Re: Brocchinia

John Taylor [The Banshee] (rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.EDU.AU)
Thu, 17 Feb 94 07:31:57 DST

>No-one seems to have said the obvious (or did I miss it) such as:
>
>Brocchinia is terrestrial so grow it in a pot, not epiphytically

I grow mine in a peat/sand/perlite mixture (as suggested by Allen Lowrie) but
I forget the ratios.

>It takes light as strong as you like - even sunlight through glass
>If you reduce the light, it flattens out so it cant hold water, but in
>enough light it's leaves grow bolt upright to form a watertight tube
>(or tank as it's referred to gewnerally in bromeliads)

True indeed! Under 50% shade cloth is grows a loose "pitcher" which still
holds water, but only for about half it's height (if that). The leaves are
also green instead of the yellow shown in Slack's photo

>As to suppliers, someone (apologies I forget who) said Allan Lowrie
>sells it siometimes and (as suggested by someone else) Germany does
>too. Only reliable (?) way to find it is regularly get ALL the CP
>suppliers' lists and write like fury when you see it advertised!

I got mine from Allen, but it was pretty expensive for the size of the plant
($10? for a small plant about 1.5" tall or there abouts). However, it has
grown very well and rapidly too.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Taylor [The Banshee] | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
| rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au | Department of Applied Physics |
| MOKING IS A HEALTH HAZARD. | Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+