SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BROMELIAD SOCIETY AFFILIATE OF BROMELIAD SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL

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1 SEMBS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BROMELIAD SOCIETY AFFILIATE OF BROMELIAD SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014 Tillandsia chapeuensis Rauh 1986, Occurs as a saxicole (rock dweller) amid cactus and thorny scrub in rocky terrain, Morro do Chapéu, Brazil.

2 Our first meeting of the new year will be Saturday, March 15 at the Goldner Walsh nursery in Pontiac. Goldner Walsh Nursery 559 Orchard Lake Rd, Pontiac, MI 4834 Phone: (248) Topic: Winter Bloomers, display and discussion. In spite of Michigan's winter gloom many bromeliads regularly bloom in winter. Please add yours to the display! Paul Wingert has just returned from the Miami Bromeliad Society Show and sale as well as visits to private collections in the vicinity and will report on his experiences, perhaps show off what he was able to stuff into his suitcase. Business meeting at 2:45 pm; presentation begins at 3:00 pm. DUES for 2014 now due and payable to: SEMBS P.O. Box Rochester, MI $12 for individual memberships, $15 for two or more memberships at one address, $5 for associate membership (75 mi. from Detroit). Dues may be paid at the March meeting

Growing under Lights by Paul Wingert I have had a life-long fascination with growing plants. When I was young, one of my neighbors, Walter Timmins, was something of a mentor and nurtured my interests.

3 Growing under Lights by Paul Wingert I have had a life-long fascination with growing plants. When I was young, one of my neighbors, Walter Timmins, was something of a mentor and nurtured my interests. Walter was the first person that I met who possessed a fluorescent light cart. It was two-tiered, with 2-4 foot tubes per shelf. He had an eclectic collection of plants which included orchids, gesneriads, miniature Pelargoniums, Clivias, and an assortment of succulents and cacti. Walter was kind enough to share many cuttings with me, and as the number of plants grew, it became evident that the windows of my childhood home were insufficient in size or quality of light to accommodate my burgeoning collection. Fortunately, my parents were supportive of my hobby, and sacrificed some space in a basement work room where I constructed a fluorescent light cart. The budget of a high school student didn t allow for anything particularly fancy. I used only 2 x 4 lumber. The uprights are 6 6 long (tall). The three shelves are simply 3 parallel 2 x 4s on edge spaced 6 apart. Long screws (3 ½ ) are countersunk at the ends of the boards into supporting boards (short shelf supports) which are 13 long. Lag bolts (6 ½ long) connect through the upright rails into the short (13 ) shelf supports. Spacing of the shelves is about 2 apart. Holes drilled through near the ends of the parallel rails allow for florescent fixtures to be hung with their attached chains. Simple S- hooks allow adjustment of the fixtures at a desirable distance from the plants. A single diagonal crossbrace on the back side of the unit (from 1 x 2 lumber) gives stability to the unit. The final result isn t as elegant as the lighted aluminum plant stands which are available. However, it has proved its worth in utility and durability. The original 2-tube shop lights have been upgraded over the years to electric-start 4-tube fixtures. The light cart has survived several moves, and is still very serviceable forty years after being built! At our current residence, it was my primary growing space for my bromeliad collection before I built the greenhouse which is attached to our home. Even now, I use it inside the greenhouse. During the winter months, it still provides the most reliable growing conditions for the plants. While the light cart does not appear so bright on our rare, sunny days, it appears quite radiant during our short, cloudy winter days! The bromeliads that I grow under lights generally have better conformation, color, form, and less signs of etiolated leaves than many of the broms in the greenhouse. The light cart has the capacity to comfortably hold twelve standard flats (11 x22 ). Each flat can hold up to 14 small plants in 4 pots, or 8 medium sized plants in 5-6 pots. I typically have 3 or 4 flats dedicated to new seedlings growing enclosed in polyethylene zip-lock bags to get them off to a good start. Promising, developing plants, and a few other favorites get preferential treatment under the lights as well. I should note that I have been using the T-12 lamps, and that was really all that existed for many years. Recently, there have been many improvements in energy efficiency with the development of the T-8 and T-5 tubes, and now even some LED grow lights have been produced in the tube format.

It deserves more research on my part, and perhaps some upgrades in some of my fixtures are long overdue!

4 Manufacturers claim that the newer tubes produce 20% more lumens compared to the brightest T-12 tubes. If that is true, then it would allow me the option of raising the fixture a few inches higher, and be able to enjoy easier viewing of the plants! It deserves more research on my part, and perhaps some upgrades in some of my fixtures are long overdue! I use a mix of fluorescent tubes from various manufacturers, and I don t intend to give a particular endorsement to any of them. I figure that by having a variety, I ve got all bases covered! Many of the wide-spectrum brands have been developed emphasizing light output in opposing extremes of the visible light spectrum far red and violet- that have been demonstrated to promote highest levels of photosynthesis. Some of the brands that I use are: Phillips Natural Sunshine, Agrobrite Full Spectrum, Sylvania Gro-Lux Wide Spectrum, and Sylvania Daylight Deluxe. This year I ordered a few tubes of Agrosun Full Spectrum Grow Lights. They claim to be 20% brighter than most florescent tubes, and comparing them side-by-side with other brands, it may very well be true. I leave it to more scientific minds to determine which brand has the best product overall. All I can say is- if the plants seem happy, I m happy! I should note that I have been using the T-12 lamps, and that was really all that existed for many years. Recently, there have been many improvements in energy efficiency with the development of the T-8 and T-5 tubes, and now even some LED grow lights have been produced in the tube format. Manufacturers claim that the newer tubes produce 20% more lumens compared to the brightest T-12 tubes. If that is true, then it would allow me the option of raising the fixture a few inches higher, and be able to enjoy easier viewing of the plants! It deserves more research on my part, and perhaps some upgrades in some of my fixtures are long overdue!

) I always blamed it on my greenhouse being a bit too chilly for them (50s on most winter nights and as cold as the low 40s during the really cold snaps), but somehow, I ve always been determined to

5 Another Try at the Genus Cryptanthus by Paul Wingert Cryptanthus culture has baffled me nearly as long as I ve been growing bromeliads. In my experience, many of them would slowly deteriorate during our winters, and many eventually succumbed (that s a clever euphemism for died!) I always blamed it on my greenhouse being a bit too chilly for them (50s on most winter nights and as cold as the low 40s during the really cold snaps), but somehow, I ve always been determined to try again. I took advantage during my recent visits to the World Bromeliad Conference in Orlando in 2012 and the SW Bromeliad Guild this past September to engage with many of the prominent growers and see if there was a common thread in their success. Several of them recommended the use of pebble trays along with bottom watering, don t skimp on the pot size, and use Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting mix as the growing medium. I m sure that there are other brands that include the moisture control granules, but for me the main issue was to get rid of my standard bromeliad mix (evidently too much bark and perlite) and use something more appropriate for these true terrestrials. I have adopted all of the recommendations, and the Crypts are definitely looking much happier than I have ever seen them at this time of the winter (late February). This winter has been more challenging than most, so I can say unequivocally that I can no longer blame the cool temperatures in my greenhouse! I have long admired these remarkable earth stars, and now it gives me satisfaction that I can grow them a bit more respectably! Louis Herbert Kilbert On November 3, 2013, following a lengthy and exhausting illness our good and long-time friend Lou Kilbert passed away. For nearly forty years Cuzen Louie was president of the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society. His Ph.D. was in biochemistry and he was teaching college-level chemistry when he retired in 2008 but probably his heart was in the world of plants. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of cacti and succulents but knew and grew many other plant families. He was the backbone of the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society, generous with time and knowledge, a work horse on new projects.

SPEAKING BROMELIAD Inflorescence - the flowering part of a plant, the entire stem with buds, flowers, and

Two useful terms for bromeliad inflorescences are the panicle and the spike.

spike. Such a spike is called distichous (DISS-ti-kus) from Latin/Greek two rows.

Panicle of Aechmea fulgens x ramosa Distichous spike, Tillandsia lindenii Bract - the leaves on the

Though they may contain chlorophyll their primary function is not to produce food for the plant but to

Thus they are usually smaller than the growing shoot leaves and are often brightly colored in order to

6 SPEAKING BROMELIAD Inflorescence - the flowering part of a plant, the entire stem with buds, flowers, and attached leaves (bracts). There are a number of different flower arrangements which have technical names. Two useful terms for bromeliad inflorescences are the panicle and the spike. Often (tillandsia, vriesea, guzmania) the flowers on a spike are arranged in two rows producing a flat spike. Such a spike is called distichous (DISS-ti-kus) from Latin/Greek two rows. If the flowers are arranged in more than two rows (aechmea), the spike is polystichous (puh-lis-tee-kus) Panicle of Aechmea fulgens x ramosa Distichous spike, Tillandsia lindenii Bract - the leaves on the inflorescence are called bracts. Though they may contain chlorophyll their primary function is not to produce food for the plant but to protect developing flower buds. Thus they are usually smaller than the growing shoot leaves and are often brightly colored in order to attract pollinators. Polystichous spike, Aechmea nudicaulis. Others, like this Tillandsia utriculata (courtesy of FCBS photo index) get along perfectly well with much more modest garb. In strong light we can observe the growth of the Vriesea splendens buds under the bracts. Some, like this Billbergia rosea, are shamelessly flamboyant.

SEMBS SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN BROMELIAD SOCIETY AFFILIATE OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011

SEMBS SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN BROMELIAD SOCIETY AFFILIATE OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 Front cover: Winter Torch You can count on it: When early winter has approached its