THE BROMELIAD BLADE May 2017 Newsletter of the The San Diego Bromeliad Society Bromeliad Blade May 2017 s VOLUME LII NUMBER 5 scale, clean the outside of the pot or Show repot if the pot is in too bad a shape, President’s clean the dirt and debris out of the Preparation leaf axils, cup and underside of the leaves, and lastly, top dress the Corner finished product or make sure the By Scott Sandel By Rick Richtmyer, from Houston Bromeliad mix is clean and trim the tips of bad Society & BSI. Edited by Scott Sandel / leaves (wait as long as possible to do Juliana Raposo for use in San Diego May is a busy month in the this). The basic clean-up tools we garden. The San Diego Bromeliad use are new sharp scissors (several Ok, it’s almost show time. Please Society is preparing for two big sizes), long handled tweezers, a bowl visit the website and download the events that are coming up: our of clean water and Q-tips. Clean the show schedule and the show classes. horticultural display at the San Diego tops and bottoms of leaves with the Don’t forget that many plants have County Fair, June 2 – July damp Q-tips to remove the dust, changed! To be eligible for a top 4 (closed June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 & debris and dirt. They really work award, the plant 26) and our own well! Review your clean-up work the must be valid as a Bromeliad Show & next day, and I bet you will find more species, registered Sale June 10 & 11. I work is required on a few of the as a hybrid or will be traveling plants, especially if you worked late listed by during our May into the evening in poor light formula. See Dan’s 13th meeting in conditions. Find a copy of the article below for a Balboa Park; Al “Handbook for Judges” in the step by step Evans Jr. has Member’s Only section of the SDBS tutorial on that. agreed to take my website, and read what judges are Make a list of the place for May. Too trained to look for when judging a plants that you are bad I am going to show. Believe me, a clean, thinking might be miss the presentable plant can make the show quality. Do meeting. Morlane difference between a blue ribbon or this ten days to O’Donnell is going to do a live a red ribbon. Now we are ready to two weeks ahead of the show and demonstration on how to prepare enter our plants in the show. When set aside the plants in a work plants for the show. To further get you see the room full of beautiful area. In the week before show time, y’all enthused about entering plants plants and exhibits, you will be very determine if the plant is in the in the show, I have edited the proud of yourself for being a part of proper size pot, it is centered and is following article, which was originally this fantastic show! not leaning to one side. Now you written by our friend Rick Richtmyer can clean them up, pull out the from Houston. weeds, check to be sure there is no THE BROMELIAD BLADE | May 2017 2 (without the single quotes). You can Name Changes and the Show check for the cultivar name below. By Dan Kinnard For Plants with Cultivar Names (hybrid or named cultivar): Check for 2017 SDBS Show & Sale: June 10 &11 @ the Prado an entry in the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry http://registry.bsi.org The format for a named cultivar is: If you find the name, it is registered As you probably have heard, there The cultivar name is enclosed in and valid. Double check your spelling are name changes floating about our single quotes. and use this name on the Entry Sheet. Most of the BCR entries have Bromeliad world. For the 2017 show Tillandsia ionantha 'Druid' a photo attached. You can also check we will be using the nomenclature Tillandsia 'Silver Star’ to see if it resembles your plant. from the BSI website. xNeomea 'Zydeco' For unnamed hybrids: Unnamed What does this mean to you, the The format for a hybrid without a hybrids may be entered by using the exhibitor? It only means that you will cultivar name is: formula of the hybrid. Make sure become familiar with the recent that the parentage has valid names. Just the two (or sometimes more) name changes and you need check species with an “x” between them. that your plants have the accepted Please try not to bring plants with incorrect or invalid names, or plants names when you are filling out the Tillandsia ionantha x concolor entry form for the show. Nothing that do not have names. If you need new about that we’ve always help with the names, ask before checked the names. This time just entry-day. Robert Kopfstein has check the names on your plants using 2) Just follow the steps for that type graciously volunteered to help with the simple steps below. Correct of plant: any questions. Just email Robert at [email protected] A photo names will speed up check-in. For Species Plants: check to see: if can be included if necessary (use Making sure that your names are the name appears in the list of valid your cell phone to snap a photo for correct takes less time than cleaning bromeliad names from the BSI web the email). the plant you are showing — and you site: http://www.bsi.org/new/accept do clean your plants, don’t you? ed-name-list/ With just a little preparation, check- in will be quick and easy. Checking plant names is a simple, If it is on the list, check the spelling. two-part process. That's it. Use that name on the Entry We look forward to seeing you and Sheet. your plants at the show. 1) Decide what type of plant you If it is not on the list look at The want to look up. There are only three Bromeliad Taxon types - species, cultivars, and hybrids list http://www.bsi.org/new/the- without a cultivar name. The type new-bromeliad-taxon-list/ to find the Find the Show Schedule, can usually be found by looking at name. It will probably appear in red, Entry Classes and the the format of your current tag. Here indicating that the name is not Registration Form for the are examples: presently valid. The name in green to the right is the new name. If you click SDBS Annual Show & Sale in The format for a species plant is: on it, you should see the new name our website. in black meaning it is an accepted The genus is capitalized, the species name. Use this name on your entry Visit sandiegobromeliadsociety.com is not. sheet. Tillandsia ionantha If it is on neither list, the name is Tillandsia ionantha var. vanhyningii invalid but possibly it is a cultivar name written as a species name THE BROMELIAD BLADE | May 2017 3 April Meeting The talk Cristy Brenner from Saddleback Valley Bromeliad Society treated us to a stunning presentation. We learned a little bit about the immense variety of bromeliads in Ecuador, a small country with many xCryptananas 'Pink Utopia' bromeliad-rich ecosystems that were aptly represented in lots of beautiful photos. I guess we all want to go there now. Show and Tell Vriesea ospinae The table was brimming with the most beautiful plants. Some people Bob Wright are not listed as they forgot to write Billbergia hybrid down their entries… Thanks Aechmea ‘Ares’ everyone who donated a plant for Orthophytum horridum the raffle table! Quesnelia quesneliana Deuterocohnia schreiteri This billbergia has the most amazing Scott Sandel orange-salmon sepals, too bad I didn't Vriesea ospinae Debbie Kennedy get the name. Two people brought Tillandsia gardneri rupicola xCryptananas ‘Pink Utopia’ this plant. Aechmea ‘Red Bands’ Tillandsia vicentina Aechmea racinae var. tubiformis Lucia Velazquez Joanne Dossett Aechmea ‘Foster’s Favorite’ Morlane O’Donnell Billbergia (eaten by raccoons but Tillandsia latifolia ‘Tom Thumb’ growing new pups) Bill Tweet Tillandsia ‘Houston’ Tillandsias THE BROMELIAD BLADE | May 2017 4 You can sit back in your seats and Quail some years ago she did May Meeting watch the live, detailed action on presentations for members at many screen. The idea for doing this came of their meetings. There was no live Showtime Live! up a few months ago as we went video then. Now, we’ll be able to through the planning process for this watch the separation of pups, the by Andrew Wilson & Dan Kinnard year’s talks. Dan Kinnard suggested it removal of partially damaged leaves, as a way for everyone to get a better the potting-on process and the To get ready for our annual show this view of the demonstration. He and I general dressing-up of your plants for year we’re going to try something then went through the practical the Show in June or just to spruce up different. In earlier years, we have details which, as it turned out, were your collection. talked about administrative matters not very difficult nor expensive to pertaining to the show, or described implement. It will be the first time There will be time for questions and, the checking in of plants in their we’ve tried it and, if successful, the we hope, answers. Time permitting, proper categories or reviewed the combination of hardware and discussion of division or prep a history of Foster and Hobbs after software could be used for other specific plant and sharing of prep tips whom the top prizes were named.