Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
bromeliaddict

Grex Mates

bromeliaddict
14 years ago

A couple of plants from a grex of Neo. 'Gespacho' x [Charm x Mocha Mint] started blooming last month. The pictures below show some of the variability that happens when the parents are hybrids. The first one has the thinner leaves of the seed parent and the upright habit of the pollen parent. It's a cute, compact plant.

{{gwi:479984}}

The colors are gaudy from the side, too.

{{gwi:479986}}

This second selection really got the best of both parents! The overall habit is more spreading like the seed parent. Overall size and leaf width is more like the pollen parent. It's a fuller plant than Neo. 'Gespacho', at least for me. The contrast of colors is brilliant! I think that this one just might be a keeper!

{{gwi:479988}}

Here's the side view. No getting away from the spots on this one!

{{gwi:479990}}

Paul

Comments (11)

  • splinter1804
    14 years ago

    Hi bromeliaddict,

    I think that second one is a "little ripper" with nice filled in form and clear bright colours and most certainly a keeper.

    Great stuff!

    All the best, Nev.

  • vriesea
    14 years ago

    Hi Brom addict,yes my vote goes to the second plant,you can only improve that by sitting the plant in my collection, its very distinct and very nice ,do some more please ,Jack

  • LisaCLV
    14 years ago

    Add one more vote for #2, Paul. Good form, bold markings, a "finished" look.... definitely a keeper, in fact I think I like it even better than Gold Fever!

  • udo69
    14 years ago

    Hello Paul,

    I also vote the#2. An impressive color and marmorate plant looks better than its' parents. You do a very good work. ;-)

    Cheers
    Yong

  • brom_adorer
    14 years ago

    I love the flower heads in the both of them! I also favour number 2, is it recieving higher light than the first one?
    B_A

  • vriesea
    14 years ago

    Funny you should say that Lisa,i felt it was an improvement on 'Gold Fever' and in may humble opinion thats as good as a spotted type gets,but? yes i like this better,

  • paul_t23
    14 years ago

    Hi Paul, the first one is a nice plant, but the second one is just an absolute ripper!! (Sorry to borrow the phrase Nev, but it's probably in the local gene pool). This place is just so good. Cheers, Paul2

  • bromeliaddict
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks to everyone for the kind remarks! I'll do my best to get a few pups out of it. Anyone care to suggest a name?

    I've got to give some kudos to Dale Kammelohr for his creation of the pollen parent- Neo. 'Charm' x 'Mocha Mint' that I used. He was kind enough to share a pup with me a few years ago. He wasn't so keen on it that he would consider to register it, but he could see that I was anxious to try to do something more with it. A couple of other crosses that I made with it are similarly wild. I'll post photos of them at some later date!

    Curiously, there are no photos of 'Gold Fever' on the fcbs site for me to compare. Anyone have a good photo to post here?

    B_A- both plants were grown under very similar conditions. The plants grow under 40% shade cloth during our summer growing season.

    Yong- I'll have to post a photo of 'Charm' x 'Mocha Mint' when it blooms again for me (looks like it may be in the next three weeks). The colors are a bit "murky", especially the red, but it won't take a lot of imagination to see where the marmorata tendencies come from! I think that 'Gespacho' contributed the brighter colors in the hybrid cross.

    Paul

  • sdandy
    14 years ago

    Wow Paul, it amazes me that you can do such great growing up in the Midwest. I think I've seen you talk about it before in another thread, but I was wondering what you do with your plants over the winter?! Heated greenhouse? You've done some really nice crosses. I'm thinking about sending my mom some pups in NE Ohio (think lake effect snow belt). My mom would easily be able to handle a handful in the house over the winter, but you have a pretty big collection! Oh, I almost forgot, that second one is great.
    -andy

  • bromeliaddict
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Andy-
    Most things gets moved (crammed) into an attached 9' x 27' greenhouse. I also have made friends with a couple of commercial greenhouse owners who have been very helpful in allowing me some space to grow on some of my hybrids. It's an enormous commitment of time (4-5 years up here) and space to grow out a grex of Vrieseas.
    We typically get our first freeze around October 20 or so. The toughest thing about winter growing condtions here is the lack of sun due to the lake effect clouds. We often have a period of 4-6 weeks without a hint of sun! It's a good test to see which Neos hold their color the best. The biggest challenge is that it's just about impossible to grow N. concentrica and its hybrids with good, even conformation. If you're going to grow that type around here, you have to be content with the the colors that develop during the summer- which can be quite wonderful.
    BTW. I finally found Gold Fever photos. I thought it looked familiar! I got distracted earlier by all the "Golden..." plant pics that come listed before 'Gold Fever'. I really liked Lisa's 'Golden Boy', along with about a half dozen other "Golden" listings!

    Paul

  • LisaCLV
    14 years ago

    Paul, the pics of Gold Fever on FCBS aren't very good. Mine aren't that great either, but this may give you a slightly better idea:

    {{gwi:479993}}

    {{gwi:479996}}

    If grown well, GF does have nice form and cool upturned leaf tips, but I think the pattern of marmoration on your seedling is nicer, and it looks as though it may have firmer texture too. GF tends to get a bit floppy sometimes, which can be frustrating.

    Glad you like Golden Boy! It's a neat little plant but has been something of a disappointment as a parent (gives long strappy leaves). Better to just use Punctate, I think.

0
Sponsored
EK Interior Design
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars5 Reviews
TIMELESS INTERIOR DESIGN FOR ENDLESS MEMORIES
More Discussions