* UNKNOWN SPECIES (Identification Page)
    Please send your note to Ludwig Buckup in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

* I HAVE GUESTS IN MY GREENHOUSE

I'll show you some other friends in the future

* SUCCESSFUL SEED GERMINATION

        A) TILLANDSIOIDEAE - Parachute born seeds
        B) BROMELIOIDEAE - Seeds from berry-like fruits
        C) Germination under controlled environmental conditions

A) Seeds equipped with parachutes (1.1 - 1.2 - 1.3) (Vriesea,Tillandsia,Guzmania etc.)
	1.1-   I sow  the parachute born seeds evenly onto a gray nylon mesh (mosquito-net) stretched over a bucket almost full of water. The mesh substrate simulates satisfactorily the surface of a tree-bark, providing good aeration. The evaporating water supplies the germinating seeds with humidity. On the figure (left), recently sown seeds of Vriesea platynema.
	1.2 - On the figure (left), 6 months old seedlings of Vriesea gigantea. Fertilizing may start early. I use "Liquid Grow Plant Food" from Dyna-Gro Corp (Nitrogen 7%- Phosphate 9%- Potash 5%), directly on the seedlings every seven days.
	1.3 - On the figure (left), twelve-months-old seedlings of Vriesea gigantea. Growing of Tillandsioideae-seedlings is very slow, so keep on fertilizing regularly. It helps a lot.
	1.4 - When the seedlings reach 5 to 10mm in height with three or more leaves,  they can be carefully removed from the net and planted in small 200cc plastic pots (see left figure). As potting mix for these small seedlings I use shredded tree fern trunk  and sand (1:1). Excellent water permeability, looseness and aeration are important. Later, when the plants become bigger and they are removed to wider pots,  shredded Pine-tree bark (Pinus elliotii) is added to the potting mix (1:1:1)
B) Seeds from berry-like fruit (Aechmea,Nidularium,Neoregelia etc.)
	The seeds are squeezed out of the berries, washed under running water in a fine sieve to remove the glutinous anti-germination slime. They are dried in shadow for 24 hours and then sown evenly over the substrate mix in a seed dish. As potting medium  I use shredded tree fern trunk  and sand (1:1). On the left photo  you see eighteen-month-old Neoregelia marmorata seedlings (medium height: 80 mm)
	The most effective method of assuring a speedy and safe germination of bromeliad seeds is to place them in a closed medium with high humidity, high temperature and normal photperiodic daylight rhythm. I have been utilizing transparent plastic cake boxes (20x15x15cm). The box is filled with a layer of some centimeters of a material as milled tree fern with some sand, not forgetting to burn three or four holes in the bottom to guarantee a good drainage of the excess of water. Place the seeds, if possible, individually with a small nipper or brush, avoiding the clustering of the future seedlings. If you let the seedlings grow up to closely, you will have problems later to disentangle the roots when you begin the transplantation. After sowing, close the box and leave it in the greenhouse or some other place, but always protected from the direct daylight. Wet the interior frequently to guarantee the preservation of the humidity.

* PHOTOGRAPHING BROMELIADS

* ORGANIZE YOUR BROMELIAD COLLECTION

        Among those who like bromeliads many circumscribe their involvement merely in the cultivation of some specimen in a corner of their homes or gardens. They are not properly collectors, not particularly thoughtful about the origin of their plants, its environmental preferences or the precise scientific name of the bromeliad they maintain. It is a fully enjoyable way of appreciating bromeliads, that surely increases and enriches the family of the bromeliads’ friends.

        But if you have the intention to go beyond this horizon, overstepping the limits of an uncomplicated exercise of horticultural gardening, investing, maybe, in the construction of a shade house or in the acquisition or collecting of a larger number of plants, then you should think seriously about organizing your collection. This way it will ensure a more competent management and will give to your hobby a more consistent informative contents and, perhaps, even becoming beneficial for the science.

        When your collection has already several dozens of plants and continues growing, you cannot trust on your memory to remember the origin of the specimen, its scientific name, its blooming time and its ecological preferences. Loss of data or tags are one of the collectors' most frequent complaints. Furthermore, your collection and the observations that you will make as time advances may become important not only for collectors but also for specialized botanists who study bromeliads under the manifold perspectives of the plant biology. The owner of an efficiently organized collection may earn an additional trust among other collectors, making easier the plants’ exchanges that frequently take place in our community.

        The earlier the organization commences, better the results. After you have already brought together hundreds or thousands of plants, everything becomes more difficult. I would recommend that the organization starts with the first plant.

        It is true that it is not an easy task, but nevertheless, I believe that the additional effort is worthwhile.

        At first place we should admit that no plant should be placed in the collection and be planted in a vase or fixed to a support without a tag containing the essential facts about its origin. This tag can be provisory until a later systematic identification of the plant is accomplished. Ensured the classification, the specimen receives a number from a direct numeric sequence in order of arrival.

        Two types of complementary form sheets will be sufficient for the registering of data. Using the "table" option of your Word processor it will be very easy to print the two data sheets

        Below, the first one, the SPECIMEN DATA SHEET. Here you can register, in a simple numeric sequence, all the specimen (the single plant) of your collection. Obviously, each number corresponds to and is followed by the name of a species.

(A) THE SPECIMEN DATA SHEET (here filled out with examples)

        The second sheet, the SPECIES DATA SHEET is suited for the registration of the species you have in your collection and of all essential information about it. On the lower part of the sheet, each line corresponds to a number (see the specimen data sheet, above). So, if you have twelve specimen of a certain species, you will use twelve lines. Here you may take notes about the origin of the plant [place and date of collecting, name of collector or donor, origin from seeds, from off-shoots, F1 or F2 origin, period of blooming, death, exclusion etc.). Consequently, the number of copies (pages) of this type of data sheet will be the same as the number of species in your collection.

(B) THE SPECIES DATA SHEET (here filled out with examples)

SPECIMEN IN  COLLECTION

        Therefore, each of your plants (pot, plant) will have a number, that will be written down, firstly, on one of the lines of the specimen registration sheet and secondly, on one of the lines of the registration sheet for the species.

        For labeling the plants, I use white plastic tags, size 3x5/8" size. Use a pencil #2 (2B) or a water resistant pen. On one face of the tags, the number of the specimen is written down. On the other face, the scientific name of the species. If this identification is still uncompleted or uncertain, you may write just what you have, perhaps only the name of the genus or a species name with a question mark. With a scissors, cut an acute angle at one extremity of the tag so it can easily be inserted into the potting mix. If the plant is mounted to another support, as tree bark, tree fern, wood piece, etc., the tag can be fastened with wire. Don't use copper wire, bromeliads detest it.

        The great enemy of the tags is not the water, but the direct solar light. Pigment's fading of the ink is basically an effect of certain high frequencies (UV) of the sun light. For that reason inspect your tags periodically, avoiding unwanted surprises.

        For the supervising of your collection the best will be a frequent, or perhaps, a daily walk along your benches or whatever you have for your plants, with a plank and a sheet of paper. Write out what you see - perhaps a new off-shoot, the beginning of a blooming, appearance of mature fruits or seeds, a damage to a leaf by insects, snails or aphids - and organize a list of tasks. Later, distant from the humid (and often muddy) shade house, you may accomplish the necessary bureaucratic procedures. If you wish to keep the paper of your data sheets white and clean, leave them in your office. The frequency of these green house promenades will depend, obviously, on the available time you have for your bromeliads and mainly, the importance you intend to give to the point "organization".

        But all these proceedings are only modest suggestions, so you may adjust them to your personal preferences and special conditions under which you maintain your bromeliads. I use this system since 1995, with best results, and haven't found any motive to change it

        Critique, faultfinding and suggestions are always welcome !