Air plants have become increasingly popular for home decoration and décor. They’re very easy to take care of, if you follow these simple steps: go to your nearest nursery or garden store and pick up an air plant kit – which will come with a clay pot, sand, moss and air plant. Add water to the glass container at the bottom of the kit’s clay pot so that it gets soaked through evenly before adding some sand at the bottom. Make sure you also put some moss on top so that your air plant can thrive happily!
What are air plants?
Before I go into detail about how to properly care for an air plant, it is best to first give some context as to what they really are. Air plants are beautiful and delicate beings that belong in the great outdoors. The plants can be grown anywhere since they don’t require soil or dirt.
Bromeliads are plants in the family Tillandsia. There are over 200 different varieties of these epiphytic flowers, each with specific traits and abilities. These tiny plants do not need soil to grow; instead they attach themselves to trees or other structures for support, often without harming the host plant in any way because they feed off of airborne particles. Unlike some parasitic species, Bromeliads only take up space; providing enough hydration from rain or water deposited by other animals (such as birds) and all you need to do is keep it sheltered from wind, cold temperatures or scorching heat!
Air plants absorb water and nutrients through its leaves rather than at its roots. Roots are only present on air plants from the Tllandsia genus and they function to secure the plant to whatever object it grows on. Air plants can come in all shapes, sizes, forms, etc., but they always share one thing in common: they don’t have a root system so they can grow anywhere there is light and space – sometimes even upside down!
Air plants can be found in many different climates throughout the Southern United States, Central and South America, and Mexico. However, they do not survive very cold temperatures (less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit). Their leaves allow them to absorb water; so they need heat-humid conditions. Homes may not provide these warm and humid environments during winter months; so you’ll need to water them often.
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How to water air plants
Air plants require water to stay moist, which is the first step in proper care. This might sound counterintuitive considering they lack roots, but it’s the truth. Air plants were given their name because they were originally believed to only need air to survive – when really, that’s not true at all. They actually get what they need through the misty droplets of water that falls onto their leaves during light rainstorms or even just through humidity in an atmosphere without dew or rainfall (since after all, these aren’t desert plants!)
Did you know that we usually water our air plants by letting them absorb moisture from the nearby environment? Since they typically live in really humid environments like forests, they are more likely to be found there. However, if you live someplace other than a humid forest (like me) then there are two ways you can choose to provide adequate moisture for your air plant!
- Watering air plants via misting: To keep your air plants healthy, spritz them with water at least once a day to prevent them from drying out. Always remember to fully wet all of the leaves after you’ve watered it first. It’s important to let the plant dry off naturally before placing it back in its decorative container or arrangement so that mold doesn’t develop.
The best way to care for air plants is in a bowl of water or a sink of water. You need a container and some water. Fill up the container with water, add your plant and let it soak in the water. Let it sit there for 20 minutes or an hour while you go do something else – then take it out of the water, put it right side up so all its excess moisture will drip away from its roots where they’re safe from rotting, then place it on a dishcloth until it dries off before returning them to their area of display.
Air plant care: The best water to use for watering
Although there are many types of water you can use to both mist and soak your air plants – each will have its own set of merits. Here are some guidelines for picking the right type of water depending on how you want to go about it.
- Do not use softened water as the salt present in it can build up in the plant leaves.
- Do not use distilled water.
- If using tap water, allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours for the chlorine to dissipate.
- Spring water or rain water is the best choice.
- You can also use aquarium or pond water to water air plants as it contains several dissolved nutrients, but do not apply any other fertilizers if you water with aquarium or pond water.
When you’re wondering about how often to water your air plants, there are factors you should take into consideration. For example, whether or not your house is dry plays a part in this decision because the plant might need more watering if it’s already dryer inside. This can be said for the room they’re being kept in as well; bathrooms and kitchens produce humidity which makes them excellent places for an air plant to thrive while a room with fans running will cause it to dry out quicker.
The outermost leaves of your air plant should be watered more frequently if they are curling or rolling, folding together, or turning brown. Most often, green-leaved varieties will need watering more frequently than gray-leaved ones.
Plants in pots should be watered when they are in containers. If they are inside of vessels – for example a terrarium or glass globe – remove them before watering so they can dry afterwards.
How much light do air plants need?
The next part of caring for an air plant is to take note of its source of light. Bright, filtered light is best for viewing air plants – from a west, east, or south-facing window. If it seems like your plant isn’t getting enough light, supplementing its natural environment with artificial lights such as a fluorescent lamp or an overhead grower can help.
Tillandsias take in the benefits of living outside, but make sure you protect them from direct sunlight when it’s hot out. They’ll burn if left outside at this time of year because they are sensitive to light. And don’t forget to bring your plants inside before winter hits!
Air plant care tips for fertilization
If you’re new to caring for air plants, they’re actually easy to take care of. If they don’t get enough water, they’ll go brown and shrivel up but if you fertilize them on a regular basis, they’ll grow more quickly and beautifully.
You can fertilize air plants up to three times a year by using a bromeliad fertilizer or an air plant fertilizer. If that does not work, use a diluted solution of water soluble houseplant fertilizer.
Add diluted fertilizer to your irrigation water, and feed and provide water for your plants simultaneously. If you mist your plants or soak them in water, this method can be done.
More air plant care tips
Except for the obvious of keeping it out of direct sunlight, and properly watering and fertilizing them, there are a few other important factors to keep in mind when caring for your air plants.
- If any leaves turn yellow, they need to be removed before they can infect the rest of the plant.
- If some of the leaves at the top start turning brown, use the scissors to trim them off. Trim them from a slanted angle to match the shape of the other healthy leaves.
- Air plants love high humidity environments. Keep them away from cold or hot draughts which dry them out.
- Keep Air Plants far from cold drafts which can freeze them and away from hot drafts which can burn them.
Do air plants bloom?
Lucky houseplant lovers who know how to take care of an air plant are usually gifted with blossoms for their efforts. Tillandsia blooms only once in a lifetime and displays many different colors. Some species display pink, purple, white, orange, red, and yellow flowers. These blooms typically appear at the end of Winter or beginning of Springtime.
Air plants are known for producing offsets, which you can find near the time of blooming. When moving your offset from its original position, do so when it has grown to about half the size of its mother plant.
As you can see, even though air plants are considered to be low maintenance does not mean they don’t need any attention at all. Proper care is important for keeping these unique little plants alive long term.
For more on growing great houseplants check out the following posts:
Types of houseplant bugs: Who they are and what to do about them
Instructions for repotting an orchid
Easy projects for mini holiday houseplants
Houseplant fertilization tips and schedule
Make your own potting soil for houseplants
Do you grow air plants? Tell us about your experiences in the comment section below.
