How To Take Care Of A Blooming Air Plant?

To water air plants (Tillandsia), fill a clean tub, bucket, or sink with bottled or filtered tap water and choose a shallow container. Submerge the entire air plant in the water and let it sit for a few minutes. When the air plant blooms, increase misting instead of soaking as the flowers will fall away from the plant. When producing pups, leave them attached until they are fully grown. Most air plants prefer a soaking method, where the plant is left to soak in distilled water for 20 to 40 minutes every 1 to 2 weeks.

Feeding an air plant can encourage pups and blooms. Fertilizing an air plant requires another extra step when watering it. Before soaking or misting, read your air plant and determine if it needs more water. If this is difficult, mist the leaves frequently but avoid wetting the flower. Hold the air plants under gently-flowing water, being careful to only wet the leaves and not the flowers.

To prevent wilting and prolong the life of the flowers, be cautious during watering to avoid submerging the bloom stalk. Larger plants may require more frequent watering as they direct energy towards the flowers. It’s best to avoid getting the actual flower bloom wet to avoid wilting or rotting.

During the bloom phase, maintain proper watering and fertilization but take care not to wet the flowers. Instead of soaking up your air plant while it’s blooming, mist using a spray bottle or hold under mildly running water to wet only the needed parts. Your plants should be soaked or thoroughly rinsed about once per week to ten days, with more frequent watering or a longer, 2-hour soak recommended every 2-3 days.

Should I mist my air plants?

Tillandsia plants require a deeper, more thorough method of dunking or soaking every week to ten days for proper hydration. Misting is a great way to supplement hydration between these waterings, but it should not be solely relied on. Supplemental misting can be done one to three times a week depending on the environment and species of air plant. Healthy and hydrated plants have more open and flat leaves, while those in need of more water may have curling inward leaves.

When misting, ensure to reach all surfaces and completely drench the plant if it has been submerged in water for a long time. To protect furniture, walls, or electronics, misting outdoors or over a sink or bathtub is recommended. If air plant displays do not allow for soaking or dunking techniques, water the plants more frequently, using a heavy mist every one to three days and ensuring ample indirect light and ventilation for proper drying.

What does a dehydrated air plant look like?

Air plants like Xerographica require minimal water to survive, but dehydration can cause signs such as dull leaves, drying tips, a u-shape, and drooping. To rescue a dehydrated air plant, remove dead parts, dip them in water for 5-8 hours, and ensure all leaves are submerged. Use rainwater or unchlorinated water, especially if the leaves are turning brown. If the leaves are still turning brown, it’s likely that the plant is not getting enough water. Restoring the air plant is easy and can help it regain its health.

Is it better to mist or soak air plants?

Tillandsia plants require a deeper, more thorough method of dunking or soaking every week to ten days for proper hydration. Misting is a great way to supplement hydration between these waterings, but it should not be solely relied on. Supplemental misting can be done one to three times a week depending on the environment and species of air plant. Healthy and hydrated plants have more open and flat leaves, while those in need of more water may have curling inward leaves.

When misting, ensure to reach all surfaces and completely drench the plant if it has been submerged in water for a long time. To protect furniture, walls, or electronics, misting outdoors or over a sink or bathtub is recommended. If air plant displays do not allow for soaking or dunking techniques, water the plants more frequently, using a heavy mist every one to three days and ensuring ample indirect light and ventilation for proper drying.

Should I mist my air plants every day?

In the case of air plant displays that do not permit the use of soaking or dunking techniques, it is imperative to provide the plants with more frequent irrigation. This should be done using a heavy mist every one to three days. It is essential to provide indirect light and ventilation in order to facilitate the drying process. For further information on the care of air plants, please refer to the dedicated Care Page. Should further questions arise, the customer service team may be contacted via email at service@airplantshop. com.

How to remove dead flower from air plant?

Once the blooms of the air plants have been admired, the decision as to whether they should be left on the plant or removed for aesthetic purposes is at the discretion of the owner. The blooms may be removed from the bracts either by gentle pulling or by cutting the stalk close to the base. The removal of the spike allows the plant to redirect its energy towards the formation of new pups.

What happens after Tillandsia blooms?

Air plants only bloom once in their lifetime, so trimming off the entire flower stalk after drying up promotes “pupping”. Tillandsia “Pups” are new plants forming at the base of the plant, typically growing two months after the mother plant or main base stops blooming. You can either twist and pull new pups off the mother plant or leave them on as they clump together. Wait until pups are 1/3 to half the size of the mother plant before removing them.

What does it mean when an air plant blooms?

During the blooming period, the air plant’s energy is focused on the formation of new pups, which are also growing. To pamper your air plant, it is essential to water more frequently, avoid getting the flower bloom wet, and use extra care when misting or dunking. Bloom time is also a great time for extra fertilizer, as it will reward you with faster-growing, strong pups. Air plants bloom only once in their life cycle, so it’s up to you what you want to do with the flowers. You can leave the dried flowers intact or use scissors to cut the bloom off, focusing more energy on the new pups. This will result in faster-growing, strong pups.

Should I cut the flower off my air plant?

Post-bloom care is crucial for air plants, as they are not doomed to die once their bloom has passed. The blooming cycle is the beginning of their reproductive cycle, in which offspring, or “pups”, are formed. The plants will naturally start fading after producing mature pups that can survive on their own, not when the blooms have passed.

The inflorescence of air plants consists of the stalk or stem, bract from which flowers emerge, and flowers themselves. Air plants have colorful bracts and flowers ranging from purple to orange to bright pink. The duration of blooming flowers varies among species and can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. The bracts of air plants tend to last longer than the flowers, and their attractive coloration can often last for several months after the spent bloom has passed. Larger species of Tillandsia, such as the Xerographica, tend to have longer bloom cycles, some over a year.

Once the bloom has passed, you can either leave the dried flowers and bract intact to observe the plant’s natural cycle or remove the flowers and trim the bract towards the base. Trimming the inflorescence will not harm the plant and will help encourage pup growth. The timing of pup growth depends on the plant’s care and environment, so don’t be discouraged if the offspring don’t appear immediately after the bloom has passed.

Once the pups have started to grow and mature, the mother plant will typically fade and eventually die off. The pups can be removed once they are about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant to live on their own and eventually start to mature and bloom themselves. Some air plant species, like the Ionantha family, are prolific pup producers and will eventually grow as a clump of several plants if left to reproduce naturally.

How many times can an air plant bloom?

Care for a blooming air plant is crucial as Tillandsia flowers only bloom once in their lifetime. To ensure the plant stays healthy and continues to delight, it is essential to provide proper hydration and nutrients during the blooming period. The larger the air plant, the longer the blooms will be. Extra watering and Tillandsia fertilizer may be necessary as the plant exerts all its energy into the bloom and pup formation. To prevent wilting and prolong the life of the flowers, be careful not to submerge the bloom stalk while soaking the plant.

Maintaining the spent bloom stalk is another option. Dead flowers can be removed from the inflorescence, and once the bloom stalk has dried and lost its colors, it can be gently snipped and removed near the base. This helps the plant focus its energy on creating offspring known as pups. These new growths can emerge before, during, or after the bloom. Sometimes pup formation takes several months, so be patient and continue with the plant’s regular watering routine.

Eventually, pups will grow near the base of the plant or between the bottom leaves. Once they have grown to about 1/3 the size of the mother plant, they can be separated to live on their own. A gentle pull or small scissors or a knife can be used to cut the pup from the mother plant. For further pup removal tips and instructions, refer to the blog about dividing air plant pups.

How to water a flowering air plant?

To dry air plants, fill a container or sink with rainwater or aquarium water, submerge them for 30-60 minutes, shake off excess moisture, and drain them on a paper towel or cloth for an hour. Use a small fan at low settings to speed up the drying process. Ensure to completely dry each plant to prevent leaf and root rot. Fill a spray bottle with rainwater or aquarium water, mist each plant 2 to 3 times a week, and ensure good air circulation for natural drying.

How to make air plants happy?

Air plants with full, thick leaves, like Xerographica, can retain moisture and appreciate sun exposure. They can be misted every 3-5 days in a well-ventilated spot or soaked for 30 minutes every 10-14 days. Thin, wispy leaves indicate a preference for shaded environments and should not be placed under direct sunlight. The safest place for air plants is in a spot with early morning or late afternoon sunlight, or in a bright but indirect location.

When leaves curl inward, they are thirsty, and more hydrated leaves appear flat and open. Most air plants need a soak in room temperature water for 20-30 minutes every 10-14 days, and if this isn’t possible, a thorough misting a few times a week is recommended.