them from seed and have just started doing that again after a 10 year hiatus where I grew only a few from seed.

They all seem to appreciate growing in a wire basket with cocofiber lining - the excellent drainage seems to make them happy. I often add some epiphytic cacti or Syngonium to present a variety of form in one basket.

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i have got about 17 different broms, 2 tillandsias, and one crypt...im getting ready to do some trading for some broms, crypts and tillandsias...so i will soon have more...do either of you or anyone else for that matter know of a safe insecticide for broms?....something is having dinner, on my broms.....lol.....i think they are caterpillars or grasshoppers......any help is appreciated...oh im in missouri so all my broms get to come in for the winter.......i luv them soooooo very much, thats y i need to find out what to do about whats eating them.....cindy

HI all, Mz. Munchkin. ;o)
I also grow broms. I have been for oh...15 or 16 years now at least. The one safe insecticide I know of is Cygon 2-E. Stinks real bad, and is a systemic, so handle with care. It works well for scale. Grasshoppers will have already done the damage before it would affect them. I really don't know what would be best to keep them from chewing them up other than an enclosed growing area/bench. You might ask your local Agricultural Extension agent.
Good luck!
Robin

thanks.......i guess since the damage is already done i better get them back inside since they are beginning to pup...i can at least keep them from needing any cosmetic surgery.......on the leaves that have already been eaten on, does it need to be cut off at the bad point or can i just leave it?...also when the leaves have gotten sun spots or for that matter anything bad in the way of cosmetics, do i or should i leave the 'ugly' leaves on?...i dont wanna hurt the plant and these are just my plants and not for show or anything....thanks in advance

cindy

You can trim the leaves or leave them, either way is OK. One time i had trouble with grasshoppers eating bromeliads; I think that was in Oklahoma.

Right now I have another type of insect trouble. A Vriesea with large leaves has a wasp nest under one leaf! I watched the wasp fly from its nest over to a Neorgelia "Fireball" cluster and get water.

I've not used insecticides on my broms. For scale I have a surefire cure - I immediately throw away the plant in a sealed bag.

Wow Euphorobrom,
You must have a real dislike of pesticides! I have a lot of respect for them, but when I pay up to $30.00 or more for a brom, I'm not about to throw that baby away to avoid using a pesticide once or twice on a plant. For scale, I have just resorted to manually removing them every day for a few weeks and sometimes that is sufficient.
Robin

ok .........thanks for the info........now can yall tell me what scale is or what it looks like......???...i hope that i dont have that problem, but if it is prone to broms i better find out what it looks like...thanks in advance

cindy

Scale looks like a whitish or brown raised spot, round to oval, sort of a waxy look. They are only a few millimeters across.

Yeah, I do dislike pesticies that much. I used to study groundwater pollution and found out what some chemicals can do in parts per *billion* concentrations! No bromeliad is worth neurotoxicity - take it from somebody with neural disease already!!

Oh I see. Sorry to hear of it. No wonder you avoid it! I used to have to spray in a large commercial greenhouse, and my own, till I was sick of handling the stuff and refuse to do so since I started having a family. (before actually ). Now I let hubby do it on the few occasions it's needed. Thanks goodness for him!
Robin

hi all.

Help... I have a Brom, indoors, that has a pup. The mother is dying and I'd like to transplant the pup. Can I do that? If so, how?
Thanks
:)
sbirdaz

first of all you need to make sure the pup is about 1/3 the size of the mother....also what kind of brom is it?....i was just informed that alot of the more compact neoregelias like fireball or ampullacea look nice in a clump....when i take a pup sometimes i take it out of the pot cuz the pup is very low on the base of the mother...then just use a very sharp knife to cut as close to the mother as you can, put her back in her pot....i always add a little fresh potting soil(you will lose some of the soil when you take her out to take the pup)....i have an aechmea fasciata that is on her 6th and 7th pup....lol...oh and it also depends on if the pup is on a stolen....kinda like a runner that spider plants have their babies on....some let the pup sit for a week or so with water in the cup, i dont...i just pot it right up(maybe a little root hormone)with regular potting soil....give them a little drink and there ya go....a new plant...lol...i hope i have helped...i have lots of broms and luv to talk about them......cindy:)

Thanks, Cindy!

I'm not sure what kind it is... my BF gave it to me as a gift (he is the sweetest). It has a red top/flower and long green leaves. The pup is at the base of the mother (no runner/stolen). The pup has been there for about a month now. Is there a time frame on when the pups can be removed? This is my first, lol.
Thanks again for the info.
I don't know much about these plants so any info is helpful. :)
sbirdaz

Sbirdaz, your plant may be a Guzmania. If there are no spines along the edges of the leaves, you have either a Guzmania, a Vriesea, or a Tillandsias. Some of the other btroms have spines too small to see easily, but running your finger along the edge oof the leaf you can feel them. Time is not important, size is; it should be at least 1/3 as tall as the parent and with 6 or more leaves.

I have exactly six leaves on the pup and it is at least 1/3 the size of the parent. I guess it's time to replant the pup. There are no spines on the edges of the leaves.
:)
Thanks Euphorbrom.
sbirdaz

OK, use moist soil, keep it barely moist rather than sopping. Good luck, these are not the easiest pups to root.