Big air plant seeks home
March 9, 2013 4:53 PM Subscribe
A big plant has fallen out of a tree in my tropical yard. Can I mount it on my balcony railing?
I live in a "tropical wet and dry" area. Workers cut down one of several trees in my yard and in the pile of branches I found this big plant. It's a philodendron, right? It has cousins growing on other trees in the yard. It wasn't growing in soil.
Its big leaves are about 19" long, and the trunk/root apparatus is about 4 feet long.
Can I somehow connect it to the railing of my second-story balcony and keep it happy? The balcony is on the north side of the house and in most seasons is in bright shade. In the summer, it receives direct sun in the middle of the day. A big plant connected to the railing would give me more privacy.
The railing has four horizontal metal strips spaced about 8" apart, ladder style. Would I need to first attach the plant to a thick branch (there are plenty lying around, mostly sour orange) or can I connect it directly to the railings or do I need a cedar slab or ... what? Would plastic-coated wire be okay for connecting it?
And should I worry about the summer sun? Any other ideas to keep that big boy happy? For now I've propped it in another tree. Thanks!
I live in a "tropical wet and dry" area. Workers cut down one of several trees in my yard and in the pile of branches I found this big plant. It's a philodendron, right? It has cousins growing on other trees in the yard. It wasn't growing in soil.
Its big leaves are about 19" long, and the trunk/root apparatus is about 4 feet long.
Can I somehow connect it to the railing of my second-story balcony and keep it happy? The balcony is on the north side of the house and in most seasons is in bright shade. In the summer, it receives direct sun in the middle of the day. A big plant connected to the railing would give me more privacy.
The railing has four horizontal metal strips spaced about 8" apart, ladder style. Would I need to first attach the plant to a thick branch (there are plenty lying around, mostly sour orange) or can I connect it directly to the railings or do I need a cedar slab or ... what? Would plastic-coated wire be okay for connecting it?
And should I worry about the summer sun? Any other ideas to keep that big boy happy? For now I've propped it in another tree. Thanks!
Yes on the philodendron.
Be aware that while it may have been weird for you to have a plant take a header out of its apparently perfectly good home, it may in fact be a useful and natural method of (self-) propagation. Phils will live in a potting medium just as they will as epiphytic plants (epiphytes aren't parasites - they still live on sun and water). bebrave!'s recommendations above are pretty sound - get the thing a new home and give it plenty of benevolent neglect.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2013
Be aware that while it may have been weird for you to have a plant take a header out of its apparently perfectly good home, it may in fact be a useful and natural method of (self-) propagation. Phils will live in a potting medium just as they will as epiphytic plants (epiphytes aren't parasites - they still live on sun and water). bebrave!'s recommendations above are pretty sound - get the thing a new home and give it plenty of benevolent neglect.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, bebravel and Emperor SnooKloze!
posted by ceiba at 7:43 PM on March 10, 2013
posted by ceiba at 7:43 PM on March 10, 2013
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Only reason I can think of is if it happens to be some type of protected species, so, make sure before you invest time, money and love.
As far as how/where to set it up: Go look around the area where all the brothers/cousins of this particular species that are living about have set themselves up. Check out the micro-environment they like (light/water/substrate) and try to reproduce that.
I have no experience with philodendron, and can't even tell you that's what your plant is. But I know a little about "air" plants, as you call this type (with roots in the air, not in the soil), just tangentially. My BFF is an orchid fiend, and many orchid spp are air plants, and what she does with these at "re-potting" time is to
-Strip the plant of any old/dead/wimpy stuff, roots and leaves
-Find a substrate the plant will like. Uses a wood plank sometimes, but most often a large-ish bit of bark/cork (I think only for weight considerations but not sure)
-Play with orientation. How will it hang from/on your balcony on this plank?
-Wire it up: use some type of thin, non-reactive (won't rust, etc) wire, mostly just to anchor the plant securely at/around the convergence of the roots and stalk. Strategically pad/protect plant from wiring constriction with spaghnum moss, also distracts from the wire's appearance, also retains some moisture at roots
-Wire plant to balcony or use a hook on the back of the wood slab to hang
-Water (just splash water on it around from the top) pretty frequently (every day or so?) in the morning for the first few weeks
-Enjoy!
Caution: These are not knowlegeable suggestions, just what I would try.
Also: Just google around and find out what these plants want
Good luck!
posted by bebrave! at 7:48 PM on March 9, 2013 [1 favorite]