Re: my new tills
 

Hi Funkychips

Thanks for the pictures.......I always see those in malls......I'm not sure if they're different bu tlooks same to me..Just to make sure when you said silver leaves is the one you took picture with the bottle rite?

Hi David

Again thanks for the pictures.Such a familir sight lol.Anyways you just leave them like
that and hang in without sticking it to any sort of media or object eh?..Since you just leave it like that..I guess i can just put them in my rack outside at the balcony with not much worries since according to what i've read most are very hardy.And also how do you water them???? I guess you can just spray them since they can absorb water with they're leaves too.1 question why do you hang some sideways or upside down?????

Ken

Re: my new tills
 

I use a water spray to water them. Most of them are either upright or upside down. Those that are upside down are just tied with a nylon string. But like what funkychips says, hanging them upside down is good as water does not stagnant at the crown in between the leaves.

Those that I hung upright, I am more careful when watering them. Sometimes I take all of them to the bathroom and bath them. Then I'll have to shake the water out before hanging them back upright or there will be to much water soaking at the crown. This will cause rot. I was told by Tillycollector07 that it is especially important to make sure water do not collect in the crown for species such as T. seleriana. He is so careful that everytime he water his seleriana, he shakes the water off and place them infront of a blowing table fan to dry it.

I do not stick them to a drift wood etc because I grow them by the window indoors. Air circulation is not as good and if I stick them on a piece of wood, water might stagnant to long in between the plant and wood. This will cause the plant to rot.

Re: my new tills
 

Hi Ken
You're most welcome :smile:. Tills are really fun to work with one you get the idea of growing it well in your garden. Yes, the xero is a silver leaf till, among others like tillandsia stricta silver leaf type, tectorum.

Hi David and atmccmn,

Your collections are truly inspiring. I've a buddy who just got into growing a few tills already, thanks to our ever growing number of collectors ever eager in wait to poison the unsuspecting curious mind :tongue:. I believe he has yet to realise what he is getting himself into.

atmccmn, thanks for the tips on the xero. I hope it can get to its maximum size before it flowers.

Anyway i got a till tree display put up just now in the afternoon. I hope the description is clear as I did not take pictures of the entire process.

1 The bottom of the pot is filled to about 2 inches with crushed bricks.

2 The top with soil mix (3 parts burnt soil to 1 part black soil) until about 2 inches from the rim. Press it down firmly but not too packed.

3 Using a hammer or heavy object, hammer the branch of your choice or liana vines (got these from pet safari ), about 2 to 3 or depending on your preference into the soil mix.

4 Wedge medium pieces of crushed brick around the base of the branches to support them more securely.

5 I then put soaked sphagnum moss as a final layer on the top of the brick pieces.

6 Now the plants are ready to be attached to the branches. I use hot glue to attach them. If possible, choose plants that have portions of their rhizomes attached so you can glue them using that portion instead of the upper parts of the plant. You can also use tie wire or fishing lines solely or to reinforce the hot-glued plant.

7 The finished product:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1213/tilltreeyk9.jpg

I've added a few cryptanthuses to the sphagnum moss layer and used some usneiodes(spanish moss) to drape about the branches to create the wind worn appearance of the display like it is in their natural habitat.

All feedback are appreciated guys. This is my first try on doing this display and I don't know what parts of it are going to last and what are going to fall off :bored:.

Re: my new tills
 

WAH.............................I got my parents to take a look at the pics david and you posted....They asked what did they say bout themmm.Well they did say it looks good and also commented..."See!!! Kenneth Davids house keep so many plants but still so clean YOURS!" lol.....Anyways maybe in sometime will get some....

Ken

Re: my new tills
 

Funckychip, correct me if I'm wrong. I think liana vines might not be durable especially if you have earth or sphagnum moss around. It might rott away within a year's time. I've seen this on a friend's piece. Try having a concrete base holding them together might be better or if you could get those tembusu twigs or chengal log will do just great.

I did try on the railway sleepers. Those sleepers are giving me problems. I don't know why but it's killing my plants one by one with all sorts of rot.
Nice creation you have there.

Re: my new tills
 

Although I'm a 100% CP grower ( other plants for fun only) I still think tills are nice and unique.

Re: my new tills
 

Hi...

Yeah even though most of us here are 100% CP growers we all have our "vegetarian" plant friend somewhere....Like me i am growing chili seeds from a mature chili plant which i have posted before...Also a mini version of a pine tree and a palm tree..A phalaenopsis.....And also "lidah buaya".....Money plant....And also some plant which has normal leaves which i at first thought was a nep....I was too desperate and have no idea how they looked like....So i thought that was it and it was my first plant.This plant actually turn from green to red then to brown then to lime green and now back to green for the past 2 years++ And also one hairy little cactus which i have no idea what is it.

Ken

Re: my new tills
 

Atmccmn, thanks alot I'm taking your advise there. The liana vines have a tendency to break off when its wet and flaky when dry. It just never stays intact just like a properly treated wood should. I'll figure out a way to sort this thing out this coming weekend :1thumbup:.

Re: my new tills
 

Nice and creative till tree display funkychips.

Re: my new tills
 

Thanks David. Although I might have to make some changes to it now that Atmcmn has informed me of the rotting tendencies of lianas in contact with the wet medium. Hopefully I can make a hanging version of the tree display instead ::biggrin: