Members of the Tillandsia genus earned their name “air plants” because they do not require any soil to grow. However, air plants cannot survive on air alone- they require proper watering and sunlight as well to thrive.
Air plants have a unique appearance and look great in hanging baskets, terrariums, or on their own. These plants are low-maintenance once you learn their basic care. Find out more about how to water air plants properly here.
Keep reading to learn how to water air plants properly, how to water air plants in special containers, and general air plant care to grow healthy Tillandsia.
Air Plants Natural Habitat
Air plants are epiphytic, which means they grow on other plants without harming them. They are found in humid, rainforest climates in South and Central America, so it is no surprise that they also thrive in humid rooms in your house, such as bathrooms.
Air Plants: How to water
Learning how to water air plants can be tricky, because it depends on the environment your plant is kept in.
Factors affecting how to water air plants:
| Temperature | Plants in hotter temperatures need to be watered more often than those in cooler temperatures. |
| Sunlight | Plants receiving bright sunlight need to be watered more often than those in shade. |
| Humidity | If your plant is in a naturally humid room (such as a bathroom), it needs to be watered less often than if it was somewhere drier (next to a cooling vent). |
| Season | Air plants need to be watered more frequently in the summer and less often during the winter. |
| Container | Air plants kept in glass terrariums should be water less often because terrariums are hotter and more humid than the outside climate. Smaller containers have less air circulation than larger ones, so air plants in them should be watered less. |
Start off with the following schedule and tweak it as necessary based on your environment and signs from your plant:
Once every one to two weeks, soak your air plants in a bowl of room temperature tap water (if you can collect rain water, even better). Soak the plants for 20 to 30 minutes.
After soaking, shake off the excess water, and turn the air plant upside down. This allows the water to drain away from the plant instead of settling at the base. Keep the plant in a sunny location with good air-circulation so it can dry. You can place a fan nearby to speed up the drying process if necessary.
Your plant should dry within 2 hours of being removed from water. If your plant stays wet for too long, it leads to rot, which can kill your plant.
Once a week, mist your air plant lightly with a spray bottle so that the surface is moistened. If you keep your plant in a hotter, drier, or brighter environment, you may have to spray your plant more often because your plant will dry out sooner.
When to Water Air Plants
The best time to water your air plants is in the morning. Watering in the evening prolongs drying time because it disrupts the plant’s ability to respire overnight.
Type of Water to Use
Air plants can be sensitive to the type of water they are soaked and misted with. Use room temperature water and let it sit out for a few hours so that the chlorine can evaporate. If you live somewhere rainy, collecting rain water to soak your plants in is a great option as well.
How to Water a Blooming Air Plant
It is important to take special care when watering a blooming air plant, because if the flower remains wet for too long, it can lead to rot or the flower could wilt. Instead of soaking the plant, mist it with a spray bottle, or hold it under a faucet and only wet the leaves.
Blooming air plants need a bit more water because it is using up extra energy for the bloom. Keep an eye on your plant and water it more if necessary.
Signs of Under Watered Air Plant
It is a common misconception that air plants absorb everything from their atmosphere and do not need any special care. Air plants still need to be hydrated to prevent dehydration!
Signs of an under watered air plant include:
- Leaf tips turning brown or crispy
- The plant leaves fan out more in a concave shape
- Leaves thinning out
If you notice your air plant looks extra dry, soak it in water for a longer period of time (30 to 40 minutes) and let it dry within two hours. You can also mist it more often with a spray bottle.
Signs of Over Watered Air Plant
Rot is a common cause of air plant death. It occurs when water accumulates at the center of the plant for too long.
Signs of an over watered air plant include:
- Leaves falling out easily
- Leaves coming out of the center
- Base of the plant turns brown or black
Unfortunately, once you see signs of rot, your plant cannot be saved. On the bright side, rot is preventable with the proper watering techniques explained above.
How to Water Air Plants in a Terrarium
Air plants are great additions to terrariums and arrangements with other plants. If you are able to remove your air plant from it’s terrarium, follow the care tips described above and allow it to dry completely before placing it back in the terrarium.
When watering, keep in mind that glass terrariums are hotter and more humid than their outside environment, so these air plants need less water.
If your air plant cannot be removed from it’s terrarium, you will be unable to soak it, so watering should be done by misting. Start off by misting once a week, and adjust as necessary. Mist the leaves around the plant, and try not to soak the base.
Smaller containers have less air circulation than larger containers, which means a longer drying time. Therefore, mist your plant less often if it is in a small glass container to avoid rot.
How to Water Mounted Air Plants
Just like your air plants that are not able to be removed from their terrariums, air plants in wall mounts cannot be soaked. Start off by misting twice a week, until the leaves are lightly moistened, but not soaking wet.
If your room has good air circulation, you may need to mist more frequently. See how long your plant takes to dry and adjust your watering accordingly.
General Air Plant Care Tips
In addition to watering your air plant properly, it is important to keep your air plants in the proper conditions for it to thrive.
Temperature: Air plants are not picky about their temperature and are happy anywhere between 60 to 85 °F (18 to 30 °C). However, do not keep your air plants out in the winter because they cannot tolerate frost. Air plants in hotter temperatures require more frequent misting.
Light: Air plants love bright, indirect light. East or west facing windows are great for this type of light, because south facing windows can be too bright, and north facing can be too dark. Keep your Tillandsia about 3 to 5 feet away from their window. If you keep your air plant somewhere brighter, water it more often.
Do not keep Tillandsias in glass terrariums too close to the window, because glass intensifies the rays, and causes sun burn.
Artificial light is acceptable for air plants, as long as they are near the lamp and it is shut off at night.
Fertilizer: Fertilizers help air plants grow faster and bloom, when used appropriately. Use a fertilizer specifically made for Tillandsia and use it only once a month, after watering. Fertilizing too often causes fertilizer burn.
Air Circulation: Good air circulation is important to preventing rot and keeping your air plant healthy.
Avoid placing your Tillandsia near heater or cooler vents because these dry it out excessively.
In summary for air plants: how to water properly…
That is how you should water air plants to keep them healthy. As you can see, there are several factors that affect how much water your Tillandsia needs, that should be taken into consideration.
The main things to remember are:
- Water about once every 1 to 2 weeks
- Signs of under watering: dry, brown tips and leaves fanning out
- Signs of over watering: brown or black plant base with leaves that easily fall off
If you lose one or two air plants to over watering- don’t get too down! It is a common mistake that a lot of people make. Watering air plants is a trial and error process.
Have any questions about how to water air plants that I did not answer? Let me know down below!
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