How to cultivate air plants indoors
Today, I will introduce to you how to cultivate air plants indoors and detailed knowledge about the care methods for air plant maintenance at home. Here is a comprehensive introduction.
Under suitable conditions, each air plant can generally live for three to five years at most. After a few years, their mother plants will die, but before that, they will grow some offsets. These offsets can be separated and propagated when they grow a bit larger to cultivate more seedlings.
1. Soaking and Spraying Water
The best method to replenish water for air plants is to soak the entire plant in clean water. This not only increases humidity but also effectively supplements water. Soak for about 15 to 30 minutes and then drain the excess water. This can be done once a week.
Watering frequency for air plants varies under different climatic conditions. If the air is dry, soak once a week. Also, spray misted water every other day, ensuring even distribution.
If the local climate is humid and the air humidity can be maintained above 75% for a long time, you can soak once every two weeks and spray misted water every two days.
How often to soak air plants in clean water depends on the environment. If the leaves quickly become dry and the leaf tips easily wither, it is necessary to soak once a week.
2. Blooming and Growing Offsets
Air plants are typical representatives of the bromeliad family and are related to pineapples. Air plants do bloom (usually purple flowers), and many varieties only bloom once in their lifetime. After blooming, the plant is prone to withering, but before that, it is easy to grow offsets.
3. Do Not Use Soil for Planting
Those who are slightly familiar with air plants know that they do not need soil for planting. They are epiphytic plants, naturally growing on trees or in rock crevices, using their roots to attach to the surface of the bark.
How to cultivate air plants indoors
Air plants absorb moisture and nutrients through the soft hair on their leaves.
4. Lighting
Air plants require bright diffused light to grow normally and are sensitive to direct strong sunlight. They should not be placed in locations with direct sunlight. Other plants can be used to provide some shade, or they can be placed under tree shade or inside a window sill.
5. Temperature
Air plants also require a warm environment, with a temperature range of 16 to 28 degrees Celsius for optimal growth. They can withstand low temperatures above 7 degrees Celsius. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, water should be controlled, and if it falls below 5 degrees Celsius, there is a risk of frostbite.
6. Fertilizing
Air plants do not require frequent fertilizing as they have very low fertilizer needs. Use liquid fertilizers, such as water-soluble fertilizers, and reduce the concentration to at least 1/5 of the usual amount.
Fertilizing air plants is also simple. Dilute the water-soluble or foliar fertilizer in water and spray it directly on the leaves. Do not use boron fertilizers or fertilizers containing boron.
7. Pruning and Propagation
Air plants do not require much pruning. Simply remove the dry, old leaves to ensure good ventilation for the plant. After the flowers fade, prune the残花 promptly.
If you want to propagate air plants, after flowering, small offsets will grow at the base. When these offsets grow to half or one-third the size of the mother plant, they can be transplanted. Carefully remove the offsets from the mother plant or cut them directly and cultivate them using the same method.
Precautions:
Many people fail to grow air plants well, mostly due to extremely dry air, improper watering, and unsuitable lighting. For example, if the leaf tips easily become dry and withered, it is necessary to increase humidity and the frequency of soaking in clean water.
If the leaves become soft and yellow, it may be due to excessive water.
When exposed to excessive strong light, the leaves will scorch. If the environment is too dark, the leaf color may become dull. If the environment is too humid and poorly ventilated, the entire plant may rot.
Sometimes, planting air plants in soil can easily lead to root rot, and once the roots rot, it is usually impossible to save the plant.
I hope the detailed introduction to how to cultivate air plants indoors and the detailed care methods for air plant maintenance at home are clear to you now.