A visitor, praying for warmth...

devo_2006

19 years ago

Down here in the lower South Pacific, it is mid winterÂit is cold and wetÂand we have recently had nights down to 4*C (40*F). Not a great time for the BromeliadsÂor gardenersÂor insectsÂto be outside.

One place that is nice and warm during the day (if the sun is shining) is my little plastic house, and recently a visitor has made herself at home. I think she has come in out of the cold, looking for somewhere nice and warm to lay her eggs.

I have been checking on her over the last few days, and taking a few photos. She seems to have taken a liking to a few striated hybrids, and will usually be found just sitting under one of the leaves.

Until she decides to move out and exploreÂ

This is our native praying mantis, Orthodera novaezealandiae. The females will usually lay eggs in late summer, with the young hatching out early spring. It is these tiny young praying mantis that are often seen in the plastic house during spring, hunting for insects amongst the Bromeliads.

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Comments (10)

neonut
19 years ago
Devo,
I know how that poor mantis feels. I'm sure you are right and he is praying for warmer weather just like me. Admittedly, Brisbane is warmer than where you live but at the present time we have had several days of cold westerlies and the exposed garden is not the place to be.

Is the striated hybrid one of your own? Looks great, especially with the light shining through.
mokikat
19 years ago
Just wondering if ya'll have freezing temps. there in the winter? If so what do you do to protect your broms?
I live in Jax,Florida. We have freezes here in the winter
so I have to protect my broms by providing an enclosed
heated space. I leave one outside but protected from frost
and that is Ae. distichantha schlumbergii. That is one
tough plant. And the spines are fierce. I got the original
plant from Tropiflora many years ago.
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LisaCLV
19 years ago
Great pictures, Devo!
devo_2006
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi Neonut,

Yes, this is one of my hybrids. I have always liked the striated Neo's, and this is one from a batch of seedlings, that developed nice definition in the markings. It is now almost 2 years old, but will probably not flower until spring of '08.

{{gwi:473775}}

Mokikat, most Bromeliad collectors around here will grow their plants outside, year round. Forst is an issue in certain areas over winter, & frost cloth seems to be the usual way plants are protected. Although, I have recently heard of a spray being used to protect the plants. I do not know how this spray works, but one large display garden used to roll out frost cloth over all their plants. A 3 hour job on each night that frost was expected. They now are trying the spray, which takes a fraction of the time.
hotdiggetydam
19 years ago
Devo your plant looks like a very improved 'Burbank' nice job!
jaymuxman
19 years ago
Just checking to see if anyone attended the Tropiflora tent sale today. If so, what did you think? Lots of goodies? Worth my time to drive across the state from Daytona Beach to attend tomorrow?
Emily
hotdiggetydam
19 years ago
the good stuff will be at the Exravaganza Sept 29th in Ft Lauderdale
bodiggly
19 years ago
Emily,

I went Friday morning and was a bit disappointed. There wasn't a very good selection to choose from. Of course, they have lots of broms, etc., but at regular prices.
minibim
19 years ago
Very nice, love your hybrid too.
brommad16
19 years ago
Hi, everyone,

I live down near NSW & VIC border, where temps drop down to -5c (23) or more.

I have a green house covered by shade cloth, then a huge tarp which rolls up like a roller blind of daytime to allow sun into broms, all are doing pretty good but after a week of below -5 and very heavy frosts, there are a few starting to show some frost burn on a leaf or two, I'm sure this damage happened before i put up a plastic tarp to protect them from early morning sun.

The spray Devo is talking about I think, is the use of water to ward off frost settling on plants, but you'd have to have spray going for quite a length of time as frost can stay around here, up until 10-11am.

Here & i presume everywhere else, we always get sunny days after a frost, and as most plants only burn or get frost bite, when the early morning sun hits the frozen plants , i find blocking that sun stops the plants burning & gives them time to thaw out thus stopping them from getting frost burn.

I also empty the water from all cups so as not to have frozen water in them.

I haven't noticed any others burnt in any way since i have blocked the sun from them so seems as if its working so far, but only time and weather will tell how they go.