Bromeliad Soil Mix for in the Landscape?

[The Gerg]

Hello all,

Lately I have been obsessed with adding color to the landscape. Ti plants, crotons& now bromeliads. Until now I have only really used bromeliads in pots and mostly indoors or on patios. Now I want to add into my landscape. I have ordered some that should be arriving soon. 
I’m looking for input for a good soil concoction for bromeliads. My native soil is clay. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[iDesign]

Some bromeliad growers put theirs in 100% orchid bark, but I have difficulty getting them to stand up in bark alone.

For most of mine, I hand-mix bagged soil with perlite & fine orchid bark (not the large chunky stuff). If they're extra "floppy" I use more soil near the top to anchor them. The tiny roots - if they have any - are what need to be in the loose medium.

Importance of the soil mixture varies depending on what bromeliad type you have...

- Aechmea tends to be the most hardy, and could probably grow in just native soil, though I like to add a big of perlite or bark near the root area.
- Neoregelia & Bilbergia are a little pickier, but usually happy as long as you mix in some perlite or bark near the root area.
- Vreiesea are the pickiest on both soil type & light requirements (the prima donna's of the bromeliad world).

Hope that helps! And make sure to upload photos 

[The Gerg]

  On 5/30/2022 at 8:16 PM, iDesign said:

Some bromeliad growers put theirs in 100% orchid bark, but I have difficulty getting them to stand up in bark alone.

For most of mine, I hand-mix bagged soil with perlite & fine orchid bark (not the large chunky stuff). If they're extra "floppy" I use more soil near the top to anchor them. The tiny roots - if they have any - are what need to be in the loose medium.

Importance of the soil mixture varies depending on what bromeliad type you have...

- Aechmea tends to be the most hardy, and could probably grow in just native soil, though I like to add a big of perlite or bark near the root area.
- Neoregelia & Bilbergia are a little pickier, but usually happy as long as you mix in some perlite or bark near the root area.
- Vreiesea are the pickiest on both soil type & light requirements (the prima donna's of the bromeliad world).

Hope that helps! And make sure to upload photos 

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Thank you Stacy. Yes, that does help. I thought it was supposed to be a real loose well draining medium as you described. What I ordered to start off with are the Aechmea’s. As you say, most hardy and I believe easiest in the landscape. Hard for me to find in local stores. I do see the Neoregelias and Bilbergias in some nurseries. Those usually seem to be advertised as more of an indoor plant around here though.

I will post pics eventually.

[iDesign]

All my bromeliads are outside, with varying degrees of protection. Aechmeas are the ones I torture in full hot sun (esp the large orange & yellow ones). And they're incredibly prolific... which is great if you want a lot of color quickly.

You should definitely try some Neoregelia as well! There are so many awesome colors & patterns... like a flower that's always in bloom. And yes, they sell them in the "indoor plants" section... but mine go straight to the yard. Partial sun works best for most neos.

One nice thing (though dangerous to the wallet) is the fact that broms ship very well. It's easy to get addicted.  As a FYI, the "World Bromeliad Show" is in Florida this year - in one week! Not that you would go... just pointing out that the Florida sellers have a lot more stock right now than they will in two weeks.

One tempation... Michael's bromeliads has Alcantarea "Julietta" available right now. That's a gorgeous one that eventually gets HUGE, and lasts for years.  Definitely worth considering.  Here's the purchase link (tempt tempt) - https://michaelsbromeliads.com/shop/ols/products/alcantarea-julietta

I also just added additional photos of Julietta to this Palmtalk thread - 

Plant people are great at convincing each other they need more plants!

[The Gerg]

  On 5/30/2022 at 9:40 PM, iDesign said:

Plant people are great at convincing each other they need more plants!

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What you mean is we are enablers. 

It’s surprising just how large some of these can get. For the most part I’m looking to fill in around my palms and cycads. But some of these you kind of need to give about the same space you do a cycad. I was reading your thread you attached. It sounds like perhaps I can stick some of these in “filler spots” and then move them once they start to outgrow that location. (You said they transplant easily).

I agree dangerous to the wallet. I won’t say what I just spent for the 14 I just ordered. 

[iDesign]

  On 5/31/2022 at 4:12 AM, The Gerg said:

What you mean is we are enablers. 

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Absolutely!!! Now that I'm running out of space in my yard I'm starting to make suggestions for other people's yards (lol).

  On 5/31/2022 at 4:12 AM, The Gerg said:

It’s surprising just how large some of these can get... It sounds like perhaps I can stick some of these in “filler spots” and then move them once they start to outgrow that location. (You said they transplant easily).

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They transplant very easily! The younger ones especially, but I've also moved my two larger Julietta's a few times now.  One is now in its "forever home" but the other is going to be moved at least once more (despite being mature).  Bromeliads have very shallow roots, so you just need to dig a small amount of dirt around the base, lift it, and plunk it down in the new location.

With my six "Mom" Juliettas I do have them temporarily in buried pots (as shown in the "Easy Sun Tolerant Bromeliads" thread). They probably don't need to be in pots, but I wanted to give these ones extra protection as I'm growing some hair pups at the base, and didn't want to risk ripping the pups off while moving the parent brom.  Either way you can ABSOLUTELY use young Juliettas (or other large broms) as a temporary splash of color, without taking its eventual size into consideration. Unlike palms, you can just move it (fairly easily) if/when it outgrows its original spot.

  On 5/31/2022 at 4:12 AM, The Gerg said:

I agree dangerous to the wallet. I won’t say what I just spent for the 14 I just ordered. 

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Looking forward to seeing the photos!!!

If it makes you feel better, bromeliads are an INVESTMENT in that one bromeliad usually leads to many more in the future (via "pups"). Once in a while it won't though. My most frustrating purchase was a $70 "Robert Menescal" which I was able to justify as an "investment" in my mind. The stupid thing never pupped! I get frustrated when an expensive brom doesn't pup for me. Vrieseas have done it the most (I have a love/hate relationship with that brom type). Most of my broms DO pup though... and if most of them do, you can call it an investment (not a splurge). At least that's what I tell myself