Tillandsia bulbosa

Questions and answers about cultivation, propagation, fertilization, diseases and pestcontrol etc.

Moderator: Timm Stolten

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Peter O.

Tillandsia bulbosa

Beitrag von Peter O. »

Hi there,

I just found this forum on the internet.

This may be a silly question, but am I correct to assume that my Tillandsia bulbosa won't generate any pups (unlike my Guzmania & Vriesea) or propagate itself in any asexual manner, and that I can only propagate it from seed? It's nice and large and currently flowering. It's a fantastic looking plant and I would love to have more (without buying them, of course ;) !

Peace,
Peter
Timm Stolten
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Beitrag von Timm Stolten »

Hi Peter,

sorry for my late response , I had a few days off ;-)

Well, that Tillandsia bulbosa is not very different from most other
Tillies, it is, that they are mostly beeing sold as a single plant.
And some clones need a little more time to produce pups.
After a while you should be havin somethin like this:

Bild

A beauty, isnt it ? :lol:

As a matter of fact, I do have one clump of bulbosa, smaller
than a fist, which does nothing but producing offshot.
They never really grow up :-(

This species likes it very warm an moist, over here in Europe we
cultivate most Tillandsia outside thru the summer, but this one
I keep inside the greenhouse all the time!

How old is your plant ?? A little hint:
Keep it upside down after it has flowered and do not remove the
old leaves, even if they are brown and dry. You may cut them a
bit, but leave the blades on the base.
That is the spot where the babies are comin' from.....
By this they make more pups then usual.

Greetz Timm
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Peter O.

My plant.

Beitrag von Peter O. »

Kein Problem, Timm.
Ich hoerte, dass man kann nicht nur an der Netz leben... ;)

that is indeed an amazing picture :) and i hope my plant grows like that too! i don't know it's age, but currently, the "bulb" part is about 3.5-4cm wide at the base. the "arms" span about 25cm and it has three flowers, two of which have already bloomed. i attempted to polinate them, so maybe it will set seed.

this was the first Bromeliad that i bought. i got it at the local nursery, and it came attached to a piece of hard wood (driftwood, i guess). i had no idea that it should be kept upside down--it came right-side up. i've been isting it almost daily, then letting it dry for a few minutes and misting again before putting it away.

at first i kept it on the windowsill in the living room, since i love how it looks and i've read that they come from more arid climates. however, the ends of some of the leaves have gone a bit brown, so i transferred it to my little "greenhouse", a room where i run a humidifier and keep the lights on 14-16 hours a day.

my other bromeliads seem to be happy in that environment, so hopefully the Tillandsia will be, too. with my other plants, i've gotten smarter and looked for those that already have pups, so i can get several plants for the price of one :twisted:

Spaeter,
Peter
Timm Stolten
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Re: My plant.

Beitrag von Timm Stolten »

Peter O. hat geschrieben:Kein Problem, Timm.
Ich hoerte, dass man kann nicht nur an der Netz leben... ;)
You name it :lol:
Peter O. hat geschrieben: this was the first Bromeliad that i bought. i got it at the local nursery, and it came attached to a piece of hard wood (driftwood, i guess).
i had no idea that it should be kept upside down--it came right-side up.
Thats the way they sell 'em over her too. The "Upside down" Trick is only
ment for plant, that are out of bloom and about to produce offshots.
If have noticed that a lot of species simply make more this way.
Peter O. hat geschrieben: at first i kept it on the windowsill in the living room, since i love how it looks and i've read that they come from more arid climates. however, the ends of some of the leaves have gone a bit brown, so i transferred it to my little "greenhouse", a room where i run a humidifier and keep the lights on 14-16 hours a day.
You did good by that. A lot of times one cannot transfer the natural
conditions into cultivation, who says that the natural habitat is the
optimum? Again, from my experience I can tell, that T. bulbosa
loves it warm, moist and cosy.
Peter O. hat geschrieben: my other bromeliads seem to be happy in that environment, so hopefully the Tillandsia will be, too. with my other plants, i've gotten smarter and looked for those that already have pups, so i can get several plants for the price of one :twisted:

Spaeter,
Peter
seems like you're a real smartie :roll:

I am just curious, where are you from :?:

All the best, Timm
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Peter O.

Beitrag von Peter O. »

hi Timm,

i'm from Chicago, but now i live about 200km south of there, in Champaign, Illinois, a small university town in the middle of nowhere ;) i needed a hobby so i began to get into plants, and for some reason i'm attracted to epiphytes and carnivorous plants. both are quite amazing and beautiful.

i took 3 years of German in high school, but i've forgotten everything since then! i still remember that spaeter and peter rhymes ;) my only real language experience was when i was in Vienna 2 years ago for about 4 days on my way to the former Jugoslavia.

thanks for all your advice; i'm sure i'll be visiting this forum a lot.

regards,
Peter
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SSairplants
Beiträge: 113
Registriert: Sonntag, 6 Februar 2005, 18:14
Wohnort: Khon Kaen

Beitrag von SSairplants »

I know that just T.bulbosa in my hand are T.bulbosa var. mini and T.bulbosa 'giant'. Well and they also give me so many pups untill they become to a clumps!

Bild

Bild
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mosasaur
Beiträge: 7
Registriert: Freitag, 4 März 2005, 20:43
Wohnort: New Orleans, Louisiana

Tillandsia bulbosa pupping

Beitrag von mosasaur »

This species is not as quick to pup nor as prolific as some others, but I usually get at least 2 pups within a year from the bloom. I always mount this and other pseudobulb Tillandsias in a sideways or even upside down position, they seem to prefer it.

By the way, I am brand new here - Kenneth Quinn, from New Orleans, Louisiana. I mostly grow Tillandsia and Vriesea plus small Neoregelias but am now starting to grow Dyckias and Hechtias.
Timm Stolten
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Registriert: Sonntag, 28 März 2004, 10:49
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Re: Tillandsia bulbosa pupping

Beitrag von Timm Stolten »

mosasaur hat geschrieben:By the way, I am brand new here - Kenneth Quinn, from New Orleans, Louisiana. I mostly grow Tillandsia and Vriesea plus small Neoregelias but am now starting to grow Dyckias and Hechtias.
In that case first of all a warm "Welcome" in our forum !!!
It is allways a pleasure to meet new folks from other countries here.
How do you "mount" you tillies ?
What kind of material do you take for that?

Greetz Timm
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mosasaur
Beiträge: 7
Registriert: Freitag, 4 März 2005, 20:43
Wohnort: New Orleans, Louisiana

mounting

Beitrag von mosasaur »

I mount Tillandsia on either cork bark or on baldcypress (Taxodium) driftwood from the nearby swamps. To attach the plants I use a product called Liquid Nails, which is used for home repair. It seems nontoxic, I think it encourages root growth!

When I saw Tillandsias in Florida (utriculata, fasciculata, bartramii, simulata, setacea) they always started growing on the underside of a limb, so when young they were not upright. So I mount Tilndsias sideways or upside down!
Timm Stolten
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Registriert: Sonntag, 28 März 2004, 10:49
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Re: mounting

Beitrag von Timm Stolten »

mosasaur hat geschrieben:... So I mount Tilndsias sideways or upside down!
I have noticed that also that a lot of species grow much better upside down,
most of the time make more pups this way.
mosasaur hat geschrieben:To attach the plants I use a product called Liquid Nails, which is used for home repair.
That is some kind of glue, isnt it ? I only use glue for very small seedling or very tender delicat plant.
Have you ever tried pantyhoses ? That nylon stuff is perfect !
Flexible, durable, air can get trough, roots can grow trough and... its cheap.
Cut into small ring I use em for nearly all my tillies.

Greetings, Timm
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