Today I did a little landscaping work in the food forest understory by moving around, dividing and planting out bromeliads. Earlier this year I collected about 80 to 90 different species mostly from Karl and Dennis and all of them produced several new keikis. Some of them produced up to six this year. I was having a discussion with friends about compounding growth and bromeliads are a great example. Each year 80 plants will turn into 200, 200 will turn into 800 and so on and so forth. Just as long as I keep dividing and planting them out throughout the farm.
Mulching around and sticking in bromeliads at the base of trees have been a good strategy for keeping the guinea grasses from taking over. I enjoy planting and arranging these areas and watching them slowly fill in the spaces. It does make everything look more colorful and vibrant too.
Originally posted on 2021-12-19, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.