Free Shipping on all orders over $100!
Air plants (tillandsias) are some of the hardiest plants and have adapted to live in some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Despite this, they do require some care!
When it comes to watering, it must be remembered that their roots are primarily for anchoring themselves and they rely almost exclusively on their leaves to absorb water and nutrients.
There is some variation between species when it comes to water requirements. As a rough guide, you can look at the leaves to determine what kind of environment the plant comes from. Plants with thick, rigid leaves (e.g. Tillandsia ionantha) are from dry environments with less water. Those with soft, silver leaves (e.g. Tillandsia magnusiana) generally receive more rainfall while plants with greener leaves (e.g. Tillandsia brachycaulos) are from more humid environments with higher water requirements.
As a general rule, a plant in a hot position will require watering every few days. In a dark, humid environment watering every few weeks can often be adequate.
Watering can be achieved by misting or dunking the plant. If outdoors, a hose can be used. When dunking a plant, leave submerged in a bowl of water for 10-20 minutes before shaking off excess water. Air plants love to dry out completely between each watering and must never have water sitting at their base as this will cause the plant to rot.
We recommend fertilising your Air Plants once a fortnight in the warmer months and once a month through winter. We sell Fertiliser on our website and this can be diluted to create 1L of fertiliser.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at airplantstore@gmail.com.
Happy growing from everyone at Air Plant Decor!
