Bromeliad growing area

After an all out attack on my bromeliad collection when several Key Deer pushed their way into my fenced pool area I have moved most of the plants under the Buttonwood trees (Conocarpis erectis) that border my driveway. This has been an ongoing project requiring repoting, trimming damaged leaves and in some cases mounting plants on the trees.

The easiest way to defeat K. deer is to go above them thus the hanging wire baskets. Wire baskets also allows the soil to dry quickly...always a benefit when growing broms.

These deer are really not that fond of broms but during the dry season they will munch on most anything and with these plants that means a year or more recovery to return to their former glory.

This will take a while for me to upload all the images so I hope not to bore you and please show your own growing areas in this thread.

First the driveway and then some deer damage.

Scott

1. Bill. Hallelujah basket with Neo. Parlour Pink hanging below.
2. Neo. Royal Burgundy
3. Ae. Bert
4. Ae. Foster's Favorite (tentative ID, waiting for bloom)
5. Neo. Olens grown in good light

Scott

1. Portea petropolitana var. petropolitana often grown as a terrestrial bit does very well as an epiphyte
2. Portea 'Candy' 'Candy' with an Anthurium NOID
3. Neo. 'Treasure Chest' with Anthurium
4. Ae. 'Mend' an Ae. lueddemanniana cultivar
5. Neo. cruenta 'Red'

1. Assorted Tillandsias in a Lignum vitae.
2. Ae. Blanchettiana in a basket 3 years old and a couple tropical storms.
3. Neo. olens colony


This message was edited May 5, 2013 11:26 AM

1. Neo. Carolina 'tri- color juvenile

1. Ae. 'Lil Harv' in combo basket with Phil.'Autumn'
2. Bil. Beadleman
3. Neo. 'Yellow King' with Anthurium ' Superbum'
4. Neo. 'Fireball' with a Phal. Bloom that the iguanas haven't found yet
5. Guzmania NOID as epiphyte and doing splendidly.

Scott

Wow! What a collection you have! I had no idea deer would be a problem, but then I never thought Lubber Grasshoppers would eat bromeliads until I caught one in the act. I really like your Royal Burgundy basket and the colony of Neo.olens!

Melanie

Thanks Melanie, the collection is a labor of love. I was pretty discouraged when I got back from vacation to find the mayhem the deer had caused but with the coming of an early rainy season I got back on the horse and went to work.

1. Ae. Nudicaulis v. Albomarginata

Georgeous! You must have ideal growing conditions. I hang some of my broms in a tree until the July heat is too much. I will have to say today' favorite of your show would have to be Bill. Beadleman. I am interested. In how you hang them. I noticed some are in a fork of the tree. I usually put mine in hanging baskets.
Just love them all.

Decided to post some pics.
1. Carvata
2. Neo. Lila

This message was edited May 5, 2013 6:49 PM

This is the one I bought and the daughter confiscated.

Virsea Red Chestnut
(I'm not sure if it blooms. I have had it 2 years now.)

This was taken in 2011. Enough for now.
These I didn't mark the names when I took the photo. Back left is A. fantastic


This message was edited May 5, 2013 6:54 PM

Peg, yep, I do have great growing conditions here and under these trees is about the best on this property. Good dappled shade, great air flow and with the plants concentrated it makes watering much easier. I secure the broms to the trees with green plastic tape for about a year then remove as the roots have taken hold by then. I cover the tape with Spanish moss for appearances.
1. Sable palm that I just stick spare plants into the ground bases.
2.Same tree different angle
3. Ditto
4. Ditto

Scott,
On the last pic, is that vriesa? Do they bloom.
You'd appreciate the ortho I have.
Lovely pictures. Bromeliads must be you passion.

The last image is Aechmea 'Bert'. It's a Ae. Orlandiana hybrid.
Yep, broms are certainly a passion. I currently have about 150 different species, cultivars or hybrids but close to 300 plants.
Yes, Vriesa does bloom but they tend to be long lived plants. Some bloom quickly like V. Splendens
Scott
1. Ae. 'Vaquero'

I have alway separated multiples, but now I see the advantage of not separating.