Bromelcairns - Bromeliads Down Under

Club Activities & Around the Members
Bromelcairns
Newsletter - Cairns Bromeliad Society Inc.
2008 # 6
P.O.Box 28 Cairns. Queensland 4870
President
Bob Hudson
0740533913
V-President
Thomas Jones
unlisted
Secretary
Lynn Hudson
0740533913
Treasurer
Sharron Miller
0740322283
Librarian
Stuart Howe
0402832354
Editor
Lynn Hudson
0740533913
Editor Assist.
OIC Raffles
Karen Stevens
0740361086
Member Concierge
Barry Osborne 0740532047
Popular Vote Steward Karen Cross
0740545497
*Honorary Life Member - Grace Goode O.A.M.*
Life Member - Lynn Hudson
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Aims of the Society
To Promote and Develop Interest in Bromeliads through Friendship
To Co-operate with similar Clubs throughout the World
**********************************************************
Membership Fee: $15 single, $25 family, $7.50 junior Country Member $25
Meetings start at 1pm sharp first Saturday of the month. Please bring a cup and a
chair.
Library: All books & magazines borrowed are to be returned in good order to the
following meeting. If not on wait list, they may be rebooked.
Plant Display/Sales: To participate, a member must be financial and circumstances
permitting, have attended at least three meetings in the past six months. Where the
society is charged a stall fee - 20% of sales are deducted for club funds. No charge
venue & meetings - 10% of sales is deducted. All plants to be clean, free of disease,
named and price tagged.
Show Plants: Must be the property of and in the custody of the entrant for the past three
months. For Society Shows the entrant must be financial and have attended at least three
meetings during the past six months.
Pens, Plant Tags & Pots: available at each meeting.
If reprinting article, wholly or in part, please acknowledge Author & Newsletter.
Any article will be emailed on request to [email protected]
NOVEMBER: We met at Chris Young’s. It was great to catch up with one of our
favourite members but sad to hear he will be too busy to join us in 2009 – the
good news is we can visit him at the new nursery opening on 30th November. As
always Chris’s plants looked great and no doubt many will find new homes as
buyers love good quality.
New Members :Bronya Cooper, Bernice & John Mark, Shane & Richard Barta.
We hope you enjoy your time with us, sharing our favourite plants.
* We sorted the meeting places for next year. Thank You to our Hosters.
* Gail described her success with flowering Aechmea mexicana with pills.
* Popular Vote challenged us as there were some really good plants to
choose among. Proof -> Karen & Bob tied for first! I was really pleased to see 6
entries in Novice Bromeliad section and 5 entries in each Open section – this is a
good sign for 2009 as each plant was good enough to win. Sadly the Novice
tillandsia & cryptanthus trophies were poorly contested, with insufficient entries
to be awarded this year. Novices go for it - you can win a trophy to display,
skite about & dust for a year!
* I began a talk by asking what is photosynthesis & immediately Greg answered,
“It is when chlorophyll in the leaves uses light to make sugars etc
to feed the plant”. Sharron is still in shock – “I know he ‘knows everything’
but where does it stop?”
* 2009 Committee nominations were requested. All positions become vacant & it
is time for other members to learn the ropes, assisted by the current team.
POPULAR VOTE:
JUNIOR: Nil entries
NOVICE: Billbergia ‘Hallelujah’
Grower: Elaine Asher
OPEN: Tillandsia streptophylla
Grower: Karen Stevens
Tillandsia brachycaulos Mex Grower: Bob Hudson
Neoregelia concentrica albo marg Grower: Darryl Lister
Cryptanthus ‘Elaine’
Grower: Marguerite Sexton
Foliage MINI SHOW:
1st. Billbergia ‘Golden Joy’ Grower - Karen Stevens
2nd. Neoregelia ‘Bruiser’
Grower – Elaine Asher
rd
3 . Aechmea ‘Snowflakes’ Grower – Gail Taifalos
POPULAR VOTE & MINI SHOW RESULTS – 2008
Most Points – Gail Taifalos - Bob Hudson Trophy
Congratulations Gail
You consistently brought in well grown and well presented plants.
Mini Shows Total Points
Gail Taifalos 12, Darryl Lister 12, Karen Stevens 10,
Bob Hudson 6, Brendan Leishman 5, Dave Weston 5,
Marguerite Sexton 2, Nalda Wilson 2, Elaine Asher 2,
Zaiga Gardiner 1.
Popular Vote
Junior Bromeliad & Tillandsia - Not awarded, insufficient entries
Novice Bromeliad - Bromeliads & Logs Trophy - Elaine Asher
FOLIAGE PLANTS and WHERE THEY GROW
by Bob Hudson
As we had foliage bromeliads for our last show for the year I thought I would do a
little research and find where these foliage plants grow in habitat. I chose these plants just for
the different foliage, not necessary colour.
I was surprised to find most patterned leafed bromeliads come from Brazil.
Brazil
Aechmeas biflora, chantinii, correia-araujoi, fosteriana, nudicaulis, orlandiana
Billbergias brasiliensis, kuhlmannii, magnifica, vittata, zebrina.
Canistrums fosterianum, seidelianum, triangulare
Cryptanthus bivitattus, dianae, fosterianus, marginatus, ubairensis, zonatus
Hechtia marnier-lapostollei
Hoenbergias burl-marxii, correia-araujoi, leopoldo-horstii, rosea, utriculiosa
Neoregelias amandae, ampullacea, burl-marxii ssp meeana, chlorosticta, kautskyi,
lilliputiana, maculata, marmorata, olens, pauciflora, pernambucana, pascoaliana,
punctatissima, spectabilis, tigrina, zonata
Vrieseas flammea, fenestralis, fosteriana, gigantea
Ecuador - Aechmeas chantinii & zebrina
(Cryptanthus Grace Goode Silver Ingot Trophy & Tillandsia
Bromeliads & Logs Trophy
Open
- Not awarded, insufficient entries)
Bromeliad - 2002 WBC Florida Sundial Trophy Darryl Lister
Cryptanthus - Grace Goode Trophy
Gail Taifalos
Tillandsia -Bob Hudson Trophy
Bob Hudson
Congratulations to each member who ‘had a go’ & entered plants this year.
!
!
!
You too are Winners.
Congratulations to the winners who get to dust the Trophy for a year.
!
Remember your peers voted you The Best.
Aechmeas
Billbergia
Canistrums
Cryptanthus
Hohenbergias
Vrieseas
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Words of wisdom from Derek Butcher
Botany is a subject where the same parts of plants can be given different names.
!
So who goes up to join the Big League?
Any person who has been in the Society since 2006 and the Winners.
Up you go Linda Sammon & Winner Elaine Asher.
*A rhachis or rachis usually means the central stem part of the actual inflorescence when
it is simple.
*When compound the centre stem becomes the inflorescence axis and the rhachis stays
with the branch.
*The floral stem from the plant to the bottom of where the inflorescence starts is either
the scape or the peduncle.
Nothing just happens or just gets done – someone actually does it.
*If you talk about the inflorescence in the broad sense this can include both
inflorescence and the scape.
Plants & Light
‘Photosynthesis’ means ‘putting together with light’ and is the food making
process of plants and the chief function of leaves. The chlorophyll absorbs light and
carbon dioxide combines with water forming sugars, that in turn combines with
nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus and produces starch, fat, proteins and vitamins.
The diversity of bromeliads is their main attraction to we humans. The various
leaf shapes and widths, thicknesses, colours and patterns determines where they grow in
habitat. It also indicates where we need to place them in our gardens to produce happy
plants.
Plants that need high light are the open rosette neoregelias where the water evaporates
quickly – they need to have water in the centre.
Tubular shaped plants like billbergias hold water and the light on the water produces a
lens effect onto the inner leaves.
Narrow rounded leaves are designed to shut out the sun’s rays without burning or
scalding the leaves.
Epiphytic plants grow upside down and sideways and cope with high light as they have
few leaves and reflective scales or hairs called ‘trichomes’.
Dry habitat plants have scales (trichomes) to collect moisture and reflect sun’s rays eg.
tillandsias. The more silver the plant looks the more trichomes it has to better able it to
survive in arid habitats. These plants should not be wet at night. When they are wet
they stick firmly flat on the plant, the trichome is deactivated and the plant cannot
respire.
Plants that need shade
* Discolored leaves – plants that are green on top, red underneath, are designed to
capture as much light as possible for photosynthesis. Light passes through the leaf and
is reflected back by the red pigment so they fully exploit light to their best advantage.
They prefer to
live in deep shade but in too much shade your plant will grow lanky.
* Multi-layered light green leaves eg vrieseas – allow some light to penetrate the top
leaves and be collected by the lower ones. They prefer reasonable deep shade but not too
dark - you could get a plant with few leaves.
* Mono-layered leaves -e.g. cryptanthus - every leaf blade can be viewed from the top
and there is little overlap, so each leaf can intercept the bulk of overhead light to use.
These are medium shade plants.
* Thin light coloured leaves – e.g. guzmanias, are used to warm and moist areas, so they
need less sunlight. They will grow well in reasonably deep shade but not too dark or the
inflorescence will lean out, looking for light.
* Fenestrations – these are the markings on leaves like Vrieseas fosteriana and
fenestralis. They are windows that allow light to pass through to others underneath.
Windows are more prevalent on younger leaves and on the lower sections of older
leaves.
The windows allow light to pass through and be reflected back off the water that
accumulates in the plant. They are plants that grow in moderate shade.
**************************
The white powdery markings on bromeliads are made of ‘scurf’. It is there to catch
food particles and moisture for the plant to convert to food.
See ‘Bromeliad Cultivation Notes’ page 27.
10-13 April 2009
BROMADELAIDE
15th Australian Conference
Speakers & Topics. (this is not the final programme yet)
Dr. Jason Grant - the recognized authority on Alcantarea & Werauhia genera.
* Travelogue of Jason’s Ecuadorian travels, perhaps including Colombia and Peru.
* Famous Bromeliad botanists - C. Jacques Edouard Morren and Lyman B. Smith.
Their contributions to bromeliads history & species named in their honour.
* Alcantarea & Werauhia in the context of Vriesea.
Michael Romanowski: Photographing Bromeliads in Habitat and Cultivation.
Kerry Tate: A Frosty Experience – Before, During and After.
Greg Aizlewood: Bromeliads – Around the World.
Mark Paul: Bromeliads in Cultivation in Landscape, from Garden to Greenwalls.
Mark Paul: Alcantareas in Habitat and Cultivation.
Adam Bodzioch: Bigenerics.
“For anyone concerned that the displayed nine talks do not mention Tillandsias, there will be
one or two such presentations, either by Australian or overseas speakers.”
PROGRAMME
Friday10th. April 2009
Morning: set up displays & sales.
Afternoon:
13:30 – 17:00 Registration
15:30 – 16:30 Seminar
17:00 – 18:00 Cocktail Reception
Sunday 12th. April 2009
8:00 – 9:20 Plant sales - Registrants only
9:20 – 10:10 Talk
10:10 – 10:30 Coffee/Tea Break
10:30 – 11:15 Talk
11:15 – 12:00 Talk
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
Optional bus trip to McLaren Vale
13:30 – 16:30 Plant sales to the general public
Plant sales cease on Sunday evening
Saturday11th. April 2009
8:45 – 9:10 Late registration
9:10 – 9:20 Official opening
9:20 – 10:10 Seminar
10:10 – 10:30 Coffee/Tea Break
Monday 13th. April 2009
10:30 – 11:15 Seminar
8:30 – 9:20 Future Conferences meeting
11:15 – 12:00 Seminar
9:20 – 10:10 Talk
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
10:10 – 10:30 Coffee/Tea Break
13:00 – 13:45 Seminar
10:30 – 11:15 Talk
13:45 – 14:30 Seminar
11:15 – 12:00 Talk
14:30 – 14:50 Coffee/Tea Break
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Plant sales, Registrants only 13:00 - Conference close
19:00 Conference dinner &
Rare Plant Auction
Registration Forms & accommodation details available from Lynn.
I was asked if there was a Plant Competition in Adelaide. I asked - this was the answer:
“As with our other two South Australian, Australian conferences we have had plant displays
and plant sales but no plant competitions other than auctions. It has always been advertised
that way. Plant competitions don't teach you much other than wrong names!” One member
said “But that will be OK, Uncle Derek comes from there, he can easily fix that”. My
response - “The answer was from your Uncle Derek”!
A Visit to the Bahamas
At end of August Bob & I flew off across the Pacific Ocean with our first stop a visit
to the Los Angeles Zoo that also held the Botanic Gardens. Small but interesting we
wandered among the plants and animals. When we collected the hire car, we were told
the haze would lift at about 11am. We did not think of “those lazy hazy crazy days of
summer” at the time, we just assumed it was a bit smoggy. Next morning it was back,
and the next and the next! It is normal, but not natural to an Aussie.
Next stop was to Eloise & Dan – just like going home. Lots of yakking, wandering
through their shadehouse finding treasures, a trip to John Arden’s, some more beautiful
plants for Oz then Eloise received a phone call and we gave up dinner at the Wildlife
Park for a new adventure – picking kaffir lime leaves as a lady wanted 10 pounds for
her restaurant – that is a LOT of leaves! We picked, chatted & laughed. That night we
heard some strange noises and next to our bedroom were two coyote making a racket.
We got the giggles but were tired enough to go to sleep.
Next day we flew to Miami, then to Nassau and were met by a very excited Beryl
Sheasby who had organized wonderful garden tours, eating, drinking and laughing days
that suddenly ended and we flew back to Miami. Did we see some good plants? Yes! If
I lived in Nassau I would grow tillandsias as they grow strong and huge. The Tillandsia
intermedia we grow are puny – over there it is almost a weed, great long strands of it,
hanging in clumps from the tree branches. Beryl’s garden is amazing, so many well
grown bromeliads, in good colour. Very interesting garage – the ceiling is peppered
with hooks to hold the bromeliads during a hurricane – the cars go out in the weather!
We left just in front of the string of five that visited the area in September. It was
strange in a left hand drive car on the ‘correct’ side of the road.
Bob drove us across Alligator Alley and up to Tampa and the further we went
the more colourful the countryside became. We stopped at Tropiflora and surprised
Linda, Dennis and Brian – and found a few more plants to bring back. We attended the
Florida Extravaganza, a day of sales, seminars, banquet and rare plant auction that
attracted about 200, followed by a local garden trip on Sunday. It was a happy busy
time and it was great to catch up with other bromeliad nuts.
Bob drove us back to Miami where we flew to Los Angeles, then Brisbane for
AQIS checking to ensure forms were correct, then to Cairns to AQIS for plant
inspections, the gassing and finally home. Next day we took the plants to Mareeba to
quarantine.
As we flew out of Brisbane at 9am the view was magic. It was a clear crisp
morning with the sky true blue; the clouds white and fluffy; the city busy and
colourful; the suburbs neat and green and the ocean a dazzling blue. A guy once told
me “Australia has the bluest skies, the greenest grass, the strongest mountains, the
bluest rivers and the best trees. It is the best country in the world.” His words are so
true, it is always good to come home.
More on MIXES
Dave brought in samples of the mixes ingredients that he uses to the September meeting.
Seeing a product is easier learning than only hearing a description.
Thank You Dave, you have been a big help to me this year.
Sturt discovered Searles have produced a Cymbidium & Bromeliad Mix. It is not very
different to their cymbidium mix but a good marketing plan. People feel safe with a
specific named product – just add bromeliad & it will sell. We have a small concern with
it as it contains peanut shell. Peanut shell grows white fungus in our humid weather.
Mixes & Rain
If your mix is well draining you should not have problems with continued rain. Your
plants should just sit there shining and laughing and making you feel good – soul food.
Cyclone winds
Place as many plants as you can onto the ground, packed so they cannot fall over and roll
around.
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To POT or OVERPOT
Learning the correct size pot for each plant takes practice.
When a bromeliad is potted the first reaction is to grow roots to the sides of the pot - to
get to feel secure.
A plant in a pot that is too small cannot get enough nourishment to grow to full potential.
A small plant that is in a large pot has a lot of work to grow roots before it starts to grow
leaves.
Some growers say they use large pots to stabilize the plant in windy weather. Why
not place the smaller pot into a larger one?
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RECOGNIZING A STROKE
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can
totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally.
He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized; diagnosed, and then getting
the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
How to Recognize a Stroke - You must remember the '3' steps, STR.
Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe
brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) ( i.e. It
is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
New Sign of a Stroke - Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is
crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 000 immediately and
describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Messages
* Email from our Kiwi visitors - Sue & Ken
We have missed the warmth of North Queensland since getting back." It has
been very chilly here. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with you both and
going to the meeting with your friendly group, visiting your gardens and looking
at your plants. I loved the plants you grow so well over there. We picked up
lots of ideas for us to try next year for our meetings. "I enjoyed reading your
group newsletters Lynn. I didn’t realise you two were so famous!
New Member Comments:
Beryl Watson: I would like to say a big thank you to the members who have
made me feel very welcome and helpful in answering my questions. I look
forward to each meeting.
Shane: Thank you for the first meeting we attended it was very well run.
Informative and businesslike but mixed with a lot of fun. Richard & I are
pleased to be accepted into the society and looking forward to learning and
growing along with our bromeliads.
* Sharron’s trip notes I lost! I always look forward to the bus trips, as it is a
great opportunity to get to know fellow members in the most relaxing
environments. Thank you Greg for having a birthday on our visit - I"love cake.
A big thank you to Bob and his skills as a driver"(some might say stubbornness
& determination)"to get the bus over that bridge. I wasn't scared at all with
Thomas as the guiding hand we were the envy of everyone who had to walk
the long trek - and what a treat the Butlers garden was. A splendid day out.
2 Good Newses
Neville Walker has had the 2 tumours removed from his spine. He took ill at
the WBC and finally found this was his next challenge! Just one more
millimetre and he would have been in a wheelchair!
I promised him not to tell what he said as he came out of anaesthetic but it
was pretty scary when he asked me to see if his feet were moving! It wasn’t
scary to tell him “Yes, wriggle your toes”! Just keep getting gooder Nev!
Gary May has had corrective surgery to get him out of continual pain following
a hernia op. Yes the one where he said “Surprise me” to the Dr! He will soon
be back at his usual stirring ‘normalcy’! On yer Gary!
SIGNS
* Over a Gynaecologist’s office: 'Dr. Jones, at your cervix.'
* In a Podiatrist's office: 'Time wounds all heels.'
* On a Plumber's truck: 'We repair what your husband fixed.'
* On another Plumber's truck: 'Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.'
* On a Church's Bill board: '7 days without God makes one weak.'
* At a Tyre Store 'Invite us to your next blowout.'
* On an Electrician's truck: 'Let us remove your shorts.'
* On a Maternity Room door: 'Push. Push. Push.'
* At an Optometrist's Office:
'If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.'
* On a Taxidermist's window: 'We really know our stuff.'
* On a Fence: 'Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!'
* At a Car Dealership:
'The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment.'
* Outside a Car Exhaust Store: 'No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.'
* In a Vets waiting room: 'Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!'
* In a Restaurant window:
'Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up.'
* In the front yard of a Funeral Home: 'Drive carefully. We'll wait.'
* At a Radiator shop: 'Best place in town to take a leak.'
* On a Septic Tank Truck: Yesterday's Meals on Wheels
* On another Septic Tank Truck:
'Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises'
* In a Non-smoking Area:
‘If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.'
Eating Tips for the Christmas season
* What fits your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead 24
hours a day?
* I’m going to order a broiled skinless chicken breast, but I want you to bring me a
lasagna and garlic bread by mistake.
* Potato chips aren’t rubbery and blubbery like fat. They are crispy and crunchy
like lettuce. That proves they are diet food!
* If you put a crouton on your sundae instead of a cherry, it counts as a salad.
* The handle on your recliner does not qualify as an exercise machine.
* I was going to wake up early to go jogging but my toes voted against me 10 to
1.
* My doctor told me to start my exercise program very gradually. Today I drove
past a store that sells sweat pants.
* The healthiest part of a donut is the hole. Unfortunately, you have to eat
through the rest of the donut to get there!
Safety First Tips from Sheryl
If you’re choking on an ice cube, simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat.
Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.
* Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the
vegetables while you chop.
* Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.
* For high blood pressure sufferers – simply cut yourself & bleed for a few minutes
thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.
* A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm will prevent you from rolling over and
going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
* If you have a bad cough take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to
cough..
* You only need two tools in life – WD-40 and Duct Tape.
If it doesn’t move & should, use WD-40. If it shouldn’t move & does, use Duct Tape.
* Remember – everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
* If you cannot fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.!
(Warning - Sheryl’s Mum is a Nurse. Sheryl is not a nurse!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan & John Welch
FERtLIZERS * FUNGICIDES * WATERING SYSTEMS
POLYPIPES * POLY FILMS * SPRAYING EQUIPMENT
SHADECLOTH * PLANTER BAGS * PLASTIC POTS
Cnr. Brown & Little Spence Sts. Cairns
Phone: 07 4035 2670
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BROMELIADS & LOGS
ABN 66 951 932 976
Bromeliads & Tillandsias
2008 is about to make way to another year. The catch cry ‘2008 will be
great’ has been true in many ways. It has given us many changes in our
lives - we have added to our knowledge, made many new friends, found
there are lots of new challenges that we can conquer, new and better ways
of doing things, so much more to learn and enjoy.
For me the bestest part was the friendships and support that we have as a
Group. It is very precious and we must nourish it with only the best
thoughts, actions and experiences.
I have really enjoyed seeing you grow in confidence and producing really
great plants and seeing you surprise many other growers from around the
world.
If this is a sign, bring on 2009!
Wishing Each of you a Safe & Happy Christmastimtime
& really Great Growing, Busy & Happy Year for 2009
Bob & Lynn Hudson
47 Boden St. Edge Hill Cairns
Phone: (07) 40533 913
email: [email protected]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bromeliads 15
A&NZ Bromeliad Conference
‘Bromadelaide’ 10-13th April 2009
For details & Registration Form.
www.bromeliad.org.au/BROMADELAIDE2009.htm
Come to our conference. Learn from the experts.
See new plants. Buy plants. Sell plants. Swap plants.
Make new friends. Enter the Plant Show.
Buy rare plants at auction. Ask questions. Have fun
Store lots of memories to brighten your quiet moments.