SEVEN EASY TIPS FOR CARING FOR YOUR AIR PLANTS

Posted by maryparker on November 4th, 2012

There are many plant enthusiasts out there who appreciate the beauty and naturalness of AIR PLANTS. Unfortunately, although these people know how to purchase the plants they like online, most of them lack knowledge on how to preserve these plants.  It is common knowledge that most people purchase their air plants online and afterwards they realize they don’t know how to take care of them. What’s worse, many believe one of two things about air plants. The first is that air plants “live off air” and therefore do not require any care. Wrong! Secondly, they try to put them in dirt and raise them the same way they would raise their potted house plants. Wrong again! Here are seven steps to transition your new TILLANDSIA plants into their new living space in your home, office or outside your home so they can survive, thrive and even multiply.

When AIR PLANTS  are delivered to their destination, they are deprived of daylight and air for a couple of days, before they reach the desired location. This is a crucial time to introduce them into their new environment. The abrupt temperature change (from box to air conditioning or heat) can be made easier with these seven tips:

When you take AIR PLANTS out of the box, make sure you do not set them directly in front of a blowing air conditioner, heater or fan. Give your plants from TILLANDSIA a bath for 30-40 minutes in lukewarm water. You can use a bowl or a sink to soak them. Water them for 40 minutes, once a week thereafter. Lay your TILLANDSIA plants out on a towel on their side to dry completely for one or two hours until they are dry to the touch. Simply hold each between the thumb and index finger at the base of the plant and feel for any moisture.

If you are planning to put TILLANDSIA plants in a glass terrarium, a wall hanging display or any kind of enclosure , it is even more important to allow them to first dry completely. Also, think about how you will water them before choosing their display. Using glue (to stick them on something) restricts your watering options and it is not recommended as far as AIR PLANTS are concerned!

Air plants and soil do not mix. Putting them in potting soil or any type of dirt can cause air plants to rot because they get too much moisture and they don’t have the possibility to dry out again.

If you spray-water your air plants that are permanently affixed to a wall hanging and never turn them upside down to dry the center cup out, depending on the climate of their home, they could suffer from water rot. AIR PLANTS need to be dry within four hours of being watered.

Cut the gangly roots off at their origin point and peel off the dead leaves. An air plant gathers nutrients through its body, not the roots. The roots are only used in nature to attach themselves to rocks and trees.

Following these tips will ensure a smooth transition. Often these TILLANDSIA plants will look better 4 weeks after having been delivered to a new location. This means the acclimation period caused a slump before they got used to their new climate. Just follow these (easy) tips and air plants will thrive, grow and really beautify your home. Overall, air plants are available in an impressive variety and it is practically impossible not to find an air plant that you love!

Our goal is to put at your disposal a huge selection of AIR PLANTS that are truly stunning. We invite you to our website to check out our TILLANDSIA plants.