Got my first air plant and Greg is telling me that it nee...
1ft to light, direct
2” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 week ago
7
Best Answer
The Tillandsia ionantha thrives as an epiphyte, meaning it grows on other plants and trees without needing soil. It absorbs nutrients and moisture directly from the air through specialized hair-like cells on its leaves called trichomes. The plant flowers once in its lifetime, producing a royal purple or violet-blue flower from its center. After blooming, the parent plant will slowly die, but it will produce new offsets, or "pups," that can be separated or left to form a clump.
So for care... bright, indirect sunlight. Placing it near a south-facing window is ideal.
Air plants need to be watered regularly. A common method is to submerge the entire plant in water for about 30 minutes once a week, or a little less often during cooler seasons. It is important to shake off excess water and let the plant dry completely within a few hours to prevent rot. Misting can be done between soaks, especially in dry climates. Probably not in Leeds.
Good air circulation is crucial for the plant to dry properly after watering and to prevent fungal diseases. Fertilizing is not essential for survival but can promote growth and blooming. A diluted bromeliad or orchid fertilizer can be applied once a month during the spring and summer.
Concerning Greg's suggestion:
Tillandsia is the largest genus in the Bromeliad family with close to 700 known species. Many species can grow potted. Many species need consistent moisture. The problem is that many of the most common species in cultivation (including your T. ionantha) would do better mounted to something like cork bark or a branch than they would in a pot. Tillandsia is a huge and diverse group of plants. Some grow in dripping wet rainforests and others grow on sand dunes or everything in between. Maybe Greg got confused.
So for care... bright, indirect sunlight. Placing it near a south-facing window is ideal.
Air plants need to be watered regularly. A common method is to submerge the entire plant in water for about 30 minutes once a week, or a little less often during cooler seasons. It is important to shake off excess water and let the plant dry completely within a few hours to prevent rot. Misting can be done between soaks, especially in dry climates. Probably not in Leeds.
Good air circulation is crucial for the plant to dry properly after watering and to prevent fungal diseases. Fertilizing is not essential for survival but can promote growth and blooming. A diluted bromeliad or orchid fertilizer can be applied once a month during the spring and summer.
Concerning Greg's suggestion:
Tillandsia is the largest genus in the Bromeliad family with close to 700 known species. Many species can grow potted. Many species need consistent moisture. The problem is that many of the most common species in cultivation (including your T. ionantha) would do better mounted to something like cork bark or a branch than they would in a pot. Tillandsia is a huge and diverse group of plants. Some grow in dripping wet rainforests and others grow on sand dunes or everything in between. Maybe Greg got confused.
@BraveNettediris it doesn’t need any soil at all! Just let it soak in distilled water for about 30 min every 10 days and set it in bright filtered light and you are good to go! You can get fertilizer for air plants, u will just put some in the water when you soak it! You can get it on Etsy or Amazon! It’s awesome! Good Luck 🪴🌼
@angrywolf I’m going to wait until it is daylight and find something suitable for it to latch onto
