Don’t be deterred by the lack of soil. Once you understand what they require, caring for air plants is simple. Although you don’t have to bother about potting them, they still need the correct temperatures, as well as the right amounts of water and light, just like any other houseplant. When an air plant sends up blooms, you’ll know it’s getting everything it needs. Simply cut the dried blossom off, and your air plant will continue to grow and eventually produce additional blooms.
Watering Air Plants
Unlike other plants, air plants only have a few tiny roots that serve to anchor them to the surface they are growing on. High humidity and copious rainfall provide the conditions that air plants require in their natural habitats throughout the Southern US, Mexico, Central, and South America. You should water your indoor air plants around once a week. Some types don’t need watering for two weeks. Watch them to discover when your plants appear to need a drink.
Put your plants in the sink or a small container with water in it to water them. After letting them soak for about 30 minutes, gently shake them to remove any remaining water before flipping them upside down on a towel to drain. Return them to their designated location once they have dried. In order to keep them looking new, you can mist them every other day in between baths, especially in the winter when our houses tend to have lower humidity levels.
Air Plant Light Requirements
Keep your air plants out of direct sunlight as a general rule. Keep in mind that many types of air plants prefer to grow up in the safe, shaded canopy of trees. If you can place them away from the sun’s rays in an area with good lighting, that would be ideal. A few species, like T. cyanea or T. lindenii, can tolerate some early sunlight or dappled shade.
Air Plant Temperature Requirements
You need to pay attention to the opposite end of the thermometer since air plants prefer warm temperatures. Anything colder than 45 degrees should be avoided; plants will perish there. If you keep your air plant dry during the winter and reside in Zone 9 or a warmer climate, you can grow it outdoors all year.
Can air plants be grown in a pot?
Normal pots can be used to grow air plants, but due to their tiny size and low moisture requirements, they are also a good choice for a variety of different planter designs.
Try one of these unique air plant containers for a little something unusual.
This larger air plant is appropriate for a typical household fish bowl. For a distinctive beach picture, include some white gravel and a scattering of shells.
One of my blog’s followers gave me a picture of a wonderfully creative setup she had for her air plants.
These stylish planters are constructed from wood blocks, and the air plants are suspended from a curved wire at the top. so imaginative Lilibeth, thanks for sharing. I adore how these appear!
In the wild, air plants enjoy perching on trees. Wrap some sphagnum moss around a piece of wood and fasten the plant to it to create the same effect. When hanging in this manner, it will appear organic and woodsy.
Any exhibit in the terrarium design would look great with air plants. Terrariums provide the plant with a nearly ideal environment by retaining moisture.
This adorable copper wire-wrapped glass holder in the form of a teardrop is heart-adorned. It makes the small tillandsia, which is resting on a bed of moss, appear completely at home.
A note on copper and air plants:
When the copper area is repeatedly exposed to moisture, as is essential if you water the container, copper pipes and wires can be hazardous to air plants.
If you wish to use a copper-containing container for air plants, make careful to completely seal it with a clear coating like Flex Clear.
As an alternative, you can take the air plant out of the container before watering it to prevent the copper from coming into contact with the liquid.
An old wooden drawer with sections was transformed into a gorgeous succulent planter for an air plant and several more succulents with this simple DIY technique.
Since host trees are where Air plants naturally grow, using log holders to show them makes a lot of sense. With one plant on each end of this attractive log form, the arrangement is symmetrical.
Air plants are ideal options for shallow bowl planting due to their modest stature. For a planter with a minimalist appearance, this attractive air plant bowl employs gravel, a piece of driftwood, and three distinct types of air plants.
The best material to use to create a planter is driftwood. Naturally polished by the surf, it develops cracks where tillandsia can be planted.
Logs can be used in planters in countless different ways. View further designs for log planters here.
On my most recent trip to the neighborhood farmer’s market, I spent some time perusing a booth that sold air plants and had so many lovely containers. I was drawn to this bird cage because I adore the way it seems.
It was about 5 feet tall and had a massive piece of drift wood to hold the tillandsia plants!
This shield-shaped air plant holder is made from a copper tube and a stained wooden plaque. It’s simple to create and presents the plant attractively. View the tutorial for the shield planter at Walnut Hollow Crafts.
The ideal habitat for this air plant is a sphere constructed of flat copper wire. The beautiful moss beneath the assortment of air plants looks fantastic in the planter, which is simple to mist.
In this entertaining coffee pot terrarium, my old Mr. Coffee carafe serves a dual purpose. I paired my air plant with other succulents to create a lovely arrangement that requires very little care.
Need dirt for air plants?
More like pets than other plants, air plants are adorable. It doesn’t matter if a variety is fuzzy, furry, spiky, or trailing—it is impossible to resist. Usually very little, soilless air plants are simple to grow. As their name suggests, air plants use scales on their leaves to absorb nutrients and water from the atmosphere. Because they are simple to maintain and don’t require a lot of light to thrive, they are popular as indoor plants right now.
Where should I place my air plants?
People who enjoy plants, especially those who wish to have greenery in their homes but don’t have a lot of time to care for it, are quite fond of air plants. They come in a variety of forms, hues, and textures and require very little upkeep.
Moisture and the surrounding air provide nutrients for air plants. So it’s simple to locate a space for them. Put them in common pots, terrariums, frames, baskets, bowls, seashells, urchins, and seaweed. Using wires, fishing lines, or adhesive, you may also hang or fasten them to wreaths, cork bark, and other materials.
If you decide to put your air plants somewhere specific, continue reading to learn how to care for them and how to water them.
Can air plants be grown in soil?
In soil, an air plant won’t flourish. Never even attempt it. Above: a picture taken by John Merkl. Tillandsias are epiphytes, which means that in nature air plants grow on other plants rather than by establishing roots in the ground, clinging to tree trunks, for example.
My air plant will fit on rocks, right?
Terrariums are a wonderful way to add some greenery to any area, and you can really make your terrarium stand out by using several types of bases! We frequently receive inquiries regarding how to exhibit air plants in terrariums, including what types of bases to use and whether they require soil. The bases and decorations you should pick to create a stunning air plant terrarium are discussed below.
You can use small pebbles, seashells, bark, marbles, preserved reindeer moss, beautiful sand, etc. for the base. Have fun with it! There are countless options for the colors and textures of the sand and rock used in terrariums.
There is no need to provide soil because air plants can survive without it. Most air plants, in fact, shouldn’t be planted in soil. Layering moss, sand, or rock is a simple way to add variety and texture to your terrarium.
Make sure the base you use is entirely dry. You don’t want your air plants to be resting against any moisture in their terrariums or containers.
You should also consider the type and size of the terrarium you are creating. This terrarium will be presented where? Will it hang or rest on a table? You can choose the substrate for your terrarium by responding to these questions. Since moss is lighter than sand and won’t shift as much if the terrarium sways, using it as a base layer may be preferable for hanging terrariums.
Small bits of bark or driftwood can give your terrarium a charmingly rustic appearance as a base or accent, but make sure the wood you pick is pest-free. We like to use orchid bark, which is available at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Use caution when utilizing logs or bark that you may find outside because they could contain insects or pests that could harm your plant.
Watering Terrariums and Plants:
- If you water your plants while they are in your terrarium, too much moisture may become trapped amid the moss, rock, etc., leading to the rot of your plants.
- Before putting the plants back in your terrarium, remove them, soak or mist them, and then make sure they are totally dry.
- No water or moisture should be present in your terrarium or next to the Tillandsia.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer a kit that includes everything you need, look no further—we also carry those!
Check out these DIY terrarium kits, which include everything you need to build one.
Does glass have to be used for air plants?
Tillandsia, often known as air plants, have grown more and more popular in recent years. The peculiarity of these tiny epiphytes intrigues us since it contradicts our understanding of the needs of conventional plants. Because of their mystique, air plants are wonderful gifts because producing stunning displays of them is so simple that anyone can do it. Unfortunately, they can also be rather simple to kill if they are not cultivated in the proper conditions. We will go over Tillandsia development patterns, general care instructions, how to create a Tillandsia terrarium, and the tools required for them to thrive in this article.
In order to properly care for Tillandsia, as with all air plants, we must be aware of how they develop. Tillandsia are epiphytes, which means they often coexist parasitically with other plants. They can be divided into two groups: mesic and xeric. In the American tropics, mesic species are frequently found high in the tree canopy, which tells us that they typically like brilliant indirect light, good airflow, regular rainfall, and roots designed for anchoring. Xeric varieties, on the other hand, flourish on rocky outcrops and exposed cliff slopes. These kinds of air plants also have roots designed for anchoring and require much less water, little direct sunlight, and lots of air movement. The trichomes that cover the leaves of the xeric kinds, which suck additional moisture from the air, set them apart from the mesic varieties. In contrast to the mesic air plants’ shinier greenish tint, they almost have the appearance of silver fur.
We may improve the environment for Tillandsia in our homes by being aware of the natural circumstances in which they flourish. I always advise maintaining Tillandsia in an open terrarium because they all thrive in humid environments. The secret is to produce an environment with better airflow and a relative humidity that is higher than that of our ordinary residences. A Tillandsia kept in a confined terrarium or under a cloche is bound to fail. So search for glass containers with large top openings or side holes.
A standard terrarium needs many layers, but an air plant terrarium really only needs one: the drainage layer, as was covered in a previous blog post. The drainage media can be made of nearly anything that won’t decay and has the purpose of preventing the plants from ever sitting in water. For decoration and to raise the humidity, you can also add some moss or lichen.
Finally, and maybe most critically, Tillandsia require the right amount of light. Many individuals attempt to maintain their air plants in too little light. In comparison to their natural surroundings, our dwellings are like caves. Keep them in an east or west facing window if at all possible. They may also be outside of or adjacent to a sunny south-facing window. With a few hours of direct daylight either in the morning or afternoon, the goal is to have bright indirect light throughout the day.
To sum up, the prerequisites for making a suitable habitat for Tillandsia are an open glass vessel, inert drainage media, possibly some attractive moss, and adequate lighting.
Most of the supplies needed to properly feed and water these tiny curiosities can be found around the house. Zenaida Sengo compares air plants to a kitchen sponge in her book Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias to better explain how to hydrate them. You can water the sponge in a variety of ways, including routine drenching, frequent misting, and sporadic soaking. You don’t want the sponge to entirely dry out.
Every day or every other day, misting with a little spray bottle is recommended. You can dip a plant two to three times per week in a bowl of water, in a terrarium with a deep drainage layer, or under the sink in a colander. Once a week, take the plants out of their container and soak them in a bowl of water for 10 to 1 hour. Whatever method you use, make sure to shake off any water that has accumulated in the cup of the leaves to keep the plants from decaying. Keep in mind that xeric cultivars require less frequent watering.
Tillandsia, like all plants, require occasional feedings for optimum growth. I advise mixing a solution of kelp with a well-balanced water-soluble orchid food. Half a dose every couple of weeks or a full dose every month to three months are also acceptable feeding schedules.
You should be able to successfully develop these small wonders now that you have this fundamental understanding!