Nurture Your Nature: Air Plants

Air plants are surging in popularity right now, becoming the house plant of choice for many homeowners and businesses. Also known as Tillandsias, they are being recognized for their beauty, low maintenance, and the fact that they don’t even need soil to grow. That’s right—air plants take everything they need, both food and water, from the air around them. There are also few threats to air plants because they are resistant to many plant diseases and pest types. Caring for these plants still requires watering and some sunlight, but the method is slightly different than that of soiled plants. Here’s how to nurture your air plants so they will thrive.

When in Doubt, Follow the Orchid Method

Air plants have a similar temperament to orchids, another popular low maintenance plant. They typically need the same light levels and watering frequency as an orchid, which means strong but indirect light and once-a-week watering. When you purchase an air plant, follow its recommended lighting and watering practices and you should be able to enjoy it for a long time.

Watering

Air plants should retain an equilibrium where they don’t dry out or stay wet. Any part of the plant that stays wet can rot. For the best results, soak your plant for 5–10 minutes once every week or two weeks in the summer and once every three weeks in the winter. You can also run your plant under a faucet two to three times a week. After either hydration method, you should then place the air plant on an absorbent towel and let it completely dry. Then, return it to where it was on display. Pay attention to any signs of dryness such as the edges of leaves curling up. In this case, it’s due for a soak.

Mounting

Air plants have evolved to live everywhere from high tree branches to the tops of large rocks. You can put them practically anywhere and watch them thrive. You may prefer to mount them on something fashionable like a corkboard, collectible plate, trellis, vertical shelving, the center of your coffee table, and the windowsill. If it gets enough lighting and has access to circulating air, you have an ideal spot for your air plant. Air plants can also go in pots without soil and glassware, and on large gemstones, ceramic figures, pumpkin tops, and more.

Feeding Though air plants don’t need soil and get most of their nutrients through the air, they can benefit from monthly fertilization. They aren’t heavy feeders, but the extra nutritional boost helps them produce more plants. The best part about feeding them is that you can do this step during one of your weekly soakings. Simply add some air plant water-soluble fertilizer to the water you plant to dunk the plant in. Then, follow the same drying procedure of the plant and return it to its mounting area.

Find beautiful air plants and all the accessories you need for them to thrive at PlantShed!