Tillandsias, often known as air plants, are a common and simple to grow plant. They’ve become incredibly popular and are frequently utilized in homes and workplaces. They naturally grow on another host, tree, or item and are considered an epiphyte, along with orchids and bromeliads, without taking nutrition from its host. They need water, light, and nutrients but no soil to flourish. Through microscopic capillaries on their leaves known as trichomes, air plants can absorb moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere. What a cool thing!
Despite being incredibly easy to maintain, air plants nevertheless require some care in order to flourish. Tillandsias can live for several years with proper care and give birth to “pups” (baby air plants) for added enjoyment. We’ve provided highly detailed care advice that is supposed to be helpful. We merely want to arm you with the knowledge you need to take excellent care of your tillandsias. Keep in mind that air plants are quite simple to maintain.
Light
- Any plant needs light to survive, but fortunately, air plants may survive with filter sunlight or even artificial light.
- Place your air plant between three and five feet from a window or close to a source of artificial light.
- An air plant should not receive too much sunshine, even inside. Choose a spot that is only somewhat shaded if you are growing outside. Few plants can withstand full-day sun.
Watering
- The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that each air plant will need a different amount of water depending on its variety, size, and environment of growth. These are recommendations, not unalterable laws.
- Watering air plants at least once a week is beneficial when growing them inside. The location’s humidity affects frequency. In comparison to a plant grown in a more humid environment, an air plant grown close to a heater will dry up considerably more quickly and require more frequent watering.
- Place your air plant face down in water, in a container or in your sink, and let it soak there for 10 to 20 minutes to hydrate it. Alternately, you might repeatedly submerge plants in water. To avoid rotting or damage, gently shake off extra water after soaking.
- Water should ideally be applied early in the day so that moisture can evaporate. After four hours, they should be dry enough to be put back in a container or on display.
- While spraying your tillandsia sometimes can be helpful, it is not always advised.
- Use a houseplant or orchid fertilizer with a low copper content if you want to feed your air plant because they are extremely sensitive to copper. Don’t fertilize your plant too frequently because it’s quite easy to overfeed it; diluting your fertilizer can help.
- You can soak your air plants in water (in a bowl or sink) for several hours or overnight if they ever appear “thirsty” or like they are having trouble. This frequently aids in reviving your tillandsia.
- Rainwater or pond water work best for watering tillandsia. Never use distilled or artificially softened water to water your plants.
- Dehydrated plants’ leaves are closed and coiled, while healthy air plants have wide, open leaves.
- An air plant’s flower or blossom should never be submerged because doing so can cause rotting.
Environment
- Your air plants will thrive in a bathroom or kitchen window, where the steam and moisture will make them extremely content.
- The growth and water requirements of air plants can be impacted by temperature. Between 10 and 32 degrees Celsius, air plants thrive (50F-90F). Since tillandsia are extremely sensitive to cold, freezing temperatures are one thing they do not enjoy.
- It makes sense that air plants need clean, healthy air to grow. They require considerable air movement after watering so that they can dry out in 4 hours.
- Although it is fairly common to place tillandsia in containers or terrariums and they have thrived there, it is not advised that they be completely enclosed in them. No air circulation means your plant won’t have any moisture or nutrients.
- Keep your plants away from heater and air conditioner vents so they don’t dry out too quickly and require additional watering.
Other Tips
- Do not ever submerge an air plant in soil. They don’t need soil because it will just make them decay.
- In addition to gaining new leaves, your air plant will also shed some. You can use scissors to clip off any brown or dead leaves for aesthetic purposes. Cut at a sharp angle so that the leaves still have a natural appearance to “conceal” this trimming.
- Although they are not necessary and just serve to anchor the plant to a host, roots may already be present or continue to grow. Depending on your preference, you can either leave the roots on or chop them off.
- You can use E3000 super glue (other glues can come loose over time/when wet or harm your plant) or string to secure your air plant in place on decorative “hosts.” With your air plant, stay away from pressure-treated wood and copper.
- As air plants develop, they can produce both blooms and pups, which are their young. Pups can either be removed when they are 1/3 the size of the mother plant or left on the mother plant to form a “clump” that hangs in a longer string.
Is it possible to over-soak an air plant?
Most air plants with plenty of trichomes (xeric plants) should be often misted or soaked, whereas mesic plants, which have bright green leaves and less trichomes, prefer to be drenched only once a week. In our blog post Mesic Vs Xeric Air Plants, we go into further detail regarding the differences between Xeric and Mesic plants. However, there is one exception to this rule: air plants with bulbous bases, even those with bright green, smooth leaves, should frequently not be wet for extended periods of time as well. Because of water buildup in their bulbous bases, plants are susceptible to internal rot.
Instead of being wet, Xerographica air plants should be sprayed or submerged. These plants, which are xeric in nature, are indigenous to arid areas. These plants can survive more sun and less water. A xerographica should be submerged in a basin or pail of water, then gently shaken to let the water drip off the leaves. To prevent water from getting stuck in the leaves, let the item dry upside-down.
The Tillandsia tectorum is an air plant that you shouldn’t wet because it has a lot of fuzzy leaves. The tectorum’s large trichomes on its leaves aid in absorbing moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. These plants have evolved to survive without much precipitation and are naturally found in arid areas of Ecuador and Peru. Depending on how hot and dry it is where you live, we advise spraying these guys every other week or so. They also favor open air and strong light.
The distinctive feature of bulbous air plants is that they have what are known as “pseudobulbs.” In the natural, ant colonies construct their nests inside of these hollow onion-shaped bulbs, which are essentially hollow themselves. When watering these plants, especially when soaking them, exercise caution. These so-called pseudobulbs are susceptible to water intrusion, which can cause the plant to rot from the inside out. You can either submerge them in water and shake off the extra afterward, or you can hold them under running water while avoiding their bases. The T. caput medusae, T. bulbosa, T. pruinosa, T. pseudobaileyi, T. butzii, and T. seleriana plants are included in this group.
Another reason not to soak T. pruinosa and T. seleriana is that they both have a lot of trichomes. They could decay from soaking because of too much water.
You shouldn’t immerse air plants with delicate leaves like T. fuchsii v gracilis and T. andreana. These plants benefit more from light misting or rapid dunks. You may need to spritz these plants as frequently as every couple of days to make sure they are receiving enough water because of their thin, wispy leaves, which can cause them to dry out more quickly between waterings.
The Tillandsia magnusiana should be misted or dipped rather than soaked because it has a lot of trichomes. These plants’ form and trichome content can make them more prone to decay.
When watering air plants that are in bloom, exercise caution to avoid getting the blossom itself wet. While it would be acceptable to soak the plant’s bottom leaves, we frequently advise pouring water over them or immersing them to avoid wetting the blossom. A bloom that has been moist for a long time may develop rot, which may eventually spread to the leaves and kill the plant.
How much time should air plants soak?
It is preferable to soak your air plants in a bowl of water for 20 to an hour once per week to 10 days. Totally submerge the plant. Even though they are constantly wet in nature, if your plant is in bloom, you might want to keep the bud above the water to avoid disturbing it.
How to Take Care of Air Plants
You’ve come to the right site if you want to learn how to care for air plants. Let’s start by quickly going over what air plants are and aren’t.
- Tillandsia is the genus of plants that includes air plants, and in their natural habitat, they coexist together with other plants and trees. This indicates that while they may eat other plants to survive, they do not do so exclusively. None of them are parasitic.
- They don’t need soil because air plants can survive on other plants and trees. They obtain all of their nutrients from the nearby water and air.
- You must give Tillandsia the same care that they would receive in nature if you want to retain them as indoor house plants. nutrition, water, light, and air.
- Aside from that, air plants can be positioned just about anyplace. They can be wired or fastened to surfaces without hurting them, utilized as live decor, or even used in plant crafts. (So long as watering them is still possible.)
Do Air Plants Need Sun?
Bright, filtered light is preferred by air plants. Assuming that since air plants don’t require soil, they also don’t require light is the quickest method to destroy one. Although you shouldn’t place them in the light directly, a bright window is ideal. We have successfully grown air plants up to 10 feet away from a light source, but if you want your air plants to thrive, I would not advise going any farther. Remember to keep your air plants away from direct sunlight if you display them in glass globes, which is a common practice. Make sure not to turn your air plant pets’ habitat into a little oven because glass concentrates heat and sunlight.
Soaking Air Plants
The soaking method of watering air plants is the most effective. It’s fairly easy… Take a sizable bowl—or even a stopped-up sink—and fill it with fresh water. The air plants should soak for an hour in the water. To make sure they get a nice soak on all surfaces and the tips of the leaves, I flip mine over halfway through. Some of the air plants actually show signs of swelling while absorbing water. When properly watered, the curly variety will actually relax their curl. I give the water a weak dose of liquid plant fertilizer once a month. The ideal strength is half.
Misting Air Plants
Misting air plants a few times a week is another way to water them. If your Tillandsia is a mounted display that is difficult to separate for soaking, this may be your only choice. Simply put, some people favor this approach. In dry weather or when your home is utilizing air conditioning or heating, misting air plants should be done more frequently. Conclusion: For typical conditions, 2-3 times each week; for a dry or hot household, 4-5 times per week. In addition to soaking air plants, we utilize misting. When we don’t have time for a thorough bath, we spray instead, and at least once every two weeks, we give them a good, long drink.
How Often to Water Air Plants
Make sure your air plants receive a really nice soak at least once a month if you’re misting and soaking together. a minimum.
More drought-resistant air plants than those with green or smooth leaves are those with gray or fuzzy leaves. They won’t need as much watering as a result.
Depending on how warm or dry your air is, you may need to water your air plants more frequently. It’s time for a good watering if you notice any leaf shriveling. It’s best to err on the side of underwatering, as with most houseplants, rather than overwatering.
Avoiding Air Plant Diseases
Rot is the only pathogen that poses a serious threat to air plants. And with proper air plant care, it may be completely avoided 99 percent of the time. Always place your air plants upside down on a towel to dry for at least an hour after you’ve finished bathing them. This stops water from accumulating in the plant’s crown, which is the primary cause of rot.
Bulbous air plants are particularly prone to it. Before I set it out to dry, I flip my upside down over the sink and shake off any extra water.
Where to Buy Air Plants
We already know you can’t get enough of these low-maintenance houseplants, so you need to know where to look. Here are our top picks for buying air plants:
Our sole source for air plants today is Etsy vendor “Spyloh.” The plants are always of the highest caliber and at a reasonable cost. She sells a huge variety, and she even has some uncommon sorts for when you start to become fully addicted! (And you’ll do it.) We adore the care cards she includes with every order for air plants. Most essential, she knows how to pack them well, especially for delivery during the cold. Pay attention to her recommendation to include warming packs with your order during the winter to avoid any issues during delivery. Fortunately, air plants are quite resilient and travel well throughout the year. She also offers some adorable containers for displaying air plants. We have four. Don’t trust us? Check out her tens of thousands of 5-star ratings now.
Local nurseries and garden stores may have air plants. To find out if they have them, simply give them a call.
At this time, we solely endorse “Plants for Pets” as an Amazon vendor. In our opinion, the plants’ quality isn’t as good as “Spyloh.” However, they offer some excellent discounts on variety packs. Excellent as gifts or favors for weddings. However, if you’re shopping for yourself and quality is a concern, you already know. ‘Spyloh’.
You now understand how to care for air plants, including how to water them and where to get them. Do you wish to learn how to display them? Go to our posts at OhMeOhMy to see our DIY Branch Chandelier Air Plant Display, What are Air Plants (With Display Ideas), and DIY Air Plant Terrarium!
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