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bromeliaddict

Billbergia season

bromeliaddict
16 years ago

Here are a few recent bloomers in my greenhouse. The first one is Billbergia 'Poquito Mas'. I originally got this from Michael Kiehl in 8/2000. It has never bloomed for me before, but I started fertilizing my Billbergias last year as much as I dared...short of bleeding the color out of the foliage.

emerging scapes on 10/22/07

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flowers open on 11/01/07

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Billbergia 'Fiesta' -just recently acquired

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An oldie, but goodie- Billbergia 'Fantasia'

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close up of the open flowers 11/01/07

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A beautiful miniature, apparently unregistered, but I believe that it is a Don Beadle hybrid. For size reference, it's growing in a 4" pot.

Billbergia 'Louis Wilson' 11/01/07

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Finally, not a Billbergia, but blooming now, too. It's been in color for almost a month now.

Tillandsia 'Houston' 11/07/07

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Comments (11)

  • LisaCLV
    16 years ago

    Your Bills look really good, Paul!

    I've always had a hard time with Poquito Más, it's so slow. Even Don Beadle said that that the flowers often abort, so congratulations on getting 3!

  • atmccmn
    16 years ago

    They are all very pretty! Good foliage colors with added bonus too.

    I particulary like your T. Houston. Well symmetrical blooming plant with flowers at every angle. Beautiful!

  • mike4284m
    16 years ago

    Just when I thought things were getting awfully quiet around here.

    Great pics. My supposed Bill. 'Caramaba' shocked me by flowering. I'm pretty sure it hasn't even rooted yet from the Extravaganza. I'll throw a pic up when the flowers open.

    Where did you get the Bill. 'Louis Wilson'? I love the size and form.

  • bromeliaddict
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I got mine as a gift from Lou several years ago. Lou lived for many years in Michigan before moving to FL in 1992. He was a friend and mentor until his untimely death from cancer a few years ago.
    When I was down to visit Michael Kiehl's in August, he had plentiful stock of B. 'Louis Wilson'.

    I'll be anxious to see pics of the 'Caramba'. Better yet, I should go check mine and see there are any surprises deep in the tubes!

    Paul

  • sander_s
    16 years ago

    Very nice Bromaddict.

    Can you tell us your fertilizing 'regime'?
    What kind how much an how often did you fertilze?

    Sander

  • bromeliaddict
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Sander,
    In the past, my fertilizing regime has been basically not to fertilize the Billbergias, or quite sparingly with a fish emulsion based 0-10-10 fertilizer. Something that happened a couple of years ago was a real eye opener for me. A local greenhouse received a large shipment of Bill. 'Hallelujah'. They were treated as any other tropical that they grow- fertilized with a balanced fertilizer to the point that the Billbergias got all big and green. I convinced the grower to stop fertilizing, and rather amazingly, after a few months much of the desirable red foliage hues had returned. The revelation for me came when the plants bloomed a few months after that. I have never seen such spectacular inflorescences on a Billbergia, so it seems that there is some correlation to nitrogen in the development of blooming. I suppose that if the leaves are healthy, then the plants are better able to utilize the other nutrients that are offered to them. Since then, I have been using a product called Schulz cactus liquid plant food. Primary nutrients are listed 2-7-7. It's low enough in nitrogen that I feel I can use it most of the year. I use it at the recommended strength about once a month.
    I was recently offered a product to try called Bloom Grow. It's a slow release granule with a 3-15-15 formula. It's produced in Florida by a company named Bethel Farms. I may expiriment with it on some Neos and Bills starting next March. Just one dose for the whole growing season.
    Paul

  • bambi_too
    16 years ago

    I've had a few bloom, heres the pix!

    Poquito Mas, I love this plant! I didn't get any photos of flowers open. My daughter it seems thought it would be ok to borrow my camera for a week, which turned out to be 2 weeks, and I missed them all!

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    This is blooming now, I don't know what it is. I did a swap with a friend from a South African Clivia Forum that lives here, and he does not remember what it is. ANY IDEAS?

    I pollinated the flowers with pollen I saved from Poquito Mas, Billbergias are much easier to work with than Neoregelias!

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    I took about 30 photos before I got one I could crop like this.

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  • bambi_too
    16 years ago

    Paul,

    I just had a bottle of that Schultz Cactus Fertilizer in my hand the other day! I guess I have to go back and get it.

    John

  • avane_gw
    16 years ago

    John, that 30th shot was well worth the effort! Beautifull!! Fortunately we live in the age of digital cameras and not have to waste rolls of film to get that one amazing picture. the combination of colours in that flower is just unbelievable. Pity they are so small and short lived.

    Japie

  • LisaCLV
    16 years ago

    Aren't digital cameras a wonderful invention? I'm old enough to still be dazzled by the fact that someone online can ask what a plant looks like and within minutes someone on the other side of the world can take a picture of it and post it for all to see!

    John, I think your second Bill is probably Pixie. There's not a decent photo of it on FCBS, but it's been around a long time and a lot of people have it, so maybe someone else can confirm or deny that.

  • bambi_too
    16 years ago

    Lisa,

    I have and have had pixie, it is about half the size, of this one.

    Japie,

    Thanks!

    Yes, I have literally hundreds of slides that should be thrown away. I could never afford to get some of the photos I do with film. I'm supposed to be getting a good Digital camera for Christmas, so look out! My nephew is getting a new DIGITAL SLR, and I'm getting his old one its a Canon, I already have a bunch of Canon lenses that will work with it manually.

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