How to cultivate bromeliad seeds?

15 years ago

This plant has been growing on an old boxwood for several years but has now transferred itself onto a clerodendrum quadriloculare which is growing up into and through the boxwood. Someone in another forum says it is a Tillandsia utriculata. I never knew that an air plant was a bromeliad. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even sure this was an air plant.

Anyway, the seed pods are opening and I am wondering how one goes about growing the seeds. Also, would I be able to move this plant to another location? How would I do that?

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

User
15 years ago
Alby, that is T. fasciculata, another native of your state. Spread the dandelion-like seeds across a suitable surface (cork slab, piece of bark, piece of screen door, stretched out piece of pantyhose) and mist them till they sort of "glue" themselves to it. Mist them every day, sometimes more, keep in bright, indirect light and watch for algae (might need a fungicide). Grab yourself a good copy of "War and Peace", TIVO the next 5 seasons of American Idol, and kick back. Might take a while. After they've developed their first leaves (within a year) you can substitute a very diluted fertilizer spray for normal mist water.
alby
Original Author
15 years ago
>gonzer wrote: "Grab yourself a good copy of "War and Peace", TIVO the next 5 seasons of American Idol, and kick back. Might take a while"

Ha! Not exactly the sort of thing for someone seeking immediate gratification, is it? By that time "War and Peace" could be history repeating itself. No, sorry, not "War and Peace". It's "Doctor Zhivago" I'm thinking of.

Anyway, thanks for the info!
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alby
Original Author
15 years ago
Closer inspection reveals that the plant is not attached to the clerodendrum, but to a dead broken off branch of the boxwood that is lodged amongst the clerodendrum stems. I have no idea how long it has been broken off. Will the air plant survive on a dead broken off branch? If so, I assume I could place the branch with plant attached just about anywhere? If not, is there anything I can do to sustain the T. fasciculata?
User
15 years ago
Here's some a few months old

{{gwi:458777}}

July of '08

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3 year old T. disticha

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what looks like snot (for want of a better word!) is the hair structure of the seeds that glues itself to the medium.

{{gwi:458780}}
sdandy
15 years ago
You're killing me Gonzer, just killing me! Well, the tilly seeds are at least. I swear I'm going to successfully get some to grow (some year).

And Alby, yeah, they don't need to be on a living branch (or anything really). A string, wire, branch, anything that lets them hang in the breeze and keep from getting too wet. You can move the branch anywhere (without drastically changing the light conditions) and it should be fine.