A reddish or black hue that gradually spreads up from the plant’s base into the foliage is the first sign that an air plant is decomposing. The air plant will start to disintegrate as well; the foliage may start to come off or the heart of the plant may separate.
Is my air plant rotting? is definitely a yes if you notice any of these symptoms. What can you do about it, that is the question? Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do if your air plant is disintegrating. Positively, if the air plant rot is just affecting the outer leaves, you may be able to salvage the plant by removing the affected leaves and then maintaining a rigorous watering and drying schedule.
How may an overwatered air plant be saved?
It’s bad news when you overwater air plants. It is the main cause of death for them. Therefore, it is essential to act quickly to stop any potential lasting harm from happening if you see that their bases begin to become dark and the leaves begin to fall out from the middle or if they have mushy roots and yellowing leaves. And here’s how you can prevent overwatering from killing your withering air plant:
- To prevent it from spreading, get rid of any decaying or diseased components.
- Your air plant should be dried as soon as possible. Using a fan is recommended.
- Make sure to place your air plants on a dry surface, like dry rocks. Make sure the terrarium is dry and has a big entrance for the most airflow possible if they are on show there.  
While it is feasible to revive a dying air plant, it is preferable to learn how to avoid such issues in the first place. And this is how:
- Never submerge an air plant in water for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that some air plants should not be submerged in water, especially if you live in a humid environment.
- After you’ve watered your air plant, be careful to shake out any extra water or turn it upside down so that it can dry entirely in around 4 hours. This should prevent the extra water from accumulating on your air plant and allow it to flow down instead.
- Avoid letting your air plant rest on a wet surface; rather, wait until it is entirely dry before putting it back on display.
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The bases of some air plants, such as melanocrater tricolor, will be naturally darker. Due to the naturally brown leaves of such plants, you might not notice any rot for a long time, therefore you should err on the side of less water rather than more. Additionally, some leaf dropping is common in healthy air plants, so you should be aware of other symptoms as well.
What does an air plant that is rotting look like?
Your air plant seemed great a few days ago. After watering it as usual, it’s now in utter disrepair after just a few days! What is going on?
Sorry to report, but damp rot may have already done damage to your little air plant. Maybe you neglected to shake the extra water off the leaves before placing them back in their spot, or you kept your plants in their bath for a little bit too long. Whatever it was, water found its way into the spaces between your plant’s leaves and base and eventually rotted it. In addition, your air plant may have dry rot, which happens when there is inadequate ventilation and the plant becomes ill. Most often, excessive watering and prolonged wet/damp periods allow fungus and harmful bacteria to establish a foothold and harm the plant.
Your air plant may have rot or fungus if the base is brown and too squishy or mushy to the touch. A decaying air plant frequently loses leaves at its base, may begin to crumble, or may even have the center of the plant come out. It might be difficult to detect inner rot because it usually doesn’t manifest itself until the plant suddenly collapses, usually starting with the interior leaves.
A few air plants, such as the melanocrater tricolor, will naturally have darker bases. Additionally, good air plants may occasionally shed a few leaves. **
The outer leaves can also develop leaf rot and other fungal problems, which are much more obvious than the inner leaves. Dark stains at the plant’s base may be the first indication of this, and they will spread over time. In this situation, it is recommended to try to remove the damaged leaves from the base of the plant in an effort to rescue the plant and halt the development of the fungus/rot.
Below are some images of a T. stricta that has some leaf damage and may have a fungus problem. There is a dark circular portion of the leaf that doesn’t appear normal, despite the fact that it’s typical for some of the leaves at the base of an air plant (Tillandsia) to dry out, become brown, and die off. In order to assist stop the spread of any potential fungus, we carefully plucked a few of the leaves near the plant’s base in this instance. The plant has been cleaned up and the damaged leaves have been removed in the image on the right. It’s acceptable if the base’s very tip shows some browning or appears callused because here is where the stem’s base will develop roots.
There are a few easy techniques to prevent rot:
- Maintain a watering schedule and watch out for overwatering. To avoid overwatering, keep in mind that Tillandsia vary from many typical house plants in that they absorb moisture through their leaves and trichomes rather than their roots.
- Never submerge an air plant in water for an extended period of time.
- According to the type of Tillandsia (air plant) you have, adjust your care and watering schedule. When compared to Mesic green-leaved kinds, silver-leaved cultivars—which are Xeric—need different amounts of water and even require different watering techniques. Check read this post about Xeric and Mesic air plants to find out more about the many varieties of air plants. Visit our article on Air Plant Care for information on general maintenance.
- Once you’ve watered your air plant, be sure to shake off any extra water, and then wait until the plant is totally dry before reintroducing it to your terrarium, shell, or other display container. Avoid misting air plants within their terrariums or placing them near wetness.
- Pay great attention to air plants with bulbous shapes and those with deep pockets at the base of their leaves since they may be more likely to retain water in their base.
- Airflow is crucial! Never put your air plant in a container or terrarium that is completely sealed off. Leave the lid off of your terrarium if it has one. To thrive, air plants require adequate air flow; otherwise, rot might develop.
- If any external leaves are starting to rot or exhibit indications of fungus, remove them at the base. If the plant has inner rot, removing the inner leaves won’t help and probably will do more harm than good.
Rot is unfortunately one of the things that, once it starts, is difficult to stop and save the plant from. Preventing decay is the greatest cure! As a natural fungicide, cinnamon has been shown to help minimize or stop rot/fungus on plant bases, so it might be worth a try! We also advise removing those leaves as previously shown if only a few of the outer leaves are impacted.
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fantastic article I can’t believe I let a lovely xerographica go to waste recently. Additionally, I spotted clumps of odd-colored fragments of a sticky gel-like substance.
I tried cleaning it, but it made no difference. A other plant with pockets and a bulbous shape experienced this. They resembled rounder balls; could they perhaps be eggs?
When submerged in water, an airplane that has rot spreads the rot spores to all the others. I experienced it. In the following few months, I lost 35 plants.
They are daily sprayed well, gently shook, and then placed back on the wall; there are no longer any communal baths. I lost my Tectorum and it mineralized in spring water.
I appreciate you teaching me how to care for my air plants. I need all the assistance I can get because I’m new at this.
Please describe the procedure and recommended frequency for applying cinnamon to plants.
How can a dead air plant be revived?
Why keep dying my air plants? It’s likely that your Tillandsia is really thirsty if it doesn’t appear its best, especially if it’s shriveled or discolored. Spritzing normally doesn’t give enough moisture to keep the plant healthy and hydrated, despite the fact that misting the plant is frequently advised.
When this is the case, reviving a Tillandsia entails getting the plant back to its previous condition of health and hydration. The simplest way to do this is to submerge the entire plant in lukewarm water in a bucket or basin. To prevent the plant from floating to the surface of the water, you might need to attach it to a hefty item.
Allow the bowl to soak for 12 hours in a warm place. The plant should be taken out of the bowl, laid out on a layer of paper towels, and allowed to air dry before being put back in its usual spot.
Repeat the technique, but this time leave the Tillandsia submerged for only around four hours if the plant seems dry and sickly. Shake the plant lightly while holding it upside-down to drain the leaves of extra moisture.
What causes my air plant to rot?
Before spreading across the entire plant, rot typically begins as mushy purple or black areas near the base of the plant. Additionally, the plant’s heart could fall out or the leaves could begin to fall off quickly. A rotting air plant may indicate too much moisture or humidity. Although they need to be deeply hydrated and like an air humidity of around 65 percent, air plants do not like to stay wet. They thrive best in dry surroundings.
Depending on the species, you need only water your air plant once a week or two. Your sink should be as full of water as necessary to completely submerge the plants. Soak your air plants for about 30 minutes. In order to completely prevent any danger of moisture being trapped, turn them upside down and let them dry for an hour or more. This will allow water trapped between leaves to flow out. This is especially true for terrarium-style air plants, since the lack of airflow will result in moisture being trapped in the core, hastening the rot process.
Additionally, it’s crucial to avoid placing air plants on other plants’ soil or on a pebble tray because continual contact with a moist surface might lead to rot.
Many times, an older air plant’s bottom leaves turning dark and falling off naturally. Naturally falling air plant leaves will turn brown or yellow but remain dry.
How long before an air plant starts to rot?
The most likely reason why air plants rot is overwatering. Air plants can be watered in one of three ways: misting, dunking, or immersing.
Misting is when you completely moisten the air plant using a spray bottle. Put air plants in a basin of water or under running water and remove them right away to immerse them. When you give the plants a longer wash by submerging them in water for 1030 minutes, you are submerging them.
Submerging mesic variety once or twice a week won’t harm them because they require more water. Every two or three days, they can also be misted and submerged in water. However, because Xeric species don’t require much water, they shouldn’t be submerged for too long. Every few of days, they would want to be misted. Without water, they can survive for up to two weeks. Too much time spent submerging air plants can result in decay.
Not all circumstances call for these guidelines. Depending on the weather and humidity, the watering schedule may change. For instance, during hot, dry weather, you should water air plants more frequently.
It’s crucial to pay attention to your air plant’s body language! The leaves of an air plant that is thirsty will curl inward. It could also seem wrinkled.
You’ll give fungi a chance to start growing if you place the wet plant in a tight space or let it to stand on moss or another moist surface. The same may occur with air plants that have bulbous shapes or those that have pockets at the base of their leaves where water may collect.
A fungus infection leads to rotting. Fungi come in two different varieties: yeasts and molds. The leaves will become yellow due to yeasts. The surface where moss grows starts to get slimy and black, and eventually starts to degrade.
Whatever method you use to water your air plant, you should shake it to remove any extra water before hanging it upside down or placing it on a towel to dry completely. After four hours, if it’s still wet, use a fan to dry it out.
Ensure that the plant doesn’t get moist at night. At night, air plants breathe by releasing their spores and absorbing CO2, which is subsequently transformed into malic acid. During the day, they shut their spores and utilise the acid for photosynthesis. They won’t be able to produce the acid and won’t have enough fuel for the day if they can’t absorb CO2. This cascade effect will gradually rot the plant.
How long does an air plant live?
Perennial plants are tillandsias, also referred to as air plants. According to the source, they have a lifespan of between two and five years, which indicates that they normally survive longer than two years.
The type of air plant and the growing conditions have an impact on how long they live, though. They reside in deserts, on various surfaces, and on tree branches in their natural habitat (other surfaces they can grow on).
Air plants only experience one flowering during their existence, which marks the culmination of their development and maturity.
Depending on the species, the flowers might remain in bloom for a number of months. However, the air plant will begin to die when the blossoms start to wilt and fade. Air plants develop pups or offsets before they die to carry on the same growth cycle.
Despite the mother plant dying, you can take the pups out and raise them separately. Separating the pups from the mother is referred to as “division is a method of air plant propagation.
As an alternative, you might leave those puppies grouped together ” (also known as “tillandsia balls).