Pure beauty, Paul, well done!

Wow, thanks for that. I idn't realise there were so many cultivars. Beautiful. One of my favourite plants.
BA

Crossing those two sounds like a good plan, Paul.

Is Tiger Tim available in the US? I can't get over what a cool plant that is! Nick, if you're reading this, that might be another candidate for your tissue culture project.

Hi Paul,

Great plants and great pic's. Now you've really done it! I guess I'll have to come up for that much talked about visit at long last.

All the best, Nev.

Hi Guys, thanks for your comments. Nev, you know you're welcome any time. Just come on up the hill. Cheers, Paul

Go The Grubs, Paul! You're growing them beautifully.

I really like your purple one too. I've been growing some of those new T.T. x dark Grub seedlings under differing light conditions, just to see how much they will vary and tolerate - including one in full sun all day. The hot, dry conditions have bleached/scorched a few sun-loving Neoregelia around it, but to my surprise, The Grub is unscathed.

Be prepared for the need to pry the petals apart when attempting some hanky-panky with them. According to two other experienced growers/hybridists, some grubs self-set seed, and others not - maybe ants? I have tinkered with my flowering T.T. and have had some selfings. However, those seed pods which I deliberately pollinated with foreign dads, are much fatter - still waiting for them to ripen. Allan Ladd taught me (a tad too late this time around) that it is a good idea to mark the sepal of each hand-pollinated flower with a dab of "liquid paper", as each flower segment is tight and close to each other for individual tags. I then tag the whole branch, and use the same pollen on each branch.

Good news is that The Grub seedlings grow relatively fast, compared to other Vriesea seedlings.

Looking forward to your next Grub installment.

K :)

Hi Kerry,

Great fun! I'll be really interested to see what results you get. I've picked up a few more different clones over the last few months and by the start of the new year they should have shown what they will do in bright light. I can't wait to see just what sorts of variations we can get.

Thanks for your notes on pollination. I was hoping to have a bit of a play with a mate's Tiger Tim when it was in flower recently, but the rotten little flowers didn't even emerge from the bracts until just the last few to mature.

Mate's Tiger Tim in flower, pic taken 2nd week September
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Maybe it was because for some reason the plant decided to flower through the very middle of winter? Who knows - it will be interesting to see if it selfed - no way pollen could have gotten in from the outside without a power drill.

I'll keep you updated as the playing around progresses.

Cheers, Paul

Well guys I guess I will have to join the show and tell ,the first is not a T.T

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this is a T.T grown with optimum light

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this is a T.T in averadge light

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and a different Gruberii

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Jack, you've done it to me now. I just gotta do an orange Tim. Cheers, Paul

Hi Paul ,yes i know what you mean,i would like to cross your dark one with my darker plant or your dark one with your yellow one ,that may get you the odd orange tone ,with T.T you will get broad variety , but any crossing between them will get a few different types ,I have some others ,similar to your yellow type ,the flowers are just so small to work with ,Jack

Hi Jack, sorry about the delay in responding, just catching up after a few frantic days. Those all sound like good ideas to me. I'll save and send you some purple-plant pollen. Flower spike on the purple plant is just emerging from the cup (probably a few weeks behind the one in your last pic), so I would guess at flowers around mid November - early December? I suspect my 4x magnifying specs are going to get a work-out! Cheers, Paul

Shoot, that Tiger Tim is a beaut! I dont reckon there are any available in South Af, I will however keep my eyes open and some extra boodle in my wallet.