Epiphytic Plants
Episode: Singapore Special
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
One of the hottest trends in tropical gardening at the moment is using epiphytic plants, things like bromeliads, ferns such as Staghorns, Elkhorns and Birds Nests. Then there are also beautiful epiphytic orchids like dendrobiums and cat ears. They are quite spectacular.
The cost effective way to get it going is to use pups of bromeliads. They have the ability to hold water in the centre and that can be home to frogs and tadpoles. The good thing about these plants is that they don’t require an awful lot of nutrients so once they are strapped onto the tree they will perform beautifully.
Growing them is as simple as wrapping them in some sphagnum moss which holds moisture and nutrients around the roots while the plant grows onto its host.
You can also grow Cane Orchids like Dendrobiums, one of Singapore’s signature flowering plants. They grow well on branches but Trevor decided to utilise some old PVC piping and had holes drilled into it.
Fill the pipe with Yates Orchid Blend Potting Mix which is rich in nutrients and drains well. In each of the holes Trevor packs a dendrobium orchid in sphagnum moss which is going to grow out and look fantastic. They produce beautiful long flowers and they are fragrant. In the very top is a candy orchid which creates a real centre piece.
The end result may look pretty strange but when placed behind a water feature or garden focal piece, the effect is amazing.
Featured Products
Yates Sphagnum Moss
Orchid Potting Mix
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
One of the hottest trends in tropical gardening at the moment is using epiphytic plants, things like bromeliads, ferns such as Staghorns, Elkhorns and Birds Nests. Then there are also beautiful epiphytic orchids like dendrobiums and cat ears. They are quite spectacular.
The cost effective way to get it going is to use pups of bromeliads. They have the ability to hold water in the centre and that can be home to frogs and tadpoles. The good thing about these plants is that they don’t require an awful lot of nutrients so once they are strapped onto the tree they will perform beautifully.
Growing them is as simple as wrapping them in some sphagnum moss which holds moisture and nutrients around the roots while the plant grows onto its host.
You can also grow Cane Orchids like Dendrobiums, one of Singapore’s signature flowering plants. They grow well on branches but Trevor decided to utilise some old PVC piping and had holes drilled into it.
Fill the pipe with Yates Orchid Blend Potting Mix which is rich in nutrients and drains well. In each of the holes Trevor packs a dendrobium orchid in sphagnum moss which is going to grow out and look fantastic. They produce beautiful long flowers and they are fragrant. In the very top is a candy orchid which creates a real centre piece.
The end result may look pretty strange but when placed behind a water feature or garden focal piece, the effect is amazing.
Featured Products
Yates Sphagnum Moss
- Provides ideal environment for potted plants, especially orchids, ferns and annuals
- Natural product absorbs up to 20 times its own weight in water
- Used to lighten mixes or to form a moisture holding liner for baskets
- Can also be used as a germinating medium for seeds or as a mulch layer on pots
- Weed free
Orchid Potting Mix
- Made with bark to create an open free draining mix
- Feeds your orchids for 4 months and promotes healthy foliage and long lasting flowers.
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