Over water is the biggest killer of air plants. Make sure with care and water to always start slow and increase your water based on the plants needs. You can soak or spray your air plant. If you soak submerge the entire plant under water for 1-2 mins weekly to start. When spraying you will need to mist more often since you are not giving your air plant a heavy saturation. Make sure to focus on the leaves. When done watering always shake off the excess water to avoid center rot.
Environment will overall dictate care for your air plant. In drier areas air plants will demand more water in more humid environments they will demand less water. Sunnier locations will increase their demand for water while shadier locations will lessen their demand for water. In heated homes during the winter air plants can demand more water. Increase your water slowly based on the plants needs. Leaves curling in on themselves are a sign of needing more water. Brown tips are a sign your air plant needs more water. Start slow and if you need to add another soaking or an occassional misting to increase your watering do it slowly. Soakings stay below 10 mins if you need to increase.
Over water is the biggest and quickest killer of air plants. So start slow. Plants that easily fall apart show the signs of too much water. Air Plants base leaves will come loose over time as that is their old growth. But if layers of leaves fall off or your center falls out that is a sign of too much water.
Also different varieties will also have different water demands. So make sure to know your varieties and educate yourself on them. Reach out if you have questions anytime.
No you do not have to fertilize your air plant, but it doesn’t hurt. Air plants in nature get fertilizer from organic material. Air Plants don’t need fertilizer but it does give them a little more muscle. Fertlizer helps them grow a little faster, bloom a little faster.
Can I use miracle grow? No. Air plants benefit from fertilizer but are also very sensitive to it. Too much or too strong a solution can burn them up. Orchid fertilizer is ok to use but make sure to water it down before using it. We use a fertilizer specific for air plants and we sell it in our shop. We are growing and caring for these plants to bring you the best product we can so a fertilizer does help us.
How to use. We sell a condensed version in our shop. You will want to water it down we send instructions on the bottle. Its a couple drops per ounce of water. Only fertilize your plants once a month or every other week at most. Our air plant fertilizer is a 9-7-6.
All the Air plants we grow are exotic varieties that we grow because of the different species and because they all have beautiful blooms upon maturity. Most air plants only bloom once in their entire life. Some varieties change color. However both their bloom and color change is temporary and only happens once in their entire life. We try to send them before they have bloomed so as the new care giver can now enjoy their bloom and/or color change through their entire process. Around their bloom cycle they will give off babies. These babies will follow the same life cycle as the mother plant and bloom upon maturity. The mother will never bloom again. More questions feel free to email
Quick answer No. Air plants like to get wet and then dry out, if they stay wet they can rot. To avoid rot do not place your plant in or on soil. Air plants can grow in anything that doesn’t hold moisture. Examples are sand, a dish, seashells or a vase are some great examples of containers for your new plant. You don’t need to set your air plant in anything. You can simply set it on a table while you take your time looking for the perfect new home for your new air plant.
We love our shell planters. We use them frequently in our shop and make for a great hostess gift or souvenir.
That is a question we get alot. People are confused because there is so much conflicting instructions out there. Environment just like most plants will dictate their care. So to this question I say reach out to who you received your plants from. That person will be your best advice. I say this because when your plants arrive to you they are still acclimated to the environment they left. We suggest starting slow weekly 1-2 mins soaks to start. You can always increase your water but you can't take away. Our plants are in shade house open to the outdoors and we are in a very humid environment. So they leave us not needing those heavy long watering that they would need in a drier climate. If you are In a drier climate they may need more water over time as they acclimate to your environment. But when you receive them initially they are acclimated to the environment they left. So reach out to the person you received them from for some good info and always start slow. Over water is the biggest and quickest killer of air plants. Air plant are a very resilient plant and can bounce back from under water. It's that over water that can be detrimental to them.
We get alot of customer concerned because their airplant has a velvet dusty white coating on it. First assumption is always mold or disease. Its neither. That white dust is actually tiny hairs called tricolms. Tricolms help the airplant to pull moisture out of the air. Airplants that are heavily covered in tricolms are considered “Xeric” varieties. Xeric varieties are considered to handle drier environments easier because of their advantage to pull more moisture out of the air.
Of the varieties we offer Harrissi, Medusa, Capitata, Xerographica and Ionas have the most tricolms. Tectorums have the most visible tricolms. Tillandsia Tectorum look like snowflakes.
So the next time you get an airplant with a white dusty coating don’t try to wipe it off. Its actually their tiny plant super power to help them survive.
Tips for Watering your Xeroprahica
Xerographicas are a Xeric Variety of Air plant. Meaning they can handle drier environments.Xerographicas can succumb to over water easier than other varieties. Overwater is one of the biggest and quickest killers of Air Plants. Best to start slow with the xerographica and either start with the dunk or spraying method. With the dunking method hold your xerographica upside down underwater for a couple seconds. Then remove from the water and let dry upside down allowing the air plant to drain. Do this once a week to start. If you prefer spraying. Focusing on the leaves spray down the air plant a couple times a week. Then drain upside down. Either way is a good start when bringing your new tillandsia into your home. Start slow with watering and increase slowly depending on your environment and the plants needs as it acclimates to its new environment.
Want to learn more about Xeric varieties. Read our page on Why is my plant covered in white dust.
Short Answer. Nope.
Air Plants do not do well with copper it is a lethal metal and will slowly kill them. While we are on the subject of things that are lethal to air plants. Salt.
Air Plants do not do good with salt. Make sure you water you use to hydrate the plants does not include salt or chlorine. If it does use a spring, distilled or rain water. You can let a bowl of water sit out overnight before you use it to help dissipate out any minerals. However salt will not dissipate so best to switch water sources if it contains salt.
No
All our plants have been taste tested by our furry little animals, but not on purpose. Completely by accident if the plants hit the floor they are fair game.
I would suggest against the fun brightly colored enhanced ones for reptile and amphibian terrariums if you are looking, just to be safe.
Air plants will propagate on their own. You don't need two and there's nothing special besides regular care that you need to do to start this process. I will say bright filtered light helps them grow faster which in turn means they will bloom quicker and produce pups quicker. But overall mother nature Is gonna control this one. There are ways to force them to bloom quicker but for another convo on that.
Air plants will all bloom upon maturity. This is a sign they are ready to become a mother plant. They will produce anywhere from 1-5 pups along their base on avg. The pups can come before, during or after their bloom cycle. The plant won't bloom again. The pup will be what blooms again and will follow the same life cycle as the mother plant.
The pups come along the base and can sometimes come from within base leaves, around the base, under the base leaves or even in the center of the plant.
Once the pup is half the size of the mother plant you can remove it by wiggling free. Do not cut. You can also leave the pup attached. One way or the other doesn't make a difference. The only time you will want to remove the mother plant is if she dies and ends up holding alot of water that can cause rot. Then for the best health of the pup remove the mother plant.
Here is a run down of somethings we say at the market here.
Initial care. Soak your plant (entire plant) under water for 1-2 mins weekly if in bright light and every other week if in low light to start. You can always add more water if needed but you can't take away. This is a good start for when you first get your plant as they are acclimated to our environment and will slowly acclimate to yours over time. The plant as it acclimates to your environment may need more or less water but start slow.
Prefer to spray your plant that works. Start with a good spraying weekly.
And always shake off the excess water when done and let dry before returning it to it's display space.
If in Florida keep your plant out of direct sunlight between the hours of 11-3 which is our hottest time of day. They can handle early morning or late afternoon direct sunlight. But more sun more water remember that and keep an eye on them in the beginning to avoid burn spots and or sun damage.
If you are in a Northern environment we have heard South facing windows are the best.
All our species we grow are exotic varieties not found in Florida. All our plants are greenhouse grown, bug free and pesticide free safe to bring in your home. We grow the exotic varieties for the cool different species, flowers and some even change color.
All our species we grow will flower upon maturity.
That should about cover the things we missed in other Q&A's, but as we also always say Feel free to reach out to us by email at Sales@TwistedAcresOnline.com anytime if you have questions.
Thank you!!
Short answer Absolutely!!!
Air Plants are the best travelers. They don't take up much space and they are way quieter than that crying baby on the plane....
Always travel with them dry
Always travel with them as your carry on when flying
You can legally travel with them anywhere in the US or Canada. Those we know are fine. Feel free to reach out if you know about other areas and traveling with air plants.
Canada you do need to declare them show customs the scientific name Tillandsia which is on our card we give.
That's it! Doesn't get more simple or easier than that.
Safe Travels!!!
Air Plants have roots but they are not used like a normal plant where they absorb nutrients through the soil for the plant. Air Plant roots are used solely to anchor them onto trees or surfaces in nature to avoid blowing away in the wind.
In your home air plants don’t need roots. We trim most of their roots when we clean them up to ship out.
You can keep the roots as they grow out. They are good if you want to put them onto drift wood or outside on a tree as the roots will help anchor them over time as they grow and attach over time.
Or, you can trim them but don’t trim the base of the plant just the roots slightly below the base if you prefer.
But no worries if an air plant doesn’t have roots it doesn’t mean it is unhealthy.
We are not, but opening our location to the public is new for us. We have been in business selling air plants since 2011. We have done many local farmers markets and festivals since 2012. Air Plant Emporium is the head quarters for Twisted Acres Air Plants. We moved our location to 1960 Maravilla Ave in 2017 and we are working more on our expansion into 1940 Maravilla Ave to create a one of a kind art and plant shopping experience. We recently opened our location to the public in October 2021. If you stop out I am sure you will be seeing many different projects being worked on as we expand. We absolutely love it here in the city of Fort Myers and look forward to becoming a local staple within our community. We have met so many awesome people at the markets and around town and are happy to now open our location to you.
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