All air plants prefer direct but bright light. As long as your air plant isn’t propped up against the glass of a south- or west-facing window, where it could get sunburned, a room with lots of windows is excellent. You won’t kill your plant with fluorescent light if your home doesn’t have many windows. Even though air plants can survive without direct sunshine, they won’t be at their best.
Water: Air plants are renowned for their apparent capacity to survive solely on air. While they do require some additional water when kept at home, they do have some really remarkable natural adaptations that allow them to draw humidity and all of their nutrients directly from the air. This indicates that, in contrast to certain other air plants you might be familiar with, Xeros thrive in drier environments. They will flourish with a weekly misting as part of routine care. However, you should give your Xero a more thorough drink about once a month. Put your plant in lukewarm water and totally submerge it for 2 minutes. After watering, be sure to gently shake your plant to remove any remaining moisture from the leaves.
Depending on how humid your home is, you might need to water (and mist) more or less frequently. If your Xero is thirsty, the leaves will tightly curl to indicate that it needs more water. Your air plant is thirsty if they begin to wrinkle. If the leaves on your Xero are very straight, you may be overwatering it and risk issues like decay. You can find a healthy level of water for your leafy companion by just listening to the indications that your plant is giving you.
Should my xerographica be soaked?
Most air plants with plenty of trichomes (xeric plants) should be often misted or soaked, whereas mesic plants, which have bright green leaves and less trichomes, prefer to be drenched only once a week. In our blog post Mesic Vs Xeric Air Plants, we go into further detail regarding the differences between Xeric and Mesic plants. However, there is one exception to this rule: air plants with bulbous bases, even those with bright green, smooth leaves, should frequently not be wet for extended periods of time as well. Because of water buildup in their bulbous bases, plants are susceptible to internal rot.
Instead of being wet, Xerographica air plants should be sprayed or submerged. These plants, which are xeric in nature, are indigenous to arid areas. These plants can survive more sun and less water. A xerographica should be submerged in a basin or pail of water, then gently shaken to let the water drip off the leaves. To prevent water from getting stuck in the leaves, let the item dry upside-down.
The Tillandsia tectorum is an air plant that you shouldn’t wet because it has a lot of fuzzy leaves. The tectorum’s large trichomes on its leaves aid in absorbing moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. These plants have evolved to survive without much precipitation and are naturally found in arid areas of Ecuador and Peru. Depending on how hot and dry it is where you live, we advise spraying these guys every other week or so. They also favour open air and strong light.
The distinctive feature of bulbous air plants is that they have what are known as “pseudobulbs.” In the natural, ant colonies construct their nests inside of these hollow onion-shaped bulbs, which are essentially hollow themselves. When watering these plants, especially when soaking them, exercise caution. These so-called pseudobulbs are susceptible to water intrusion, which can cause the plant to rot from the inside out. You can either submerge them in water and shake off the extra afterward, or you can hold them under running water while avoiding their bases. The T. caput medusae, T. bulbosa, T. pruinosa, T. pseudobaileyi, T. butzii, and T. seleriana plants are included in this group.
Another reason not to soak T. pruinosa and T. seleriana is that they both have a lot of trichomes. They could decay from soaking because of too much water.
You shouldn’t immerse air plants with delicate leaves like T. fuchsii v gracilis and T. andreana. These plants benefit more from light misting or rapid dunks. You may need to spritz these plants as frequently as every couple of days to make sure they are receiving enough water because of their thin, wispy leaves, which can cause them to dry out more quickly between waterings.
The Tillandsia magnusiana should be misted or dipped rather than soaked because it has a lot of trichomes. These plants’ form and trichome content can make them more prone to decay.
When watering air plants that are in bloom, exercise caution to avoid getting the blossom itself wet. While it would be acceptable to soak the plant’s bottom leaves, we frequently advise pouring water over them or immersing them to avoid wetting the blossom. A bloom that has been moist for a long time may develop rot, which may eventually spread to the leaves and kill the plant.
Do you mist xerographica frequently?
Every week or two, submerge your xerographica plant in a basin of water. During the winter, reduce watering to once every three weeks. To properly dry the leaves, lay the plant upside-down on an absorbent towel and gently shake it to remove any remaining water. While the plant is drying, stay out of the direct sunlight.
The plant may dry out more quickly as a result of heating and cooling. Keep an eye out for wilted or withered leaves, both of which indicate that the plant needs a little extra water.
To give the plant time to dry, water your xerographica air plant in the morning or early afternoon. Never water a plant in the evening. If the air in your home is particularly dry, mist the plant more frequently, such as once or twice a week.
Take care of your plant every now and again by placing it outside in a warm summer rain. It will be really grateful for this.
LIGHT
My Tillandsia xerographica is blooming just in front of a long wall of windows that face east. It is extremely content here because it receives morning sunlight.
For the greatest results, don’t be afraid to place this particular air plant in some direct sunshine within your house.
Since xerographica air plants require more light than most airplants, many individuals make the error of not giving them enough light.
Don’t be afraid to provide plenty of sunlight circumstances for your T. xerographica during the winter if you can.
If you don’t have enough natural light, a nice, powerful grow lamp will also serve as artificial light.
WATERING
Tillandsia xerographica, a tropical air plant with thick leaves, requires substantially less watering overall than many of its cousins with thinner leaves.
I used to water my plant every other week or so for a time. I then began to give it a little more time, and it continued to be fine.
I like to use the soaking method to hydrate my xerographica air plant. I just flip my plant upside down and soak it entirely in a large basin of water.
About once or twice a month, I would estimate that I water my xerographica in this manner. This is the process I adhere to:
- In a large dish, place the plant upside down.
- Water should be lukewarm or tepid (never cold!).
- Allow it to soak for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Remove the plant, hold it upside down, and give it a few light shakes. To prevent rotting, remove all extra water from any crevices. This is crucial indoors because we lack the advantage of the good air circulation that exists outdoors, which will dry out your plant.
- I then flip the plant over onto a kitchen towel to dry it off.
Growing Tillandsia xerographica is enjoyable since you can “customise how it appears! The leaves will either be straighter or curlier depending on how dry you allow it to get.
The leaves of your plant will get curly if you allow it to dry out more. The leaves will be straighter if the plant is adequately hydrated.
Watch the short but extremely intriguing YouTube video below to see how a tillandsia grower demonstrates this point. You can clearly see what I’m referring to before deciding for yourself which you like most.
The size of this plant varies depending on the subspecies. View this larger variant I discovered in a nursery:
Never use distilled water to water your tillandsias, advises tillandsia grower Airplant Man. By osmosis, distilled water removes nutrients, killing your air plants.
For any plant, rainwater is obviously ideal, but tap water or filtered water will also work. When I water my Tillandsia xerographica and all of my other plants, I personally use normal tap water.
These require far less water than many other airplants, especially those with green leaves whose original habitat receives a lot more rainfall, making them much easier to maintain inside because they can handle a lot of neglect.
FERTILIZING
For my air plants, I do have a favourite fertiliser that I prefer to use. You may find more information about this in my blog post on general Tillandsia care.
Although it is not absolutely required to fertilise your air plants, doing so will make them stronger, bigger, blossom better, and have more pups.
Since the xerographica plant grows slowly, ensuring that it receives enough light and regular fertilising will cause it to develop more quickly.
HUMIDITY & TEMPERATURE
A temperature range of 22-28C, or roughly 72-79F, is excellent (this is the average temperature range in its natural habitat).
Although the ideal humidity range for this plant is between 60 and 72 percent, if you can’t give that in your house, it is highly tolerant.
FLOWERING
Your xerographica will ultimately bloom if you’re fortunate enough. The most crucial element for blooming is having adequate light, but proper general maintenance and the administration of bromeliad fertiliser will speed up the process.
How often should an air plant be watered?
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 colour when they require more water. Dehydration may be indicated by leaves that are wrinkled or rolled.
What causes my Xerographica to die?
Another problem you might see is that your air plant’s lovely green leaves are beginning to turn yellow or have brown stains on them. There may be too much sun exposure or an imbalance of nutrients to blame for this. Yellow leaves can also be caused by overwatering or underwatering. Brown spots may also be an indication of bugs on your plant, inadequate watering, fertiliser burn, or too much sun exposure.
One more piece of advice: Don’t try to save a sick plant by overwatering or fertilising it! This will just make the issue worse! It is acceptable to bathe your plant to see if you can revive it if you see that it is just a little bit dry or browning, but don’t overdo it! A sick or dry plant should also be placed in a location that allows it to “rest” while still providing enough light.
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It’s strange Despite the fact that I am a professional certified gardener, air plants are not my thing. Now that I have quite a few, I have always wondered why this is the case.
How is xerographica fertilised?
One of the most widely accessible varieties of air plants is Tillandsia xerographica, sometimes known as the King of the Air Plants. Why they are so well-liked is simple to understand. They look wonderful whether added to a bowl or when left on a coffee table. Xerographica plants are not only a lovely addition to contemporary decor, but they also require little upkeep. So how are these plants taken care of?
Xerographic Tillandsia These plants should be kept in an area that gets a lot of direct sunlight in order to be well cared for. Tillandsia xerographica prefers frequent misting to soaks, just like other xeric air plants. To reduce the likelihood of rot, place the xerographica plant upside-down in a sunny location after watering. Finally, a low-nitrogen fertiliser designed for air plants can be used to feed Tillandsia xerographica. The optimal fertilisation strategy during the growing season is once or twice (spring and summer).
The remainder of this blog post will serve as a comprehensive how-to manual for caring for your Tillandsia xerographica. You can enjoy these plants for many years if you take good care of them.