Air Plant Care

How to take care of your Air Plants

There are several different types of air plants. But there are a couple rules that apply to caring for all air plants. When you first buy an air plant you will want to determine when they last bathed. Yep, that's right air plants bathe, they should be soaked in water monthly. Knowing when your air plant last had a watering, will help you know when next to water your new little air plant buddy; either immediately or in two to three weeks time. 

Water

Air plants do need water to survive. They are a living organism that feeds off of the air, but does require water to grow, just like all other plants! This is what truly makes air plants great first plants! You don't have to pay much attention to them! Not to mention they make great home decor, adding a splash of greenery to your space. 

Watering your air plant

Air plants can survive long droughts. Allow your air plant to fully dry up before watering it again, you will notice from the appearance of the air plant as well as the strength of it's leaves. If your air plant is quite stiff bathe it more frequently. Air plants with thinner strands can often do with less water. Wrinkled or rolled leaves can be a sign of dehydration and indicate your air plants need a mist or a serious bath.

Bathing your air plant 

Soak your air plant in water, covering the full plant for approximately twenty minutes. After your air plant has had a good soak, take your air plant out of the water and gentle shake it. This will remove excess water. Place your air plant in bright light, with good circulation to dry off. Do not blow dry or fan dry your air plant. A plant in bloom should be rinsed rather than submerged in water. Take care when rinsing the delicate new buds or flowers. 

Misting your air plants

You can also mist your air plants with a spray bottle more frequently than their monthly soaking bath. Misting your air plants two to three times per week is recommended for optimal care. However keep an eye on the dampness of your air plants leaves, ensure they are brittle dry before watering or misting. If you are in a drier, hotter climate, more frequent watering and misting will be needed. 

Light and Temperature

Air plants will do best in warm temperature, around 10 degrees celsius. Your air plant will need to be placed where it will receive a good amount of light. An area that receives too much light, meaning the space receives day light for a long period of time and heats up, is not ideal for your air plant. Place your air plant where it will receive light for several hours a day, but not heat up above a comfortable room temperature.

Air plants need bright, indirect light, in a room with a southern or eastern facing window that will light up your wall, shelf or hanging air plant. As long as your air plant is placed close to an area with optimal light and isn’t blocked will be a good spot for your air plant. Western light comes late in the day and can be very hot and intense. If placing your air plant in a western facing window, be careful of the heat on your air plant, you do not want it to fry in the sun. 

Mist your air plant every couple of days to keep it moist if it is placed in a spot with good light, nicely air drying. 

Grooming and Maintenance 

There will be a bit of pruning maintenance with air plants. Sometimes the lower leaves of an air plant may dry out as the plant grows. This can also be a result of when acclimating to a new environment, indicating the new environment is too cold or hot. Remove these leaves from the base of the air plant if they are dead and not reproducing. Do not peel too much away from the air plant and be very gentle not destructing the rest of the air plant when doing so. We recommend using tweezers. 

If your air plants leaf tips dry out and look brown, you can cut them off, trim on an angle. Your air plant's leaves will re-grow! You can use a water-soluble fertilizer used at 1/4 strength to water your little air plant buddies for recovery or as growth assistance. 

Blooming, Growth and Propagation

Some air plants may bloom. Different species bloom at different times, tillandsias live for several years and will bloom and produce flowers only once during their lifetime. A plant will most likely go into bloom sometime between mid-winter and mid-summer. Air plants will produce pups. Pups are newly generated air plants that are produced from the parent air plant. You can allow it to further growth in size of the parent plant or propagate it to create another individual air plant.

Propagation

When the pup reaches at least 1/3 the size of the parent plant, remove the pup, gently pulling it apart from the parent. To remove the pup from the parent plant, hold the parent plant firmly and gently twist downward to detach the pup. You can you use a clean knife instead of your hands if easier or a pair of tweezers. Be sure not to damage the pup or parent plant, make a clean break. The air plant pup will then grow into a parent plant and eventually regenerate it's own pups. 

Troubleshooting

An enclosed vessel encourages wet, stagnant conditions, and this spells disaster with air plants! Be sure to let plants dry fully before you place them back in their home, use a towel or cue tip to dry crevices where water could sit and potentially rot your air plant.