Bromeliads questions.

[Briank]

Hi.  Most of my post have been in palm forum over past yr as I've been planting palms all yr.  Now I'm done with palms, ran out of room, now working on companion plants and learning about the work of Bromeliads ! Have got a couple real nice Achmea Blanch, about 6 of them sprinkled around with different colors as they handle the full sun the best I've read. 

 

Finding a good source in So cal on Bromeliads is tough.   I've seen a bunch on eBay that give me a variety, but seems the best nurseries for different variety are in Florida or Hawaii.  I want to learn more about them, do a lot of reading and looking at these amazing colored tropical plants.  I do not have much shaded area yet, and trying to not get deep in buying a bunch that will not survive even though they are pretty hardy.  

Also few experts have told me to just keep in pots, with good fox farm soil mix, and put into ground where I would like in my yard. Do most people do this or would you take an offset and plant straight into ground? Probably best to pot and offset first then let it grow in ground in pot I imagine. 

 

If if anyone has any good tips or types of bromeliads that work in full sun or moderate sun would like to learn on your experiences or some good sources online I could try.     Thanks and enjoy spring on its way! 

 

 

[Neil C]

I've never heard of putting the whole pot in the ground but it would make sense if your garden soil is lousy for bromeliads. I tend to take pups off plants already growing in the ground and then root them in small pots before replanting them. With Achmea blanch because they are so large I do plant the pups directly in the ground and they do fine. What is your soil like? Mine is quite sandy and this seems to suit bromeliads fine. They really need to sit in free draining soil and will rot if the base is kept too wet. Have fun sourcing some and they are can be quite addictive.

 

Regards Neil

[Tropicgardener]

I know of some bromeliad collectors who bury the pots and cover them with pine bark or similar mulch....... The reasoning for this is that it makes it easier to remove pups and then replant the mother. This technique is used especially for prolific pup producers such as Neoregelias.

[talkjk]

I was told the same thing about leaving in the pot. I planted two at the same time a few years back just a few feet apart, one in the pot and one out. The one in the pot looks much better, nice and tight. The other is more sparse. 

[Matt in OC]

Hey Danny, you need to check in with Dean Slater in San Clemente. He imports bromeliads from HI and FL and has the best variety. There are a ton of full sun broms for us in SoCal.

As far as pot planting, I haven't done it with my broms, but I'm sure it helps prevent them rotting in our dense soil. 

[WonderKeeper]

Why not look around for bromeliad collectors , bromeliad clubs in your area. This way you can get the plant that will adjust easy with the weather in your garden. Bromeliad out of states or has been grown in green /shade house, it need more time to get use to your location. Even it said to be sun bromeliad, don't just put them out to the sun from the day you get it home. Let it out to the sun slowly.

Most of my bromeliads I grow on trees, on and in the ground. On  the ground, I just let it sit straight up or most I just dig a hole and put it in with well drainage  soil has lot of peat moss/ coco fiber. For me , they do well everywhere in my garden. The most important thing you should remember is that  put bromeliads  straight up , so  its leaves can catch water. Don't for get to wear long thick glove when handle them. Most of them would have sharp teeth run  along edge leaves.

[Tracy]

Locally in San Diego area, I picked up a few items at Rancho Soledad a few years back, specifically some Neoreglias.  I haven't been to Bird Rock Tropicals, but used to visit them periodically a couple of decades ago when they were up the hill from me in Carlsbad.  They moved to Encinitas a long time ago.  A nice Aechmea which takes full sun, and stays a good size is Aechmea recuvarta "Aztec Gold".  All the Puya species will do well in full sun and can handle almost no water here except our infrequent rainfall.  Some species of Puya will bloom more frequently while others are years in the waiting.  I would encourage container planting the Puya's just to contain them.  My Puya alpestris have required "harvesting" to keep them contained, and they are vicious plants, with backward looping barbs.  Blooms are a showstopper though.  I have neighbors who walk by my front garden and check to see if the Puya that bloomed 2 years ago are showing signs of new blooms. 

[Tracy]

Sorry, I meant to say I haven't been to Bird Rock Tropicals recently.  The Aztec Gold above came from them.  I'm also hoping to harvest some offshoots from my Vriesia imperialis in Carlsbad to transplant into my new garden.  They handle full sun in our climate, and it is a nice jumbo size bromeliad.

[Palm Tree Jim]

On 3/7/2016, 4:25:18, Matt in OC said:

Hey Danny, you need to check in with Dean Slater in San Clemente. He imports bromeliads from HI and FL and has the best variety. There are a ton of full sun broms for us in SoCal.

As far as pot planting, I haven't done it with my broms, but I'm sure it helps prevent them rotting in our dense soil. 

Dean has a great selection.

As for pot planting, I have done it on occasion with success. For me, broms are easy and seem not to mind being in soil.

The problem becomes what to do with all the pups you generate. Over the past 10 years, I have given away so many broms to friends with the hopes they can enjoy them as well.

[Matt in OC]

Not to hijack the thread, but are there broms that do well in half to full sun that are unarmed? The aechmeas are too sharp for the kids.

[Tracy]

Plenty of Neo's that I have grown in half sun which aren't very vicious, but most of the bromeliads I have grown in full sun are definitely not kid friendly.  One exception would be the Vriesea imperialis.

1 hour ago, Matt in OC said:

Not to hijack the thread, but are there broms that do well in half to full sun that are unarmed? The aechmeas are too sharp for the kids.

 

[Matt in OC]

Excellent thought, Tracy. I have an Imperialis I could swap with my banished Aechmea. Thanks!

[Briank]

I have found another grower in Yorba Linda that has some Alcanterea Imperilis, some are red some I imagine that is the Rubra form. Looks like they get huge so they will take up some room. I have bought most of my broms from Dean & will be getting more from him.   Just looking for other sources and varieties.   Have bought some on eBay with no problems got some good deals and will not kill my pocket if they don't acclimate.  But when I do dish out larger amount of money I want them to be grown in so cal.  Will check out bird Rock next.  Thanks for the info. 

 

 

[Kim]

Join the San Diego Bromeliad Society and you will soon have more bromeliads than you can shake a stick at!  Nice people, too.  Oodles of plants at the right meetings, and all good for San Diego, priced competitively.

 

[Shon]

If ever in north county pm me I've got plenty. All types. 

[Pando]

Local nursery here had some foot-tall Alcantarea (Vriesea) imperialis rubra for like $17 each, most having 4-6 large grass pups all around them. I couldn't believe it. Needless to say I grabbed a bunch. The one I put into sun is turning quite red.

[Monòver]

Very good price!!!

[Matt in OC]

20 hours ago, Pando said:

Local nursery here had some foot-tall Alcantarea (Vriesea) imperialis rubra for like $17 each, most having 4-6 large grass pups all around them. I couldn't believe it. Needless to say I grabbed a bunch. The one I put into sun is turning quite red.

Wow, what nursery is that? That might be worth the drive!

[BigFrond]

On Tue Mar 29 2016 10:11:08 GMT-0700, Matt in OC said:

Wow, what nursery is that? That might be worth the drive!

Green Thumb here in San Marcos, same price.  I grabbed a couple myself.  Lots of pups.

[Pando]

8 hours ago, BigFrond said:

Green Thumb here in San Marcos, same price.  I grabbed a couple myself.  Lots of pups.

Yup, I PMed Matt earlier, that's where I got them from. There were about 3-4 left a few days ago, although these had been sitting there for several months.

They turn RED when put into sunny location. This is what mine looks like now after a few months (likely the same batch). I already removed a bunch of pups and there are more coming.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Pando

[BS Man about Palms]

On 3/31/2016, 7:34:21, Pando said:

Yup, I PMed Matt earlier, that's where I got them from. There were about 3-4 left a few days ago, although these had been sitting there for several months.

They turn RED when put into sunny location. This is what mine looks like now after a few months (likely the same batch). I already removed a bunch of pups and there are more coming.

As of Friday they are out... ... 

 

But two are now in bigger pots and one is in the ground.. Thanks for the heads up Big and Pando..

[Pando]

On ‎4‎/‎2‎/‎2016‎ ‎9‎:‎44‎:‎00‎, BS Man about Palms said:

As of Friday they are out... ... 

But two are now in bigger pots and one is in the ground.. Thanks for the heads up Big and Pando..

I went there this morning... looks like you cleaned that place up!  

[BS Man about Palms]

Who me? Would I do that?