How To Take Care of Air Plants

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Josh Stein

Air plants, also known as Tillandsia, are a kind of epiphytes. The plants are well known for their thick, silvery foliage and vivid flowers, but these unique plants don’t require any soil to grow, however, they still require a place to hang-out. Unlike traditional plants, air plants are not parasites, meaning they do not get their nutrients from their host. Even though they have roots, the roots are used for anchoring rather than getting nutrients. These plants get all their water and nutrient requirements from absorption through their leaves.

When grown indoors, these plants make a striking addition to your indoor décor. They have different appearances and can be used to decorate different rooms in a house. Just like any other house plant, these plants require some care to thrive. 

So how do we take care of Air Plants...

Water Needs

Water is crucial to the survival of air plants. When they receive the water in sufficient quantities, their silvery leaves are very beautiful. You need to mist them every few days, especially if they're exposed to dry indoor environments or drying winds.

These plants also require regular deep-water hydration, especially if there are signs of drying out. To give an air plant a bath, submerge the whole plant in clean, room-temperature water for about 30 minutes. Make sure the flowers are not submerged or they will die prematurely. Shake off any excess moisture, let dry and then return your plant to their home. Soak your plants once every month.

The plants are very sensitive to the chemicals in water. if you use tap water, let it sit overnight so the chemicals evaporate. Water with a PH higher than 8 or softened water which is high in salt is deadly to these plants. Bottled water works well and rain water is even more effective.

Lighting

Air plants require indirect or partial sunlight to grow. When indoors, keep them no more than 10 feet from the window. A simple fluorescent light will also work well. However, be sure not let the plant stay exposed to direct sun for too long, as it might suffer from leaf burn.

Dealing with Pups

These plants produce beautiful, long-lasting flowers, before producing pups (baby air plants). The plants will grow 2-8 pups. The pups can be left on the parent plant to give a fuller appearance, or can be removed to create separate plants. If you want to remove the pups, make sure they are at least 1/2 the parent’s size. This ensures the pups are strong enough to live on their own.

Grooming

Air plants rarely require pruning thanks to the natural dense, tidy growth pattern. However, they require occasional grooming to restore their beautiful appearance. Remove all dead, dry or brown leaves from your air plant. Cut back any dead or brown tips until what is left is a healthy growth. Trim any unsightly growth of, if you wish, roots from your plant. When pruning use sharp pruning shears. I like to use a small pair of surgical scissors.

Feeding

Air plants in captivity need minimal supplemental nutrients to flourish. Feeding these plants differs from many others because of the epiphytic nature. Their own roots are very sensitive and can't absorb urea like the terrestrial plants. You can feed them with urea-free fertilizer with N-P-K analysis of '30-10-10'. Orchid fertilizer works well when diluted. Mix this fertilizer at ¼ the recommended strength. Dissolve the fertilizer in one gallon of water. Mist the fertilizer solution onto the plant’s leaves until they’re saturated, or just add to the monthly soaking bath. 

Potential problems

Air plants experience few problems. They don’t suffer from chronic diseases and insects and pests rarely bother them because the do not grow in soil. For a healthy air plant, the entire plant requires access to free air. Grow the plants mounted on some wood or any other organic material, or place the plants on top of stones or sand, like in our Terrarium Globes. Avoid putting your plants vessels that allow water to collect, as this will surely kill you plants.

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Where to Buy Air Plants - 4 Things To Know Before You Buy

Posted on February 09, 2015 by Les Stein

While Air Plants have become extremely popular for decorating and hobbies, there are relatively few local places to actually buy Air Plants. Finding a good, reliable supplier requires some research. There are many online resources to buy air plants, but you’ll first need to find a good resource to learn about and investigate the various varieties available.

Since there are over 550 types known, your initial task is find a few good resources that have quality pictures and information on the many types air plants available. Once you find a few resources, you need to then narrow down your selection by those that fit into your project or collection, then narrow that search by size, price and availability.

So now you think you know what you want, the next challenge is where can you actually buy Air Plants? If you are not a wholesale buyer like most of us, then unfortunately, few local resources exist that will sell to the hobbyist or collector. A good place to start is your local Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs. Sometimes they have Air Plants vendors in attendance, but most aren’t able to provide a large variety of Air Plant species for sale at their booth. And if it’s winter where you live… forget about it. Since floral shops and garden centers typically don’t inventory Air Plants, your next best option is the Internet.

Sites like ETSY have numerous sellers that carry air plants. While most are smaller shops, you’ll still be able to learn about Air Plants, see how others are using them and choose some of the varieties that best fit into your projects. There are also a few larger sellers on ETSY, and there are several larger companies with their own online stores. Most make purchasing very easy and safe. Several of the larger shops offer nice Variety Packs. These are good places to start to buy your Air Plants and build your collection. Shop wisely, prices vary considerably, and so do plant size and quality.

If you live in a Freeze Zone when ordering, be sure the supplier offers a Winter Heat Pack to protect you plants during cold weather shipping.

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