Is my Spanish moss dead? It came in a terrarium of a till...
Last watered 1 year ago
4
Moss is pretty versatile and since it’s not rotted it might rebound. But, that bring said you can’t just water it, moss is really sensitive to any tap water as it has added chemicals. If you want to attempt to bring it back again this is usually possible but will take time. Like most plants, 🪴 growth takes time. So, here is what I would do if it were mine.
First soak it in distilled water for 20-30 minutes. It will be free of minerals which moss likes. Then shake out any excess water. Then put it back in your container. Now, cover your container, this will increase humidity which is what moss needs. You can just use a piece of Saran Wrap if that’s all you have on hand. Mist it weekly with only DISTILLED water 💦. Trust me on this distilled is an absolute necessity, I vet leaned this the hard way as is keeping your container covered. Your Tillandsia will do great covered as well. I keep mine in covered terrariums myself. Otherwise they get brown crispy tips from dry air. I also mist my air plants as well once a week. Also avoid direct sunlight these types of plants do better with undirect otherwise they dry out and burn. Some examples from my collection
First soak it in distilled water for 20-30 minutes. It will be free of minerals which moss likes. Then shake out any excess water. Then put it back in your container. Now, cover your container, this will increase humidity which is what moss needs. You can just use a piece of Saran Wrap if that’s all you have on hand. Mist it weekly with only DISTILLED water 💦. Trust me on this distilled is an absolute necessity, I vet leaned this the hard way as is keeping your container covered. Your Tillandsia will do great covered as well. I keep mine in covered terrariums myself. Otherwise they get brown crispy tips from dry air. I also mist my air plants as well once a week. Also avoid direct sunlight these types of plants do better with undirect otherwise they dry out and burn. Some examples from my collection
@SuperbRaspfern wow your plants are beautiful, so you don’t think my moss is completely dead? It looks white and I watered it twice so far in distilled water and only a small amount of it came back to greenish so I think the rest might be dead? Unsure 🫤 also how do you keep your other types of tillandsias happy? If I water mine for hours it starts to get rotten leaves at the base if I water it for seconds it gets brown crispy ends! (I use tap water for this one with stress coat as I heard tillandsias don’t like distilled as it leaches out all the nutrients)
I definitely think it’s still alive. It can go dormant and turn white in winter. This will be triggered by shorter day and cooler nights. In that case just let it rest.
As for my tillandsia plants I never soak them. I tried keeping them out in the open and mine also got brown tips, I live in a very dry area. Nothing I tried helped.
After that I decided to put them in closed terrariums and they absolutely thrive. I also keep the lids cracked to prevent excess condensation and provide a little airflow while still providing the necessary humidity. I keep the lids slightly cracked on ALL of my terrariums. It prevents the unsightly condensation while providing the necessary humidity.
Be sure to add a little liquid fertilizer to your spray bottle for your tillandsia. Remove it and mist it. You don’t want to fertilize the moss. They are sensitive to it.
As for my tillandsia plants I never soak them. I tried keeping them out in the open and mine also got brown tips, I live in a very dry area. Nothing I tried helped.
After that I decided to put them in closed terrariums and they absolutely thrive. I also keep the lids cracked to prevent excess condensation and provide a little airflow while still providing the necessary humidity. I keep the lids slightly cracked on ALL of my terrariums. It prevents the unsightly condensation while providing the necessary humidity.
Be sure to add a little liquid fertilizer to your spray bottle for your tillandsia. Remove it and mist it. You don’t want to fertilize the moss. They are sensitive to it.
I also use distilled water for my tillandsia but like I said I do add the fertilizer. Lately I have been using the distilled water and then a squirt of Miracle Grow Orchid Plant Food Mist and they seem to really like it. It easy and saves me time.