Air plants require strong, indirect light to grow. Good possibilities are rooms with windows that face the south or east because the sun will shine brightly in these areas for the majority of the day. As long as the plant is put close to the window and the window is not covered by trees or an adjacent apartment building, rooms with North-facing windows also perform effectively. Western light typically arrives later in the day and has a tendency to be quite warm and powerful. Take care not to burn your air plant!
The air plant will generally withstand more light as the humidity level in your area increases. This means that you should plan to spritz your air plant more frequently, such as twice a week or even every day, if you’re placing it where it will get a lot of light. An air plant will thrive in a bright bathroom or bustling kitchen since the humidity from your shower or boiling water will take care of the majority of plant misting for you.
Air Plants and Artificial Light
A lot of customers ask us if they can put their air plant in a basement or office where there won’t be any windows for natural light. The answer is yes, but there are a few particular guidelines to follow to guarantee the success of your plant.
Fluorescent light must be full-spectrum. These plants can’t photosynthesize in the kind of light that regular incandescent bulbs produce. Place your Tillandsia no more than three feet from the source of light. Additionally, if you plan to use fluorescent lighting, the plants will require at least 12 hours every day.
We advise purchasing a dedicated bulb for your plant (such as a Gro-Lux, Repta-Sun, or Vita-Lite) and setting it on a 12-hour timer if you live in a basement or wish to keep an air plant in your office to ensure that it receives the proper amount of light to survive.
Sand, rocks, and dried wood arranged in a shallow dish make a wonderful air plant display.
Can air plants live in the absence of sunlight?
The fact that air plants require less upkeep than many other house plants is one of their best qualities. The three essential factors that might affect their health and lifespan are air, water, and light. This does not, however, imply that they require no maintenance. We’ve covered watering air plants rather extensively, so today we’ll focus more on light.
Tillandsias, often known as air plants, favor strong, filtered light that is indirect but not direct. Instead of east or west facing windows, we advise choosing windows that face south or north because they typically receive more indirect light.
Throughout our home, we’ve experimented with air plants, and the ones that appear to thrive the most are those that are close to our kitchen window, which is somewhat shaded by nearby trees so they receive a lot of natural, filtered light.
The amount of direct light that air plants can tolerate depends on the humidity of your surroundings. In general, your air plants will be able to tolerate a little bit more sunshine if they are living in a more humid environment because they won’t dry up as quickly. For instance, air plants that are grown outdoors in Florida’s humid climate frequently adapt well to additional sunlight. Most air plants struggle in full or direct sunlight.
Air plants make excellent office plants since they need indirect light; this light can come from windows or artificially from full spectrum fluorescent lights.
Of course, there are exceptions, as there always are in nature. Some of the air plants with silver leaves can tolerate more direct sunshine. One of the very few tillandsias that can tolerate full light is the enormous Xerographica air plant (read more about the Xerographica here).
To determine how your air plants will respond best, try situating them in various lighting conditions. Where did your air plants seem to thrive the most? What type of illumination has failed to grow your air plants?
comments
DO LED LIGHTS WORK WITH AIR PLANTS. I have one that is 2 feet away and under a 5W LED.
I have a bathroom with no windows at all. Can air plants live with only the overhead and the light from the makeup mirror?
Dear Amanda: The glue ought to come off without harming the plants. When gluing plants to objects, hot glue or super glue are truly safe to use. Hope this is useful!
I recently bought two globes with air plants. When I went home and saw that the plants were glued in, I was extremely unhappy! Can the glue be removed without harming the plants? I should definitely simply try returning them! Any suggestions? Thanks
How long can air plants survive in the dark?
The care of air plants is simple and they are highly hardy. We have observed them surviving for up to two weeks without light or water in a shipping box (Do not try that at home). You should open the package as soon as your new air plants are delivered. As with all plants, air plants require light, air, and water. We ship them using Priority Mail, which delivers packages in 2 to 3 days.
You should soak your air plants in room-temperature water for 20 to 60 minutes to reduce the stress of transportation. Simply place the plants totally submerged in a dish of clean water. Municipal water frequently contains chemicals like fluoride or chlorine. Your air plants will thrive if you have well water, pond water, creek water, or rain water. Spring water in bottles is another option. Use tap water instead of distilled water since it has more nutrients and minerals that air plants need. Since air plants do not require soil to survive, all of their nutrients, light, and moisture are obtained through their leaves.
Your air plants’ leaves may have a white, fuzzy coating, especially after a thorough soaking. Trichomes is the name for them. Trichomes, which are tiny protrusions on the leaves, are what the plants use to absorb water and nutrients. They are not a fungus or a mold.
After soaking, take your air plants out of the water, carefully shake off the excess water, and then spread the plants out so they may dry completely before being placed in a display. The best spot to let them dry and soak up some sunlight is on a lovely sunny window sill. Avoid placing your air plants in the sun’s direct rays. They prefer direct, bright sunlight. Allowing your air plants to dry completely is crucial if you intend to place them in a glass terrarium, a wall hanging display, or any other type of enclosure (or in a hole to stand them up). Your plants are less likely to rot if you let the air plants completely dry.
Within an hour or two, your air plants ought to be dry. After they have dried, place them where they will receive a lot of bright, indirect sunlight. They will quickly dry out if you place them in the sunshine. Your air plants often simply require a weekly 30-minute soak in water. In addition to the soak, you might need to spritz them with water once a week if they are in an extremely dry or heated area. If their leaves start to curl, that is a sign that they are becoming too dry. If you observe this happening, give them a nice bath. Despite their name, air plants require a little bit more than just air to survive.
Spraying them with water two or three times a week would enough if you are unable to let your air plants soak in a bowl of water while they are on display.
How are air plants maintained?
Here are 5 easy guidelines to remember when taking care of tillandsia:
- 1) Give your air plant regular waterings. Your air plant will require routine watering.
- 2) Supply light to your air plant.
- 3) Allow your air plant to breathe.
- 4) Maintain a Pleasant Temperature for Your Air Plant.
- 5) Don’t harm your airplant by doing this.
How frequently do I need to water my air plant?
For the best care, your plants should be watered 2-3 times each week in addition to once every week. Every 2-3 weeks, a 2-hour bath should be taken. You will need to water or mist your plants more frequently if you live in a hotter, drier region. Your plant’s leaves will start to feel heavier and more wet after watering, and they will be softer and lighter in color when they require more water. Dehydration may be indicated by leaves that are wrinkled or rolled.
Where should my air plant be placed?
All air plants are native to tropical regions where freezing temperatures never occur. It’s crucial to keep them at a reasonable temperature without a sweater, right? typically from the 1960s or earlier. Keep them away from windows that are cold in the winter and air conditioner vents.
At least a few hours of bright, indirect sun each day are necessary for air plants to thrive. The optimal placement is between one and three feet from an east or west-facing window, or around two feet from a source of artificial light. They can be exposed to hotter, more direct sun for longer periods of time if you maintain them well-hydrated. Avoid areas that are poorly lit.
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).
Should air plants be misted?
Since they grow differently from the majority of other house plants, tillandsias can be challenging for beginners. They take significantly less care than other house plants because they are actually incredibly hardy. The instructions are summarized below, however you can scroll down for much more detailed information.
- They can get by with water misting and the occasional bath as long as the air is not too dry.
- Never plant in the ground.
- Give them filtered, bright light.
- Keep them from being frozen.
- It is necessary to immerse the plant in water for at least 2-3 hours every two weeks if you are growing them indoors where the air is dry.
- You can apply a soaking mist once or twice a week in the summer and once a month in the winter in a shaded or unheated home.
By sprinkling a little bromeliad or orchid fertilizer into your mister, you can fertilize. Here you may find our entire year’s worth of air plant fertilizer.
Can air plants thrive in restrooms?
Tillandsia or the air plant are excellent bathroom plants since they can absorb dampness. Plus, styling air plants is enjoyable. We assure you that the options are unlimited. Put your air plants in a location with bright, indirect light and high humidity to keep them content and healthy. As they take nutrients and water through air absorption, ensure that there is adequate air movement. They won’t thrive in an enclosed terrarium and will rot or contract a fungus as a result of being kept too damp.
Do air plants allow for contact?
Watering is one of the hardest skills to master while learning how to take care of air plants. Typically, air plants require weekly watering. Despite what you may have been told, air plants typically don’t absorb enough water from their surroundings to stay hydrated. You must water your air plants unless you reside in a very humid area (such as a jungle).
You may need to water your air plants twice a week if your environment is really dry, such as inside during the winter, but once a week is a decent general rule. It’s more probable that you may harm your air plants from too much water than from not enough, so be careful not to overwater them.
To Water Air Plants by Submersion
Pour filtered or bottled water into a bowl at room temperature (not hot or cold as it will startle them). The air plants should be submerged underwater for 30 to 1 minute, removed, and let to air dry on paper towels or clean kitchen towels for an hour. Returning them to their holder when they’ve largely dried out.
You might think, “Well, if a little water is nice, a lot of water is better, so I’ll simply keep my air plants in the water for a little longer and when I think about it, I’ll pull them back out.” Avoid doing this. This was my old technique as a slack gardener and air plant killer. Air plants don’t need much water, and if they are submerged for more than a minute, they will die.
To Water Air Plants by Spraying
Use a spray container that has never been filled with chemicals and fill it with room temperature filtered or bottled water. Turn the spray nozzle so that only a very fine mist emits. Every two to three days, gently mist your air plants with water.
Just don’t drink tap water. And if you must, leave it out in a dish for at least 24 hours before putting your air plants in it so that any chlorine residues can drain off. Chlorine is harmful to all plants, but it is particularly harmful to these delicate, adorable little air plants.
Handling Your Air Plants
When handling these small, delicate plants, always be gentle. Many plants can tolerate being handled by humans, but air plants cannot. Try to avoid touching them, and when you do, avoid crushing or bending any of their pieces.
Finding an Air Plant Holder
The most enjoyable aspect of owning an air plant is locating the ideal location for it. You can exhibit your air plants in a variety of inventive ways, from using a weathered log to a planter made especially for air plants.
We wish you much happiness with your new air plant and hope this short tutorial has been helpful in teaching you how to care for them. If you have any inquiries, please leave them in the comments section. Every single one is reviewed and answered by me!