Should I cut the flower off my air plant?
To hasten the growth stage after blooming, you can carefully cut off the flower tract that emerged from the air plant to quicken the offset stage. After blooming, air plants [depending on the species] would produce 1 to 3 offsets or pups on average. As long as your Tillandsia is healthy they would bloom in due time, this doesn’t leave out the fact that they need to be cared for and have enough sunlight exposure for this to happen. You could also take advantage of diluted fertilizers to hasten the blooming process and the production of offsets or pups.Interestingly, certain tillandsia species, such as straminea and duratii, even produce fragrant blooms, adding an extra sensory dimension to your air plant collection. Once the bloom has completed its cycle and withered, gently remove it to promote the next phase of growth in your air plant- pups!Tip: Tillandsia don’t love to be handled. Besides our clumsy hands snapping the occasional leaf, the oils in our fingers actually clog the air plant’s sensitive leaves.Thoroughly wet your Tillandsia a couple times per week; more often in a hot, dry environment and less often in a cool, humid one. In conditions of extreme drying and consequent moisture loss, Tillandsia cannot replace water from their roots like a terrestrial plant, or draw on internal reserves like a succulent.
What to do when your air plant flowers?
Once your bloom has passed, you can either leave the dried flowers and bract intact to observe the plant’s natural cycle or you can simply remove the flowers and trim the bract towards the base. Trimming the inflorescence will not harm the plant and will help to encourage pup growth. Pruning encourages branching. For every stem that is cut back, two will form, doubling the number of blooms. The little bit of time it takes you to cut back or pinch perennials before flowering will reward you with more flowers, and the time of having to stake plants later.By removing spent flowers, you’ll encourage your plan to keep blooming until the flowering season is over. For indoor plants, which are less likely to produce seed, dead flowers should be removed more for aesthetic reasons. You don’t want to look at shrivelled brown stalks.Once your bloom has passed, you can either leave the dried flowers and bract intact to observe the plant’s natural cycle or you can simply remove the flowers and trim the bract towards the base. Trimming the inflorescence will not harm the plant and will help to encourage pup growth.One of the easiest ways to encourage more blooms is through deadheading and light pruning. Removing old flowers prevents the plant from setting seeds, which can stop new flowers from forming. Instead, your plant redirects its energy into producing new blooms.
How long can air plants go without watering?
How often do I water my air plants? Your plants should be soaked or thoroughly rinsed about once per week to ten days. More frequent watering or a longer, 2-hour soak is recommended every 2-3 weeks for optimal hydration if you are in a drier, hotter climate. Supplmental misting is also beneficial between soaks. Air plants absorb all of their water and nutrients through their leaves. A thorough 20 to 60-minute soak in room-temperature water every week to ten days is the best way for the plants to fully hydrate. Always remove your air plants from their vessels or displays before watering.Protect them from frosts as air plants prefer warm conditions between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are growing them indoors and the air is dry, you will need to submerge the plant in water about 7-10 days and mist them every few days between soaks. Never plant air plants in soil!How often do I water my air plants? Your plants should be soaked or thoroughly rinsed about once per week to ten days. More frequent watering or a longer, 2-hour soak is recommended every 2-3 weeks for optimal hydration if you are in a drier, hotter climate. Supplmental misting is also beneficial between soaks.
How to tell if your air plant is happy?
A healthy air plant will have wide open leaves while a dehydrated air plant will have closed and curled leaves! Never submerge the bloom or flower, as it can cause the flower to rot. If you are using tap water, let the water stand for several hours to dissipate any chemicals prior to watering the plants. The first step in reviving a dehydrated air plant is to trim away damaged plant material. You can use sharp, sterilized scissors or pruners to trim away brown tips, dried-out foliage, or rotting leaves. This will improve your plant’s appearance and allow it to devote energy to its healthy leaves.A healthy air plant will have wide open leaves while a dehydrated air plant will have closed and curled leaves! Never submerge the bloom or flower, as it can cause the flower to rot. If you are using tap water, let the water stand for several hours to dissipate any chemicals prior to watering the plants.
Is it rare for air plants to flower?
As members of the angiosperms (meaning flowering plant) family, all air plants will produce blooms as part of their life cycle. Tillandsia do not bloom until they reach maturity and, thus, are ready to produce off-spring or pups. Unlike most Succulents, Tillandsias are monocarpic. They only bloom once in their lifetime. Though that seems disappointing, that does not mean the plant is useless once it blooms. After the bloom cycle is finished, the plant knows it must focus on producing as many offspring as possible.
What is the lifespan of an air plant?
Many air plants, like other members of the Bromeliaceae family, flower only once in their lifetime, then wither and die. Air plants have a life span of 2-5 years but before the parent plant dies, will develop offshoots (called pups). These are the new plants that will continue to grow. Depending on the size and species of the air plant, blooms can last from a couple of days to several months. Normally, the larger the air plant, the larger and longer lasting the blooms will be.With proper care, air plants can live for several years, with some species living up to 10 years or more. Regular hydration, adequate light, and proper airflow contribute to a longer lifespan.