- Use rainfall or bottled water as a source of drinking water. Softened water contains salts that can burn air plants, while tap water has minerals that can clog the trichomes on air plant leaves, preventing them from collecting nutrients.
- Dry out the air plants. This is a critical point. After they’ve soaked, shake off the excess water and dry them in the sun for a few hours.
- Add water-soluble fertilizer for epiphytes, bromeliads, or air plants to the water you soak them in once a month to feed them. These specialist fertilizers provide nitrogen in a form that can be absorbed by the plants.
- Temperature swings are beneficial to them. They’ll thrive if the temperature drops by ten degrees, simulating cool nights in their home jungle.
- They aren’t able to resist a freeze. They’re completely tropical and must be brought indoors for the winter.
- Ensure that they are exposed to at least 4 to 6 hours of bright, filtered light per day. A space with lots of windows will appeal to them.
What kind of fertilizer do you use for air plants?
We prefer to use a bromeliad fertilizer that is low in nitrogen. Low-nitrogen fertilizers are better for air plants since they promote blooming and counteract Tillandsia output. It’s also critical to utilize a nitrogen fertilizer that isn’t urea-based, as this will supply nitrogen that Tillandsia can use. Urea-based nitrogen is converted to useful form for plants by bacteria in the soil, however Tillandsia are unable to process this type of nitrogen because they are not planted in soil.
Should I Feed My air plant?
It is not necessary to fertilize air plants, but there are several advantages to doing so. Air plants only bloom once in their lives and produce “pups,” or little offsets, from the mother plant after they bloom. Feeding air plants promotes blooming and, as a result, the reproduction of new offsets, resulting in the formation of new plants.
Do air plants need Fertiliser?
- Air plants thrive in light, airy conditions, but they can also thrive indoors if placed in a well-lit area.
- Mist them a couple of times a week during the hotter and drier months to keep them happy. They will survive the winter without a lot of irrigation.
- Yates Thrive Orchid Liquid Plant Food, which may be added into the soaking or misting water, can be supplied to air plants once a month.
How often do you feed an air plant?
Fertilizing your plants isn’t required, but it will keep them healthy and encourage flowering and reproduction. Once a month, we recommend using our Grow More Air Plants and Bromeliad Fertilizer. A tiny package of fertilizer and water will provide over 10 gallons of fertilizer and water mixture.
Can you use Miracle Grow on air plants?
Pay attention to how your air plants look and feel before and after their soaking. You’ll notice a difference in your plants if you keep them adequately hydrated. The leaves are more open and flexible, with a brighter color. Although air plants may survive with significantly less water, appropriate hydration allows them to grow, reproduce, and flower much better. In a nutshell, they will prosper.
In order to protect the delicate blossom, air plants in bloom should be cleaned under running water rather than submerged. While the air plants are in bloom, increase the misting.
Temperatures between 50° and 90° Fahrenheit are ideal for your air plants.
Although fertilizing your air plants isn’t technically necessary, it does improve their health, growth, and flowering. Air plants that are well fed are also better able to adapt to difficult situations, such as a two-week vacation without watering, a heat wave, and so on. Once a month, apply a fertilizer made specifically for bromeliads or air plants, or dilute Miracle-Grow or other water-soluble plant foods to 1/4 strength. Once a month, fill a spray bottle with the fertilizer water and sprinkle thoroughly with the food water.
Air plants come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are quite diverse in terms of how they can be displayed due to their low maintenance requirements and ability to grow without being planted in soil. Air plants can be hung on driftwood, vine wreaths, coral, shells, stones, wood plaques, crystals, or placed in terrariums, glass globes, and miniature vases; the only limit is your imagination. I prefer to mount my air plants using floral wire because it is easier to remove them for their water bath. If you wish to glue your tillandsia in place, use a non-toxic adhesive like E-6000 or Goop that is not water soluble. To avoid scorching the leaves, use a lower setting while using hot glue.
Copper wire or pipes can be hazardous to air plants, especially if they are exposed to dampness on a regular basis.
If you like the look of copper as much as I do, make sure to spray it with a clear coat like Flex Clear before using it with your air plants.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or entirely new to the notion, tillandsia air plants are a fun and easy way to enjoy plants in a variety of situations – bringing life to your home.
How do you get air plants to bloom?
The wait is finally over! Your air plant has finally bloomed after a lot of love and care! You might wonder how it got to this point, and how I can properly care for my flowering air plant. Maybe you’re still waiting for your Tillandsia to flower and aren’t sure what you can do to speed up the process. This post is for you in either situation.
Let’s start with some basic information on the flowering cycle of air plants. The bloom, as with any flowering plant, signifies the beginning of the reproductive phase in the life cycle of an air plant. Air plants only bloom once in their lifetime, which may surprise you. Tillandsias produce a variety of flowers depending on the species, with many of them producing stunningly colorful blossoms in a range of hues from delicate pinks to blazing reds, as well as vibrant purples and yellows.
Within the Tillandsia realm, there are many different types of blooms. When some plants, such as the capitata peach, begin to blossom, they turn a delicate pink color and blooms emerge from the middle of the plant. Small buds grow from the heart of the plant in other plants like the aeranthros and stricta. The bud eventually expands and opens to show flowers. Some blooms may survive a few days, while others can last weeks.
Some air plants, such as the caput-medusae and the xerographica, have substantially longer bloom cycles than others. These plants produce huge flower tracts known as inflorescence, which can reach a height of over a foot in certain kinds! The blooms on the tract open out and fall out of the inflorescence over time. A bloom tract on some Tillandsias can last up to a year.
You could see some new growth on the side of your air plant after the bloom cycle is finished. These are tiny air plants, often known as offsets or offshoots “Puppies.” These little babies will grow up and become their own people “the “adult” air plant, and the cycle will start all over again! You can snip off the bloom tract that came out of the plant to boost the next stage of growth after the bloom, which will kick start the pup stage! Depending on the air plant species, the air plant will produce one to three pups after blooming. You can either remove the puppies or let them to form a clump once they reach around 1/3 the size of the mother plant.
Most healthy Tillandsias will blossom at some point, but they will need special care and a lot of light to do so. You can boost flowers and pup production by using a diluted fertilizer like our specially designed Air Plant Food once a month or so to help speed up the blooming process.
So, how should a Tillandsia in bloom be cared for? Keep watering and feeding your plant, first and foremost! When watering blooming air plants, however, you’ll want to avoid getting the flower wet, so instead of dunking or soaking the entire plant, we recommend dunking, misting, or holding only the parts of the air plant that allow you to avoid wetting the bloom beneath softly running water. If the bloom is buried in water for an extended period of time, it may rot or wilt. Because all of the plant’s energy is directed into the bloom and, eventually, the puppies, a blooming plant may require a bit more water than usual. Keep an eye on your plant to ensure that it remains happy and healthy!
You might be able to enjoy your own blooms with only a little light, water, and fertilizer! Good luck with your blossoming!
Are you curious as to what will happen next? After the Bloom is the second installment in the blooming series, as well as our essay on Air Plant Propagation.
How often should I soak my air plant?
On our Facebook page, we get a lot of queries on how to water air plants, so I wanted to elaborate a little. While Tillandsia (also known as air plants) are easier to care for than many other plant kinds, they do require some upkeep and TLC, and water plays an important role in their overall health. Here are some of the most common questions we hear about watering air plants, along with our answers:
This is mostly determined by your climate and where you keep the air plants, as well as the Tillandsia species (learn more about mesic vs. xeric air plants here) and the type of environment in which it grows in nature. We reside in Tampa, FL, so it’s very humid here for the majority of the year, and we don’t run the heat in our house during the winter like our friends up North (I’m not trying to rub it in!). We water our plants twice a week on average, but individuals who live in drier climes will need to water more frequently. Depending on the time of year, you may discover that you need to water your plants less. It also depends on where you keep them in your house or office. A humid bathroom will keep the plants moist, but those near an air vent or heat source will need to be watered more frequently. (Please note that keeping your plants near heat sources is not recommended.)
Note that, while humidity might slow the drying process, it is not a suitable watering method in and of itself!
Again, you’ll want to adapt your watering methods based on your climate and air plant species, but we recommend soaking your plants in water at least once a week for MOST air plants and settings. You can use anything that allows you to totally submerge the air plants, such as a bowl, bucket, or your sink. Soak them for 30-60 minutes at least once a week, and every other week if you live in a dry area, give them a longer soak for an hour or more. If you live in a humid environment or have a xeric air plant, you may want to cut the soak time in half.
After bathing, make sure the air plants are completely dry. Turn them over and softly shake them, or lay them out to dry with the leaves down. Allowing water to remain in the leaves can cause the plants to decay. The plants should be placed in an area with sufficient air circulation and should be able to dry entirely in 4 hours. If your plants are housed in a globe or terrarium, ensure sure they are thoroughly dry before bringing them back home!
You’ll notice how wide and open the leaves are after soaking them, and how much more “happy” they appear. This is how a properly hydrated air plant should seem! If the color turns slightly dull and the leaves begin to close/curl over time, this is an indication that your Tillandsia is thirsty, and you should give them another soak. If your air plant is in desperate need of water, soak it for several hours or overnight to see if you can rehydrate it. Before soaking or spraying them again, make sure they have a chance to dry thoroughly.
It’s also a good idea to spray the plants in between waterings. If you live in a dry area, this might be a terrific method to keep plants healthy and offer them some additional attention. Unless you have one of the few varieties of air plants that like low moisture, such as the T. tectorum (which we only propose misting) or the T. xerographica, misting is not a substitute for a proper soak (which we recommend dunking instead of soaking).
When it comes to water, air plants aren’t picky, and most tap water is good, but it all depends on the water quality in your location. Because these waters are more nutrient-dense, the best water to use is rain water, aquarium water, or pond water (note: if using one of these waters, don’t add any additional fertilizer). If you’re using tap water, let it out for a few hours to allow the chlorine to disperse (maybe 24 hours in some areas.)
Do not use distilled water because it is too “clean” for these plants and will deprive them of the nutrients they require. Also, avoid using artificially softened water because it contains too much salt for Tillandsia.
We recommend soaking your air plants in the morning to ensure that they dry completely throughout the day, as well as because air plants utilize the evening to breathe carbon dioxide and will be unable to do so if they are wet in the evenings.
This is known as CAM, and you can learn more about it in our page on how air plants breathe. You can check on them before going to bed and put them back in their terrariums or displays if you expose them to some indirect sunlight.
These are the most frequently asked questions about watering air plants. Did we respond to your question? If you’re not sure, just ask! Are you looking for more information on how to care for air plants? Visit our Air Plant Care page for more information.
What is the lifespan of an air plant?
Air plants, often known as tillandsias, are perennial plants. This indicates they survive for an average of more than two years (source), with a lifespan ranging from two to five years. However, the length of time they live depends on the type of air plant as well as the growing conditions.
Should I mist my air plants?
Tillandsia, often known as air plants, is one of our planet’s most unusual vegetation. Because they collect water from the air and rainstorms, air plants are often assumed to require no water. This is almost true in their native places, but the ambient air is too arid at home, and no sudden storms will pass by. Tillandsias require consistent hydration, but not excessive moisture. With mounted air plants, this can be a concern, but we’ll go over a few options for keeping your plant hydrated.
Bromeliads are epiphytic air plants. Although they are not parasitic, they prefer to grow on logs, in cracks and crevasses, and even on live plants. Although a few live in drier conditions, they are most frequent in tropical forest settings. Air plants, like any other plant, require consistent water, light, and nutrition. Because they are in a soilless environment, mounted on something or within a terrarium or glass bowl, they are more difficult to care for than conventional houseplants. The lack of media for retaining moisture and nutrients creates a problem for keeping them healthy.
Air plant misting is the most common way of watering, however it doesn’t adequately hydrate plant roots and might cause fungal concerns in leaves if the plant isn’t in a well-ventilated area where leaves dry quickly. In extremely dry homes and regions, spraying air plants is the greatest way to enhance humidity.
What can you put air plants in?
Air plants get their nutrition from the air and moisture around them. As a result, finding them a home is simple. Use ordinary pots, terrariums, frames, seashells, urchins, baskets, and bowls to display them. You can also use wires, fishing lines, or glue to hang or attach them to wood, cork bark, and wreaths.