How To Care for a Tillandsia

Tillandsias thrive differently than other houseplants, so that might confuse the beginners. These plants are extremely hardy and need less attention than other indoor plants. Tillandsia is known as the ''air plant'' as they don't need soil to grow and take their nutrition from the air. However, they still require water and light to survive. Most of them should never be planted in soil. They can thrive well in different settings, spaces, and vessels. The below care instructions will help you know much more about this plant, so feel free to dive in!

Light

Bright filtered sunlight is a common rule, and the more the humidity in the air, the more sunlight will be tolerated. When placed indoors in a very sunny area, air plants require weekly soaking or frequent misting, depending on your preferred method. Extreme heat can still burn the leaves of your air plant.

Watering Your Tillandsia

Thoroughly moist your air plant two to three times every week more frequently in a dry, hot environment and less frequently in a humid and cool one. In extreme drying and moisture loss conditions, your tillandsia can’t rely on internal water reserves like succulents or obtain replacement water from its roots system like any terrestrial plant. You can notice that your new plants appear a bit fuzzy. These are plant trichomes (coating of special cells) which aid your air plants to absorb nutrients and water.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for your tillandsias ranges from 50°F to 90°F. You can sometimes place your plants outdoors during 40°F weather by ensuring they get warmth during the day. Most air plants will die in frost conditions. It is important to first acclimate your tillandsias to the outdoor environment after being indoors for all winter. 

Fertilisers For Your Tillandsia

To fertilise your tillandsias, you can use 17-8-22 Bromeliad fertiliser twice a month. That is ideal for reproduction and blooming. You can also apply different water-soluble fertilisers at ¼ strength if bromeliad fertiliser is unavailable. However, if you are using aquarium water or pond water, there is no need to use fertiliser. Soaking your plants in such waters works as a natural fertiliser and will help revive your plants in distress. It's always important to learn more about your plant's nutritional needs to provide them with the best.

Mounting Your Air Plants

Air plants can grow anywhere, in a seashell, on rocks, coral, pottery or ceramic, connected to wood or even as part of air plant terrariums. Make sure the wood isn't pressure treated and impregnated with copper as it will kill your tillandsias. When thinking about what you'll do with your air plants display, never forget that you should be able to water them easily, and they must be located somewhere where they can receive sufficient sunlight. Never put your tillandsias in pots that hold excessive water as they require to dry out - terrariums are a better option for tillandsia. However, if you want to place your air plants in a container that holds water, you must remove excess after watering them. A similar procedure applies when you mount your air plants. Do not surround your tillandsias with moss as it can hold excess water and can rot your plants.