aerial plants they are in fashion and are good options for those who do not have much space or for those who live in apartments and cannot have a garden with soil.
To the Tillandsias they are a very resistant and beautiful species if you want to have an aerial garden. However, care is a little different from potted plants. Check out how to plant and care below:
Lighting
Bright filtered light is a rule of thumb, and the higher the humidity in the air, the more light your plant will tolerate. Outdoors, the silver-leaved varieties (eg. Xerographic, Harissi) can usually be grown in full sun, however in a shadeless greenhouse or indoors near windows the same plant will burn quickly because the air dries out like an oven.
In a very sunny part of a room, they may need daily misting or weekly soaking, depending on which method you prefer.
artificial light
Full-spectrum (fluorescent) artificial light is best. The plant should not be more than 90 cm from the fluorescent tubes and can be as close as 15 cm.
A four-pipe 1.2m fixture works well. The lamps can be any type of full spectrum Gro-Lux, Repta-Sun, Vita-Lite, etc. The light must be set with a timer, 12 hours a day.
How to water your air plants
Thoroughly water your Tillandsia 2-3 times a week — more often in a warm, dry environment. In conditions of extreme drought, Tillandsia cannot obtain replacement water from its roots like a terrestrial plant, or draw on internal reserves like a succulent.
You may notice that your new air plants appear to be fuzzy. These are trichomes, a special cell lining that helps air plants absorb water and nutrients.
Water Type
The water you use is important. Never use distilled water! Softened water is also not good because of the salt content. Filtered water, tap water that has sat long enough for the chlorine to dissipate, and bottled water are fine.
Outdoors, you may never need to water Tillandsias if you live in humid regions. Indoors, the warmer and drier the air, the more you need to water. Plants should receive enough light and air circulation to dry in no more than 3 hours after watering.
The wind can be a detriment, as the plant dries out very quickly. If the plant dries up within a very short period of time, it is not hydrating at all.
Spray misting is insufficient as a sole watering method, but can be beneficial between regular waterings in dry climates to increase humidity.
If the plant is in a pot, be sure to empty the water. To the Tillandsias will not survive in standing water.. Under-watering is evidenced by exaggerating the natural concave curve of each leaf. After watering the plants well, turn them upside down and shake them gently.
Water that collects near the base is harmful if left too long. One last thing about watering your air plant: It’s much better to water in the morning than in the evening. Air plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air at night instead of during the day.
If the plant is wet, it doesn’t breathe, so unless it can dry out quickly overnight, plan for morning showers.
Air circulation
After each watering, Tillandsias should receive enough light and air circulation to dry in 4 hours or less. Do not keep plants constantly wet or damp.
However, don’t let them dry too quickly either. 1-3 hours is ideal. Also, if the air is hot, a breeze is welcome to cool the plant and prevent it from overheating.
growth cycle
Bromeliad Tillandsia has a life cycle from a growing plant to maturity and flowering. Before, during or after flowering (depending on the species) your plant will start producing pups, most plants will produce between 2 to 8 pups.
Each plant blooms once in a lifetime, remember each pup is a plant and will bloom. The flowers can last from several days to many months, depending on the species, and different species bloom at different times, also depending on care and environment.
You can expect blooms from mid-winter to mid-summer, depending on the plant.
If you let your plant clump just remove the leaves from the mother plant when it starts to dry out, just pull the leaves off with a slight sideways pull, if the leaf resists it’s not dead yet so just trim the dry areas.
After removing the mother plant entirely, the gap that remains will quickly be filled by the other plants growing and spreading.
Removing air plant pups
To remove the puppies, they must have at least 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant. Hold the mother and calf at their bases and gently rotate in a downward motion. If this does not happen easily, it may be necessary to remove the pup by cutting downwards as close to the mother as possible.
Do not discard the mother plant yet, as long as it is still alive it will continue to produce more offspring for you. It often takes several years after flowering before it finally dies.
Riding your Tillandsia
Tillandsias can be grown basically anywhere, in rocks, in shells, in ceramics, set in wood (Unpressure-treated wood is impregnated with copper, and copper will kill your plant.) When considering what you’re going to do with your plant, don’t forget that you must be able to water it and place it somewhere that gets enough light.
Try not to place Tillandsias in containers that contain water, they need to dry out. If you place your plant in something that holds water, empty the excess after watering your plant. The same thing applies when setting up your plant. Do not surround it with moss. It will retain too much water and rot your plant.
*Via air plant city