Hi Dennis welcome to the brom forum.

Check the link below on how to post pics.

Sander

Here is a link that might be useful: How to post photo's

Hi Dennis,Welcome to the club.There are a few places around the country where broms are available,depends where you live.
I am in Cape Town and they are also hard to comeby.
Good Hunting
Neville

Hi Guys

Thanks for the welcome guys!Oh and the link Sander.

Neville: I must say that in the last 2 years my collection has swelled just beautifully, Michaels exports and his prices are reasonable.

I am in Durban and am mates with the locals here and Lyn in E.L. You obviously enjoy your Tillandsia.....

Cheers

Dennis

Welcome Dennis! I believe you have some interesting stuff to show us, so work on that picture posting link! And I am glad to hear that you know Lyn as well, that's where I get all my plants lately.

Japie

hey japie! We must chat and ofcourse we should do a few swops too! Give me a bel or email me your no. Mine is nul agt drie twee 872701. I will get pic posting soon. Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Welcome...! Great to have another Southern Hemisphere collector on the forum. I'm looking forward to seeing a few more of your plants.

Andrew.

Hi Dennis,
Welcome to the bromnut's club - from another southern-hemispherer :)
I am also looking forward to viewing some of your darling broms. What is/are your favourite genus/genera? - bigenerics? (neomea).

How tight are quarantine regulations in S.Africa?
Here in Australia, one can't mail-order or personally import any plants from overseas without full declaration, heaps of paperwork, licences and permits, and then they get drenched in methyl bromide and kept in quarantine for 3 or 4 months before you can finally bring them home - of what has survived that is...... They also must show signs of growth after the harsh chemical treatment, before they are allowed out of quarantine. If they don't, more fees and paperwork are required to keep them there another few months. And then there are those orders that mysteriously never show up - piracy is rife and very difficult/impossible to retrieve.

Considering the wealth of broms we have available in Australia, I am eternally grateful to those dedicated brom enthusiasts who have imported and made available so many lovely broms.

Cheers,
Kerry

Dennis, let me just add my welcome to the others'. This forum is becoming more truly international than any I've been a part of, and I think that's great!

Kerry, is methyl bromide gas still routinely being used in Australia? It's been phased out in the US because it is extremely damaging to the ozone layer (not to mention very hazardous to use), and is currently only allowed for critical use exemptions like anthrax spore decontamination. It's nasty stuff, and from what I hear, particularly toxic to Guzmanias and other tender genera.

Hawaii used to have similar restrictions because of the pineapple industry, but they were relaxed about 25 or 30 years ago, thank god! These days that type of quarantine only applies to the genus Ananus. We still require a separate import permit for bromeliads (as opposed to general nursery products), and anything coming in must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. Inspection is pretty rigorous, but if the material is from a certified nursery and has been well cleaned it usually passes okay.

Are you sure there aren't similar protocols for Oz? Can't you at least quarantine them on your own property if you have an appropriate structure? Sharon P. has shipped a lot of broms to Australia, and I know Michael has too. Surely it can't be THAT difficult!

Re quarantine restrictions.
Lisa - yes, it really is that difficult, but not impossible, to successfully import broms to Australia. According to big importers like Olive T., Shane Z. and Peter Tristram, it's getting even harder. It was much cheaper and less hazardous over 20 years ago. That is when many big collectors and importers started to do their own hybridising, like the Buchanans (John and June). They imported from European countries, as well as those in North and South America, from 1980 until 1986, when restrictions became tighter, and far more expensive.
We were told at a presentation on importing at the last Aust. brom conference, that Australia and New Zealand have the strictest quarantine regulations in the world. I don't know about N.Z., but here they still gas all live plants with methyl bromide - except for tissue-cultured plants still in their sterilised flasks. You're right about the softer-leaved broms like guzmanias faring badly.
Some of the larger growers do have their own approved private quarantine stations, like Olive, but all her imports are still gassed with m.b., and are subjected to rigorous inspection as well. That is why she tries to always buy the largest specimens of special varieties and hybrids that she can, so they have a better chance of surviving. Neoregelias and aechmeas are probably the best survivors. Olive recently showed me some lovely variegated N. Hannibal Lectors which have just been allowed out of her quarantine house. They have fared well, and produced a few pups while still in quarantine. The other extreme - all foliage vrieseas she has tried to import from N.Z. died on her - a costly and disappointing loss.
Peter Tristram recently had an $8000 order never show up. Apparently Brazil is now closed to all exportation? And the official list of allowed/prohibited species referred to by government officials in their country of origin is random and outdated, with no obvious rhyme or reason. Still - if on the list as a no-no, it's a no-go. In Brazil, heavy fines and gaol sentences are applied if caught trying to 'smuggle' seed of species which are deemed prohibited. I really don't understand how anyone could recognise specific species seed from another of the same genus, without DNA analysis, but they must have an O.K.d label. I have heard Elton Leme is involved in some way in his capacity as high court judge and for his extensive knowledge of bromeliads - as a final arbiter?

I would be interested to hear how other nations' governments handle this situation...

Sorry Dennis - I may have opened a contentious can of worms on your first posting!

Cheers,
Kerry

Hi Guys

No worries Kerry! We have it far easier than you guys in Aus. I am not fully aware of the process as I dont import. A mate of mine does all of that and he allows me to pop my order in with his. He normally gets the plants in a week, total time. Our customs look at the phyto and let the plants go. Anent we lucky! I really like Billbergs! Oh and ofcourse Neos!

Thanks Lisa, I have a few of your "offspring" here! Infact I just X'd pinstripe with code red....that should be interesting.

Pics to follow!

Cheers

Dennis

Some pics!!!

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Another

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A few of my babies.

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My favorite baby: Eden

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Very nice Dennis! What is that variegated plant in the top right corner of the second picture? Maybe Edmundoa lindenii variegata? Beautiful!

Your Gee Whiz looks stunning, as does Yang (it is Yang just to the back, slightly to the right of the group of Kahala Dawn's?)

I would love to see how your variegated babies grow up!

Japie

Hmmmm....... did you make those babies yourself or did you get the seed from somebody?

Hi Dennis,
compliments for your broms, I do not say more as for me they are all beautiful as mostly out of reach here in Europe, compliments also for your prefered baby, but my god, what is that palm? Marojejya? How old?

Tomas

Hi Guys

Japie...Yes it is a yang. The variegated plant to the right is an Ae "friederike" variegated, a must have plant. It is pushing a pup......I am also waiting patiently for those youngsters to mature!

Lisa: I made 'em myself. Infact on one of my first attemps at hybridising. It was a pleasant suprise believe me.I will post a few more pics...taken yesterday.

Hi Tomas: That is a Clinostigma exorhriza (cant remember the spelling now). I grew it from seed 2 and a half years ago and planted it when it had a few leaves. My plants in pots from the same batch are tiny in comparison. Thanks for the comments!

More seedling pics....taken yesterday.

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Dennis, what did you cross to get those variegated seedlings? You must have one of those magic pollenators.

Hi Winterlager

They all come from the same mother plant, same batch. I used various pollenators. ampullacea rubra, big red, allure, gold fever and a few others. If I had know that I would get variegated plants from the mother I would have done a proper job! :-)

Cheers

Dennis

Does mommy have a name?

Sander

Ah, you've stirred up the hornet's nest now, Dennis! ;-)

Lol, poor guy didn't see it coming! Welcome Dennis!

Hey Dennis - congratulations on your Neo.'Mum's the Word' variegated seedlings!
Great-looking collection, garden, and 'baby' Eden :)

Cheers,
Kerry

If he tells you who the seed parent is he is going to have to kill you.......

How about Neo can o' worms. :-)

Sander

It just kills me that I tried for YEARS to figure it out, while somebody else stumbles on it by accident on the first try!

:-p

Honestly, I don't care for most variegated or albo-marginated bromes. Some look really cool, but I'm not looking to collect too many of them.

I agree that variegation in and of itself is not enough to make a good or interesting plant. We don't need any more green and white Neos with red or purple cups, it's been done to death. The challenge, as with anything, is to use it to create things that have never been done before. It's just one more tool in the hybridizer's arsenal.

Hi Guys

As Lisa says, there are too many plain ol' variegated Neos. There are ofcourse the stunners that we all need ala kahala dawn, milagro, ying/yang etc. ect.

I must say the some of G. Groves bright coloured plants are better (yes I said it)than most of the variegated plants around. Anyone willing to share the secret to creating plants like his?

Thanks Kerry! Why is talk about variegated seedlings taboo?

Sorry Lisa....it must be the "variegated fingers"! I have managed to get other plants to set seed that dont normally like to.

I would gladly pass on the seed parents name to you, but it doesnt have a name. The story is this: 3 South Africans visited Central and South America a good few years ago. While there they popped into Chesters place and he then gave them a few odd plants, turns out that one of these is the elusive transmitter (or a one time luck shot)....its called (not sure who gave it the name) variegata red. That is it.. see pic below of pups.

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Cheers

Dennis

If it's N. carolinae Variegata Red (and it certainly looks like it is), then she has an illustrious track record. Lucky you!

The easiest way to create a Groves-type Neo is to cross a couple of existing Groves hybrids with each other. If you try to recreate the formula from scratch you'll likely be at it for years waiting for that lucky DNA alignment!

Thanks Lisa! I have another called variegata pink and variegata red "2" all from the same trip. They have not flowered yet.

Quick question Lisa. I gave 2 pups of the variegata red to a mate of mine who used them in various X's this past summer. The seedlings have come out green or white but not a single variegated plant...... yet. The green ones may well "turn" at a later stage who knows? Any idea as to why he didnt get variegated seedlings off the bat?

Cheers

Dennis

Cause it's really hard! You lucky s#!^.... :-)
I also don't like em too much, but someone on the garden web made me buy one once!

Neomea, are you a cigar smoker??
Maybe you should read the post called variegation debate, That wil explain it all, well.... most of it anyway.

When something green and white pops up on the garden web a lot of us go really weird!! Foaming at the mouth and feverish behaviour is guaranteed in most cases. :-)

Sander

Here is a link that might be useful: This is the post you should read

Sander, you can send Melon to me. I'll give it a good home, I promise!

Dennis, pay no attention to the cigar thing, unless you like sick-looking yellow streaks on your plants.

The whole variegation transmitter thing has been a trade secret for so long and it took me so long to get the information (and I'm still experimenting and learning) that I haven't wanted to be the one to spell it out for every lurker on the web, even though the information is obviously getting out there now. To answer your question, I will repeat what I've said here before: albomarginated plants produce albino seedlings, and mediopictas produce green seedlings (the variegation will not show up later on). Check the pups and draw your own conclusions.

Melon is mine!!! Finders keepers.... ;-)

Haha, Neo melon is doing fine by the way, a bit of hail damage but not too bad. Also went a whole lot paler in the sun, so he lives in a shadier spot now, he told me to say hi.

Slooooooowww grower though, hope the summer warmth gets him going.

Sander

I got some albino Berts from a variegated Bert mom. They sure died off quickly.

Lisa, when I google mediopictas I only hit your post on the garden web. Mediopicta has more hits but no definition so I have no idea what that means.

I may not be using the term exactly right, WL, but I can't think of a better way to describe a leaf that has green margins and variegation down the center.

According to the article below (which was originally part of Sander's link, but now has been removed), "medio-picta" more properly connotes some green striping in the mostly albino center region. The correct term for a solid unpigmented center stripe seems to be "variegated", but that is confusing because it doesn't distinguish it from albomargination or any other type of variegation, so I just use m-p to refer to any green-margined variegate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Variegation in Bromeliads

Hi all

sander: I am an ex-smoker. Never to return again! I will try to find the debate! Thanks
what does melon look like - got any pics?

Winter: I was going to ask the same question!

Lisa: I sort-of assumed that m-p could be what you described. After that post a light-bulb went BLING! Thanks a mill!!! Oh nice link too!

Thanks Guys......great thing joining this site!

Dennis

Check the link below this post.
It has Melon (not a registered name) in it, and the cigar bogus story.

Sander

Here is a link that might be useful: This is the link