CARE:
Tillandsias are easy providing you pay attention to just a few things.
WATER:
First, and perhaps most important- water. It is the QUALITY of water that makes so much difference. So, that being said, what would the best water be? Rain. Seems pretty obvious but if you are able to collect rain water, you are way ahead in the game. Tap water, though OK, oftentimes contains trace elements that over time can cause issues. I always suggest to my customers that they get a bucket and collect rain from a downspout or whatever works, and then cover it. When it is time to water your plants, simply plunge them in, let them sit for a bit, take them out, shake the excess water off, return your plants to their normal location and cover your bucket back up. A variation of this would be to keep your mist bottle full of rain water. The next most often asked question is how often to water your plants. Tillandsias are pretty forgiving...to a point. If you go on vacation for 10 days, they will be just fine when you return. Under normal circumstances, 2 times a week is ideal. This is much more critical while you are growing your plants indoors. In summer, if you keep your plants outside, 1 time per week is usually fine. If we are getting a lot of hot, dry winds, step it up a bit though. Low humidity and high temps can spell trouble if you are not paying attention.
The question of misting vs. dunking comes up a lot. Here is my take on it. Misting is OK if (!) you are not able to submerge them. If your plants are mounted on some big, extravagant item, dunking just probably is not going to happen- I understand this. In that case, mist away but TRY to use rain water. Mist (from tap water) as it evaporates, leaves behind whatever else is in the water (these are the things I mention prior...trace elements ect). Even if you have to use tap water, a periodic dunking and over night soak in rain water will help clear out any of that residue- leaving you Tillandsia refreshed and ready to rock and roll! A lot of my personal collection is mounted on large slabs of bark and kept on the wall of my covered porch. Any time I think it is going to rain, off the wall the these slabs go and out into the rain! It always amazes me how good they all look after a shower.
I know this all sounds complicated and a real pain, but honestly, it is not.
One thing... NEVER leave your plant in water. It is the kiss of death if you do so. They MUST be wet no longer than 4 hours (except if you are submerging them over night. Even mounting them on moss will rot them- the moss simply stays to wet. Even water that collects at the base of the leaves should be shook out if you are misting them heavily.
LIGHT:
Second- LIGHT!
This is where people often goof up. Why? Because many of these plants are, well, cute. They are often purchased as a "decoration" for the desk at the office or wherever. It is easy to forget these are REAL plants! They grow, bloom..all the things "normal" plants do! They just look a little different than that plant you bought at Home Depot.
Pretty much the whole light thing can be summed like this...in summer, give them shade, winter, good sun. Even if indoors, a hot sunny window on the South or West side of your house in the summer can fry your plant. Pull it back a bit or switch to a North or perhaps East window. From October through March, a full sun window is terrific for them. If you summer your plants outside (recommended!), a shady porch is a wonderful place to show off your collection. They will thrive on the extra humidity and air circulation. This will usually spur the blooming cycle too. Some people even like to hang them in trees (I do that too). As long as that hot afternoon sun never strikes them, place them where you think they would look great. Back to the office decoration...if all you have is a fluorescent light on the ceiling, it is unlikely you will be pleased with your Tillandsia. If you have other house plants you have purchased and had them expire on your desk, you can pretty much expect the same. It will take longer, but nevertheless, it will happen. Now, say you have had one of your beauties at home bloom and you want to enjoy it at work and show off your amazing talent as a gardener, bring it in! Just get it back home after a couple weeks. Now, if you are blessed with a bright sunny office, have at it! Grow your baby there...just pay close attention to the watering. Remember, heating and AC remove a great deal of humidity from the air.
FERTILIZER:
OK, this is a bit more complicated. I am just going to touch on it. Feel free to call, write or talk to me in person for more specifics.
Due to the physiology of Tillandsias, normal rates of fertilizer do not apply. You can use Good ol' Miracle Grow but at 1/4 strength! No exceptions! Mix up a gallon of it, dunk your plants and save the remaining solution for next time. Misting would not be a great idea for a number of reasons. If you are blessed (or cursed) with a fish tank(s) like me, do as I do. When you are doing your normal routine water changes, dunk your plants in the dirty water. I think I just heard a bunch of long distance gasps of disgust. Even pond water has quite a bit of dissolved nutrients in it. Those of you with Koi ponds in your back yard- you're home free! Anyway, a few times a year is sufficient.
I really want you all to succeed with your plants. I want you to keep buying from me because you are doing so well with your current collection that you simply MUST have more as opposed to replacing ones that conked out on you. Success is so much more fun, don't you think?
Tillandsias are easy providing you pay attention to just a few things.
WATER:
First, and perhaps most important- water. It is the QUALITY of water that makes so much difference. So, that being said, what would the best water be? Rain. Seems pretty obvious but if you are able to collect rain water, you are way ahead in the game. Tap water, though OK, oftentimes contains trace elements that over time can cause issues. I always suggest to my customers that they get a bucket and collect rain from a downspout or whatever works, and then cover it. When it is time to water your plants, simply plunge them in, let them sit for a bit, take them out, shake the excess water off, return your plants to their normal location and cover your bucket back up. A variation of this would be to keep your mist bottle full of rain water. The next most often asked question is how often to water your plants. Tillandsias are pretty forgiving...to a point. If you go on vacation for 10 days, they will be just fine when you return. Under normal circumstances, 2 times a week is ideal. This is much more critical while you are growing your plants indoors. In summer, if you keep your plants outside, 1 time per week is usually fine. If we are getting a lot of hot, dry winds, step it up a bit though. Low humidity and high temps can spell trouble if you are not paying attention.
The question of misting vs. dunking comes up a lot. Here is my take on it. Misting is OK if (!) you are not able to submerge them. If your plants are mounted on some big, extravagant item, dunking just probably is not going to happen- I understand this. In that case, mist away but TRY to use rain water. Mist (from tap water) as it evaporates, leaves behind whatever else is in the water (these are the things I mention prior...trace elements ect). Even if you have to use tap water, a periodic dunking and over night soak in rain water will help clear out any of that residue- leaving you Tillandsia refreshed and ready to rock and roll! A lot of my personal collection is mounted on large slabs of bark and kept on the wall of my covered porch. Any time I think it is going to rain, off the wall the these slabs go and out into the rain! It always amazes me how good they all look after a shower.
I know this all sounds complicated and a real pain, but honestly, it is not.
One thing... NEVER leave your plant in water. It is the kiss of death if you do so. They MUST be wet no longer than 4 hours (except if you are submerging them over night. Even mounting them on moss will rot them- the moss simply stays to wet. Even water that collects at the base of the leaves should be shook out if you are misting them heavily.
LIGHT:
Second- LIGHT!
This is where people often goof up. Why? Because many of these plants are, well, cute. They are often purchased as a "decoration" for the desk at the office or wherever. It is easy to forget these are REAL plants! They grow, bloom..all the things "normal" plants do! They just look a little different than that plant you bought at Home Depot.
Pretty much the whole light thing can be summed like this...in summer, give them shade, winter, good sun. Even if indoors, a hot sunny window on the South or West side of your house in the summer can fry your plant. Pull it back a bit or switch to a North or perhaps East window. From October through March, a full sun window is terrific for them. If you summer your plants outside (recommended!), a shady porch is a wonderful place to show off your collection. They will thrive on the extra humidity and air circulation. This will usually spur the blooming cycle too. Some people even like to hang them in trees (I do that too). As long as that hot afternoon sun never strikes them, place them where you think they would look great. Back to the office decoration...if all you have is a fluorescent light on the ceiling, it is unlikely you will be pleased with your Tillandsia. If you have other house plants you have purchased and had them expire on your desk, you can pretty much expect the same. It will take longer, but nevertheless, it will happen. Now, say you have had one of your beauties at home bloom and you want to enjoy it at work and show off your amazing talent as a gardener, bring it in! Just get it back home after a couple weeks. Now, if you are blessed with a bright sunny office, have at it! Grow your baby there...just pay close attention to the watering. Remember, heating and AC remove a great deal of humidity from the air.
FERTILIZER:
OK, this is a bit more complicated. I am just going to touch on it. Feel free to call, write or talk to me in person for more specifics.
Due to the physiology of Tillandsias, normal rates of fertilizer do not apply. You can use Good ol' Miracle Grow but at 1/4 strength! No exceptions! Mix up a gallon of it, dunk your plants and save the remaining solution for next time. Misting would not be a great idea for a number of reasons. If you are blessed (or cursed) with a fish tank(s) like me, do as I do. When you are doing your normal routine water changes, dunk your plants in the dirty water. I think I just heard a bunch of long distance gasps of disgust. Even pond water has quite a bit of dissolved nutrients in it. Those of you with Koi ponds in your back yard- you're home free! Anyway, a few times a year is sufficient.
I really want you all to succeed with your plants. I want you to keep buying from me because you are doing so well with your current collection that you simply MUST have more as opposed to replacing ones that conked out on you. Success is so much more fun, don't you think?
