Tillandsia aka Air plants
Having the name "Air plant" can be a bit misleading. Tthey need more then just air to survive and thrive in your home. Let's dive in.
Light
Air plants love bright, indirect sunlight. If you're not able to provide this, they can live with florescent home or office lighting.
Be careful not to give your plant bright, direct light. They can take a couple hours at most, but too much direct sun can burn your plant. If your plant is in a super sunny location, mist it a few times a week to keep it hydrated in between waterings.
Water
The most popular method to watering your Air plants is to give them a good soak for 20-30 minutes, twice a week. After they are soaked, give em a good shake, and put in an area with good circulation so they can dry off. If too much water sits in the base, your plant will start to rot. I recommend flipping your plant upsidedown while it dries to prevent this from happening.
If your plant is blooming, instead of soaking, you can gently yet thorough rinse under water.
Temperature
Air plants do best in 50-90 degree temperature. Feel free to put them outside with the rest of your houseplants in the summer. Just make sure to keep them in a shaded spot.
Blooming
Air plants can produce flowers, believe it or not! It tends to only happen once during their lifetime and can last for a few months, depending on the species. A happy well taken care of plant will bloom between mid-winter and mid-summer.
Pups
Around the time your plant starts to bloom, it will start producing pups. Once they get to 1/3 the size of the parent plant, the pup can be gently removed from its parent. You can do this by holding the parent and pup and gently twisting downwards.
Mounting
Air plants don't live in soil (obviously) so they can be mounted to many surfaces. A piece of wood or bark always looks good. You can attach it with a hot glue gun or fishing wire. Just make sure whatever you mount it to can withstand some water.
Alright! That's all I have for Air plants. Give them a try, they're lots of fun!
Happy planting:)
-Megan
