Lisa, Thanks for the reply! I was thinking that if it were still available, it might be thru growers in Ecuador? I don't currently subscribe to the journal, so don't know if any of the south American nurseries still advertise there. I don't recall ever seeing this at Pamela Koides's old nursery, Birdrock Tropicals, but would have thought hers would be a natural supplier if it were still in the trade, as she grows/grew so many high altitude Tillandsia species that wouldn't survive in Florida or Texas. I have been living almost 20 years now in north Berkeley, very near to the North Berkeley BART station, down in the flats so to speak. I do a lot of my landscape design work here in the Berkeley hills, Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland area, so it is a rather ideal climate for the more cold hardy bromeliads, and over the years I've built up enough plantings in various gardens to be able to use them upon dividing them in other new gardens. I'm always on the look out for other suitable species to try out, and am extremely envious of those of you who can grow all the more tropical types. Still, there are quite a few bromeliads that tolerate the occasional freezes we get here, and the local San Francisco Bromeliad Society is full of members who grow their collections outdoors year round. So Lisa, what part of Berkeley was your home base? This town is just large enough that it feels completely different from area to area. I guess I am mostly plugged into the north Berkeley/Monterey Market/Solano Ave/Thousand Oaks/Fourth Street neighborhoods, rather than south Berkeley or areas more influenced by the University campus, although I do regularly visit Strawberry Canyon, the UC Berkeley Botanic garden, and Tilden Park. I also seem to get a lot of work over in nearby Alameda, where the homes closest to the bay almost never freeze. In fact, these gardens are where I have had the most success with the real warm growers such as the Portea's. Hopefully this post might bring someone out of the wood works who actually grows or has grown Guzmania diffusa! Somehow I doubt this species would have ever survived some place like Seattle, especially after this winter's cold. Even at 10,000 foot elevation in Ecuador or Columbia, I suspect it wouldn't likely get much colder than mid-20'sF in winter, and most of Seattle got into single digits this winter, or at most low teens right near the water.

Hi everyone, MsGreenFinger - There's an old saying here in Australia which says, you can't beat local knowledge; so it's better if you talk to someone in your own area. I live in Australia in conditions much different to yours so I can't really tell you what you should do; I can only say how I grow these plants. I know nothing about semi-hydro systems nor clay pellets as I've never used either. I grow my Guzmanias in a 50/50 mix of Pine Bark and Coco Peat chunks which I find drains well but just retains sufficient moisture to prevent drying right out. I know nothing of the 'general' A+B hydro fertilizer you speak of and feed my plants with a foliar fertilizer called "Phostrogen" which has an N:P:K ratio of 14 : 4.4 : 22.4. They are fed with this each fortnight during the warmer weather when they are actively growing only. I find Guzmanias like a little more shade than Aechmeas and Neoregelias, and I grow mine beneath 75% green shade cloth together with Vrieseas and Nidulariums which they seem to like. They like good air circulation around them but dislike wind. I water once a week in summer and once a fortnight during winter and as I water overhead all the time, there is always water in the rosette. I think the main thing to remember is that more plants are killed by over watering than under-watering and if in doubt as to whether your plant needs water or not, leave it for a couple more days and then water it. As a handy guide, watch the colour of your plant's leaves. The leaves in your photo look about right. Generally speaking if the leaf tips are brown it means your plant isn't getting enough water and if the leaf tips are yellow it means it is getting too much water. I hope this helps in some small way. All the best, Nev.

The goo is normal for a number of Guzmania species, I would not worry. AFAIK, all Guzmanias would normaly pup before expiring, but I have had them die on me without doing so. They can be hard to keep alive, especially if grown in a greenhouse and then moved to dryer conditions. As for them having a blooming season, that's news to me! I am sure that you can have blooms year-round, depending on the species or hybrid. They need little or no fertilizer.

hi,they have no direct frost tolerance as such,but can take temps into the 30s easily. i have many here in CA,all do fine,but if you think you will get a frost/freeze,just cover them with a sheet of plastic,or a cloth. gary