If you like gardening the easy way, then you might consider growing a group of easy-care plants referred to as “air plants.”
Voltaire Moise and I are currently working on a tropical fruit demonstration orchard in Brazil, a country that is the home of many fantastic air plants. Many of them have found their way to Hawaii via the nursery and landscape industry.
We have been working north of Rio de Janeiro but now are heading to the mouth of the Amazon River to visit Marajo Island. This island is about five times bigger than the island of Hawaii and is the home of many rare orchids, ferns, cactuses and bromeliads that grow on trees.
This group of unusual tropicals is technically referred to as epiphytes. In wet tropical regions, almost any plant can grow on trees. Many ficus or banyan types, Vireya rhododendrons, clusias and even gingers may start their life as epiphytes. Although epiphytes grow attached to shrubs and trees, they are not parasites, since the do not take their nutrients from the plants on which they grow.
Air plants have some of the most beautiful flowers and unique foliage in the plant kingdom. They generally require less care than most other ornamentals. Our tropical climate is ideal for air plants that are virtually impossible to grow outdoors anywhere else in the United States.
Orchids and bromeliads are probably the most well-known of the epiphytes. Many species have been introduced. If you have a tree or lanai in which to hang pots, you can have flowers the year-round. All it takes is common sense, water and fertilizer.
When buying orchids and bromeliads, it is important to get healthy plants. Ask the grower or nurserymen about the particular species and its care. When grown in containers, they require repotting every two or three years. To avoid the problem of repotting, many gardeners remove the plants from the pot and attach them to the branches of a tree. Rough-barked trees like paperbark, monkeypod, calabash, ohia and African tulip are well-suited to epiphytes.
The epiphytic ferns and cactus may be also grown in pots or on trees. The secret of success is to be sure they have good drainage. Fertilize lightly every two to three months to keep plants in active growth. If plants are attached to trees, this is not required. Several brands of orchid fertilizer are available. They are satisfactory for other air plants, as well. These are specially formulated and when used according to directions will give excellent results. Disease and insect problems are few. If they do occur, local garden supply dealers have fungicides and insecticides to quickly control the situation.
Give the air plants a try in your garden. Start with easy types such as bromeliads — Tillandsias, Billbergias, Guzmanias and Aechmeas. staghorn and resurrection ferns are easy. Dendrobiums, epidendrum and oncidium orchids will thrive with minimum care. From there, go to the more exotic cattleya and moth orchids. Local nurserymen can give you quite a few ideas on the types to grow and ways to grow them.
Bromeliads, cactuses and succulents can survive with very little water or fertilizer. Ferns and orchids should be watered every few days and fertilized about once a month.
Some folks worry that insects, especially mosquitoes, may breed in the center of bromeliads. These insects can be more than a nuisance, since one species of mosquito is a vector for dengue fever. That is why natural insect control with lizards, amphibians and birds makes good sense. It also makes the garden more interesting. Anole lizards, Jackson’s chameleons and geckos — especially the gold dust day gecko — add to the tropical magic of our gardens. Many common birds feed on insects, so including a bird feeder in the garden also adds benefit and beauty. Occasionally flushing the center of bromeliads with water washes out potential mosquito homes. There are also biological insecticides that are safe and specific for mosquito control.
There are many books on orchids and their culture. You might consider joining a local orchid club to learn from other enthusiasts. Outdoor Circles like those in Kona and Waikoloa also offer opportunities to meet folks who enjoy all kinds of gardening. The Kona Outdoor Circle has a great horticultural library open to the public.
For more information on air gardening, contact the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources office in Hilo or Kealakekua.
