Air Plants At Walnut Creek Ace Hardware

Air plants are relatively easy to care for when you understand their needs. While soil is no concern, it will still require specific temperature, water, and light requirements like any other plant. Due to their lack of roots, air plants require an unusual watering technique. Once a week, you should submerge them in water for half an hour to three hours. They prefer “dirty” water, meaning water from natural sources like ponds, lakes, or rain. After removing them, shake them out and place them upside down on a paper towel to dry. This is crucial, for if they remain wet, they will rot. You can add daily misting to this regime to maintain an extra lush appearance. They do not like direct light, so bright indirect sunlight is best. Finally, air plants do best with temperatures from 50°F-90°F.

If properly cared for, some air plants can flower, though it will take time. They will only bloom once in their lifetime, usually after a few years of proper care. While lovely, the bloom signals the end of the plant’s life cycle. After flowering, they will die. However, beforehand, they will have “pups,” offsets that you can remove and use to grow new air plants.