- How is an air plant maintained? For survival, air plants require water, light, and air. The type of environment you are housing your air plants in and the kind of tillandsia you have will both affect how you should take care of them. As a general rule, mesic (greener leafed type) plants prefer higher moisture and lower indirect light levels, whereas xeric (silver leafed) plants prefer drier circumstances and more sunlight. On our air plant care page, you can read more about how to take care of them.
- Where are the origins of air plants? The majority of air plants are indigenous to Mexico, South America, and Central America’s tropical climates. In Florida and other Southern U.S. states, some plants can even be found growing wild.
- How is an air plant watered? Dunking, soaking, and sprinkling are a few various ways to water your plants. Our post, Tips for Watering Your Air Plants, has further information on how to water air plants.
- Do air plants require sunlight? Absolutely, yes! Additionally, air plants are able to endure artificial lighting. Visit this article to learn more about the amount of light that plants require. You can always swap plants every few days if you have a place that doesn’t get enough light so you can still appreciate their beauty and the plant can keep growing!
- Trichomes: What Are They? The amount of trichomes an air plant variety has can greatly influence how they should be cared for. Trichomes are what give some air plants their silvery or grey fuzzy appearance. Trichomes may resemble microscopic hairs, but they are actually tiny water-absorbing cups. Trichomes are composed of numerous tiny cells, some of which are alive and some of which are dead. A trichome’s dead cells inflate like a sponge when water contacts them, and the living cells then utilise the water by absorbing it into themselves. In our articles All About Trichomes and Trichomes in Depth, you may read more about trichomes.
- Why keep dying my air plants? Even though they are generally simple to care for, air plants can present some challenges. Your air plants may be dying as a result of inadequate or excessive watering, rot, fertilizer burn, or excessive or insufficient light. In our post “What’s Wrong With My Air Plant”, we go into further detail regarding typical air plant issues. Overwatering of air plants is the most frequent problem individuals encounter!
- After blossoming, do air plants perish? Yes, the majority of air plants do die after flowering, although they typically give birth to pups or offsets before they go extinct. However, the mother plant might live for a while and produce several offspring throughout time. To find out more about flowering, what happens after the bloom, and air plant propagation in general, see our blog posts.
- How long do the blossoms on air plants last? The majority of air plant blooms endure a few days to a week, while larger blooms known as “inflorescences” on some plants can last for months. The xerographica, harrisii, and fasciculata tropiflora are some of these plants. For more information, see our article about what occurs following the bloom.
- Do my air plants need to be fertilized? Nope! Although fertilizer is not necessary, it can speed up bloom time and increase offset and pup production. To help your air plants thrive, read our blog to learn how to properly fertilize them and buy a bottle of our specially made air plant fertilizer.
- How should air plants be cared for throughout the winter? The key to keeping your air plants healthy and alive is to be aware of seasonal variations. Make sure that none of your air plants are left outside if you live in a region of the country where the temperature often falls below 50 degrees. Make sure your plants receive enough water at least once every week. If you use the heater more regularly, you might need to water your plants more because this will dry them out. Your plants may be shocked and even killed if they are too close to a cold window. Find out more here about caring for winter air plants. Even while most plants can withstand temperatures as low as the low 40s, sensitive plants like funckiana and magnuisiana can still suffer damage from low temperatures.
- How should air plants be cared for in the summer? Due to heat, greater sun, more humidity, or drier areas in the summer, you may need to modify your watering schedule, how much light your plants are receiving, and where you have your plants displayed. Visit our post on summer air plant care for more details on how to take care of your air plants this season.
- Air purification using air plants? There have been studies showing a very modest level of air purification by houseplants. To understand more, read our article on the advantages of bringing air plants into your house.
- Can air plants be overwatered? You can overwater your air plants, that much is true. In most conditions, the majority of air plant species only require water twice a week, although some with lots of trichomes can go even longer. Rot can result from overwatering air plants. It’s equally important to have good air flow so that the plants can dry up entirely in a short period of time. Plants that remain moist or wet over extended periods of time are more likely to develop rot and fungus.
- Can air plants be kept outdoors? In most regions, air plants can flourish outside. Our plants thrive in Florida’s high humidity since we reside there. If you choose to display your air plants outside, we advise keeping an eye on their habitat throughout the day to make sure they aren’t receiving too much sunlight and water. If your plants are kept outside, you might need to water them more frequently if you reside in a dry area. Additionally, if the temperature falls below 50 degrees, you should move your plants inside.
- Can air plants be glued? Your air plant can be glued to a mount, seashell, or other surface. E6000 adhesive or a tiny dab of hot glue are both suggested. Glue should only be applied to the plant’s bottom leaves when adhering.
- How can I water mounted or attached air plants? Carefully hold the air plant under a little stream of water while ensuring that the driftwood doesn’t get wet in order to water plants that are mounted or fastened to a piece of driftwood or a wreath. This will enable the plant to be watered while decreasing the likelihood that the plant will rot from damp wood against the base. If your air plant appears dry in between waterings, you can mist it very lightly.
- Can air plants grow under low light or artificial light? The answer is yes, air plants can thrive with enough artificial light. A minimum of 4-6 hours of light should be provided to your plants each day. Low light is not very favorable for air plants. We advise shifting your plants to higher light places on occasion if you do decide to leave them in lower light areas so they receive enough light. You’ll notice that air plants in low light conditions lose their color and develop a dreary appearance more quickly than those in good indirect light.
- Can you grow air plants upside down? Absolutely! Because they are epipythes, air plants can grow either upside-down, right-side-up, or sideways by using their roots as an anchor. Some plants, like the caput medusae, pseudobaileyi, bulbosa, and butzii, thrive when mounted upside down.
- How are air plants pruned? Learn how to keep your plants healthy and looking their best by reading our article on pruning air plants.
- Are animals hazardous to air plants? Dogs and cats are not poisoned by tillandsia, sometimes known as air plants. So don’t worry if your cat likes to nibble on the leaves of your air plants a little too much. In our article “Air Plants + Pets: Are Air Plants Toxic?” you may learn more about air plants and pets.
- Can you save a dried-out or ill air plant? You can try giving your plant a good, long bath to try to resuscitate it, depending on how far gone it is. It might not survive if it is too soft or dried out, but it’s worth a shot! To begin, give the plant a good soak for 4-6 hours and observe the improvement. You can let it totally dry out before trying soaking it again the following day to see if there has been any further improvement.
- How quickly do air plants expand? While most air plants develop quite slowly, some do so more quickly than others. Some plants, including the capitata, harissi, and xerographica, grow slowly yet can reach significant sizes. Ionantha plants, for example, produce offsets more fast than xerographica plants while maintaining a relatively small size.
- What types of air plants thrive in dry environments? Largely trichomed plants are well in drier, less humid settings. These drought-tolerant plants are discussed in our post titled “Drought Tolerant Tillandsia: “The Best Air Plants for Drier Climates,” and you can purchase them on our website dedicated to drought-tolerant air plants.
Do LED lights allow air plants to grow?
A magnificent and distinctive addition to any collection of indoor plants are air plants! Air plants can be mounted, hanged, perched, or otherwise creatively displayed for a fascinating visual twist because they don’t need to be potted in soil. For those who are unfamiliar with air plant care, it can be confusing and even frustrating. They differ greatly from the majority of typical houseplants, after all. I’ll admit that over the years, we’ve also killed a few. However, if you have a better understanding of how to care for air plants, you might find that they are less demanding to keep alive than some of your other leafy companions.
Learn how to care for air plants, including advice on watering, lighting, ventilation, and fertilizing, by reading on. One significant (perhaps obvious) hint: Despite their name, they require more than just oxygen to survive. Let’s discuss some typical air plant care errors, factors to take into account for mounted or terrarium air plants, and the end objective: how to not kill your air plants. With these care suggestions for air plants, you may perhaps make your new friends’ lives the best they can be.
What Are Air Plants?
The genus Tillandsias, sometimes referred to as air plants, contains more than 600 different species of epiphytes (plants that don’t require soil to develop). They truly belong to the Bromeliad family, which also includes Spanish moss and orchids, both of which live without soil.
There is no functioning root system in air plants. These perennial, evergreen plants thrive by absorbing moisture and nutrients from the air around them. The one and only function of the tiny, hair-like roots that they do occasionally produce is to cling to a host plant or building. They do not hurt or consume energy from the host, hence they are not parasitic.
Tillandsias are indigenous to Central and South America, Mexico, the southern United States, and the mountains, deserts, and woods of those regions. They simply flourish when they are attached to trees, rocks, or crevices between branches in their natural habitat! Even though Tillandsias can be grown outdoors in extremely warm areas (or in a sheltered greenhouse), most people prefer to maintain them as houseplants.
The proper amount of light, water, and air movement are the three most crucial components of air plant maintenance. Air plants may thrive in almost any home if you can get these three elements just right (which will vary slightly depending on your environment). Although air plants can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, they cannot tolerate cold temperatures. Although they may survive in temperatures as low as 45 degrees, air plants prefer a temperature range of 55 to 90 degrees.
How much light do air plants need?
Bright indirect light is preferred by air plants. In other words, unless the windowsill receives filtered light or perhaps only soft morning sun, avoid keeping them directly in the windowsill. It’s common for air plants to become a little “fried in the sun, particularly if the light is reflected through glass or a terrarium. On the other side, low light will not make them happy. We keep air plants in the rooms with the most natural light in our home.
The short answer is that grow lights can be used to either augment or replace other sources of light for air plants. But take note of what I said: “grow lamps They must therefore be full-spectrum fluorescent or LED lights that are designed specifically for plant growth. The type of light that air plants require to photosynthesize is not produced by ordinary incandescent bulbs.
Keep the air plants no more than three feet away from the source of light. Plan to keep artificial light on for roughly 12 hours each day if that is the only source of light they use. In that situation, using a light timer might be beneficial.
You may water your air plant in one of two ways: by misting it or by soaking it. In a moment, we’ll discuss how much and how frequently. Your air plants will be most healthy if you provide them with non-chlorinated water, regardless of the watering technique you choose. Use pond or collected rainwater as an example, or at the very least pass tap water through a simple charcoal filter to get the chlorine out of it.
Misting Air Plants
Some people contend that misting won’t be enough to keep an air plant satisfied. I must disagree! For instance, I can’t totally submerge or otherwise soak some of our air plants because they are mounted on wreaths, boards, or cork, but they are still doing great! Instead, I spray them with a spray bottle until it starts to leak heavily. Spray from all directions, covering as much of the plant’s surface area as you can.
But remember that even if our environment isn’t very “humid,” it most certainly isn’t dry. Instead, air plants that thrive in more arid environments will benefit from longer soak times. Misting can also be used in conjunction with soaking, such as to give your air plants a small midweek drink during the warmer months in between weekend soaking treatments.
Simply fill a bowl, bucket, or other container with dechlorinated water to soak air plants. Only a few minutes should be given for the air plant to soak in the water. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes. Since air plants are prone to rotting if left in standing water for too long, it is actually simpler to harm them by overwatering than by under-watering. Frequently, I am in a rush and don’t have a large enough container to fit all of our air plants in to soak at once, so I just immerse each one for around 30 seconds instead of letting them soak for a longer period of time.
The body of some air plants is more densely bulbous than that of others. Since water is easily trapped inside the thick section, I’ve discovered that these ones are more prone to rotting than more open-structure or frilly air plants. So I typically don’t bathe the bulbous-body ones completely. Instead, I rapidly dip them in water or heavily spray them.
Air Drying Air Plants After Watering
Pay attention to this. Because it’s the most common mistake people make when taking care of air plants. Do not immediately place your air plant back in its container after watering it. As I have explained, air plants that have a “soggy bottom” can quickly rot and perish. So, after giving your air plants a quick shake and setting them upside-down (bottoms up!) on a towel or drying rack, whether you spritz or soak them, is advised. As a result, any extra water can drain from their body and crevices.
Air plants should be entirely dry after 4 to 5 hours after being irrigated. If the air plants are left out to dry in a warm area with good air circulation, this will typically happen naturally. However, if you discover that your air plants are not drying fast enough, you can help speed up the process by running a fan nearby. Conversely, don’t dry them too quickly! Don’t necessarily direct the fan at the plants; instead, use it to improve airflow in the space. They should remain damp for a couple hours to absorb the moisture they need.
Depending on your environment, your regimen for watering air plants may change a little. As a general guideline, water air plants once a week on average—sometimes more, occasionally less. Water the air plant at least once every week if the air in your home is warm and dry. Watering twice weekly may be essential in extremely hot and dry weather (or in extremely arid regions). However, if you reside in a humid environment, you may probably get away with watering only every other week.
We water our air plants every two weeks eighty percent of the time due to our cool summers and coastal influences, changing to more regularly during sporadic hot weather or exceptionally dry conditions. Also consider alterations to the air or climate within your house brought on by factors other than the weather. A forced air heating system could be more drying in the winter, for instance. On our fireplace mantle, we have some air plants. We water those few more frequently in the winter than in the summer since they dry out more rapidly while the fireplace is on.
How can you determine whether you’re giving enough water or perhaps too much? Although it may be challenging to distinguish, there are differences between the symptoms of underwatering and overwatering air plants.
When overwatered, the body of the air plant will become squishy, rotting, and probably discolored. The leaves will begin to fall out from the middle. This might be brought on by overwatering, but it’s more likely the result of the air plant’s inability to completely dry up after watering.
An air plant submerged in water will grow more crispy and brittle. The leaves could develop dark, dried tips and further curl.