At Pop Shop America, a lot of terrariums are constructed! We create terrariums with air plants as well as succulents and cacti. We favor these plants since they are sleek and contemporary. But the main reason we favor them is that they are simple to maintain.
Let’s face it, many people, including us, find plants to be perplexing and difficult. Everything we know about caring for plants is a result of hard effort and experience.
The most frequent queries we get are about air plants. The phrase “the nursery where I bought my air plant said to only spray it, but then it died” or “the nursery said to not water it, but then it died” are actually things that people have said to us.
WHOA. I have no idea what insane nursery is spreading such false information, but we are here to clear things up! Although air plants are simple to care for, these instructions are incorrect.
A few different types of air plants exist. However, every variety must be watered at least once every month. Some people prefer to water once a week, so watering every two weeks is a fine place to start. Dropping the air plants into a basin of water is the simplest way to water them. The best water is tap water. The roots should be totally submerged, and the spiky leaves also benefit from a little water.
The crucial section is right here. Shake them to dry them off after removing them from the water. This was described as draining the roots of salts by a plant person. Never have I been able to confirm that.
After that, make careful to flip them over. It’s best to place them on anything absorbent, such as wood or paper towels. It’s also excellent to set them in the sunlight. Prior to placing them back in their habitat, it is crucial that they thoroughly dry off in between their spines.
It’s always a good idea to hang them upside-down to keep water from collecting in their spines. An air plant typically needs four hours to thoroughly dry up. Although air plants don’t require feeding, we do advise using organic air plant food every fourth watering for an extremely lush and vigorous plant.
An air plant’s curving spines will start to swell more when it is dry, and the outer leaves will eventually turn brown. Because it displays the typical symptoms of root rot, you can tell when an air plant has been overwatered. The plant will just fall apart as the base of the leaves become brown or black.
Overwatering has the drawback that it frequently dies too quickly for you to be able to aid in its recovery. It needs water if the exterior has dead spines. Overwatering is evident if there are dead leaves in the center.
I came upon this clever tip when determining how frequently to water:
When the spines are numerous, thin, and fan out like a rainbow: once a month, water
We hope the information we’ve provided will help you maintain healthy, living plants! Do you still lack plant love in your life? Simply look below!
How frequently do I need to water my air plant?
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 color when they require more water. Dehydration may be indicated by leaves that are wrinkled or rolled.
Are air plants immersed in water?
It is preferable to soak your air plants in a bowl of water for 20 to an hour once per week to 10 days. Totally submerge the plant. Even though they are constantly wet in nature, if your plant is in bloom, you might want to keep the bud above the water to avoid disturbing it.
How to Water an Air Plant
The most challenging aspect of caring for air plants is watering them. Some individuals use misting religiously, others immerse their air plants, while yet others utilize a mix of misting and soaking.
In our experience, watering air plants is challenging because the plant’s requirements differ significantly depending on the environment. Additionally, some species need particular care. Assessing your environment is the first step in watering your air plant. How much light is reaching your plant? What’s the temperature like inside your house right now? Is there a lot of dry air there (is your plant close to a heater or fireplace)? Is it also really humid?
Following your responses, you can modify the air plant watering schedule to meet your specific requirements. Here is what we suggest as a place to start:
- Every one to two weeks, give your air plant a 5- to 10-minute soak in room-temperature tap water (or, if you can get it, rainwater or pond water).
- Once your plant has soaked, gently shake off any extra water. It should be placed on a towel upside down in a well-lit area. This is very crucial. If extra water is allowed to stand, air plants will quickly decay.
- The plant should be able to dry completely in 3 hours once the soaking process is finished. More time than this could cause your plant to decay. Try putting it somewhere brighter with better airflow to encourage quicker drying.
- Mist your plant well once a week (instead of watering it). Make sure the entire surface is saturated (but not so much that there is water dripping down into the plant).
- You need to water more when the air is hotter and dryer (summer, early fall). Your air plant will require less water during the cooler and more humid seasons (winter and spring). Just be mindful of your plant because heaters and fires dry out the air.
- Water everything in the morning. Evening sopping or sprinkling interferes with the plants’ ability to breathe at night and prolongs the drying process.
Is My Air Plant Getting Enough Water?
The tops of your air plant’s leaves may turn brown or crispy if you’ve been neglecting to water it. When an air plant is under-watered, its leaves’ inherent concavity tends to become more pronounced.
Unfortunately, it’s frequently too late to save an overwatered air plant. Your plant has certainly succumbed to rot if the base of the plant turns dark or black and leaves are falling out or off from the center.
Regarding temperature, air plants are fairly tolerant. They thrive between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature difference between daytime and nighttime is roughly 10 degrees.
To maintain your air plant healthy, include orchid or specific air plant fertilizer in your watering routine once or twice a month. Simply sprinkle some in your water, then carry on as usual. Your air plant will blossom and propagate if you fertilize it (or pup — more on this later)
Do my air plants need to be misted?
The final technique in our series on watering air plants is misting, which you can employ in between regular soaking or immersing. Read more in our earlier blog posts to learn more about the dunk method and soaking.
If you notice that your plant’s leaves are starting to seem a bit dry or if you live in a dry region with low air humidity, misting is an excellent approach to give it a little additional hydration. Misting is probably not enough water for your plant to grow, therefore you shouldn’t utilize this method as its only supply of water.
The T. tectorum, which has a lot of trichomes, is an exception to this rule and prefers misting to soaking or submerging. In a temperate area, you might only need to mist once a month with one of these guys, or once a week in a hotter environment.
In contrast to other plants with bigger leaves, plants with wispy leaves such the T. ionantha, T. andreana, or T. fuchsii v gracilis may require misting more regularly in addition to weekly watering.
- It’s easy to spritz plants; just use a spray bottle or hose attachment set to the “mist” setting. Make sure the entire plant gets soaked before misting. As previously mentioned, if this is their sole source of water, this is not the greatest approach for watering. If you mist your plants, remember to additionally soak or dip them once a week at the very least.
A useful generalization to remember is that a healthy air plant will have leaves that are wide open, whereas a dehydrated air plant would have leaves that curl inward. Bring on the mist if you see that your plant is starting to appear a touch dry between your regular waterings!
How long do air plants need to be kept dry?
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An air plant’s best formula for success is proper care. Despite the fact that air plants are among the easiest indoor plants to care for, it is still preferable to give them some attention. Taking care of your air plants include giving them the water they require, the right amount of light, appropriate airflow, and fertilizers like orchid plant food to improve their health.
Without water, air plants may survive for two weeks. Additionally, the plant’s health is compromised even if it is still alive. Regarding the recommended watering regimen, you should bathe your air plants in water at least once every two weeks and spritz them once a week.
They will stay hydrated and have all the moisture they need to perform essential functions like photosynthesis if they are often watered. But what happens if you are unable to water your air plants on time? How long can they go without drinking?
To shed further light on this subject, we have put together this extremely useful post. Are you scared that your air plants will wither while you are away since you plan to be gone from home for a few days? Or perhaps you’re too busy with your schedule to give your air plants the proper amount of water? If so, you should read this article! Learn how long it takes for the absence of water to actually harm your air plants by reading on.
How well do air plants fare in terrariums?
I recently visited the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Ft. Myers, Florida, where I was given a tour of their residences, gardens, research facilities, and museum. Particularly all the rubber trees they investigated as potential sources for tire materials, the plant collections there are amazing.
I took advantage of the fact that Edison is most well-known for creating the light bulb by buying a tiny hanging planter in the shape of a lightbulb. An air plant is within, resting on sphagnum moss. I enjoy looking at it every day because it hangs above my kitchen window.
Tillandsia, or air plants, are fascinating members of the Bromeliad family. Since all bromeliads are epiphytes, they depend on another object for support. Because of this, plants in nature use their root systems to grow safely on rocks and trees. They obtain water and nutrients from the air and rain through their leaves as opposed to using their roots to draw them from the earth.
Only three things are necessary to maintain air plants healthy and content: sunlight, water, and air movement.
First, you need light—filtered light, not direct light—coming through a window facing south, east, or west. You can hang them outside in a tree or other safe place during the summer.
Second, appropriate irrigation is essential for growing Tillandsia. I prefer to mist mine once or twice a week to keep the sphagnum moss substrate damp while allowing the plant to somewhat dry out in between waterings. The leaves are too dry if they curl or roll. Place the plant in water overnight to resuscitate it, then shake off any extra water before putting it back on display.
Third, proper air flow promotes disease prevention and allows the plant to dry out a little between waterings.
Terrariums, which are transparent glass or plastic containers filled with miniature plants, are ideal for growing and displaying air plants. Unlike other terrariums, which are securely closed, my light-bulb-shaped container includes an entire side that is open to promote air flow.
- Home watching is possible for all sessions.
- It will be broadcast in the Peoria and Havana Extension offices on Tuesday at 1:30 PM.
- After the presentation, viewers can watch recorded films of these sessions.
For air plants, what kind of water do you use?
Although air plants are typically fairly easy to maintain, watering is often the deciding factor. But don’t worry! To make things simple and easy, we offer some tips and tricks.
Air plants acquire their nutrients from rainwater, bird droppings, and dead insects in their natural habitat. The greatest choice would be if you have access to a pond, creek, lake, or well, or if you can collect rainfall.
Neither filtered water nor tap water should be used. Municipal tap water typically contains more chemicals than minerals. Many of the natural minerals and nutrients that are advantageous to air plants have been removed from filtered water.
Depending on the weather and time of year, it is ideal to bathe your air plants for 20 minutes to an hour once per week to 10 days. Because cold or hot water will shock the air plants, the water should be lukewarm. If you choose to mist your air plants only, be sure to do it once daily, or as frequently as necessary. When misting your plants, be sure to water all of the leaves just enough to prevent them from dripping, but not too much.
It is crucial to allow your air plants to completely dry after soaking or misting them, especially before putting them back into a terrarium or other container. Place your air plants in some indirect sunshine to make sure they dry. Like drying a cup, you can place them upside-down on top of a towel and allow the water trickle down the leaves. As air plants are highly prone to rotting if they are left wet for too long, give them a few hours to completely dry.
What month is it in the year? Are you frequently using your heater? Do you reside in a humid or arid environment?
You may more accurately assess how much water your air plants need by taking into account all of these elements. Your plant will require more regular watering if you reside in a dry region than if you do in a humid one.
The time of year might also affect when to water. You will need to water more in the summer because the air is hotter and dryer. Your air plants may require a little less water in the winter because the weather will be cooler and more humid. However, if you have a heater on or are using a fireplace, this will also slightly dry the air.