Wow, Tommy, those look amazing. > The problem with most of these [Bromeliads], though, is the fact that nurseries force them into bloom long before they've had a chance to reach their full grown, mature size. What does this mean, Tommy? Both my big-box-bought Broms created pups after flowering, so they were apparently mature enough for that. We can't blame commercial nurseries for creating the right cultural conditions for plants to flower and otherwise reach sellable/showable/photographable condition sooner rather than later. Isn't that exactly what we hobby growers also strive to do? As for literally the "size" - I do not think that it's a goal for many consumers necessarily. That is why a lot of miniature varieties of plants exist and are very commercially successful. Bromeliads can get huge indeed, depending on the species/cultivar - but then much of the market is excluded from even considering them for purchase, so the growers' incentives are clear. > Cryptanthus are terrestrial members of the brom family as are pineapples. Their roots are made for water uptake and should be watered like "normal" plants. Paul, many broms including epiphytes, can adapt to also take water in through their roots in addition to taking it through the reservoir, if the roots feel any moisture. Neoregelias and Aechmeas (which are the only two I grow) both can do that, I think. I've left both in the original medium, and they are doing fine. My Aechmea doesn't even have much of a cup, so barely any water stays there and it all drains into the mix. Bromeliads are fascinating, I think - unlike any other house plants. I am still learning a lot about them. > Aseed, interesting point about cultivars being possible novelties. I prefer a sturdy species plant usually too. Oh boy, many orchid growers would have a lot to say about that - on both ends of the spectrum. There are species growers who want things as they are in nature and want a challenge. They also do an absolutely indispensable work of preserving many endangered species. But the fact that even they do not dispute is that many orchid hybrids have become so much easier over the many years people have been hybridizing them. Hybrids often bloom larger, brighter, easier, longer and more often - often all of the above in the same hybrid, compared with their ancestor species. Temperature preferences are often wider than for either of the parent species or hybrids. Culture is often consistent or nearly-consistent throughout the year - rather than the cold period and the wet period and the dormant period and the tambourine dancing period that species often have to have. Imagine growing even just a few species with divergent periods like that in a typical house or a greenhouse or outdoors - wherever you grow. I can't personally, unless I am growing ONE group of plants with similar requirements (I'd lose interest in three milliseconds). So that is where the hybrids may come in. With orchids, hybridizers often grow thousands of seedlings for years, they get many of them to flower, then they select one or two for many of the characteristics desirable to growers and consumers, DISCARD all the rest and clone the hell out of the best of the best of the best of the best - we are talking football field sized greenhouses growing 100% genetically identical orchids. That is what ends up in your local big box store, and I would not knock it at all, resiliency- and looks-wise, considering the crazy selection those plants went through. I do not know much about cultivating other species, but I am sure with any cultivars, they do not do it to be difficult, in fact they breed what can be sold - in other words what you and I would buy. So, what's the problem again? Here's another example of this sort of "artificial selection": what's called "Christmas Cactus". In the good old days, your grandma probably grew Schlumbergera bridgesii. But their natural flowering period was a bit off to be sold for the holidays, and their growing habit is to grow out the pot and down right away. That was difficult for growers (need to force the blooms), difficult for shippers (lots of snapped-off segments in transit) and difficult for buyers (the look is not for everybody). Then they noticed that a similar looking Schlumbergera truncata grows more upright (easier to transport, less damage in stores, and a more traditional potted plant look), is a more resilient species and flowers more naturally when they need to be sold. So they hybridized that one instead, and now it is impossible to find the old-fashioned "true" Christmas cactus commercially, except for through word of mouth exchanges - probably from a few grandmas that still grow it. But S. truncata is truly a stronger species. I actually grow the "vintage" one and have no interest in getting the one wider available - but I am not like the mass market, and probably neither are most of you reading this.

Hi blondetazz0924 It is best to wait 'til Spring for re-potting. No, the stems do not have to be straight. It's natural for them to lean over. If your plants are in 4" pots use a 6' pot when you re-pot. I usually buy three 4" pots and put all of them into an 8" hanging basket. It's easier to keep them watered (for me), plus you get a nice full plant. I use African Violet potting mix. I hope someone else responds with better advice. This is just what I do and I'm not saying it's right, but it works for me. You might try Googleing How to grow xmas cactus. That peach color sounds yummy. Are you able to post pictures? greenhouser--well, that isn't any fun! Hopefully they will ship some your way soon. Did you buy any last year? Enjoy your plants, everyone. cyberdancer

I've been through the Master Gardener programs in several states, and ultimately opted out of ever bothering with it again. Largely because of the political aspect - as a "master gardener", you are not allowed to provide any information that doesn't toe whatever the current party line is. In one state, that was used to disallow ANY discussion whatsoever of any organic methods (granted this was about 30 years ago). Sure, there's a lot of misinformation possible re "organic methods" - but really no more than the usual gardening misinformation. In another state, it was the exact opposite - there was no discussion or mention by master gardeners allowed of any pesticide that was not approved organic. I briefly considered going through the MG program here, but ultimately decided against it, after having an extension agent tell me that as a master gardener, I was NOT ALLOWED to tell someone asking about vining plants that trumpet vine is extremely invasive and likely to become a nuisance to their neighbors. Apparently in this desert state no one has gotten around to officially designating it as a noxious weed. When I pushed to find out WHY this person had this opinion - it turned out that this ag extension agent had planted trumpet vine in her yard, and was upset that her neighbors had complained about it coming up in THEIR yards. Yeah. I need to be involved with somebody who ignores good horticultural practices and uses her personal life to inform her opinion of appropriate information to be given to people who, after all, ASKED first. And then there was the ag extension agent who allowed a "master gardener" of allegedly decades of experience to weed some of the university beds of native plants. That woman pulled up every native plant and left most of the actual weeds. The sad fact is that more and more extension agencies shove a "master gardener" at you rather than let you talk to an actual extension agent. These "master gardeners" then do google searches, and send that to you as if it is actual factual information. If I call an extension agency for help, its because I want a TRAINED response based on sound knowledge and scientific fact - not crap you find on the Internet. I know how to use Google - better than any "master gardener", in fact. If it is not the duty of a master gardener to provide answers - not "help researching" but actual answers - then the master gardener program is of little use. Which, over the years, is exactly what it has proven itself to be - of little use. The occasional highly competent gardener that you find in a "master gardener" program is the exception, and gets drowned out by the sea of people with 6 weeks of training in looking stuff up on the Internet who know little or nothing about actual gardening - or worse yet, THINK they do and pass along bad information.

Annie,THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! My box just got here & I'm in plant heaven! Inside there is: 'All Fired Up' Daylily 'Prairie Blue Eyes' Daylily Pink with lime throat Daylily 'Candy Apple' dwarf Iris 'Clarence' Iris 'Congratulations' Iris 'Going My Way' Iris 'Harvest Of Memories' Iris 'Jean Marie' Iris 'Jessie's Song' Iris 'Lemon Chess' Iris 'Ron' Iris Yellow Iris ~~~~~~~~~~~ Liatris spiked Gay Feather Monarda'Marshall's Delight' Tall garden phlox 'David' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Purple Coneflower Also included were plant tags with the names on one side & the year & Annie's name on the other.Now I'll always remeber who gave them to me and when.As if I could forget! I now have iris with NAMES!!((dancing))I love EVERYTHING!!!Thanks again Annie! Now if everyone will excuse me,I'm off to play in the dirt!