Cultivation of Tillandsia kautskyi E. Pereira, an endangered Brazilian bromeliad: comparison of growing
media.
Very little is known about methods for cultivation of Tillandsia kautskyi. This study was aimed to
compare the growth of T. kautskyi plants in different growing media of vegetal origin, using a mixture containing
tree fern fiber as control. The experiment was carried out from December 2000 through April 2002, in Jaboticabal,
state of São Paulo, Brazil, in a greenhouse 70% shaded. Seedlings were planted in plastic pots filled with the
following growing media: S1 = 45% of tree fern fiber + 45% of coconut husk + 10% of earthworm humus; S2
= 45% of coconut husk + 45% of Pinus bark + 10% of earthworm humus; S3 = 100% of coconut husk with
addition of macro and micronutrients; S4 = 100% of coconut husk. Significant difference was found only for
the root system development, larger in S3 than in S2. Calculations of linear regression have indicated that the
probable causes of the poor root development in S2 were the higher density of this substrate, lower percentage
of total organic matter, lower natural humidity, lower levels of potassium and boron, and higher concentrations,
probably toxic, of phosphorus (0.19% of P2O5), iron (42086 mg/kg) and manganese (385 mg/kg). It was concluded
that T. kautskyi plants can be grown in growing medium without tree fern fiber, and the coconut husk is a good
substitute for mixtures containing tree fern fiber.