The leaves of a healthy air plant should range in color from green to gray. The plant should not break when you lift it up. In other words, leaves should not fall from an air plant that is healthy.
You can do a variety of things to resuscitate a plant. Here are the steps I take to aid in the recovery of my air plants’ health.
Give the Air Plant an Overnight Soak
When I’m trying to revive an air plant, I always start by watering it. Keep in mind that although air plants don’t need soil, that doesn’t imply they don’t need water. Water is a necessity for all living things, even air plants.
Since air plants don’t have roots, they must instead collect moisture and water through their leaves because they lack soil. I’ve heard it much too often that garden centers advise misting air plants with water a few times per week. This is not enough water, in my opinion, and the plant will become thirsty. Sadly, if this persists for a long enough period of time, the air plant will die.
How Long Should I Soak my Air Plant?
I give my air plants an hour-long bath to make sure they receive the water they need. I do this on a weekly basis during the summer when it’s warmer and roughly every three weeks throughout the winter. I enjoy using rainwater because I live in a rainforest. But you can also use regular tap water! To let the chlorine vaporize, simply leave the water out for 24 hours.
Simply take the air plant out of its current container and place it in a bowl of water after that. The basin needs to be big enough for the plant to fully submerge. After a half-hour or so, remove it from the bath. To make sure that water isn’t gathering in your air plant’s leaves while it’s upside down, give it a couple gentle shakes. After that, return the plant to its location. It’s that simple!
Make Sure Your Air Plant has Air!
Even though it might seem simple, your air plant requires oxygen to survive. There are numerous pictures of air plants being kept in tightly sealed jars floating about, and they make me scoff since plants cannot survive in that kind of environment!
The answer is simple.
You can continue to preserve your adorable jar terrarium, but be careful to keep the lid slightly ajar or open to allow air to flow freely.
Remove Dead Leaves
A sick air plant should also have any dead leaves removed by gently tugging on them to check if they fall off. They are dead if they are simple to remove. Unfortunately, you have a dead air plant that has already perished if the entire plant crumbles when you do this.
Your air plant will survive, though, if only a few leaves fall off and the interior leaves are green and healthy-looking.
Look at the Tips of Your Air Plant
Try using rainwater or unchlorinated water as mentioned above if the tips of your air plant are starting to turn brown. Your plant may not be getting enough water if you are not giving them chlorine yet they are still turning brown.
After giving them an overnight bath, make sure you give them baths more frequently.
What if my Air Plant Falls Apart?
You have a dead air plant on your hands if your green air plant just falls apart. This probably happened as a result of spending too much time in water that was left standing or from not adequately shaking off after a bath.
Reread the section about watering, and the next one will undoubtedly go more smoothly.
Can you revive an air plant?
Most people will at some point in their adventure of cultivating tillandsias wonder how to revive their air plants. Finding the source of the problem is the first step in saving any air plant. After that, you can take the necessary steps to address the issue that is harming your air plant.
Your air plant may occasionally start to seem very white or gray. A naturally green air plant that is going very white or gray could be an early symptom of your air plant drying, even though it is typical for your air plants to be covered in a coat of white or gray hair or trichromes in most circumstances.
When your air plant becomes extremely white or gray, the good news is that it is not dying. When the air plant is dehydrated, the trichromes are simply becoming more noticeable and making the plant appear paler than usual.
A dry air plant can be brought back to life by soaking in water for 5-8 hours. After soaking, shake out any excess water, and let your air plant to dry out in 4 hours. Up until the plant no longer appears dry, repeat the prolonged soaking every two to three days.
If your air plant is drying out again after being rejuvenated with a series of prolonged soaks, check the light, temperature, and humidity conditions of the immediate area.
To assist your air plant maintain moisture, place it away from direct or extremely bright indirect light. Around 5090 F is the ideal temperature for air plants. If you subject your air plant to severely cold or hot temperatures, it could be difficult to recover it. It’s possible for the air plant to become too dry to survive in extreme temperatures.
The air plant’s brown or black leaves are often an indication of root decay. When air plants are not completely dried off after watering, they might get root rot. The air plant is prone to fungus infections that irreversibly harm the plant cells when the leaves are frequently damp. The air plant would eventually turn brown or black as a result of these dead cells.
As soon as you notice the brown or black leaves, you can carefully remove those leaves to revitalize your air plant and stop the infection from spreading. To prevent root rot, keep the air plant in a place with sufficient airflow and allow it to dry out promptly after each watering.
The air plant may perish in severe cases of root rot that have reached the plant’s center. You will need to try again with a fresh plant if the root rot is so severe that the plant begins to fall apart.
It can take some trial and error to understand how to grow air plants. The most frequent explanation for “why is my air plant dying” is root rot as a result of the air plant not drying out correctly. Air plants might wither from dryness, lack of light, or lack of nutrients in the water.
To lessen the likelihood of root rot in the future, you might try several techniques and situate your air plant somewhere with more air movement.
How can dying air plants be prevented?
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.
Can you keep an air plant from rotting?
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 can an overwatered air plant be revived?
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.