Do you have a sick or dead air plant? If your air plant appears dull, brown, or limp, it’s likely due to overwatering. Indeed, these indicators may indicate that it is quite thirsty! This air plant care guide will show you how to revive a sick air plant that has been neglected, shipped from far, far away, or is just looking a little under the weather.
Can you revive dead air plants?
How can I revive my air plant is a common concern that most people have at some point during their tillandsia growing adventure. The first step in reviving any air plant is to figure out what’s causing the problem. Then you can take the necessary steps to address the issue that is causing your air plant to die.
It’s possible that your air plant will turn very white or gray at times. While a covering of white or gray hair or trichromes on your air plants is typical in most situations, a naturally green air plant that is going excessively white or gray could be an early symptom of your air plant drying.
The good news is that if your air plant becomes very white or gray, it is not dying. When the air plant lacks water, the trichromes simply become more apparent, causing the plant to appear paler than usual.
A dry air plant can be revived by immersing it in water for 5-8 hours. After the soak, shake off any excess water and allow your air plant to dry within 4 hours of watering. Rep the long soaking every 2-3 days until the plant no longer seems to be dry.
If your air plant is drying up again after being rejuvenated with a series of extended soakings, check the light, temperature, and humidity levels of the surrounding environment.
To assist your air plant maintain moisture, keep it away from direct or very bright indirect light. Air plants enjoy temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you expose your air plant to severely cold or hot temperatures, it may be difficult to revive it. Extreme temperatures can dehydrate the air plant to the point where it can no longer thrive.
Root rot is usually indicated by brown or black leaves on the air plant. When air plants are not properly dried out after watering, they can develop root rot. When the air plant’s leaves are persistently damp, fungal infections can develop, causing lasting damage to the plant’s cells. The air plant would eventually turn brown or black as a result of these dead cells.
You may resurrect your air plant by gently plucking the brown or black leaves as soon as you notice them to prevent the infection from spreading. To avoid root rot, keep the air plant in an area with good air circulation and allow it to dry quickly after each watering.
Severe cases of root rot that spread to the plant’s core can cause the air plant to die. If the root rot is severe enough that the plant begins to fall apart, you’ll need to start over with a new plant.
Growing air plants is a trial-and-error process that can take some time. While air plants might wither due to dryness, lack of light, or a lack of nutrients in the water, the most common cause of death is root rot, which is caused by the air plant not drying out correctly.
To avoid the risk of root rot in the future, try other approaches and situate your air plant somewhere with more air movement.
How do I know if my air plant is dying?
The name “air plant” is a little deceiving. Members of the Tillandsia genus are named after the fact that they may grow without any soil at all. In reality, one of the most common misconceptions we encounter in air plant care is assuming that Tillandsia just require air to survive.
Air plants are epiphytic (meaning they grow on other plants without harming them) and emerge from the curves and branches of trees in their natural habitat of South and Central America’s forests, mountains, and deserts.
Air plants are among our favorites; they look great on their own and are included in many of our Plant Craft items, such as aeriums and mounts.
The following are the best methods for air plant care that we advocate. We’ll start with an overview of how to care for air plants in general, then move on to specific adaptations for aeriums, terrariums, and mounted Tillandsia.
Air plants require strong, indirect light to grow. Rooms with southern or eastern facing windows are ideal because they will be brilliantly lit by the sun for the majority of the day. North-facing windows also perform well, as long as the plant is close to the window and the window isn’t obscured by trees or a neighboring apartment complex. Western light arrives late in the day and can be extremely hot and strong. You don’t want to fry your air plant, so be careful!
As a general rule, the more light the air plant can tolerate, the higher the humidity in your environment. This implies that if you’re going to put your air plant somewhere where it’ll get a lot of light, you’ll need to spray it more frequently – twice a week, if not everyday. Because the humidity from your shower will take care of most plant misting, a sunny bathroom makes a happy home for an air plant.
Many customers question if they can keep an air plant in an office or basement room with no natural light. Yes, but there are a few guidelines to follow in order to ensure your plant’s success.
It’s essential to use full spectrum (fluorescent) lighting. Regular incandescent bulbs do not produce the quality of light required for photosynthesizing by these plants. Your Tillandsia should be no more than 3 feet from the source of light. Also, if you’re using fluorescent lighting, the plants will need at least 12 hours of light per day.
If you live in a basement or want an air plant in your office, we recommend purchasing a special bulb for your plant (such as a Gro-Lux, Repta-Sun, or Vita-Lite) and setting it on a 12-hour timer to ensure that your plant receives all of the light it requires.
Watering an air plant is the most difficult aspect of air plant upkeep. Some individuals swear by misting, while others swear by soaking, and still others combine the two in their air plant care routine.
Watering air plants is difficult in our experience because the plant’s needs vary dramatically depending on the space in which it is placed. The first step in watering your air plant is to assess its surroundings. What kind of light does your plant get? At this time of year, what is the temperature in your home? Is the environment excessively dry (does your plant have access to a heater or fireplace?) Is it hot and humid?
After you’ve answered these questions, you can tailor the air plant watering schedule to your specific requirements. As a starting point, we recommend the following:
- Soak your air plant in room temperature tap water (or rain/pond water if you can find it) for 5-10 minutes every one to two weeks.
- After soaking, gently shake your plant to remove any extra water. In a light area, turn it upside down and place it on a towel. This is vital information! If you leave your air plants in too much water, they will quickly rot.
- The plant should be able to dry completely in no more than 3 hours after the soaking is finished. If your plant is left wet for an extended period of time, it may rot. To help it dry faster, try putting it in a brighter area with more air circulation.
- Mist your plant thoroughly once a week to ensure that the entire surface is wet (but not so much that there is water dripping down into the plant).
- The more water you need to water as the weather gets hotter and dryer (summer, early fall). The less water your air plant needs the cooler and more humid the air is (winter and spring). But keep in mind that heaters and fireplaces dry out the air!
- Do all of your watering first thing in the morning. Evening soaking or misting interferes with the plants’ ability to breathe overnight, resulting in a longer drying time.
The browning or crisping of your air plant’s leaf tips is a sign that it’s been under-watered. When air plants are under-watered, their natural concave shape becomes more pronounced.
Unfortunately, it’s generally too late to salvage your air plant if it’s been over-watered. Your plant has likely succumbed to rot if the base of the plant turns brown or black, and leaves are falling out or off from the center.
When it comes to temperature, air plants are relatively laid-back. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures should be around 10 degrees colder at night than they are during the day.
Once or twice a month, incorporate orchid or Bromeliad fertilizer into your watering routine to keep your air plant happy. Simply sprinkle a pinch into your water and carry on as usual. Fertilizing your air plant promotes blooming and reproduction (or pup more on this later)
Air plants only flower once in their lives, did you know? These blossoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the species, and can come in a wide range of vibrant colors, including pink, red, and purple. Flowering is the highest point in an air plant’s life cycle, but it also signals the start of the plant’s old age: after flowering, the plant will die.
But don’t give up! Depending on the species, your air plant will reproduce by putting out 2-8 flowers just before, during, or after flowering “Puppies.” These tiny air plants will eventually grow into their own mother plants, despite their modest size. When the pups are about 1/3-1/2 the size of the mother plant, they can be securely separated. Take care not to pull them out too soon, since they are absorbing nutrients from the mother air plant!
Above: A brass mister is a stylish and classic Tillandsia Xerographica companion.
While larger air plants look great on a windowsill or tabletop, we prefer to incorporate their smaller siblings into our living art “Aeriums” are a type of terrarium that is solely dedicated to air plants! Here’s everything you need to know about air plant care in glass.
- Simply remove your plant from the aerium, terrarium, or glass to mist/soak it, then allow it to dry before replacing it in the glass, as directed above.
- Keep in mind that maintaining your air plant in glass will produce a microclimate in which the glass vessels will be more humid and hot than the surrounding space.
- Avoid placing glass vessels too close to a window. The sun’s rays are amplified by glass. You don’t want your plant to cook!
- You won’t be able to soak your plant because it won’t come out of the glass, so you’ll have to rely solely on misting. This is perfectly OK.
- Smaller glass means less air circulation, which means longer drying time for the plant and less misting.
- Larger glass = more air circulation = faster plant drying time = more misting.
- When misting your air plant, make sure to mist around it rather than directly into it. You don’t want to overwater it; instead, you want to keep it moist.
- We recommend starting with weekly misting and adjusting as needed, depending on the vessel.
You won’t be able to wet your mounted air plant like you can with air plants in small glass pots. Mounted air plants, on the other hand, will require more regular misting than aeriums because they are not enclosed in a humid microclimate. Starting with twice weekly misting and adjusting as needed, depending on how long it takes your plant to dry in your location, we recommend starting with twice weekly misting.
If you follow these air plant care instructions, your Tillandsia should thrive in no time! Do you have any queries or tips regarding caring for air plants? Let us know in the comments!
Can an air plant die?
- What is the best way to look after an air plant? To survive, air plants require light, air, and water. The type of environment in which you are housing your air plants, as well as the type of tillandsia you have, will determine how well they are cared for. Xeric (silver-leaved) plants prefer drier conditions and more sunlight, whereas mesic (greener-leaved) plants prefer more moisture and lower indirect light levels. On our Air Plant Care Page, you can learn more about how to care for them.
- What is the origin of air plants? Tropical regions of Mexico, South America, and Central America are home to the majority of air plants. Some plants can even be found growing in the wild in Florida and other parts of the South.
- What is the best way to water an air plant? Watering your plants can be done in a variety of ways, including dunking, soaking, and misting. Our article Tips for Watering Your Air Plants has more information on watering air plants.
- Is it necessary for an air plant to be exposed to sunlight? Without a doubt! Air plants can also thrive in the presence of artificial light. Take a look at our article on how much light air plants require. You can always rotate plants every couple of days if you have an area that doesn’t get enough light so you can still enjoy their beauty while the plant continues to thrive!
- What are trichomes, and what do they do?
- Trichomes are what give some air plants their silver/grey fuzzy appearance, and the number of trichomes on a particular air plant type might affect how well it is cared for. Trichomes may appear to be little hairs, but they are actually microscopic water containers. Trichomes are made up of many little cells, some of which are alive and others which are dead. When water comes into touch with a trichome’s dead cells, it swells up like a sponge and is absorbed by the living cells, which subsequently utilise the water. In our articles All About Trichomes and Trichomes in Depth, you may learn more about trichomes.
- Why are my air plants dying so frequently? Air plants are relatively easy to care for, but they can be finicky at times. Your air plants could be dying from a lack of water, excessive water, rot, fertilizer burn, or too much/insufficient light. In our article “What’s Wrong With My Air Plant,” we go over some of the most prevalent air plant issues. The most common problem people have with their air plants is that they are overwatered!
- After flowering, do air plants die? Yes, most air plants die after flowering, but they will almost always produce pups or offsets before dying. The mother plant, on the other hand, can live for a long period and produce several offsets. Learn more about the flowering process, what happens after the bloom, and air plant propagation in our blog articles.
- When it comes to air plant blossoms, how long do they last? The majority of air plant blooms last a few days to a week, but some plants with larger blooms, known as “inflorescences,” can last for months. The xerographica, harrisii, and fasciculata tropiflora are among these plants. To learn more, see our post about what happens after the bloom.
- Is it necessary for me to fertilize my air plants? Nope! Fertilizer isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can help your plant bloom faster and produce more offsets/pups. On our site, you can learn how to fertilize your air plants properly and buy a bottle of our specially made air plant fertilizer to help your plants thrive!
Why would an air plant die?
If your air plant died recently, it was most likely due to rot. It is the most common cause of death in Tillandsia plants. The main cause of this harmful problem is overwatering your plants. Air plants, like succulents, store water in their leaves, which can keep them alive for up to two weeks.
What does air plant rot look like?
Detecting Rot Rot or fungus may have infected the base of your air plant, which appears brown and feels overly soft/mushy to the touch. A rotting air plant may frequently lose leaves at its base and may begin to fall apart, or the air plant’s center may come out.
What happens when air plants turn brown?
It’s possible that your air plant is getting too much sun. While they prefer being in filtered sunlight, if they are exposed to direct sunlight all day, your plant may become sunburned and turn brown. Despite the fact that they are dubbed “air” plants, they nonetheless require weekly watering.
Should air plants be brown?
Your air plant’s leaves may be turning brown for a variety of causes. Underwatering and aging are two of the most common causes of your air plant turning brown.
- It’s a symptom of underwatering if the leaves are brown, dry, and shriveled/extra curled.
- Leaves may appear bowed, but they will straighten out once you water more deeply.
Please keep in mind that as your air plant ages, the leaves will become brown at the base. Aging leaves appear at the base of your air plant, turning yellow, then brown and crispy as they age.
Should I cut off brown leaf tips?
Is it necessary to remove dead leaves? Yes. Remove brown and dead leaves as quickly as possible from your houseplants, but only if they’re more than 50% damaged. By removing these leaves, the remaining healthy foliage receives more nutrients and the plant’s appearance improves.
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.
Can air plants survive in low light?
Air plants are touted as perfect plants for introducing some greenery into dark spaces since they can live in low light. Air plants thrive in strong indirect light, despite the fact that they can survive in low light.