How Do You Grow Air Plants? (Hint: They Dont Need Soil!)

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You will no doubt love your frugal pot plant, your elegant Alocasia and your handsome snake. But when you need a fun houseplant to brighten up your space, it's time to get an air plant. Air plants, also known as Tillandsia, have been trending in recent years because they are low maintenance and don't take up much space. And not too expensive. (Plus, their weird and wonderful shapes are pretty adorable.) But how do you grow air plants once you have them? And do they generally take care of them? We are here for you.

As the name suggests, air plants do not grow in the ground. They are actually epiphytes, like orchids and Spanish moss, meaning they attach themselves to a host plant or rock for support, but not for food. They absorb water and nutrients through trichomes, specialized hairy, cuboid structures on the leaves.

Air plants are native to Central and South America and South America and are easy to grow if you give them what they need. They can also be presented in a variety of ways, e.g. B. in glass balls, attached to pieces of wood, on decorative stands or in wreaths. They can also be used as bouquets, boutonnieres, hair accents or wedding favors!

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Here's what you need to grow this fun and playful houseplant:

How much light do air plants need?

It depends on the kind you have. There are over 600 cultivars, but there are two main types: Mesic Aeolian plants have dark green leaves that often curl. In such a forest, they grow under the crowns of tall trees, so they need bright indirect light. They burn in direct sunlight. A few feet from a sunny window facing south, east, or west is fine.

Xeric Air plants have flatter, silvery leaves with plenty of fluffy trichomes. They hail from desert environments so they can survive direct sunlight. Many species of dry air plants can survive outdoors in warmer regions. Indoors, they require very bright direct light from windows that face south, east, or west. This type of air plant is a bit more maintenance tolerant, so they make good air plants for beginners.

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How do you water an air plant?

Tillandsia usually need to be watered once or twice a week. Fog is not enough; You need to soak the mezic in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes. They are sensitive to chemicals found in tap water, so use rainwater, spring water, or tap water that has been left outside for several hours to dissolve the chemicals. Xeric plants grow in the desert, so just water them a few times or put them back in a bowl of water.

After soaking or soaking, shake the air plant to remove excess moisture. Turn it over on a towel before placing it back in the decorative container. (Allegheny County master gardener Carol Pappas recommends dehydrating them for at least four hours.) This is a very important step! If your air plant is wet, it can rot. The most common cause of air plant death is overwatering.

Finally, pay attention to how your plant looks after watering. A plant with properly moist air should have a healthy plump appearance. This will help you determine when it's time to water again.

How often should an air plant be fertilized?

Air plants need fertilizer for orchids and bromeliads. All-purpose houseplant fertilizers contain a form of nitrogen that soil bacteria use to break it down into useful nutrients. However, since air plants don't need soil, they can't process it. Feed them when watering, but no more than once a month during the spring and summer growing season.

How long do air plants live?

With proper care, air plants can live for years. Air plants bloom once in a lifetime; Later they usually form small plants at the base of the mother plant called pupae. You can remove them when they are half the size of the original plant, or leave them in place to form a clump. The mother plant will eventually die back, but by then you should have new baby air plants to care for.

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Biography:

Arrico Elin SanSone is a gardener with over 15 years of experience. In addition to PureWow, she writes for Prevention, Country Living, Veranda, The Spruce and many other national publications.

He tests new plant varieties and field trials with garden products to assess practicality and durability.