NEWS East London LETTER

Bromeliad Society May 2015 South Africa Established: 25 July 2009

Our aim is to promote and encourage awareness and interest in Bromeliads in East London and all of South Africa!

ELBS is an Affiliated Society of Bromeliad Society International

April Meeting and News

A really super meeting was held in the garden of Nancy Brindley and Roy Anderson’s home in Beacon Bay. Nancy’s collection of broms has grown and some very creative areas are developing combined with her love of creating sculptures that can be seen in parts of the garden. The autumn sunshine obliged to add to a lovely afternoon under that gorgeous flamboyant tree whose low branches connected with a few heads Our hosts for the meeting, Roy Anderson and Nancy Brindley and their during the afternoon!! It was good to lovely garden, you can see the broms are spreading here and there, welcome new members, visitors and evidence of Nancy’s growing collection all creatively placed. especially new country members Alex Viossat and Michel Barau from Port Edward. Alex told us a bit about themselves, Alex hails from Madagascar and Michel from Reunion Islands and they specialise in growing heliconias and gingers for the cut flower market. Alex also collects aloe species and succulents. The brom bug has now seriously bitten, hence their visit to East London to attend our monthly meeting and visit quite a few members gardens! Continuing with our discussions on the Barbs and Eddie Black, Roy Anderson, Alex More of Nancy's garden with different bromeliad genera that make up the Viossat, Michel Barau and Brenda Wegner. ‘David Barry’ bromeliad family, Pete Pfister discussed blooming in the foreground. Guzmania and this month. Pete brought many of his stunning and colourful examples to share with us as did Eddie Black, Dudley Reynolds and Lyn Wegner.

Guzmania and Hohenbergia presented by Pete Pfister

Guzmania grow mainly in the Northwest of South America. The genus is named after a Spanish pharmacist and naturalist, Anastasio Guzman. There are 185 natural species in the genus Guzmania and 348 hybrid varieties at this time, according to the fcbs.org website. More are being hybridised all the time! They are the most widespread of house in the world due mostly to their long lasting inflorescence. There are Dutch, Belgian and USA nurseries that cultivate

guzmania hybrids in their millions for the commercial Next meeting: Sunday 31st May, 2.30pm. To be hostePete’sd by stunning Elna SmitGuzmania at 15 Hart Street in Gonubie. market. They are tank-type epiphytes, growing in the Please bring your mug, chair and gardening friends.‘Amaranth’ See you with itsthere!! dark purple lower shady sections of rainforests. Their leaves are inflorescence.

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soft, with smooth edges, usually green but there are some with reddish coloured foliage and there are many with variegated leaves eg. Guz mania ‘Georgia’.

They need protection from the wind and sun and grow best in shady, damp areas in our gardens. They do not like to be wet and cold, so need free draining A group of gorgeous guzzies! Guzmania Pete Pfister amongst his fabulous guzzies he wittmackii is the tall one in the centre. brought to the meeting to illustrate his talk. potting mix or soil if planted out in the garden. Flower spikes (infloresences) come in many colours, sizes and a few form variations. In 1776 Guzmania lingulata was one of the first few bromeliads brought to Europe. Guzmania sanguinea and Guzmania wittmackii the flowers has a tall flower spike emerging. and there are a Guzmania lingulata Eddie Black’s Guzmania zahnii. few colour forms including amethyst, orange, purple, red, rose and y e l l o w . Guzmania ‘Amaranth’ has a Guzmania ‘Orangeade’ lovely dark purple inflorescence. The top layer of foliage of Guzmania sanguinea colours spectacularly in shades of yellow, orange and red as the Dudley Reynolds’ stunning Guzmania Eddie Black’s Guzmania ‘Hope’. ‘Georgia’, which was also a Show prepares to bloom . It could be mistaken for a and Tell plant. neoregelia as the orange/yellow flowers peep out the centre. Guzmania ‘Orangeade’ pups freely and blooms regularly. Guzmania zahnii, I got it from Donald at Amalinda Nursery, it has a lovely golden yellow flower spike.

Hohenbergia This striking family of bromeliads originate from parts of , Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was named in 1830, after the Prince of Wurttemberg, a German patron of botany known as Hohenberg . There are 42 species and fcbs.org shows only one hybrid, Hohenbergia ‘Maria Valentina’ a cv of H. stellata , registered in 2005. They are large impressive plants that can be mistaken for aechmeas. Excellent used for landscaping. They can be grown as epiphytes. They are tough, sun hardy and flourish best in a sub tropical warm garden. They are frost tender. The flower spikes are sturdy with star shaped clusters of flowers.

The most attractive is probably Hohenbergia Right: A young example of correia-araujoi which was discovered in 1979, Hohenbergia correia-araujoi.

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with its incredible l e a f markings, like chocolate fudge ripple!! It has lovely drooping base leaves which are Hohenbergia ‘Maria Valentina’ b e s t displayed when the plant is grown in a tall pot and it has a tall interesting inflorescence. Hohenbergia Hohenbergia stellata Lyn Wegner brought these two beauties, Hohenbergia magnispina cv stellata has a tall flower spike with scarlet ‘Karla’ and Hohenbergia ramageana. bracts and purple flowers.

Pete showed us a spike off one of his hohenbergia to illustrate the interesting formation of the inflorescence. Beautiful, even when the colours have faded.

Lyn Wegner presented her Guzmania monostachia ‘Alba’ form (white). This species is found in South and Central America, the West Indies and Florida, USA. It is referred to as the West Indian tufted plant. I was surprised to read they like a sunny to part shady position and moist soil. It is an epiphyte. It has an unusual, attractive (I think) inflorescence which unfortunately is short lived. Mine grows in my shade house but I will now try mounting it in a sunny spot.

Zena McClaren presented a lovely neoregelia variety with a strange little plant growing in the centre cup, (right) it looks like a mini neo and definitely not a flower. Almost as if a seed has started germinating in the centre. Zena will bring it along It’s growing!! to another meeting so we can follow how it develops.

Dudley Reynolds brought along his beautiful Guzmania ‘Georgia’, pictured on previous page.

Member news: • We welcome new local members Gail Martin and Irene Manthe!!! Awesome ladies, so glad you have joined our happy band of brom enthusiasts! and also a new country member Michel Barau from Port Edward in KZN! Super to have you join the society and come to East London to attend a meeting, we hope to see you and Alexandre at our Open Day at the end of June!

Thanks • Roy Anderson and Nancy Brindley for opening their garden and ‘Pub’ to us for the meeting!!! • Brenda Wegner, Sue Pema and David Flint for goodies for tea time. • Lyn Wegner and Pete Pfister for plant donations for lucky draws.

Tea Duty Maureen is away so, for the next 2 months please contact Larraine Parathyras if you have any queries regarding tea duties. 082 594 4559 or [email protected]

May: Christine and Koos Steyn, Lynn Friend and Pete Pfister June: Open Day: We will need bakers and helpers for serving teas on the day! Please contact Larraine if you can assist. July: AGM and 6th Birthday!!! Billy and Sheila Gerretsen, Barbara and Eddie Black, Brian and Bridget Kroger. Aug: Norma Hart, Miriam Kennard, Larraine Parathyras

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Raffle Winners for April

Only Society members can buy tickets for the Raffle Draw. They can be bought for R5.00each from Norma Hart at the meeting. Country members can buy raffle tickets from Lyn, your winning bromeliad will be posted to you.

The Attendance Lucky Draws are open to members and visitors at the meeting. Members are encouraged to bring special bromeliads for the raffle draw selection. They will be paid for their plant if it is chosen by a winner.

Congratulations to our Raffle Winners!! • Zena McClaren chose Neoregelia ' Red Macaw '. • David Flint chose Neoregelia ' Lemon Tease '. • Sue Pema chose Neoregelia 'Bold Streak' x David Flint chose Neoregelia Zena McClaren chose 'Lemon Tease '. Neoregelia ' Red Macaw '. mcwilliamsii. • Irene Manthe chose Vriesea fenestralis. • Allan Nel from Pretoria chose xCanmea seidelianum x Aechmea fosteriana. • Eugene Ernest from Durban chose Neoregelia 'Naomi Ceniza'. • Adele and Beurich Groenewald from Cape Town chose Neoregelia kautskyi. • Trish Burns from Port Elizabeth still to choose her winning brom.

Lucky Draws • There were numerous lucky draws of various broms.

From the Chairman - Dudley Reynolds Sue Pema chose Neoregelia Irene Manthe with her choice,

Hello to all bromeliofiles! Autumn is here and so is the 'Bold Streak' x mcwilliamsii. Vriesea fenestralis. opportunity to get things done in the garden, which there was no time for or too hot to tackle, earlier in the year. A warm welcome to our three new members, Irene Manthe and Gail Martin, both from East London and Michel Barau from Port Edward. We hope your association with ELBS will be a long and very rewarding one. The guzmania brought by various members for Pete Pfister’s talk at the last meeting were stunning. Pete’s informative talk on the genus certainly wets my Neoregelia kautskyi Neoregelia 'Naomi Ceniza' appetite to acquire more of these beauties, as I only have a few in my collection. The hohenbergia were slightly overshadowed by the guzzies beauty! Although I still regard them very highly as a wonderful genus, comprising of some stunning species. I am certainly looking forward to May's discussion on Neoregelia and Nidularium which will be presented by Brenda Wegner. I hope that you all will enjoy the inner peace I experience whilst pottering amongst my bromeliads. Happy bromming, until next time.

From the Committee

• Our Open Day is at the end of June, in place of the regular meeting. It will be an all day affair, and we need all hands on deck to make it the huge success it has xCanmea seidelianum x proved to be in the past. Lyn will circulate an e-mail re requirements soon, plus it Aechmea fosteriana will be discussed at the next committee meeting and society meeting. • Would you like to volunteer your garden for our travelling meeting? scheduled for August, to visit gardens and see bromeliads and have tea at the last stop? Brenda Wegner is organizing this event. She has one member who has volunteered so far. Should you be interested please contact Brenda Wegner - 082 743 2141 or [email protected] .

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Upcoming Society Events

Please get into the habit of bringing a mug and a chair (if you have one) to every meeting.

31 May : Please note a change of venue: We will be meeting at 2.30pm at the home of Danie Conradie at 15 Darlington Road, Berea. Topic: Brenda Wegner will be discussing the genera Neoregelia and Nidularium . Please bring your Show and Tell plants!!! 28 June: Open Day, hosted by ’Bromeliads for Africa’ at 18 Wentworth Rd, Sunnyridge! See the poster at the end of the newsletter which tells you all about it, bring your gardening friends. There will be refreshments, cake and hotdogs on sale to replenish yourselves between the demos. 26 July: 6th Birthday Bash at ‘Bromeliads for Africa’! 30 August: Travelling meeting to view at least 3 gardens with bromeliads and have tea at the last one! 27 September: Hosted by Pete Pfister in Beacon Bay (to confirm). 25 October: Hosted by Malcolm and Pam Stoltz in Stirling. 29 November: Annual End of Year Bring and Braai to be hosted by Dudley and Albie Reynolds in Beacon Bay.

Growing Tips for Beginners Part 4

Following on from Part 3 of Graeme Barclay’s (New Zealand Bromeliad Journal) excellent articles which have been adapted to our environment on Growing Tips for Beginners where we covered removing pups and watering, we now finish by looking at the basics of controlling common diseases and pests – and also protecting your broms from the elements. We are going to feature the topic of fertilising bromeliads in Spring, when the growing season begins.

Disease Control Thankfully, bromeliads are relatively hardy and generally not susceptible to a wide range of problems, though there are a few common ones you are likely to experience. The ‘disease’ or ‘rot’ we normally see is actually fungal growth that thrives on high humidity and poor air circulation around the plant. Therefore as a general rule, firstly ensure plants are not planted or kept jammed too close together - and they always have a good air flow around them. Broms in the garden normally do not suffer from this problem as much as those indoors or in greenhouses, where the air circulation can be vastly reduced. The most common fungal disease (normally phytopthora ) will often attack a weak spot in the plant where damage to the leaf has occurred from such things as sun scorch, cold spotting or heavy metal poisoning. As mentioned in part two, bromeliads do not like ANY contact with treated timber (tanalised poles) and also exposure to copper and zinc, where the smallest doses can cause severe burning to leaves. Secondly, always ensure any water run-off from treated timber, galvanized shelving and nails etc, does not land on plants below. The galvanizing process used in South Africa, including the galvanised wire appears to be different from what is used in other parts of the world. Trevor Wegner uses the SA galvanised wire for the wire baskets he makes which many of us use for our tillys without any problems. The imported wire is available (at Burmeisters) but it rusts and could cause problems when dripping on broms. After damage occurs, that part of the leaf will die and quickly start to rot, which is where the fungus can attack, enter the leaf and quickly spread. This is very common in the vase (cup) of the tank forming broms, near the base of the outer leaves and sometimes in the very base of the plant at or below the soil surface (known as “Foot-rot”). The diseased tissue looks brown, grey-bluish, black or transparent in colour and often has a distinctive bad smell. For treatment, tip all the water from the plant, cut out any rot and completely remove all loose and rotted leaves. You might need to remove it from its pot. Thoroughly clean and rinse the plant with clean water a few times so no rotted tissue is left behind. You can then generously spray with a fungicide at the recommended mix rate for ornamental plants. Allow the plant to dry out for a few days before repotting and watering, then monitor for further attacks and to ensure new undamaged growth is occurring.

Pest Control Scale sucking insects will attach themselves to any part of a leaf, often on the sheltered underside. They can be fluffy white, grey or small and black and cause yellow/brown spots, which permanently damages the leaf and can look very unsightly. Scale can be physically scraped and wiped off with a cotton ball soaked in methylated spirits, which will kill the eggs and microscopic “crawler babies” that are hard to see. Mealy bug can also attack the leaves and is sometimes also seen around the roots if a brom is removed from a pot or the garden. This is also fluffy white in appearance and can be treated as for scale above if on a leaf. For root attacks, it can only be treated by spraying with a suitable insecticide, or alternatively cutting the roots almost completely off and starting the plant again as if it were a pup. Ensure that any infested potting mix and root material is carefully discarded, so it is not spread to other plants. For more widespread infestations of scale and mealy bug on leaves, mix a little Sunlight dishwashing detergent or baby shampoo with water and thoroughly spray the infected areas. The soap coats and suffocates the insects. After a while, rinse the plants off with clean water so pores on the leaves can be open, as these can often clog and choke the plant, then

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it cannot take in moisture to thrive. Slugs and snails do not normally cause major damage but will often use the leaves for a place to hide and breed. However, they have been known to gain “appetites for destruction” all of a sudden, especially on new leaf growth, flower spikes and pups that are forming. So, the best precaution is to simply get rid of them when they are seen. Slug bait usually does the trick.

Sun and Frost Protection Overhanging trees and shade cloth and are your best protections for summer sun, where some broms can be badly scorched if there is not adequate cover. Using 50% to 70% beige, white or black coloured shade cloth appears to give the best results for most broms to gain and retain their best colour in the New Zealand climate. Anyone care to make recommendations for our South African climate? In winter, exposed areas of the garden may be susceptible to frost – most bromeliads DO NOT handle frost and extreme cold that well. If the broms cannot be relocated to a more protected overhead area, pegging up 2 metres x 5 metres lengths of frost cloth on string or wire over the plants is a good idea the night before a frost is forecast. All the preventative effort is worth it, as frost damage on prize broms is a sickening thing to see. However, DO NOT throw heavily frost-burnt plants away if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim. Fertilize them well in spring, use SeaGrow or VitaBoost in the soil and cut off all the burnt leaves. The plants will look terrible after trimming them, but within a year the new growth from the centre cup should have emerged and you will have new broms to enjoy again.

Adapted from articles written by Graeme Barclay for the New Zealand Bromeliad Journal . www.bsnz.org

Member’s Corner

From Robert C. Meyer from Miami, the editor of the Bromeliad Society of South Florida’s Bromeli Advisory, has more advice to give readers experiencing problems growing Vrieseas. As to the Vriesea rotting issue - stay away from soil. Hawaii growers thrive with them and it rains there more than any other state in the U.S. Dr. Block of Miami does as well. He waters them 4-40 times a day – spritz in the heat. How come they don't rot? The type of potting: we use lava rock to pot Vriesea. Their roots easily rot in dirt (soil), mulch or other potting mixes. I use 75% perlite. Even then, they can have root issues. Lava rock is almost perfect. Recently, I tried the fallen shells from the mahogany trees. Will keep you posted.

Barbs: Thanks Robert, do come back to us with more information with regard to your experiences in your environment, we really appreciate the feedback.

Lyn: Unfortunately lava rock is not available in South Africa. I grow mine in soil and have no rotting problems. We very seldom have excessive rain and I don't water excessively either. Maybe I'm just lucky!

All members are all welcome to use this space to advertise, to swap From Rupert Partridge in Kenya: Chameleons on the broms!!! I am so bromeliads or source a bromeliad envious of these little fellas in your garden Rupert !!! We have been that you have on your most wanted lamenting the loss of them from our garden for many a year!!!! list!!!!!!!

From the Editor

Have you noticed how guzmania bloom in the cooler winter months, maybe designed to cheer us up as things cool down and leaves fall from the trees!!! Many thanks to all who brought their plants along to the last meeting; it was surely a cheerful sight!!! I have billbergia starting to bloom, I just love them, the inflorescence is so delicate, graceful and colourful, just a pity the flowers don’t last, but a lot of them have foliage to ooh and aah at anyway and are tough as well, able to take quite a fair amount of our summer sun.

A poster for the Open Day to be held in place of the June meeting is at the end of the newsletter, please print it, if you can, or get some from the committee and put it up in shops etc… or in your car side window where it will be seen by interested folks. We are hoping for a bumper turnout from the East London community!

Bring your blooming neoregelia and nidularium to the next meeting to complement the talk by Brenda

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Wegner on these two genera of the bromeliad family. Do note that the venue for the next meeting has changed. Elna Smit will be away supporting her husband who will be running in the Comrades Marathon. Awesome hey!! Danie has kindly stepped into the breach and we will meet at his home at 15 Darlington Road, Berea on the 31st May, 2.30pm. See you there!!

Happy bromming to you all!

This is a publication for the East London Bromeliad Society, South Africa for the interest of its members. Articles may be used by non profit societies with acknowledgement to the above.

Committee Members:

Chairman Dudley Reynolds 079 488 2360 [email protected] Vice- Chairman Dr Peter Pfister 082 625 5533 [email protected] PRO & Secretary Lyn Wegner 043 736 1737 082 970 2293 [email protected] Treasurer Eddie Black 043 7212775 0825505347 [email protected] Editor & Publisher Barbara Black 043 7212775 072 1787 421 [email protected] Librarian Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected] Raffles Norma Hart 043 7211364 084 602 3953 Catering Maureen Eybers 043 748 2254 076 534 6054 [email protected] Event Co-ordinators: Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected] Larraine Parathyras 043 726 3167 082 594 4559 [email protected] Eddie Black 043 7212775 0825505347 [email protected] Zoo Co-ordinator Dudley Reynolds 079 488 2360 [email protected] Member Andre Eybers 043 748 2254 082 572 2448 [email protected]

You can view most of all the bromeliads mentioned in meetings or in the newsletter at the following website:

fcbs.org (Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies). This is a very useful site to reference many bromeliads where you can clarify identification or just trawl through the site and add to your wish list! .

Remember that you can find ELBS on Facebook : [email protected] You can request to join the group and will then be able to upload your photos and comments on the wall. The ELBS SA page and other bromeliad related sites are becoming a useful and informative forum to share and meet up with other like-minded bromeliad folks. There are also many other bromeliad related sites that you can join and become part of a world wide online sharing environment.

Photo Credits: Barbara Black, fcbs.org, Wikkipeadia, Lyn Wegner, Zena Maclaren, Rupert Partridge.

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Bromeliads & Airplants OPEN DAY Sunday, 28 th June 9.00 - 4.00 Venue: Bromeliads for Africa 18 Wentworth Road, Sunnyridge, East London

11 .00am - Demo: Splitting and Potting Bromeliads 12.00am - All about Tillandsias (Airplants) 2.00pm - Displaying and Mounting Bromeliads 3.00pm - Foliage and Flowering Bromeliads

Sales, Raffles and Lucky Draws !!

Enquiries Phone: Lyn: 043 736 1737 Dudley: 079 488 2360 ENTRY FREE Refreshments Hosted by : East London Available

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