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.
After being watered, air plants should be completely dry in 4 to 5 hours. 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 quickly enough, a nearby fan can help hasten the process. 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. For a few hours, they should be damp in order to absorb the necessary moisture.
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.
The body of the air plant will become squishy, rotting, and most likely discolored when it is overwatered. From the center, the leaves will start to fall. 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.
How cold should it be for air plants?
We start using heaters, dressing warmly, and savoring the comfort of the season throughout the winter months. How about your air plants, though? Do they require special care?
We prefer to modify our air plant care routine to meet our surroundings, including the temperature, humidity, and type of plant you are taking care of. A key component of keeping your air plants healthy and flourishing is keeping note of seasonal variations.
Temperature: You should make sure that none of your air plants are left outside if you live in a region of the country where nighttime lows fall below 50 degrees. Despite the fact that some types can tolerate lower temperatures, it is best to be safe than to risk having your plants become too chilly. Most air plants like temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees because they are tropical plants. If you do decide to bring them inside, make sure they continue to receive adequate water and light to grow.
Humidity: Because of the use of heaters during the cooler months, there is a lack of humidity in the air. Make sure your plants receive enough water at least once every week. If you soak them, make sure they are totally dry before putting them back in their terrariums by letting them dry for at least 4 hours in a warm environment. Heaters can also dry out your plants, so to make sure they receive enough moisture to thrive, you might need to mist them between waterings.
In the colder months, your air plants may require more frequent watering if you reside in a dry region. We check on our plants every day to make sure they are getting enough water, even in Florida, where we have more moderate winter temps.
Displaying plants too close to a heater or air vent, or too near a cold or drafty window, is a quick way to destroy them. Even while we like the warmth that a heater provides, too much heat might dry out your plants. Additionally, standing too close to a cold window might shock your plants and could even kill them. Always make sure that air plants have access to enough air movement by never leaving them in a closed-off terrarium.
Light: During the shorter days of the year, it can be more difficult to obtain bright light, but just make sure your air plants are still receiving enough indirect light. As long as the plants aren’t too distant from it and receive enough of it each day, artificial light can serve as a sufficient source.
What are air plants used for during the winter?
It’s now time to bring any air plants you have left outside inside as the weather becomes colder! Since air plants are native to tropical climes, it will probably be required to move your plants indoors during the winter if you reside in a northern region. Moving air plants indoors is a good idea once the nights start getting cold (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit).
Your air plants will experience higher humidity and more light throughout the summer than they will during the winter. The plants may experience some stress as their habitat will quickly change as we bring them indoors. We offer some advice to assist you relocate your air plants indoors with as little stress as possible!
Your air plants won’t experience too many severe temperature changes because you’ll be relocating them inside your house, where the temperature is stable. Because your plants will be alright as long as you maintain your home’s temperature between 55 and 85 degrees (likely for most people), you shouldn’t worry too much about it. Your plants can be harmed and have issues more so when the humidity is changed to dryness and there is less sunlight.
Just be aware that the air will be a little dryer if you use a heater, fireplace, wood stove, etc. Keep in mind that placing your air plants too close to a fireplace can cause damage from the heat and embers. Just be careful not to place your plants directly in the path of any warm air flow, since forced air heating can also be harmful. Ensure that your air plants are located in a spot with some indirect sunlight as well.
If you don’t use mistings to counteract the dryness, it could be harmful to your air plants. Continually add an extra sprinkling while maintaining your regular water cycle. You can sprinkle the air or spray the plant directly. The misting of air differs slightly from that of plants. To assist restore some humidity to the air, spritz the area immediately surrounding the plant rather than spraying it directly. To aid with the dryness, you can also add humidity to the air by surrounding the plants with some decorative bowls or shells filled with water.
Decorate your bathroom with air plants and let it receive enough of natural light as another approach to fight winter dryness. Every time someone takes a shower, air plants receive a decent blast of humidity, which makes for lovely bathroom décor. You can purchase some gorgeous vases to display on various shelves or the bathroom counter. Another great alternative is to use cork bark, wood, or any other thing you’d like to cover with air plants to create a vertical garden on the walls of your bathroom! Just keep in mind that even though they will get soaked from the shower humidity, weekly soaking/watering will still be required.
It’s crucial to think about where you can get natural light in your house. The best places to survive the winter are not in dimly lit rooms, hallways, or shelves. Given that the sun is much weaker and there are fewer hours in the day during the winter, you do not need to totally avoid direct sunlight. Give your air plants at least 5 hours of the sunniest light each day during the winter. Try to keep your air plants 10 feet or less from windows.
If you keep a watch on all of your plants, especially in the beginning as you are figuring out your new watering schedule, you should be able to see any issues early enough to correct them, so don’t worry too much about the transition from outdoor to indoor! Your air plants may require a bit more moisture if, for instance, you notice curled leaves or dry tips. Simply check them frequently, then adjust your watering as necessary. Simply increase your weekly watering from once to twice and add mistings to see if that makes a difference. After a week or two, if they aren’t adapting to that shift sufficiently, it might be because they aren’t getting enough indirect sunlight. Simply try shifting them to a better location, and they ought to get better!
Other wintertime factors:
Fireplaces. Maintain a safe distance between your plants and the heat and embers of your fireplace.
circulation of air Your plants should not be too close to a heating duct, but they should have access to adequate air to dry out after watering.
Light. Bright light is essential, therefore if it cannot be provided naturally, utilize artificial lighting at all costs. However, please read my post on indoor lighting and don’t place your air plants too close to an incandescent bulb. Also, please don’t put your Christmas tree’s air plants indoors. Your plants will burn from the hot lights on the tree.