Want to grow plants without soil? First, get to know air plants

Air plants

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You must be familiar with them, because they often appear in flower shops and indoor landscaping photos. In fact, air plants are a hybrid and horticultural group with unlimited numbers and potential, and there are already 500+ known varieties. Surprised?

Air plants and the pineapple we often eat are relatives in the same family but different genera, native to

regions mainly distributed in Central and South America and the southern United States. Their biggest feature is that they

do not need to be grown in soil

and can be directly "planted" in the air. Grown indoors, they can be kept very clean and do not need frequent care. Therefore, they are increasingly loved by "lazy people." (This is not at all meant to imply that people who grow air plants are lazy. Running away.)

Fall for the beauty of air plants

Get to know them

The varieties are diverse, so their appearances are naturally different. But without exception, air plants really have extremely high ornamental value.

How do air plants survive without roots?

Understand them

For most plants, roots are the main pathway for absorbing nutrients. How do air plants survive without roots?

South America's environment is mostly dry, with many undulating terrains, lots of rocks and little soil.

Probably because the natural conditions in their place of origin are truly too harsh,

air plants had to develop a full set of skills. Over the long course of evolution, their roots gradually degenerated and grew "claws" that allow the plant to attach and climb, thus retaining only a small amount of gas exchange function.

Correspondingly, their leaves are covered with a layer of wax to reduce water evaporation; tiny hairs extend from the leaves to replace roots in absorbing moisture at night when humidity is high.

Therefore, to keep air plants alive, you only need to place them in a bright, ventilated place and spray water on their leaves on suitable nights (or soak them). If you want to be more particular, occasionally spray some nutrient solution. As long as they do not die, they can grow very well.

Actually, air plants are also very fragile

Care for them

It sounds like growing air plants is really effortless and labor-saving. It feels like caring for such good-looking and easy-to-keep plants should greatly increase your sense of happiness.

But in fact, air plants are quite fragile and can die if you are not careful.

If they cannot breathe well, they will suffocate; if watered too much, they will drown; if the sunlight is too harsh, they will burn to death; if not secured well, they will fall and die... OMG, weren't they supposed to be easy to grow?

But growing plants is something that inherently requires care! As long as you pay a little attention, many problems can be avoided.

Remember never to give too much water, otherwise water accumulating in the leaf center will kill them.

Especially varieties like Medusa and Tillandsia tectorum (commonly called the feather duster). The former has its leaf center tightly wrapped by leaves, making it hard to pour out accumulated water after soaking, while the latter turns green and loses its beauty when given too much water. Therefore, using a spray bottle is recommended.

Do not put them in the sun immediately after spraying.

Air plants can get sunburn. Water droplets on the leaf surface form convex lenses, and after sunlight shines through, they leave a scar on the leaf surface. Most importantly, unless that leaf falls off, this scar cannot be removed.

The temperature air plants can tolerate is 5°-40°, with 25° being optimal.

Below 5° is too cold, so they must be placed indoors, and in winter the leaves must not carry water overnight. The same applies above 40°. In hot weather, the frequency of spraying needs to be increased (above 30°, cool them down before spraying).

Of course, the specific conditions during care still need to be adapted flexibly according to the surrounding environment. Everyone is so clever and smart, so naturally you will adjust. After all, anything good-looking needs to be pampered!

Duorou Shuo

Caring for plants is never a matter of being a hands-off boss. For anything, managing it with care is important.

However, if you can consider

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provided by

green plant rental and placement

services and leave plant care to us, then perhaps you can experience the joy of being a hands-off boss.

Duorou Shuo, making plant growing have only perfect results.

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