A warm hello to all our newsletter subscribers. I guess many of us are sweltering in the current heatwave & hoping for cooler weather & rain around the corner.
Be careful of your broms in the midday heat. We find here in Northern NSW that most of our 'full sun' broms are being bleached & burnt when above 35 degrees unless given some protection. Keep up the moisture especially for guzmanias & vrieseas.
PRICE LIST: We have brought out an updated December list of bromeliads available. There are limited numbers of some of the neos & other non tissue culture plants & we do apologise if we have sold out when you place an order.
MINI NEOREGELIAS: We have a collection now of over 100 mini neos & at last have some coming through for sale - see price list.
WAVELL HEIGHTS BROMELIAD SHOW: The Bromeliad Extravaganza held in October was a great success with increasing attendance as it's reputation grows. The next show is Saturday 27th (8am - 3pm) & Sunday 28th (9am - 2pm) February 2010. Address is Wavell Heights Community Hall, 175 Edinburgh Castle Road, Wavell Heights, Brisbane. Phone Nigel for more information 07 5485 3800
KIWI VRIESEAS (photo below) : These broms are now maturing & showing beautiful colour - everyone who has bought them has been impressed. At three year's of age they are quite stunning. They need bright indirect light tolerating early am or late pm sun. In Jack Koning's words - 'they need as much light as possible without burning'. They also like the mix to be kept moist.
GUZMANIAS PART 4
Propagation: As in most bromeliad species, the mother plant slowly dies after flowering, but produces offsets (pups) as it is declining. They usually form after the mother has flowered, though some do produce pups beforehand. Guzmanias readily produce pups which are able to survive independently when they are 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant. If taken off before this, they may not survive as they still depend on the mother & store little or no nutrient. If possible, avoid the extremes of hot & cold weather when removing pups - so ideal in Oct / Nov / Feb / Mar - in the tropics in the wet season.
Remove the leaves & potting mix from the base of the pup (you may need to take it out of the pot to do this), then gently remove the pup using a sharp knife & cutting down towards the parent, being sure to preserve the base of the pup, while not injuring the mother. You can also gently twist the pup away from the mother. Guzmania pups form from the leaf axils, are therefore rootless & can be harder to establish.
Some growers leave the pup overnight to 'seal', others dip the base in fungicide (NO COPPER) especially if cool & wet weather. Some also pot into peat/perlite/vermiculite/sand till roots develop. We plant straight into our usual mix. Don't sit the pups in water as they may rot & don't plant too deeply for the same reason. Bury the base no more than 2.5 cm & brace if necessary.
Guzmanias usually produce two batches of pups. Give the mother some slow release fertiliser (if out of date) & continue to apply foliar fertilizer after removing the first lot. A second batch will often then be produced.
The new pup will not benefit from slow release fertilizer till roots have developed, but needs spraying & watering in the cup after potting, plus an occasional weak foliar spray till established. Then pursue the normal fertilizer regime.
If you want lots of pups, look after the mother while she is maturing; remove the bottom older leaves carefully to allow light into the nodes (developing pups).
Pests & Diseases: Guzmanias have few pests & diseases. Scale can be a problem. Spray with an insecticide such as Folimate (some growers use Rogor). Don't use an insecticide that contains white oil which kills bromeliads. Before treating, empty all water out of the plant, clear out any debris & allow to dry. Spray thoroughly & allow to dry again for 24 hours before watering. Check in 7-10 days as it may need retreatment. Don't scrape off the scale when alive as you will release the eggs into the leaf bases & increase the problem. In cold, wet weather, heart rot & root rot (Phytophthera) is a problem with some hybrids. Treat with a fungicide - Ridomil (Fongarid) is recommended & is readily available. Copper is the main ingredient in most fungicides & it kills bromeliads - so take care to check.
Next: Neoregelias
Our staff (Larry & Robin) & Bob & I wish you all a very Happy Xmas & send our best wishes for the New Year.
Bob & True Grant
