Bromeliads and Zika

 By The Plant Lady
                 
              One of the easiest and most dramatic plants you can put in your tropical garden is the bromeliad.  There are more than 3,000 species in the world, and few plants are more carefree, even being so cooperative as the reproduce themselves in an orderly fashion.                  Each bromeliad "mother" produces a number of pups, which grow into new plants in a period of anywhere from one to five years, according to Andrew Steen's "Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden." The gardener's only chore is to remove them (which encourages the production of more) and replant them, when they are anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant, which dies back. 
            Planting bromeliads is not that much of a burden, since most don't require dirt; their roots are mainly for support. You can simply set them in pots or attach them to trees or wedge them among rocks. There are some semi-epiphytic varieties that can adapt to growing in soil and develop bigger root systems, which you can plant.           
              They also run the gamut from thriving in full sun to deep shade. The general rule of thumb is that the thicker the leaves, the more sun a bromeliad can tolerate. The shade-lovers tend to have softer, more pliable leaves. However, if you get it wrong, the shade-lovers will scorch badly in too much sun.
            Bromeliads are one of my favorite plants for bringing a real tropical look to my landscaping, and I have dozens of them around two large Live Oaks in my front yard, and others around palm trees and in pots. The variety seems almost endless. 
           

              I love them not just for their looks, but because they survive storms, droughts and cold spells and just keep merrily blooming and reproducing. Once in awhile I have to get my long leather gloves and go clean out some of the dead mother plants, separate some of the pups, and pull down some rambunctious ones that are climbing my oak trees, a look I don't like. 
               I love the fact that many of my friends thin theirs out frequently and I can pick up more.
             But every Southern gardener probably knows all this about bromeliads, and also is no doubt well aware of the mosquito breeding potential of most varieties. Obviously, if you have a plant designed like a vase with a built-in water tank in the center of its rosette-shaped leaves, it is no surprise that mosquito larvae are likely to breed there. This is especially true when you live in an area with a whole season full of tropical downpours, not to mention in-ground sprinklers to take up the slack. 
          But recently there has been more than the usual concerns about bromeliads as suitable garden plants because of the current panic over the Zika virus in this region.               
               I read an editorial in the Miami Herald not too long ago saying that homeowners should be encouraged to get rid of sources of standing water, including water-holding plants. 
                It seems a little bizarre that in this land of canals, bird baths, lakes, ponds and other "water features," that anyone should worry about the water-retaining capabilities of a few small plants. 
                 I doubt if there will be an all out movement to rip out bromeliads and tear native Tillandsias off of trees where they form naturally, but if you are concerned about the mosquito issue, there is something you can do. 
                 Murray Corman, a director of the Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County, and a recent speaker at the Parkland Garden Club, advised bromeliad lovers to periodically spray horticultural oil over their bromeliads. He also suggested, for smaller bromeliad collections, buying Mosquito Bits or breaking up Mosquito Dunks--biological mosquito controls sold at any big box hardware store--and tossing them into your bromeliads' water tanks. 
                 An even simpler home-grown method involves mixing a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent and a teaspoon of salad oil in one quart of water, and spraying into the vase of your bromeliads.
                 It may take away a little bit from the carefree label that usually goes with bromeliads, but if the virus does become a problem here, it is certainly preferable to getting rid of all your plants.
             Send any questions are comments to christinewj6380@gmail.com.