How often should air plants be watered, and how do you sow and propagate them?

When it comes to air plants, many people may not know what they are. In fact, air plants can be said to be the only plants on Earth that do not need soil and grow entirely in the air. An occasional spritz of water is enough for them to grow very well, and they can also produce very beautiful flowers, giving them extremely high ornamental value. So how should air plants be watered?

How often should air plants be watered

1. Misting

Misting is used relatively rarely, and it is best to use it only in winter. In summer, an occasional misting can help lower the temperature a little. If misting is not controlled well, water can easily accumulate in the leaf center and at the leaf base without being noticed, which instead makes rot in the center more likely. Also, during misting, more water evaporates than is absorbed, and misting too little has no effect.

2. Soaking

This is one of the more commonly used watering methods. Do it about once every 7-10 days, and change the length of time according to the season: within 4 hours in spring, no more than 2 hours in summer, at most 6 hours in autumn, and finish within 2 hours in winter. Pay attention to the timing of soaking in summer; it is best not to soak during high temperatures.

3. Dipping

This is the most commonly used method. Prepare a bucket of water, pick up the air plant and swish it in the water, just like swishing meat slices when eating hot pot, until the air plant's leaves are completely wet. Silvery-gray leaves are easy to identify; when the leaves turn grayish-green, you can take it out and gently shake it, or hang it upside down for a while, and then return it to its usual care.

How to sow and propagate air plants

1. Pollinating air plants

Air plants are quite beautiful when they bloom, but it is actually not very common. If you find that your air plant has bloomed, this is a good opportunity. You can pollinate it, which can promote the air plant to set seeds, and once seeds have formed, you can sow them.

Pollination can generally be done by self-pollination, sticking pollen from the male stamens of the same plant onto the female stigma, or by cross-pollination. However, when pollinating, it does not always succeed in producing seeds; generally, the success rate of cross-pollination is higher.

When pollinating, be careful not to get water on the stamens and stigma. After pollination, it usually takes a very long time to set seed.

2. Sowing air plants

Once you have obtained the seeds, you can begin sowing, but this process is very long and may take 3-5 years, or even longer.

Every year from March to November, sowing can be carried out. The seeds can be placed in a moist environment, kept at a temperature above 20°C, and given good indirect light for enclosed cultivation. Generally after 5 days, you can see the seeds turn green, which means the seeds have begun to germinate.

Growth habits of air plants

Air plants originally grow in tropical and subtropical rainforests or dry mountain areas at altitudes of 100 m-5000 m, attached to tree trunks, rocks, and cliff crevices, with a few growing on cacti. Unlike other plants, they mainly absorb water through the silvery-gray fuzzy scales on the leaf surface. They do not need soil, nor do they need to be placed in water; a misting is enough for them to survive.

Air plants are tolerant of drought and strong light, and a small number prefer humid environments. Most of the more advanced air plants look grayish-white because the leaf surface is covered with trichomes, which serve to reflect light, avoid scorching, and prevent water evaporation. The more exposed to sunlight they are, the denser their trichomes.

Notes on growing air plants

A reminder: never place air plants in a tank. Air plants need a large amount of air circulation, and they will rot in a closed tank. If the air is too dry, you can soak the plant in water for one hour, then shake off the water on the leaves. Note that when there is water on the leaves, never put the plant in the sun.

Usually the winter temperature should be kept above 5°C. Generally, the temperature in a home in winter is around 20°C, which is just right, but when growing them indoors, do not place them near air conditioning vents or radiators, and do not let cold air blow directly on them.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of air plants. Many people like to grow a few air plants at home, not only as decoration, but also because they have a very good effect on air purification!