They cannot live on air alone!
The misconception that tillandsias survive on air alone is probably the biggest reason for these plants dying or people not having success with them. Air plants are fairly easy to grow if the correct growing conditions and care is provided.
As with all plants, how much light, water and air they receive are most important, along with what the temperature range is.
Light
Most air plants require very high light conditions to grow well, which is why most air plants will not do well indoors. Placing them in your bathroom is therefore not the best idea, and the plants will not survive for long. Bright light is needed for optimal growth, but the amount of light needed and what the plants can handle is also dependent on humidity and air movement. If the plants are grown in a garden along the coast with constant high humidity and good air movement, air plants may be grown in full sun. In the interior, where humidity is lower for most of the year and temperatures can be fairly high in summer, it is advisable to grow these plants in bright light or morning sun but not full day sun. If grown under low-light conditions the plants will often lose their grey colour and grow to be lanky and soft. In most cases they will eventually die.
Water
This story is from the December 2018 edition of The Gardener.
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This story is from the December 2018 edition of The Gardener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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