An Air Plant’s Flower and Puppy Care
It is really simple to discover how to take care of an air plant. You can really count on one hand the amount of things you ‘need’ to remember in order to function well.
- Lighting
- Water
- Temperature
- Fertilization
- Circulation of Air
Those instructions are for routine weekly/monthly maintenance of tillandsias, which is the scientific name for air plants; yet, who really uses air plants? No, I didn’t believe that. It is, however, similar to everything else in that it is only simple when you know how.
Consider the following your cheat-sheet for maintaining the health of your air plant. As long as you follow these instructions, you will see your plant in full bloom (just once) and it will continue to produce offspring (pups) for years to come.
Are you aware of the responsibilities that come with owning an air plant?
With each pup comes a fresh lease on life, since that will blossom as well, and it will ultimately produce progeny as well as the previous litter. They should, at the very least.
Keep in mind, however, that… Just because they are referred to as air plants does not imply that they will survive only on the moisture in the air. They still need water and a little tender loving care every now and again in order to blossom and pup.
Now, let’s get to work on learning…
How to Take Care of Your Air Plant (And its Flowers and Pups)
Essentials of Air Plant Care – Your 5-Point Checklist for Success
1. The amount of light exposure –
how much is too much?
Over 12-hours of any form of light is too much, regardless of the source. Luminous indirect light is the finest lighting for all air plant kinds. They adore bright light, but they do not tolerate direct sunshine.
If you really must keep your air plants in direct sunlight…
Increase the frequency with which you water them.
Because… The amount of direct sunlight that an air plant receives will determine how low its moisture content will be. The plant’s moisture content is what draws the air to it in the first place.
And what exactly is in the air?
Humidity, which for air plants signifies hydration, or dehydration in the event of too much light absorbing the moisture, as in the case of too much light absorbing the moisture.
If you don’t have enough light in your house or business, you may use a lamp. It is possible to utilize full spectrum fluorescent illumination. Simply said, it should not be left on all of the time and definitely not for more than 12 hours every day. Make an attempt to replicate daylight hours. A maximum of 12 hours per day is allowed.
If you only remember one thing from this whole experience, make it one of them…
Watering Recommendations for Air Plants, Part 2
Spraying air plants with a spray bottle, regardless of the size of the plant, is preferable to soaking them (which is preferable). If yours is too large to be soaked in a sink, pale, or basin, soak it in the bathtub instead. However, it is always best to soak upside down.
The air plant’s leaves need the most water, as do the rest of the plant. It is not the plant’s crown (the bottom) that is being discussed.
Regarding that… The crown of an air plant would decay if there was too much standing water in the container, as would occur if you potted an air plant without providing drainage in the pot. As a result, they should be allowed to air dry upside down before being displayed once again.
Every week, turn your air plant upside down in a basin of water for at least 15 minutes. Then air dry it upside down as well, so that the water drains into a towel rather than into the base of the plant itself.
Plants that absorb moisture from the air
This is only not done at the period when it is in bloom, else it will be. You’ll destroy the flowers and hate yourself for squandering your opportunity (more on caring for air plants in bloom later).
You’re probably wondering what’s going on at this point… Can you tell me how long I should soak my air plant for?
If you’re just going to bathe the plant once a week, soak it for up to half an hour, but no less than 20 minutes is recommended.
The amount of time spent soaking should be extended to twice weekly during the summer months when the temperatures are greater. When doing so, reduce the duration to 20 minutes, unless you see any indications of dehydration throughout the process (covered below).
Let us not forget about the home sitter…
In the event that you need to leave directions for someone else to follow while you’re away on vacation, just inform them to spritz the plant on a regular basis by spraying water over the leaves until they brighten up, since a strange thing occurs when air plants are thirsty…
They change color to a grayish-silverish hue. It then returns to its original green color the moment the water is sprinkled on it (check out the video below, around the four minute mark).
The following should be self-explanatory… Don’t let your plant suffer from dehydration merely to be charmed by the shifting hues. It will remain healthy if you give it enough of water.
In addition, the texture changes… The leaves of a well-hydrated air plant have a hard feel to their leaves. It is not only the leaves that get mushy when they need watering, but also the leaves that become pale. To feel the texture of the leaves, just touch them if you aren’t one for detecting color changes.
Consider them to be the sign language of the air plant.
- If the leaves are rigid, the plant is in good health.
- If it’s soft, it’s going to require something to drink.
A healthy glow indicates good health; if it is paler than normal, it indicates a need for hydration. The plant will need more water if the shadow is paler.
When things start to turn bad, you should…
When an air plant is severely dehydrated, the color of the leaves changes from green to brown.
That’s never a good thing when it comes to plants. In this case, it is likely that the leaves’ leaf tips will go brown. That should not, however, run all the way around the borders of the leaves. If this is the case, increase the frequency with which you water it.
But don’t be concerned about nothing… It is typical for the tops of air plants to become brown, although this only happens once in a while. In the case where it occurs on a regular basis, such as each time the plant is soaked and the water runs out, you will find yourself reaching for the scissors to snip away brown tips, the plant is not receiving enough water.
Keep an eye out for it throughout the summer months since it will signal that it is time to raise your soak frequency from once a week to twice a week. Because of time constraints, soaking them twice weekly is not always possible. Instead, properly spritz the air plant every day to avoid any difficulties.
This is really useful information to have…
It is impossible to overwater an air plant. Because they only absorb as much water as they need, they can be immersed upside down in water for an extended period of time.
It is also important to consider the sort of water you use… The best kind of water is unchlorinated or pure water.
If you’re using tap water, a safe precaution is to fill a basin or whatever container you’re using to soak your air plant in with water and let it out for 24 hours before using it. The chlorine in the tap water will be allowed to evaporate as a result of this.
Because rainfall already has nutrients, if you’re utilizing rainwater for home plants, such as if you have anything to collect rainwater or a garden pond, you shouldn’t apply fertilizer with it.
Even if you believe something has already gone wrong with your air plant, you should still read this page until you reach the part that explains how to resuscitate an air plant before giving up hope.
You’d have to be actively attempting to make a mess of this one…
3.Heat that Air Plants Adore in the Sunlight Temperatures that Air Plants Adore in the Sunlight
Due to the fact that air plants may be grown inside or outside, they are susceptible to temperature fluctuations. That’s why they make excellent houseplants, since you don’t need a greenhouse to have a beautiful tropical plant in your home.
Any temperature between 50oF and 90oF is suitable for an air plant to grow well. Temps between 80oF and 90oF are ideal during the day, with temperatures decreasing to 50oF to 60oF at night.
The greater the temperature, the better, but it should never be below freezing since they are tropical plants after all. If you’re feeling the cold, your plant is experiencing it, too.
Keep in mind, however, that the higher the temperature, the more water an air plant need.
Don’t forget to take into consideration the apparent…
4.Air circulation is necessary for the removal of moisture.
This isn’t a joke…
The hint is right there in the name – air plant. However, it is worth mentioning that terrariums, no matter how lovely they are, do not provide sufficient air circulation for an air plant.
You should use a glass display if you really want to, but make sure it has the largest hole you can locate. As if you were growing a little air plant in a fish tank with no cover. Air plants flourish best when they are out in the open, where they may be surrounded by lots of air.
Arrangement of Air Plants in an Open Enclosure
Keep in mind that you should never put an air plant back into its cage if it is still damp from the previous day. Completely dry it. Place it upside down on a towel near a window to let the sunshine to help dry it, much as you would shake the water off the leaves.
Direct sunlight is OK in brief bursts as long as it is not too hot. Your plant will not be harmed by exposure to direct sunshine for up to four hours.
It is recommended that air plants be watered.
They should not be dripping wet.
During the day, they will collect moisture from the surrounding air. However, this does not imply that they are unable to thrive without water.
Yes, if you’re in the tropics. It’s not going to be your house (unless you live in the tropics), since the humid conditions of a tropical rain forest aren’t going to be anything like yours. They’d have access to water throughout the day in such atmosphere. Why Aren’t My Calla Lilies Blooming? How to Grow an Apple Tree 4 Causes Baby Spider Plants Die How to Save Them What Makes Daisies Weeds?
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Keep in mind that you should never put an air plant back into its cage if it is still damp from the previous day. Completely dry it. Place it upside down on a towel near a window to let the sunshine to help dry it, much as you would shake the water off the leaves.
Direct sunlight is OK in brief bursts as long as it is not too hot. Your plant will not be harmed by exposure to direct sunshine for up to four hours.
It is recommended that air plants be watered.
They should not be dripping wet.
During the day, they will collect moisture from the surrounding air. However, this does not imply that they are unable to thrive without water.
Yes, if you’re in the tropics. It’s not going to be your house (unless you live in the tropics), since the humid conditions of a tropical rain forest aren’t going to be anything like yours. They’d have access to water throughout the day in such atmosphere.
Most other people’s houses will not have quite as high a humidity level, which means there will be less water available for the plant to absorb. When plants aren’t being wet or misted, they absorb moisture from the surrounding air. That is why kids should be allowed to go outside in the fresh air. They will struggle if they are enclosed.
Follow these steps to ensure that your air plant never has a problem…
The 5th reason to fertilize air plants is because anything that lives does better when it has good nutrition.
Don’t skip over this section because you believe you don’t need it. Yes, you do. Your plant, on the other hand, does.
The reason behind this is as follows: Rainwater has more nutrients than tap water, and any sort of filtered water does not have as much. Fertilizer is the most effective method of maintaining healthy indoor air plants.
It is not necessary to soak or spray them every time. It is sufficient to clean them once a month to maintain them in good shape.
They’ll blossom at their finest if you do this. In addition, it will benefit them in the long run. Who wouldn’t want to witness anything like that?
The majority of plant nutrients are appropriate for air plants. It is only those containing copper and zinc that are not suitable since these elements are poisonous to air plants. It’s going to kill them. There are no second chances when it comes to those in your fertilizer!
The safest kind to use are those that are designed specifically for air plants. Because tillandsias are members of the bromeliad family, they may be fertilized with any bromeliad fertilizer. One of the most significant concerns with fertilizers is the salinity of the water used while soaking or sprinkling the fertilizers.
In order to avoid this, after you have your water ready and have added the dissolved plant fertilizer, you must utilize it within 24-hours. In the event that you have more than one air plant, it will be simpler to take care of them all on the same day using the same water solution.
The fertilizer you choose must be diluted to a quarter strength if it is not specifically designed for bromeliads, but rather is an all-purpose water-soluble solution (without zinc or copper – check the label to see what is in the fertilizer). Otherwise, it might get too rich and cause your air plant to burn. It’s a bad moment!
What is the growth rate of air plants and how large do they become? It is dependent on the kind of air plant that you have.
The majority of information about air plant maintenance focuses on the fact that fertilizing air plants is optional. Given that these plants thrive in humid environments with plenty of moisture provided by rains, it stands to reason that an air plant fertilizer would be beneficial to them.
It surely won’t hurt them if they’re fed once a month with the correct sort of fertilizer that doesn’t include any copper or zinc traces and is diluted to the proper strengths – as specified on the label or in the accompanying instructions.
You are not required to use fertilizer if you are really worried about doing so. Just keep in mind that they will fare better if they are fed once a month. Furthermore, you’ll want it to blossom, and fertilizing it will aid in this endeavor.
When it does begin to blossom, you’ll need to know what to do with it…
Instructions for Caring for a Blooming Air Plant
Air plants only bloom once in their lives. When they do, it’s really a sight to see.
Flowering Air Plant is a kind of air plant that blooms.
When your air plant begins to blossom, stop soaking it and spritz it with a spray bottle instead of watering it. Allow the plant to take care of the blossoms. They’re pretty astute when it comes to determining where nutrients are required.
Because the weekly soaking is no longer taking place, they will need misting more regularly. Expect to get misted at least once a day, and maybe more than once depending on the humidity.
What to Do If Your Air Plant Produces Pups
Every year, if you give your air plant the proper care, it will produce pups, which are the children of the plant. The number of pups produced by an air plant varies depending on the kind of plant. Some may produce one to three eggs, while others can produce up to a dozen.
It’s a game of waiting and seeing what happens. You could be fortunate enough to receive a bloom in the first year, followed by a single pup the next year, or you might be lucky enough to get triplets or a litter of puppies in the following year.
You may either leave them linked to the mother plant or separate them when they are a third the size of the mother plant, which is when they are a third the size of the mother plant.
After that, you may begin caring for your new air plant again, or you can give them away to someone who would enjoy and care for them. And he’s looking forward to seeing it bloom.
This will be useful if you’re giving away your tillandsia puppies. (If you’re giving away your tillandsia pups, there are some bite-sized air plant care advice included in the summary section later on that will be useful.)
If you have a nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right… Don’t make the mistake of assuming you’ve done anything to your air plant that has died or is killing it. You may be able to bring it back to life…
How to Resurrect a Dead Air Plant
Especially if you’re getting plants online, this is something you should be aware of since your plant may arrive looking neglected and in need of more TLC during its first few days with you.
Dry Air Plants are a kind of plant that produces dry air.
A sign that an air plant need further care is if it is becoming brown rather than green, and/or if the leaves are soft to the touch rather than rigid when you touch them.
Do this before you give up…
It should be bathed overnight (upside down)
Keep in mind that air plants can only absorb as much water as they need. They are not going to drown.
After removing it from the water in the morning, lay it upside down on top of a towel to dry for around four hours. Check between the leaves to make sure there isn’t any water accumulating, particularly around the crown, to ensure that it is completely dry.
Leaves should be damp or dry depending on the season. It’s not wet. When misted, they get wet, and when they begin to lose their color, they become misted again. If the leaves are noticeably paler than usual, it is likely that they need an overnight soaking.
In the event that you’re employing an open enclosure, it’s critical to ensure that the air plant is entirely dry before reintroducing it to the enclosure. In any other case, it will generate a wet atmosphere rather than a humid climate. That will just exacerbate the situation.
Another thing to do is to experiment with different types of water…
When watering with tap water, let it out for 24 hours to allow any pollutants such as chlorine to evaporate, or use filtered water to eliminate the contaminants. If at all possible, rainwater should be used.
A word of caution, however: never add fertilizer to rainfall, garden pond water, or any other outside water since these are already nutrient-dense sources of water. Ponds in gardens, in particular.
Remove the already-dead leaves from the area.
This is the stage at which you’ll be able to tell whether your plant will survive or if it has served its purpose.
Once the plant has dried, the leaves should be thick and substantial. Dead ones will not be, and they will be brown in color. Because of their softness, they will be easy to remove off the surface. There is no need for snipping.
If you see any brown leaves, remove them immediately since leaving dead leaves on the plant might cause the remainder of the plant to decay. If the plant as a whole collapses, drop a tear or two since, tragically, it is no longer alive.
Hopefully, you will still have some green leaves that are stiff since this indicates that the hydration has been effective.
Brown tips are a simple problem to solve.
If just the tips of the leaves are going brown, there is a quick and simple solution. Instead of using tap water, use rainwater or let your water out for 24 hours before soaking the plant in it as you would normally do every week. The most likely culprit is chlorine or other impurities in the water that are creating the problem. Alternatively, the plant may be receiving insufficient water, in which case it should be given extra.
In a nutshell, the following is true:
The following are the requirements for air plants:
- The use of bright indirect light for no more than 12 hours a day is recommended.
- If you’re applying fertilizer, you may bathe it once a week for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours overnight (unless you’re adding fertilizer, in which case 30 minutes is plenty). If you’re sprinkling the plant with a spray bottle, be sure to do it on a regular basis. It would be preferable if it were done on a daily basis.
- When it comes to room temperature, it may range anywhere from 50oF to 90oF, so if it’s too chilly for you, it’s probably too cold for the plant. The higher the temperature of the space, the more water an air plant need.
- Because air is essential for air plants, they should never be kept in a confined space such as a terrarium with the lid closed.
- A monthly application of bromeliad fertilizer will ensure that your air plant blooms and pups as it should, and that it will thrive in its new home!
- When your air plant blooms, don’t immerse it in water until it has finished blooming. Instead of soaking the blooms, spray them more often to keep them from falling away from the plant.
- When your air plant develops pups, keep them linked to the mother plant until they are at least one-third the size of the mother plant. Alternatively, if the larger size of the plant is not a concern, leave them connected.
- That is all there is to it when it comes to caring for an air plant.
- For even more information, see these 5 Effective Ways to Extend the Lifespan of an Air Plant for a more in-depth look.
Display of Air Plants
As simple as it is to care for air plants, the most important things to remember are to provide them with light, water, warmth, air, and a monthly feeding of a bromeliad fertilizer.
Last but not least, if you’re planning on giving away your air plant puppies to a friend, offer them the 7-point summary as a fast reference list to teach them how to care for air plants. They’ll be even more grateful to you.
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