Building a bromeliad log

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ourarka

Building a bromeliad log

Post by ourarka »

Does anyone have much knowledge/experience of this? Thinking about constructing one in the conservatory but not quite sure where to start.
Mr List

Re: Building a bromeliad log

Post by Mr List »

going on my houseplant book the easiest way seems to be get a big interesting looking branch and put it in a pot set in concrete.
ourarka

Re: Building a bromeliad log

Post by ourarka »

So a little research has suggested maybe using a 'reptile terrarium' log to stick plants to, using sphagnum moss and wire/glue. It is going to be suspended in my conservatory ... so care will have to be taken for it not to dry out. Does anyone know and epiphytes/bromeliads that will do well in a dryish environment with hot summer temps and cool winter ones?
Javeo

Re: Building a bromeliad log

Post by Javeo »

You can get hollow cork bark logs form a good reptile shop. I would drill holes for the plants, fill in with coir, block the ends with coco matting and plant. I planted all sorts of ferns, broms and orchids and creeping fig ficus pumilo. Mine were all in tropical vivaria so grew very quickly and got covered in moss. All plants were from garden centres or dartfrog.co.uk.
ourarka

Re: Building a bromeliad log

Post by ourarka »

Thanks, I have been looking in reptile shops though still haven't found one long enough - Ill find it eventually. I was under the impression that you didn't need to fill it with a substrate, rather attach the plants with wire/glue and use the log purely to mount the plants, as they will get their moisture from the air? Is this not the case?

Also, any suggestions of smaller bromeliads/epiphytes that would be happy in a frost free conservatory would be much appreciated as there seems to be hundreds to research!
Javeo

Re: Building a bromeliad log

Post by Javeo »

The only reason I did fill the log was to grow some non epiphytes to look like epiphytes. You could grow pure epiphytes as you say. Look on the dartfrog website I mentions, they have a big range of ferns, orchids and bromeliads that you could easily grow. I don't know about hardy ones as I always grew them in hot humid vivariums for tree and dart frogs.
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