Bromeliad and vine maintenance

The beginning of the day was typical for November -- windy, with overcast fast-moving clouds. But, by the afternoon the sun was out, the wind was calming, and the temps were in the mid-50s. It was nice to walk back to my car in the parking lot across campus from the greenhouse.

My first task was to use some of the new hardware J... had purchased to use as support for the vine plants. Specifically I used one of the new carabiner hooks to replace and open hook holding up one of the vines in room C3. I only took a few minutes. It is good to know the new hardware should last them a year or two of vine maintenance.

Coordinator A... then asked me to hard-prune 4 of the vine plants in room C2. They were a bit overgrown, leggy, and infested with scale insects. The infestation was especially heavy at the top of the plants, near the overhead support cable. I took down all 4 of the vines, cutting them back to naked stems 6 inches above the soil. I cut across the stems about an inch above a node, where new stems and leaves will eventually sprout. Fingers crossed! I also removed any dead leaves and other humus from the surface of the soil that might harbor insect eggs and other pathogens. I had been careful to use alcohol spray to clean the cutting snipper between plants, as requested by greenhouse policy.

Next, in room C3 I trimmed a rambling hydrangea back to the stems, as I had for the vines in C2.

Finally, A... asked me to split and repot two of the Southamerican bromeliad plants in room C2. They have become overgrown, sending runners and pups over the sides of the pots. The roots are quite shallow, typical of bromeliad plants in general. Their roots are mostly for support, typical of epiphytic plants. J... suggested I use a well-draining soil (mix of arid and bark 2:1 ratio). The plant names are: Canistrum triangular (green); Neoregelia oligantha (red)

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