Houseplants: Turface on bromeliads?

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Author	Comment
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 07, 2009 02:53 PM	Tapla? I am getting ready to pot up some bromeliads. They are bare root and it looks like they came from a sandy peat kind of soil... I was considering using turface (for weight and drainage) and wondered if it would need amendments, like broken up sphagnum or chunky orchid bark (with charcoal), or perlite, or would you use it straight? I poured water through and then poured the medium in my hand and it was damp, crumbly, and fluffy, so that was the coolest.
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 07, 2009 03:03 PM	I think unscreened Turface will hold too much water. Screened Turface might be ok, but remember that it holds much more water than it appears to hold. I would really like to see you build a mix of equal parts of screened Turface crushed granite (grower size) or #2 cherrystone and uncomposted pine or fir bark (1/8-1/4) because I'm quite sure you'll be very happy with it. Once you have the ingredients to make the basic soil, you can +/- the Turface and granite to fine tune the water retention of the soil for every individual plant you pot/repot. If you decide to grow in a soil with Turface or Turface/granite as its base, we'll need to talk a little about supplying good nutrition. I'm up for it if you are. ;o) Al
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 07, 2009 03:09 PM	I was just reading at the other forum where I can read all the posts. I know you prefer foliage pro, I was looking for a good price to try it. I have the broms now, and no granite and too big of bark mix :)... Help. How do you find the bark fines? All I can find are shredded splinters that last only a year on the surface, let alone under ground, lol. Ok, so maybe I'll just throw them in my usual soil mix until I can gather the rest of the materials.
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 07, 2009 03:15 PM	I would love to learn more science in potting mediums/nutrient programs. I am very interested... I would also like your advice on how to find the right kind of bark for the 511 mix. I want to try these soils on begonias who hate wet feet, and aroids who love a crumbly mix of this and that....
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 07, 2009 03:52 PM	Ok, for the time being, they are "planted" in sheets of damp newspaper and sphagnum moss, lol. Did I lose you? Sorry, I am actually very excited to try a different potting soil. I find that I am always trying to fluff up my peat mixes, so anything that keeps a crumble to it sounds interesting. I looked for mulch today, but nobody had anything out, and I'm not sure that mulch is the right product. I know there is a place that sells composting mulch, but it is slivery and shaggy looking rather than nuggets of any size. Does the turface MVP need screening? It looks pretty uniform, and it smokes when I watered it, lol. Oh, well, sorry if I drove you nuts...
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 07, 2009 04:29 PM	To avoid confusion, lets stay focused on the gritty soil mix for this discussion. If you want more information on the 5:1:1 mix, be sure to read the stickies at the top of the container gardening forum. The science re how water behaves in soils and it's effect on plants can be had there as well. Of course, you can always just pop up with other specific questions when you have them. The bark is sometimes difficult to find at first. For the gritty mix, I buy 4 cu ft bags of pre-screened fir bark from an orchid supply place just NW of CHI. I bought 15 bags this summer, which will last a good long while. Apparently, there is a bark product (fir) you can buy at pet stores called 'Repti Bark' or something like that. I haven't looked at to see if the particle size is appropriate, but others say it works well. By the pictures, it LOOKS like it could be exactly what I use, but again, I can't tell. Size is important. Those are the main ingredients and I've found they're well worth looking for. BTW - the Turface 'smokes' because it's such a hot commodity. ;o) In the picture below, the product I use for the gritty mix (1/8 - 1/4" fir bark) is at 12. The other 3 products at the perimeter would all be acceptable (pine bark) if the fines are screened out. The soil in the middle is the 5:1:1 mix when it's dry. Al View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 13, 2009 07:14 AM	What is the role of the pine or fir bark in the gritty mix? In my search for tiny bark, I found some rubber mulch that was very small and made me curious if it could perform the same function. If the bark is used to create air spaces as well as provide a semi porous surface.... Well, does it do more than that?
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 13, 2009 11:54 AM	The bark is just filler and a nutrient sink. It has about the same water retention properties as what equal volumes of Turface and granite mixed together have. If you prefer, you can grow in some variation of equal parts (by volume) of Turface:crushed granite. You'll just need to fertilize a little more frequently is all, which is no problem if you're fertilizing @ low doses each time you water. Skip the rubber mulch, please. Even if the size was appropriate, you wouldn't gain anything by using it that you can't get with Turface & grit. Personally, I have reservations about using it as mulch, and those reservations increase considerably as I consider it as part of a soil. Al
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 13, 2009 07:54 PM	While I'm all for recycling, I have always "wondered" about that rubber mulch! The thought of using it in my garden or around my plants just didn't sit right. I found this information while googling: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda Chalker-Scott/Horticultur...
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 13, 2009 09:02 PM	Plantladylin, that was an eye opener. I didn't know, I thought the rubber was inert, but that doesn't make sense. I don't think I want that in my soil (or environment).
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 13, 2009 09:22 PM	Yeah, it's hard to know what to do with all the millions of old tires out there ... burn them and they give off toxic fumes, turn them into mulch and they end up leaching toxins into the soil. I remember years ago painting a couple of old tires, stacking them and using them as a planter in the yard. I've thought about it a lot the past few years and remember the days when there was only one car in a family ... nowadays I know people with four and five kids of driving age, the parents each have their own car and each child has his/her own vehicle as well!
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 13, 2009 09:25 PM	I use a tractor tire as a composter, lol. I wouldn't mind doing the cut tire planter. Granny and Grandpa had portulaca growing in theirs. I had thought about using tires as weedeater guards or for raised beds, lol.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 14, 2009 10:31 PM	As Turface is made from clay, it would not be a good medium for Bromeliads which are usually epiphytes and do best with organic growing mediums. For a healthy growing medium for Bromeliads consider Coconut Coir (Coco Coir). http://www.nurseriesonline.us/specialistNurseries/Bromeliads...
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 14, 2009 10:54 PM	I would be interested in hearing the reasoning behind why Turface might be unsuitable for Broms. Sphagnum peat and coir have nearly identical water retention curves. They both retain about 90-95% of their volume in water at saturation and release it over approximately the same curve until they both lock water up so tightly it's unavailable for plant uptake at about 30-33% saturation. Coir actually has less loft than sphagnum peat, and therefore, less aeration. Because of this propensity, coir should be used in mixes at lower %s than peat. Because of the tendency to compact, in the greenhouse industry, coir is primarily used in containers in sub-irrigation (bottom-watering) situations. Many sources produce coir that is high in soluble salts, so this can also be a negative issue. Using coir as the primary component of soils virtually eliminates the possibility of using lime or dolomitic lime as a Ca source because of coir's high pH (6.0-7.0). Gypsum should be used as a Ca source, which helps eliminate coir's low S content. All coir products are very high in K, very low in Ca, and have a potentially high Mn content, which can interfere with the uptake of Fe in soils with a high % or coir. I have coir done some testing of coir and coconut husk chips with some loose controls in place. After very thoroughly leaching and rinsing the chips and coir, I made a 5:1:1 soil of pine bark:peat:perlite (which I know to be very productive) and a 5:1:1 mix of CHCs: coir:perlite. I planted 6 cuttings of snapdragon and 6 cuttings of Coleus (each from the same plant to help reduce genetic influences) in containers (same size/shape) of the different soils. I added dolomitic lime to the bark soil and gypsum to the CHC/coir soil. After the cuttings struck, I eliminated all but the three strongest in each of the 4 containers. I watered each container with a weak solution of MG 12-4-8 with STEM added at each watering, and watered on an 'as needed basis', not on a schedule. The only difference in the fertilizer regimen was the fact that I included a small amount of MgSO4 (Epsom salts) to provide MG (the dolomitic lime in the bark soil contained the MG, while the gypsum [CaSO4] in the CHC/coir soil did not. This difference was necessary because or the high pH of CHCs and coir.) for the CHC soil. The results were startling. In both cases, the cuttings grown in the CHC/coir soil exhibited only about 1/2 the biomass at summers end as the plants in the bark mix. I just find it very difficult for a solid case to be made (besides "It works for me") for the use of coir or CHC's. They're more expensive and more difficult to use effectively. The fact that some believe peat is in short supply (no where near true, btw) is easily offset by the effect of the carbon footprint of coir in its trek to the US from Sri Lanka or other exotic locales. That's the view from here. YMMV Al
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 14, 2009 11:43 PM	Bromeliads grow on trees. Clay does not. In their natural environment, Bromeliads grow on organic matter and they get nutrition from it. Coco Coir also provides a good source of nutrients for Bromeliads. Turface does not. A good way to kill Bromeliads is to put them in a mineral soil. Do you grow Bromeliads? View Larger
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 15, 2009 12:31 AM	Since bromeliads grow on trees, is it then impossible to to grow them in containers? Coir, like peat is such a poor source of nutrients, and an unbalanced source at that, that it should be considered no source of nutrients in container culture. In fact, we should not depend on primary soil components of any container media as a source of nutrition because it breaks down so slowly that it cannot fill plant needs. Regardless of that fact, the grower needs to take responsibility for ensuring plants grown in container culture get the nutrients they need when they need them, and you cannot rely on the media alone to deliver those nutrients. Turface has excellent CEC compared to coir, and holds the nutrients supplied far longer than coir. Neither does it have some of the other problems associated with coir that I mentioned above. I've grown dozens of species of plants for extended periods in nothing but screened Turface. It's great for starting cuttings, and often I'll leave cuttings in the same starting medium for up to a year before repotting - often it's straight Turface, and they do fine. Though I have no bromeliads now because I have my indoor growing area filled with about 75 tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs, I have grown them in the past, very successfully, in a mix of 1 part pine bark, one part screened Turface, and one part crushed granite. What we grow containerized plants is very unimportant, as long as it holds air and water in the right proportions, provides anchorage for the plant, is durable and not phytotoxic. It also helps if the media or media ingredients don't bring with them inherent problems or issues to deal with, like coir does, but what we grow in is an individual choice we all have to make. Hopefully, as a result of our discourse, readers will be able to make a better informed choice. Al
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 09:32 AM	Metrosideros: As far as growing broms... I have another question about culture. My son wanted to help me water one day, so I said great, why don't you fill these cups. Well, now he wants to fill them daily. Is this going to hurt them or should I have him help some other way? He is five so some always splashes down on the potting medium, too :)... I ended up planting them in a mix of miracle grow soil, perlite, a few bits of sphagnum, and orchid bark at this time. It is chunky but fast draining. The room they are in goes through high atmospheric humidity and then decreases a couple times a day. I am thinking of better ways to increase humidity, though. It was my understanding that the roots do less nutrient uptake compared to the leaves/cup. That was why I wondered about turface, more as an anchor. The 5 part bark, 1 part perlite, 1 part peat (ground brown or long fibered cut up?) sounds good, too, highly organic, very fast draining. The only coconut fiber I have is pot liners. I am not very familiar with it as a growing medium, but will keep my eyes open for it to see what it is like. Hmmmm, I wonder if the pot liners would be a good place to seed broms (if I ever get seeds). Al, i am wondering something. Do you have trouble with quite a bit of turface coming through the holes when you water or is that just for the first couple times? I have some coleus cuttings struck in it just to see. I wondered if you used screen or something, or if it stopped after the first couple waterings.
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) November 15, 2009 12:34 PM	I usually cover the drain holes with plastic fabric that you buy at hobby stores in 9x12 sheets. It's used for needlepoint projects. Small pieces of insect screening work about as well. Al
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 01:14 PM	Thank you, that makes sense :).
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 01:38 PM	Hi Jsmom, The pitcher of a Bromeliad should always have some water in it, if it is the type that has a pitcher. They can be watered freely, as long as they are well drained. The bark, perlite, & peat growing medium sound alright. In their natural habitat Bromeliads anchor themselves on tree bark. Be very careful about fertilizing; Bromeliads are very sensitive to fertilizer salts, and folks commonly kill them with too much care. If you feel you need to fertilize the Bromeliads at all, use something like Liquid Seaweed or other low analysis organic liquid fertilizer. Use a very low concentration of it (if the directions say use a tablespoon, use a teaspoon or less) and foliar feed them. I grow Bromeliads at the base of trees (and in trees) in mossy organic soil (native to the area), and have never fertilized them. They are very successful. Which species do you grow? View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 03:49 PM	How do you load a picture...? I can show you. The only ones I know for sure: a pineapple top I am rooting, earth star, and tillandsia cyanea x something. I got a mix of brom pups from someone who had lost their tags. It sounded like me (lost tags), and the price was fair :)... Well, actually, I don't usually lose the tags, but I find them missing, and in their place I find dinosaurs, soldiers, cars, etc. It's kind of funny. Kind of. I think I will just keep rain water for broms, ludisia discolor, and maybe cordylines (nothing special). The closest I can come to growing in trees would be to anchor them to sphagnum posts, or try the cork covered pvc thing I read about. My plant room is a jungle right now. I have plants drug all over the place, Today, half the plants got a good foliar shower and I will spray neem again this evening. I have been finding a few insects, so am figuring to spray about once a week until they are gone.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 04:08 PM	Go to the Browse prompt below and click on it. If you have a photo file on your computer you can download photos through that. I can ID the more common types, and maybe help with their care. You can grow some Bromeliads on logs, but it is probably easier to deal with in a container with a well drained organic medium. View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 04:50 PM	I tried to get them all at once and the pic was way too dark, so here are the first 3... View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 04:55 PM	Second 3.... View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 04:56 PM	4 on the end... View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 04:58 PM	This is the pineapple (still looking rough, but rooting and starting to grow, earth stars and tillandsia. View Larger
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 04:59 PM	The middle plant might be an Aechmea or Billbergia. The two outside ones might be Neoregelia. The one on the right, maybe Neoregelia carolinae 'Tricolor', the Blushing Bromeliad. They all have similar care needs. Basically, moist & organic.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 05:14 PM	Most of your Bromeliads are similar wet loving plants. They will need to bloom to get an accurate ID. The Pineapple, Ananas comosus 'Cayenne', can handle a mineral type soil with added compost and humus. It should also be drier than the other Bromeliads. It is a terrestrial type. The Earth Stars, Cryptanthus zonatus 'Zebrinus' & Cryptanthus bivittatus should have an organic based acidic soil with some humus mixed in. They are terrestrial as well.
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 05:37 PM	Thank you. I am going to tape the name to the pots of the ones you id'd :). You can even identify which pineapple? I looked at 3 stores to find one that wasn't dead at the top center. I threw in in the windowsill for about a week, then plunked it in a pot and just watered down the leaves a little, not the soil. It is in full sun. That is pretty much all I've been doing, trickling water down the center til a little reaches the soil. It started new growth. That was mostly an experiment to show the kids how pineapples are propagated. The fruit had seeds in it, so that was odd. The last time I grew one, it got pretty big and I gave it to someone that lived in FL to put in their yard, lol.
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 07:11 PM	Dave: I must know ... what is the name of that beautiful Brom in your photo here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7276812 Love it!
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 07:48 PM	Hi Lin! That is Vriesea fenestralis. Netted Vriesea.
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 07:49 PM	I'm guessing vriesia, maybe fosteriana.
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 07:50 PM	Oh, sorry, you answered while I was window shopping :)
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:02 PM	It sure is gorgeous! I really like Brom's, don't know why I don't grow more of them except the lack of space. My sister and Brother in Law in Fort Lauderdale have/had some gorgeous Brom's in their yard for a couple of years. I keep forgetting to ask if they are still there, my brother in law said they were tired of them and were going to throw them away ... a common practice at their house! They aren't into gardening and usually hire someone to change things out when they get tired of it. I was hoping they would wait until I could get down that way and take them off their hands! Someone ID'd them for me as Aechmea blanchetiana and I sure would love to have these babies! I've got to remember to ask my sister if they still have them. This photo was taken last Christmas. View Larger
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 08:21 PM	Nice plants Lin! They do get quite large. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:23 PM	3j'smom: One of your Brom's looks like one I have that is planted in a hollowed out coconut and it's really grown a lot the past couple of years. I like that Cryptanthus at the 12 O'clock position in your last photo. I have a few Cryptanthus all stuck in the same pot. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:24 PM	Dave, is that the same one? Wow, that is huge! Love your lil'doggie!
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:32 PM	3j'smom: The Nereogelia on the far right in your first photo looks somewhat like one I have called 'Zoe', the color got a lot more intense when I moved it to a position where it got more sunlight. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:35 PM	Here's the Noid Bromeliad planted in the coconut View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 08:37 PM	I would love to see both of your plant collections!!! The little black cryptanthus is the one Dave tagged as zebrinus. If it ever grows pups, I'll share with you :). Your coconut idea is really great. I am sensing another Kroger project with the kids, lol. Okay kids, this is a coconut, this is coconut milk, give me the shell please... I was studying the neoregelia family and they are neat. I never really studied the vriesea's before, but they have a lot of pretty plants, too. Sigh... I want a greenhouse.
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 08:45 PM	Oops, guess I missed the ID on that Cryptanthus zebrinus... I'm going to write down that name, I like that one. Maybe in the spring we can do a little trade if you like? LOL, the Coconut planter was a gift from neighbors when they went on a cruise to Jamaica and the islands a few years ago. I watched their house for them while they were away and took care of their old lab (who has since passed) and their kitty. They knew I loved birds and at the time had about a dozen feeders around the yard. The Coconut is actually carved into the shape of two woodpeckers and they thought that I'd use it for a feeder. Instead I stuck the Brom in it, LOL. This shows the back side of the coconut and the woodpeckers: View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 09:03 PM	That is very pretty, and a fantastic idea :).. If the little guy increases, I'd love to trade. It has grown since I got it. It was sold as a terrarium plant, but I think the light in my setup wasn't strong enough, so I tucked it in the the pot of a majesty palm sitting in a sunny spot, kind of protected, but getting dappled sunshine. I need to research how much light makes them happy.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 09:17 PM	Yes Lin, it's the same Aechmea. They have a wide range of color depending on their care. I have a group in full sun that gets mostly orange, and some shade grown ones that are more green. Jsmom's striped Earth Star looks like Cryptanthus zonatus 'Zebrinus'. your colonies look like Cryptanthus bivittatus on the left, and I think Cryptanthus bromelioides on the left. The coconut noid needs to get a flower for ID; looks like it has previously, can you describe the flower?
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 09:21 PM	You may see a pup on your Cryptanthus by next summer, but even if you don't, I will gladly share a couple of mine with you in spring!
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 09:42 PM	Here is a Cryptanthus colony growing on moss covered lava. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 09:43 PM	That is so cool!
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 09:53 PM	Lin, I'll have one for you, if possible. The lady I got this from is pretty neat, she loses plants, and forgets the names, and is just human. I like to keep in touch with her. I was supposed to get some stuff from her this spring anyway.
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 09:56 PM	No rush ... I keep saying I have way too many plants and need to downsize! That lady sounds a bit like me ... labels fade and my old brain has faded too! I'm always forgetting the name of plants!
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 10:07 PM	Neoregelia marmorata. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:15 PM	Wow ... another beauty! These pic's could get me hooked on another type of plant but alas, I have no more room, LOL. Neoregelia Fireball x something or other ... edited to correct spelling! This message was edited Nov 15, 2009 9:16 PM View Larger
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 10:19 PM	Guzmania sanguinea. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:20 PM	An unknown View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:21 PM	Oh, I really like the Guzmania sanguinea! Nice colors!
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:23 PM	Another unknown View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 10:27 PM	Well, I have to say I'm glad I got the brom pups. I'll be a good mommy and let my son water the cups with rainwater. I'll make sure the soil is well draining enough to handle it, or add more bark. I am leaning toward putting them in a western exposure, unless you think they would like southern. If we do really well with these, I will probably be on a hunt for more :).
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 10:29 PM	And I know that you can always find room for one more plant, even if you have to stack them, lol.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 10:35 PM	Nice Lin! How large are they? Here is Guzmania lingulata var. minor, Orange Star. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:45 PM	A year ago my husband devised a system for me to be able to hang plants. I had a bunch of the wrought iron plant brackets so he hung those along two sides of the pool enclosure and bought the steel poles used for chain link fencing, capped the ends with pvc caps and painted everything brown to match the color of the aluminum. It gave me much more space for my hanging plants. View Larger
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 10:50 PM	My Brom's aren't real large at all. If I did acquire the huge ones from my sister I have no idea where I'd put them as they would have to be in containers. I don't think they'd survive winter in the ground here. This is another unknown View Larger
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 10:54 PM	Guzmania monostachia, Striped Torch. View Larger
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 10:59 PM	Very nice colors Lin. I think some of the noids maybe types of Guzmanias.
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 11:05 PM	Thanks Dave! I don't know a Vriesea from a Guzmania from a Neoregelia! Someone on here identified my Neo Zoe and also the Fireball cross. My noid plants came from (I think) Home Depot garden center. There are so many hybrids out there that it's tough to tell what's what sometimes.
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 11:09 PM	So you really can stack them. I see plants going in the betweens, hanging lower. That makes for a very nice view, too. How big of a planter would the big broms need? Ah, what lovely bromeliads you have, Dave. If I ever visited Hawaii, I would probably never want to leave. I am supposed to be spraying my plants, and still haven't gotten the gumption. I'm gonna do it though. There is a fire in there so the foliage won't stay wet for too long. And the plant room will look like a train wreck until I get it done... I think I can...
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 11:17 PM	Did giancarlo just stop being a member or something else?
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 15, 2009 11:27 PM	:( Armando/Giancarlo passed away about 1 1/2 years ago. He was such an asset to DG, knew a lot about Aroids and was such a kind and talented man. He is missed by many. LOL re: the layering of plants! One area I didn't show under a covered deck has a pole with plants hanging from plants, hanging from plants, hanging from plants! Oh, it must be cold in Kentucky if you have a fire in the fireplace. We have been having very pleasant weather here with temp's in the upper 70's during the day and low 60's at night ... this next week is supposed to be back to the low 80's. We have a fireplace but it rarely gets used.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI November 15, 2009 11:31 PM	The climate is very favorable to Bromeliads here. This is an unusual one, Tillandsia dunbarii. View Larger
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY November 15, 2009 11:44 PM	That's what I thought, and it made me cry and I never met him but have enjoyed so many of his photos. I just always thought, wow, he lives in a beautiful world... How very sad. We primarily heat with a woodstove, now. With gas heater as a backup. It is just a little chilly tonight, actually we are in a little warmup, but I want to spray and needed the foliage to dry quicker. I wondered about hanging pots from pots, too, like a rope hanger that hugged around one pot and gave a loop for the next. I did it with a coco-fiber wire basket. The wire was strong enough to support another basket underneath, so I stack the achimenes, lol. and then had a planter on the ground underneath, so no wasted space there, lol. You could probably suspend some kind of hangers and run another rung of fence tubing, if you needed more growing area. Not that I'm encouraging you, tee hee.
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) November 16, 2009 12:09 AM	Yes, my husband said he could run the same pipes at a lower level if I wanted him to but I didn't want it to be overkill, LOL. And, if I had that much more space for hanging baskets I know it would fill up quickly! When my husband retires in the next 5-7 years years we will be downsizing, selling this house and traveling. So, when that time comes I will be donating many plants to our little local Botanical Gardens, and giving others away!