When an air plant blooms depends on a variety of variables. The environment that you maintain the air plant in, along with the season, type, and age of an air plant, all affect how it blooms.
The level of care it receives is another element that affects when it will blossom. Like most plants, air plants begin to blossom in the spring and summer. The days lengthen throughout these seasons, exposing the plants to more light.
Ethylene gas is frequently used in nurseries to induce flowering in air plants. They will even force the air plant to bloom before it is ready because of the allure of a flowering air plant in a store.
The air plants take significantly longer to bloom in their natural environment. Even within the same species of air plants, let alone between different types, the blooming period varies. The same species of air plants may take up to 25 years to bloom in one environment but just 5-7 years in another.
It all boils down to giving the air plants the right care and environment so they can grow.
An air plant blooms how many times?
Do you realize that air plants can bloom? You might have your work cut out for you if you want to see your air plant bloom! Because there are so many different variations, it is difficult to give basic directions that will apply to all of them. This is because different species bloom at various times, and flowering can also be affected by environment and maintenance.
The easiest way to determine blooming on an air plant is to look at its life cycle. When tillandsia reach maturity, they produce a single bloom. When the mother plant is close to maturity, the pups (young plants) will begin to emerge. She will eventually disappear, but each pup will eventually develop into a mature plant and flower, even though it might take some time. Depending on the species, blooms can continue from a few days to several months.
When purchasing plants, aim for ones that are beginning to sprout pups if you want to see a Tillandsia flower. To help the life cycle along, attentively adhere to the care instructions and once a month add a small amount of orchid or bromeliad fertilizer to the bath.
Keep them away from the water once the flowers begin to appear. The fragile flowers on your air plant won’t withstand being submerged in water, but you can still give it a bath.
How do I make my air plants bloom?
Try to be patient and caring with your air plants because they tend to develop quite slowly at first. Over time, you’ll discover that they are incredibly tolerant plants that benefit from just a few simple instructions.
- glaring indirect lighting
- Every once or twice a week, immerse the entire plant for 5–10 minutes in room temperature water. After a bath, let plants to dry for at least three hours by hanging them upside-down on a towel.
- For better blooms and the growth of your daughters, fertilize every two months with an epiphytic, bromeliad, or non-urea nitrogen fertilizer (pups).
Origins
Tillandsias are a member of the broad bromeliad family. Southern North America, as well as temperate regions of Central and South America, are the natural habitats of the Tillandsia genus. According to
The plant species can grow in arid to tropical environments like mountains, deserts, and rain forests. The thick-leafed types are found in dry places, while the thinner-leafed varieties grow there.
in regions where drought is more likely. This is a crucial factor to take into account when purchasing an air plant because it will define the plant’s hardiness and the precise watering requirements.
What is an Epiphyte?
We adore the fact that air plants are epiphytes since they are totally unique and adaptable! The mosses, orchids, bromeliads, and Spanish moss are a few well-known examples (which is also of the genus Tillandsia.) The term “epiphyte” simply describes a plant that grows without soil and acquires its nutrition by attaching to another plant or structure without the use of parasites. They will develop roots in order to tie themselves to something, but they are merely there for stability and support. If the roots of your plants start to go out of control, you may always cut them back with a pair of scissors without harming the plant. An air plant is a distinctive and eye-catching accent in the home because of its ability to simply “hang out,” which opens up countless design possibilities.
Basic Care
Tillandsias grow on trees and telephone lines in the wild, where they are slightly shielded from the hot sun. Allow your plant to receive strong indirect light indoors; direct sunlight, especially in the summer, will burn the plant’s margins. Simply pinch off any browning leaves you see close to the stem’s base; this will encourage new development. Tillandsias have developed a different method because they cannot acquire nutrition from their roots. They do this brilliantly by making use of Trichomes, tiny structures on their leaves. The plant can absorb nutrients and moisture from the air, rain, and occasionally collecting debris thanks to these tiny hair-like structures. This is essential to an airplant’s survival, particularly in regulating the plant’s water retention. Nice, huh? You can see why Tillandsia’s health depends on a proper watering schedule.
WATERING
The ideal time to water your air plant is in the morning, when you can immerse it in a water bath. Stomata on air plants open during night, allowing for the flow of gases and the evaporation of oxygen. Watering early in the day will help to avoid interfering with this crucial procedure. Although you can sprinkle your Tillandsia, this won’t provide enough moisture over time, and the plant’s vascular cells may start to degenerate.
Your air plant requires either weekly or biweekly soaks, depending on the type and thickness of the leaves. You must be careful not to use distilled water or water with a high salt concentration when doing this. Both of these are deficient in essential minerals and nutrients that your plant need and will eventually kill it after only a few waterings. Water from ponds or the rain is favored, but it might be challenging for most people to find. It is sufficient to use filtered tap water or tap water that has been allowed to sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Make sure the entire plant is submerged in the water; turning it upside down frequently prevents floating. Give the air plant about 40 to an hour in its soaking. Most crucial, allow your plants to soak for at least 3 hours on a towel outside of their containers. The worst error that humans commit is this. Keep in mind that air plants are accustomed to extremely dry situations where they have the chance to dry out in nature. The moisture will be trapped in the plant’s meristem (base region) if you immediately put it back in its jar or container, which will inevitably result in rot.
If you have an air plant that blooms, the bloom will typically last two to three weeks! Only partially submerge the flowering Air plant during this time because getting the flower wet will unfortunately limit the bloom length.
Give a water bath for 12 hours the night before you go if you are taking a trip that will last more than two weeks. Once home, soak for another 12 hours before airing out. Additionally, there are a few “extras” you can carry out to encourage more blooms and quicker growth.
FERTILIZING
While fertilizing your tillandsia might help it grow and bloom more quickly, be careful not to overdo it. If you have access to rain or pond water, you can skip this step. We advise fertilizing just once every two months at most. You can purchase typical bromeliad fertilizer and add it to the water in your bath. In the absence of urea-based nitrogen, which is advised only for plants that are kept in soil, use 1/4 of the recommended amount of any water-soluble fertilizer.
NEW GROWTH”PUPS
Every air plant will only ever blossom once in its lifetime, which is sad but real. Trimming off the entire blossom stalk after the flower has dried up will encourage “pupping. Tillandsia” Pups are only new plants growing at the plant’s root. About two months after the mother plant or main base of the plant has completed blooming, they usually start to grow. New pups can be pulled off the mother plant by twisting them, or you can keep them on because they start to group together and the mother plant will eventually wither and be replaced by the puppies. Before you remove the pups, make sure to wait until they are between 1/3 and 1/2 the size of the mother plant.
Why aren’t my air plants blooming?
The wait is over now. Your air plant has bloomed after careful attention and affection! You could wonder how it got to this stage and how I should take care of my flowering air plant. Or perhaps you are still impatiently awaiting your Tillandsia to bloom and are considering what you can do to promote the process. In either scenario, you should read this post.
Start by reviewing some basic information on the air plant blooming cycle. In the life cycle of an air plant, the bloom, as with any blooming plant, signifies the beginning of the reproductive process. The fact that air plants only bloom once in their lifetime may surprise you. Depending on the species, tillandsia generate various flowers, with many of them producing exquisitely colored blossoms that come in a variety of hues, from delicate pinks and flaming reds to vibrant purples and yellows.
In the realm of tillandsias, there are many various types of blooming styles. When they begin to bloom, some plants, like the capitata peach, blush a light pink color, and blossoms emerge directly from the core of the plant. Small buds arise from the heart of several plants, including the stricta and aeranthros. The bud eventually enlarges and unfolds to expose flowers. While some blooms only last a few days, others can linger for several weeks.
Some air plants have bloom cycles that are significantly longer than average, and these extended cycles are more typical in larger plants like the caput-medusae and the xerographica. For some types, these plants produce inflorescences, which are huge bloom tracts that may reach heights of over a foot! The blooms on the tract gradually unfold and emerge from the inflorescence. Some Tillandsias have blooming periods that persist for more than a year.
After the bloom: Your air plant may begin to sprout new growth after the bloom cycle is over. These are young air plants, sometimes known as offsets or “pups. These little children will eventually become independent individuals “air plant grownup, and the cycle will start over! You can cut off the bloom tract that emerged from the plant to boost the next stage of growth, which will hasten the pup stage! Depending on the species, an air plant will often produce 1 to 3 pups after blooming. You can choose to remove the puppies or allow them to cluster after they reach a size that is around one-third that of the mother plant.
How to get your air plants to blossom: Most Tillandsia that are in good health will ultimately bloom, but they need good maintenance and lots of light to do so. Use a diluted fertilizer, such as our specially made Air Plant Food, every a month or so to promote blooms and pup production to hasten the blooming process.
Do Tillandsias require any extra attention when they are in bloom? Keep watering and feeding your plant, first and foremost! However, when watering blossoming air plants, you’ll need to exercise extra caution. We advise that you immerse, spritz, or keep under softly running water only the parts of the air plant that allow you to avoid wetting the bloom, as opposed to soaking the entire plant. The bloom may decay or wilt if immersed in water for an extended period of time. Since all of a plant’s energy is going towards the bloom and eventually the puppies, a flowering plant may require a bit more water than usual. Keep an eye on your plant to ensure its happiness and health.
You might get to take pleasure in flowers of your own using sunshine, water, and a little fertilizer! Cheers to blooming!
Want to know what happens after that? Check out the following post in the series on blooming, After the Bloom, as well as our page on air plant propagation.
What causes my air plant to bloom?
Beginning as slow-growing plants, air plants require time, love, and care to blossom.
You might now be wondering, “How can I get them to bloom? ” or “Is there a proper technique to care for these air plants? Or perhaps you’re just impatiently waiting for your Tillandsia to flower and wondering whether there’s anything you can do to speed up the process.
Let’s start by reviewing some background information on the air plant blooming process. They bloom at the beginning of their reproductive cycle, just like all flowering plants do. An interesting truth about air plants is that they only ever bloom once in their lifetime. Depending on the species, they also produce a variety of flowers. The majority of these plants produce lovely flowers in a variety of hues, including pink, red, yellow, and purple.
You’ll undoubtedly encounter several blooming styles in the realm of air plants. For instance, the Capitata peach begins to blossom when it is a light pink color with blooms coming from the center. Small buds often start to appear from the core of the aeranthos and stricta, get larger, and release flowers when they open. Some species’ flowering only lasts a few days, while others may last for several weeks.
Larger air plants like the xerographica and caput-medusae have a longer flowering cycle. They frequently produce huge “inflorescences,” which for some species can surprisingly reach heights of one foot or more. The entire flower tracts are present in the inflorescence, which gradually opens up to allow the flowers to emerge. Some air plants can produce flower stalks that endure for more than a year.
After your air plants have finished blooming, you may notice “new growth” coming from the sides, the base, or leaves that are starting to fall off. [Be careful when cutting your plants.] These are young plants known as “pups,” which develop into adult air plants and reproduce the growth cycle.
You can carefully clip off the flower stalk that emerged from the air plant to speed the offset stage, which would then hasten the growth stage after blooming. Depending on the species, air plants would often produce one to three offsets or pups after blooming. You can choose to remove the offsets once they are about 1/3 the size of the adult plant (at which point they would clump together) or let them.
Even if they would bloom when they were healthy, Tillandsia still require attention and a certain amount of sunlight exposure in order to blossom. Additionally, you could use diluted fertilizers to expedite offset or pup development as well as the blooming phase.
Is there a proper technique to care for these air plants? Is that your million dollar question? Don’t ever stop watering your air plants, first and foremost! Since more energy is required for the flower and the development of offsets or pups, it makes sense that your blooming air plants would require a little more water than usual. However, when watering, you must be careful not to soak the blossom as well. Why? Considering that soaking the flower in water could cause it to decay or wilt
Therefore, you can sprinkle your air plant with a spray bottle or hold it under barely flowing water to damp only the necessary portions instead of completely submerging it while it is in bloom.
You should take good care of your air plants if you want them to stay vibrant and healthy.
Relax and take in the scenery; your air plants are still stunning to behold even if they haven’t yet begun to bloom.