Two Tillandsias in autumn 2012

[GuRu]

Maybe you know from former postings I grow some Tillandsias beside my Paphs.
Here are some photos of the latest flowering plants in autumn 2012.

The home of Tillandsia straminea are Ecuador and Peru. I've grown this plant since 2009 and it flowered this year for the very first time. The first bud opened mid of July and the last one early October. You can see already many wilted flowers on the spike .

Tillandsia sprengeliana is a gem from the East of Brasil, regions Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. It grows in a range between sea level and an altitude of 300 m therefore it needs relative warm conditions. T. sprengeliana is an endangered species at its origin thats really an exception for a Tillandsia. Contrary to most of my Tillandsias which are still outside at a protectet place T. sprengeliana and other sensitive ones are already inside the house.

 

[likespaphs]

cool

 

[Tom499]

Nice!

 

[Diogo]

These are so nice, have a few Tills myself and really like them. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Wow! Now I have to get these....

 

[SlipperFan]

I don't think I've ever seen these in bloom. Thanks!

 

[JeanLux]

Great job blooming them Rudolf !!!! Jean

 

[Stone]

I have been after srengeliana for a long time GuRu. You are lucky to have this one. Very beautiful

 

[GuRu]

I have been after sprengeliana for a long time GuRu. You are lucky to have this one. Very beautiful

Til.sprengeliana has been offered by German Tillandsia nurseries from time to time. It wasn't really hard to get one.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Really beautiful Rudolf.

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[GuRu]

Update winter 2016

Tillandsia xiphioides was flowering in my collection. Its home is in the following countries - Argentia, Bolivia, Brasilia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Unfortunately the light conditions were not good in these dull december days. But have a look for yourself.

 

[SFLguy]

Beautiful!

 

[Paphluvr]

Very nice. Great companion plants for the orchids. I actually started out growing bromeliads before I started with the orchids but was growing aechmias, billbergias and other large genera. I finally realized I could grow a lot more orchids in the same amount of space, but still kept some of the tiilies.

 

[Migrant13]

I like it, thanks for sharing.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Very nice. Great companion plants for the orchids. I actually started out growing bromeliads before I started with the orchids but was growing aechmias, billbergias and other large genera. I finally realized I could grow a lot more orchids in the same amount of space, but still kept some of the tiilies.

Cool. Similar history here. Graduated from typical houseplants to bromeliads, though I mostly grew Tillandsia and Cryptanthus. Then orchid fever hit, and the broms were relegated to smaller and smaller proportions of my collection.

But I've always had a few companion bromeliads in my care, I've just gradually "down sized" to smaller growing Tillandsias and Cryptathus.

 

[NYEric]

Cool. No room for anything but orchids.

 

[SlipperFan]

Cool. No room for anything but orchids.

Also my problem!

 

[abax]

Hmmmm...I have some room for mounted plants. I've never seen
a Till bloom before. What are the growing conditions??? The flowers
are really lovely.

 

[GuRu]

Hmmmm...I have some room for mounted plants. I've never seen
a Till bloom before. What are the growing conditions??? The flowers
are really lovely.

The growing conditions differ from cool to warm depending to the genera. Genera from lower origin need it warmer and from higher origin cooler. Same is with the watering regime - genera from rainforest areas need more water than such from higher or dryer origin. A rule of thumb ist - warm and wet the more green the plants are and cool and dryer the more grey they are. I grow mine Til. during the warmer months (April-October) on a sunny but rain protectect place in the open and in months with the danger of night frost indoor in front of a big south faced balcony window. Watering means spraying twice ore maximal three times a week. Fertilizer almost none.
This is an older foto from 2010 of my collection in the winter period. Nowadays there are more and bigger plants on the stainless-steel chains and instead of 6 chains there are 7.