Do Air Plants Grow Bigger? If your air plant is a pup (baby air plant) then it will grow to full size depending on its species. As stated above, air plants range in size from two inches to seven feet so research your variety to find out more about how big it will grow.
Fertilize occasionally.
During growing season (spring and summer), consider fertilizing your air plants with bromeliad fertilizer, available in most garden centers.
Air plants are not fast growers when compared to other plants. If you grow them from seeds, they will take around 1-2 months to germinate. Moreover, It will take 4-8 years for the air plant to become a mature plant. While most air plants are tiny, the heights usually range from 2" to 12".
The best way to propagate an air plant at home is by removing its pups (or offsets). Air plants bloom only once in their lifetime, but after they do, they don't die immediately; they continue producing pups, often for several years, and then fade after those pups slowly mature and produce flowers of their own.
Air plants require a precise watering schedule for optimal growth and blooming. Overwatering can cause fungus rot and fall apart, while underwatering can cause foliage curling and wrinkling.
Tip: Tillandsia don't love to be handled. Besides our clumsy hands snapping the occasional leaf, the oils in our fingers actually clog the air plant's sensitive leaves. All Airplantman designs keep this in mind so that it is easy to give your Tillandsia the water it needs without touching it directly!
The Lifespan of an Air Plant
An individual plant, not counting the pups that grow into their own plants from broken-off leaves, can live up to a few years. Of course, this is only the case if they receive the proper care. This is about average when compared to the lifespan of other houseplants.
A healthy air plant will have wide open leaves while a dehydrated air plant will have closed and curled leaves! Never submerge the bloom or flower, as it can cause the flower to rot. If you are using tap water, let the water stand for several hours to dissipate any chemicals prior to watering the plants.
There is an exception to this rule though, air plants with bulbous bases, even those with bright green smooth leaves, often should not be soaked for long periods of time either. Water can get trapped in their bulbous bases and could cause the plants to rot from the inside out.
Air plants do best with at least a few hours of bright, indirect sun daily. Placement within 1 to 3 feet of an east- or west-facing window, or within a foot or two of an artificial light source is ideal. If you keep them well watered, they can have hotter, more direct sun and longer exposure. Avoid dimly lit locations.
A thorough 20 to 60-minute soak in room-temperature water every week to ten days is the best way for the plants to fully hydrate.
Roots: Air plants anchor themselves to objects by their roots and need to be attached to something in order to grow.
Air plants, which belong to the genus Tillandsia, reproduce like other flowering plants. They produce flowers, which leads to pollination, and the production of seeds. Air plants also produce offsets-- new, smaller plants that are known as pups.
Air plant varieties range in size from two inches to seven feet. The varieties that are frequently found in stores are typically two to five inches in size. There are varieties that bloom flowers but this usually signals that the plant is near the end of its life cycle.
For best results and an extra boost of nutrients, add one pump of Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food to the soaking water or mist your air plant once a week with Miracle-Gro® Ready-to-Use Orchid Plant Food Mist.
Every one to two weeks, soak your air plant in room temperature tap water (or rain/pond water if you can find it) for 5-10 minutes. After soaking gently shake excess water from your plant. Turn it upside down and place it on a towel in a bright space. This is very important!
A light application of water, such as misting, will not fully absorb through the plant's leaves and the water will most likely evaporate before it can nourish the plant. A deeper, more thorough method of dunking or soaking is recommended for most plants every week to ten days to ensure proper hydration.
Boron, Zinc, and Urea-Nitrogen
Look out for ingredients such as boron, zinc, or urea-nitrogen as these elements are considered harmful to air plants. Just make sure that your fertilizer does contain nitrogen in a usable form.
Air plants are a growing trend and a must-have in every bathroom to brighten up your space and bring a little bit of nature into a room where you typically do not see much “natural green.” Air plants are perfect for a bathroom - they do not require soil, just occasional watering and lighting from either a window or ...
Identifying Overwatered Air Plants
The most obvious signs to look out for are soft, mushy leaves and discoloration. If your air plant's leaves feel more like wilted lettuce than the stiff, healthy texture they're supposed to have, you could be dealing with overwatering.
Your air plant will appreciate the extra energy and reward you with faster growing, strong pups as a result. Air plants bloom only once in their life cycle, so it's up to you what you'd like to do with the flowers. You can choose to leave the dried flowers just as they are, intact on the air plant.
If you notice your air plant's leaves curling up inwards along their length, this is a telltale sign of a thirsty air plant. Soak it right away in water to remedy the problem and revive the plant.
Most air plants will produce one to three pups, and you'll easily spot them because they'll have their own little centers. As the pups grow, the mother plant may begin to fade, eventually dying off.
Reviving a Dying Air Plant
Switch to rainwater or unchlorinated water. Move the plant to a well-lit place away from direct sunlight if you suspect lighting issues. Finally, spray the plants with Tillandsia fertilizer to provide nutrients and allow the plant to thrive.
Therefore, any kind of wood-based container or surface is absolutely ideal for the Tillandsia variety. If you search online, you'll get some attractive options—for example, wood air plant holders with curved wires at the top. Simple rustic style wooden vases go well too with all kinds of indoor decor.