Several new pups on my Bromeliads are here and ready to start a new free plant. What I have learned with the Bromeliad plants is that the bloom on the plant signals its slow demise. But it also tells the plant to make new offspring to carry on.This Brom has been in bloom for several months. Nothing about a Bromeliad happens fast.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It now knows that for its species to survive it must reproduce. So it does
before the main plant slowly fades away.It starts new plants that are called pups to propagate the plant.
In the picture { click on any picture to enlarge it } You can see the two new pups this plant has produced. They are ready to be planted on their own as new plants. In fact, I planted this Bromeliad as a pup from it's mother.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Pineapple Bromeliad is also ready to have its pups form new plants. Each pup can be cut from the pineapple and will grow into a separate adult. The adult will mature and have new pups to complete the cycle.
Ok, you say but how can I use that Revelation. Well, since you ask, I'm fittin to tell you.
If you have a friend with a Bromeliad in bloom that you like ask if you can have a pup. It wont be long before they appear and you have your own for free. A little patience and you will soon have pups of your own running around.
This is one of six growing from pups I have harvested from one Bromeliad. They make great gifts or barter plants with gardener friends. Note: Of course my garden helper Odette had to get in the picture. She is hunting lizards she hopes I will flush from the plants. To her a high speed chase with a lizard is great dog fun.
Anyway where was I . Here is how I harvested the pups from an earlier post:
http://sofloridagardening-sanddune.blogspot.com/2009_05_17_archive.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And finally it is the middle of November and I can plant my free Tulip Bulbs. I got them from a lady in an office who was throwing away a potted plant with spent Tulips. I have been saving the bulbs in a coffee can and now is the time to plant them, in a bag, in the refrigerator. According to what I have read they need the cold to start growing so in South Florida that means the fridge.I am hoping to leave them there until around January when we get our colder heat here and plant them outside in a pot. Yes, growing Tulips in the tropics sounds stupid but one of the advantages to being a gardening nimrod is that you don't always know when you are doing stupid things. Besides I have been waiting since spring to be able to put these bulbs in the refrigerator. Hope the wife don't think they are onions.
-------------------------sanddune--------------------------------------------------------
LOL, Onions! Could be....
ReplyDeleteI saved tulip bulbs from a client's Easter gift one year. Put them in the fridge for a year, then repotted them and gave them back to her, blooming the following year. She was so tickled, and I was just thrilled! We don't do tulips well, here in hot old Texas!
Be sure there are no apples or other fruit that gives off ethylene gas in that fridge. It will kill your buds in the tulip bulbs.
ReplyDeleteI hope it works out and you can trick those tulips into believing they spent several weeks in a cold climate. (The number of weeks equals the height in inches they'll grow.)
It takes all the grit I can muster to pass by tulip bulbs for sale. The dog ate mine last year, just as they were coming into bud.
Nell Jean,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and for the tips. I don't know if the bulbs will do anything but I am learning not to under estimate any plants will to survive. But I will hold the dog ate them explanation in reserve in case mine don't grow. HaHa.
Janie,
ReplyDeleteAround my house nothing would last in the refrigerator for a year. Somebody would have poured ketchup on them and ate them. Thanks for stopping by.