Bromeliads Revisited

 By The Plant Lady

          As we hear more  about the spread of the Zika virus, I started to feel a little guilty about the hundred or so water-trapping bromeliads in my yard. 
           I also was getting to the point I didn't really like "the look" so much anymore, as the bromeliads spread helter skelter and climbed up the oak trees they ringed.  I had mixed too many different kinds, and some of them were harder than others to anchor ,and kept falling over.  There were dead "mothers" stuck in among the newer pups,  and a number of brown leaves and dead flowers, called inflorescences. 
             So I went out, sporting my extremely hot leather gloves that go up to my elbows, to spruce them up. The last time I took on this chore, I got dozens of painful cuts up and down my forearms that stung for a couple days, so I ordered the gloves, normally meant for rose growers.  That's the thing about Florida; even the prettiest plants can grow out of control.
          I came back with about eight mosquito bites. Not good. I noticed a pregnant neighbor out in the yard. Even less good, since the Zika virus causes birth defects. I decided maybe it was time to clean out the mounds of bromeliads around my oaks and go for a new look. 
           True, you can spray the water tanks of the plants with horticultural oil (though it is pretty hot for that right now, you'd have to get going early in the morning); with a combination of salad oil and dish soap and water;  any number of commercial mosquito "dunks;" or even a few drops of mineral oil, to kill off those larvae. But I didn't trust myself to keep up with it. After all, the reason I planted so many bromeliads was because I considered them care-free. 

 A Keeper.

             I was more than ready for a change and this seemed like a good time. I kept some of the more dramatic specimens. A couple Blue Tangos, a few with tall yellow and pink inflorescences, and some brightly colored and speckled ones. I am hardly bereft of bromeliads, but they are in pots on the side of the yard now, except for one bunch of very dark burgundy Neoregelias that I left in front of one oak. It just feels more manageable this way. A great number of a variety that had pretty, but very short-lived, red or pink flowers--and reproduced relentlessly--ended up in the trash can. 
             Today I filled a watering can with 2 gallons of water, and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and dish soap, and flooded the vases of the ones I have left. One can was enough. 
               I am not saying that everybody has to rip out their bromeliads, especially if you only have a few. There are many, many other sources of standing water in South Florida that will have a much bigger impact on the spread of the virus than bromeliads. But be aware of that they are breeding grounds for mosquitos, especially if they are close to your house, and could require some attention if we have a rainy summer.

                

If you have an questions or comments, you can contact The Plant Lady at christinewj6380@gmail.com.