If you like gardening the easy way, then you might consider growing a group of easy-care plants referred to as air plants.
As you read this, Voltaire Moise and I are in Brazil working on a tropical fruit demonstration orchard.
Brazil is the home of many fantastic air plants.
Many 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, cactus 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 they 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.
Many folks think air plants are difficult to grow, but this is not the case.
Our tropical climate is ideal for air plants that are virtually impossible to grow outdoors anywhere else in the United States.
Here, in Hawaii, many grow with almost no care.
Orchids and bromeliads are probably the most well known of the epiphytes. Many species have been introduced to the islands.
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 will 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. But 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, our 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, like tillandias, billbergias, guzmanias and aechmeas.
Staghorn and resurrection ferns are easy.
Dendrobiums, epidendrum and oncidium orchids will thrive on a minimum of 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, cactus and succulents may do 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 may breed in the center of bromeliads, especially mosquitoes.
These insects can be more than a nuisance since one species of mosquito is even 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 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.
Flushing the center of bromeliads with water occasionally 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 also consider joining one of the local orchid clubs to learn from other enthusiasts.
Local Outdoor Circles like Kona and Waikoloa are another way to meet folks who enjoy all kinds of gardening.
The Kona Outdoor Circle also has a great horticultural library open to the public.
For further information on air gardening, contact the University of Hwaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources office in Hilo or Kona.
