Plant Care
Caring
for your Tillandsia aka Tillys , Air Plant or Airplant
Tillandsias grow differently
than most other house plants, so they can be confusing to the beginner. They
are really very hardy, and require much less attention than other house plants.
The following simplifies the instruction but you can scroll down for much more
specific information.
Protect them from
frosts
Most prefer cooler
night temperatures – 10-15 degrees less that daytime is ideal
Give them bright,
filtered light.
Provided the
atmosphere is not too dry (as in an air-conditioned home) they can survive with
water misting and the occasional bath.
If you are growing
them indoors and the air is dry, you will need (at minimum) to submerge the
plant in water for 2-3 hours about every two weeks. Otherwise, in a shade-house
or unheated home, you can use a soaking mist once or twice a week in summer,
once a month in cooler weather.
Light
Bright filtered
light is the general rule, and the higher the humidity of the air the higher
light will be tolerated. Outdoors the silvery-leafed
varieties can usually be grown in full sun, but in an unshaded
greenhouse or close to unshaded glass in a sunny room
or conservatory the same plant
will quickly burn because the air dries out like an oven.
In a very sunny
spot indoors they may need daily misting or weekly soaking depending on which
method you prefer. See watering and misting
below.
Artificial light
Full spectrum
artificial light (fluorescent) is best. Plant should be no further than
36″ from the fluorescent tubes and can be as close as 6″. A
four-tube 48″ fixture works well. Bulbs can be any full spectrum type Gro-Lux , Repta -Sun, Vita-Lite , etc. Light should be set with a timer, 12 hours
per day.
The following
information about the different types of bulbs may be helpful:
INCANDESCENT PLANT
GROW LIGHTS Most incandescent plant lights are best used to highlight indoor
plant groupings and have very little use as a
true plant ‘growing’ light, even those that are labeled
as a “grow light”.
Newer color corrected incandescent spot grow bulbs are suitable
for adding supplemental light or highlighting to a single plant, such as an
orchid or indoor bonsai tree.
However, you
should never place an incandescent bulb closer than 24 inches over your plants.
Incandescents burn very hot and will burn plants
when placed close enough for them to appreciably affect plant growth.
Most incandescent
bulbs have an average life span of 750 hours.
SODIUM LAMP
(HIGH-PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP) High-pressure sodium lamps operate by igniting
sodium, mercury, and xenon gases within a sealed, ceramic
arc tube. Sodium lamps emit light energy in the yellow/red/orange regions of
the spectrum; the red spectrum stimulates flowering and fruit
production. Many indoor gardeners switch to sodium lamps when it is time to
induce flowering or fruiting of their plants.
SON-AGRO A sodium
bulb which, according to the manufacturer, Philips Lighting, produces 30% more
blue light than standard sodium bulbs. The
430-watt SON AGRO also emits 6% more light than the standard 400-watt sodium
lamp.
METAL HALIDE (MH)
LAMP A high-intensity discharge lamp in which the light is produced by arcing
electricity through a mixture of metal halides.
The light produced by metal halide lamps is in the white-blue spectrum, which
encourages vegetative growth and “bushiness,” while discouraging
upward growth. This is the bulb to use in the first, vegetative phase of plant
growth
Watering your Airplants
Thoroughly wet
your Tillandsia 2-3 times per week; more often in a
hot, dry environment; less often in a cool, humid one. In conditions of
extreme drying, and consequent moisture loss, Tillandsia
cannot get replacement water from their roots like a terrestrial plant, or draw
on internal
reserves like a succulent.
The Water you use
is important. NEVER USED DISTILLED WATER! Softened Water is a NO NO for the salt content. Filtered water, tap water that has
sat long enough for the chlorine to dissipate, bottled water or RO are all
fine. Pond Water and aquarium water works well as long as they aren’t over
crowded with fish and/or reptiles.
Outdoors you may never
need to water Tillandsias hanging in a tree if you
live in a temperate climate with some humidity. Indoors, the hotter and drier
the air, the more you need to water.
Plants should be
given enough light and air circulation to dry in no longer than 3 hours after
watering. Wind can be a detriment as the plant dries too quickly. Remember that
inside with a window fan as well. If the plant dries within a very short period
of time, it is not hydrating at all.
Spray misting is
insufficient as the sole means of watering but may be beneficial between
regular waterings in dry climates to increase the
humidity.
If the plant is in
a shell, be sure to empty the water out. Tillandsias
will not survive in standing water.
Under-watering is
evidenced by an exaggerating of the natural concave curve of each leaf.
IMPORTANT After
wetting your plants thoroughly, turn them upside down and gently shake them. I
have found that the water that collects near the base is detrimental if left to
long. I have lost many plants that way while learning.
One
last thing about watering your air plant. It is much better to water in the
morning than at night. Air plants absorb the Carbon Dioxide from the air at
night instead of the day time. If the plant is wet, it does not breath therefore, unless it can dry quickly at night, plan
on morning baths.
Air Circulation
Following each
watering, Tillandsias should be given enough light
and air circulation to dry in 4 hours or less. Do not keep plants constantly
wet or moist.
Do not allow to
dry to quickly though. 1-3 hours is optimum.
Also if the air is
hot, a breeze acts to cool the plant and keep it from becoming overheated.
Temperature
Optimum
temperature range for Tillandsias is 50 – 90 degrees
F.
I have kept my
plants outside during 40 degree F. weather but only for a night or two knowing
it would be warm during the day. Tillandsia will die
with frost.
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