Garden Q&A: Bromeliads like potting mix that's organic and porous

I have several bromeliads that need repotting. What type of soil mixture should I use?

Bromeliads are in the pineapple family and most are epiphytes or air plants. In the tropics, they commonly grow on trees obtaining moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere and the debris that decays in their "cups." Outside of their native habitat, they thrive well as container plants in cooler climates or as landscape plants in warmer zones.

When repotting your plants, choose a porous, organic mixture similar to what is used with orchids. This allows quick drainage and good air circulation around the roots. Some suggested potting mixes are: one part peat, one part bark, one part coarse sand; or, one part peat, one part bark, one part perlite. Osmunda fiber (can be expensive), unshredded sphagnum moss or tree-fern fiber can be used instead of peat moss.

For additional information on caring for bromeliads, do a search on the topic on our website: www.ufl.edu.

My kids and I want to begin the New Year by starting a compost pile. Can you give us some helpful hints?

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As stated on Florida's Online Compost Center, the basic rule for backyard composting is that you can compost anything that once was a plant. This translates: Do not use animal scraps.

The basic needs for composting are food: browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen), moisture, oxygen, a suitable container or location and small particle size (less than 2 to 3 inches).

A few suggested brown materials are leaves, straw, chipped branches and tree trimmings, paper and sawdust. These are generally slower to decompose.

Green materials include plant-based kitchen scraps (no bones, fat or meat leftovers), grass clippings, manures, coffee grinds, eggshells and green leaves, among others. These materials have a higher moisture content and tend to decompose quicker.

By combining browns and greens in fairly equal parts (it doesn't have to be exact), you get an ideal mixture for creating compost, which can be used as mulch, fertilizer, or to enhance your garden soil.

As you start to build your pile, turn or mix it up periodically to help speed up the process. In the absence of rain, occasionally add water as well. Once you get your first compost pile going, you might consider starting a second or third one so that you have a continual supply of composted material.

This is just a start. The website compost.ifas.ufl.edu has tutorials and much more detail on composting. As an added benefit, you and your children will be helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to your landfill.

I am considering planting a row of plants for a privacy hedge. Someone suggested cleyera. Is this a good choice?

Given the right growing conditions, this evergreen plant, which can reach heights of 12 to 20 feet, with a 5- to 10-foot spread, can provide an attractive, natural-looking, year-round privacy protection. Ternstroemia gymnanthera, commonly called cleyera or Japanese Ternstroemia, has dense, dark green foliage that takes on shades of red depending on the season and light exposure. Planted year round in our hardiness zone, the cleyera grows upright with a moderate growth rate.

The small, white, spring blooming flowers, with a pleasant fragrance, give way to yellow/reddish fruit, which then open to reveal shiny black seeds for a winter interest. Plant in full sun (prefers morning exposure) or partial shade in well-drained, acidic soils.

The plant has moderate drought tolerance. If your landscape doesn't fit these growing conditions, such as sunlight and soil quality, you might want to consider other choices. One source would be to look at the Florida Friendly Plant Database found at floridayards.org/fyplants/. This is an interactive website that allows you to input information about the type of plants you are looking for and to help you identify plants that will work in your landscape.

Another recommended source would be to do a search at ufl.edu for the article titled: Native Florida Plants for Home Landscapes. This informative article covers a variety of ground covers, vines, shrubs, small trees, large trees, and palms and their recommended growing conditions. 

Do you know of any seasonal garden events going on this weekend?

As Christmas draws near, I am sure that a lot of the local markets will be offering Christmas-related food and plants for sale. If you are up for a road trip on Saturday, you could travel to Madison for O'Toole's Herb Farm 2012 Christmas Open House at 305 N.E. Artemesia Trail in Madison. The event, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., features jams, jellies, soaps, lotions, candles, wine, citrus, site-grown organic vegetables, jewelry, artwork, tasty food and other items of interest. Madison is about a two-hour drive west of Jacksonville on Interstate 10. One of our esteemed master gardeners describes this event as a "great day in the country." For more information, the number to call is (850) 973-3629. 

Paula Lamb is a master gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.