Air plants are some of the easiest plants out there, they literally don’t even need a pot. These are my tips and tricks, and they are specific to my plants and their environment so make sure that you pay attention to your specific plants and their environment when researching how to care for them.
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Air plants are extremely easy to care for and do not require much time to keep them healthy but there are also a few misconceptions that are out there about these plants. There are many different varieties of air plants and they come in many different sizes to fit any need or look you want. Air plants generally all need the same kind of care but make sure to double check your specific plant to see if they need anything special.
Water: Soak once a week (Growing season) or once every two weeks (Winter/Dormant season)
- A common misconception is that air plants don’t need to be watered but in fact they do. There are a few ways to do this, and they don’t look like your normal plant watering because there is no soil. The first option is to thoroughly mist every single day! I mean spray every inch of the plant until its dripping. Option two is to wet the whole plant by dipping in a bowl of water or putting it under running water and you should do this a few times a week. Lastly you can water your air plant by submerging it in a dish/bowl of water so that the plant is completely covered by the water. Leave the plant here for a few hours before taking it out. After any watering method make sure to give your plant a light shake to get off any big water droplets (preventing mold growth)
- The recommended watering schedule above is based on the third soak method for watering so if you decide to use another just try and cut your watering in half in the winter when days are shorter.
- It is very hard to over water an air plant but underwatering is an issue so here is an easy sign that your plant is a bit thirsty. Curling leaves or closing plants! Air plants with straighter leaves tend to curl up when they need water but plants that are usually curly tend to sort of close up on themselves.
Fertilizer: Soak between once every other week (Growing season) to once a month (Winter/Dormant Season) (orchid fertilizer is best)
- Fertilizing can be done with a spray bottle or can be done just like the watering soaker method, but liquid fertilizer can be added to the water. There are many air plant fertilizers out there and I recommend using a fertilizer that you know will not burn the air plants leaves.
Humidity: High humidity; mist once a week
- Air plants do like a more humid environment, so I recommend keeping them somewhere with more moisture in the air (bathroom, greenhouse, etc.) or giving them a gentle mist once a week to keep them happy.
Sun: Loves part sun and likes full sun
- Air plants thrive in bright indirect or diffused light, but they can tolerate any light situation for shorter lengths of time.
Cleaning: Not necessary
- Depending on the leaf size some aren’t even big enough to clean but most of the time watering these plants also acts to clean them as well so double win!
Repotting: N/A
They do not require pots or soil so they can be placed nearly anywhere and styled any way that you like so have fun experimenting with different looks.
Toxic? Not that I could find
Growth: Very slow growers
- Had mine for months and haven’t seen any growth but not through summer yet though
Propagation: Pups
- Air plants can grow pups from the mother plants that can just be broken off and treated as a whole new plant.
Cost? $1+
- Depends mostly on size and commonality
Extra: Plant lives for long time but will die after flowering and producing a seed.
