Receiving Air Plants as Christmas Gifts

You open a box you receive the day before Christmas and it contains pretty plants but wait, they have no roots... The instructions say soak, but soak in what, where? Do I plant them?, you wonder... NO Do NOT plant, do exactly as the note says, soak.

By now you have had them out of the box and doing the research so hopefully you found me at www.airplantcity.com and then you found this or you have contacted me, which you can do from the site.

Simple steps to enjoy your Air Plant.

1. Try to learn their names. Tillandsia Brachycoulas for instance. Go to the site and browse the galleries. Contact me with your senders email address and I can probably tell you exactly what you received. Sorry I haven't gotten tags yet but will on all plants in the new year.

2. Choose a container. Do not use a clay pot, or a deep receptacle unless you fill it up with something like marbles, pebbles or shells. The plant has to have air circulation on all parts of it and should never sit in a wet container. Get creative. You can literally use anything except copper and I don't suggest anything that can rust.

3. If you see unsightly roots, cut them off. I sometimes leave roots on if I think the plant would do better hanging. You can use fishing line to tie around the root, attach a hook to the other end and hang anywhere there is bright light or indirect sun light.

4. The tips of the airplants can be cut if they are brown on the ends, broken, or otherwise unsightly from shipping.

5. The most important thing to remember is that they like their bath at least once a week. Soak upside down, shake gently afterward to remove the water from between their leaves, put back in the light and enjoy...

POSTING TO THIS BLOG

I guess I finally got listed in the search engines. I don't normally monitor this site anymore but now that I am getting hits, I will pay attention. My website is www.airplantcity.com and I have many plants available and some great info along with many other articles that I have written and not published here. Please visit and let me know how you found me.

I promise to be better about moderating and will pay more attention here than I have in the past. Thanks so much for visiting.

Cathy

Winterizing your Air Plants

Common sense tells us that tropical Tillandsia will not withstand winter. So those of you who live in the North have already brought them inside. This is just the beginning though. In order for your Air Plants to survive winter inside, you need to make some small adjustments to their environment.

Chances are that you have electric or gas heat in your home. This type of heat is very drying as we all know from the changes in our own skin. It will reduce the humidity in our homes and this can be detrimental to your Air Plant. Air misting is one way to combat this dryness and should be done daily. Air Misting is different then plant misting.

In a prior article, I talked about plant misting and making sure that you saturate your plant, in Air Misting all you are doing is wetting the atmosphere around your plants and is exactly what it sounds like. Spritzing some water in the general area around your plants occasionally during the day.

Another way to increase the humidity is to place some decorative bowls of gravel or shells around your plant area and keep them filled with water. I like to do this with colorful glass bowls or vases on my window sills so that they catch and reflect the light.

Other winter considerations:
Fireplaces. Make sure your plants are a good distance from the heat and embers of your fireplace.

Air Circulation. Your plants need to have air enough to dry them after watering but should not be placed too close to a heater duct.

Light. Bright light is important and if can not be supplied naturally then by all means use artificial lighting. Do NOT place your airplants too close to an incandescent bulb though and please read my article on Indoor Lighting. Also, please do not place your air plants in your Christmas Tree. The lights on the tree are hot and will burn your plants.

Lastly, if you open your window during the day for fresh air, make sure your plant is not effected. Going from room temp to cold will hurt your air plant. Oh and make sure that if you are spraying your room with that wonderful air freshener, you are not spraying your plant with it.

Catherine Essigmann
Air Plant City

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK FOR AIR PLANT CITY

I HAVE OPENED MEMBERSHIP. NOW MY CUSTOMERS CAN POST COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR AIR PLANT ORDER WITHOUT HAVING TO BECOME A MEMBER.

Please leave a comment about your satisfaction on this post. I appreciate any ideas or suggestions you have about improving my site or my business in general.

Please if you have negative comments that I have not heard before, allow me to address them before you blast me here. I respond quickly to problems and have many solutions available if you are not 100% satisfied. Your air plant, and your business is important to me.

Cathy Essigmann
Air Plant City

Misting your Tillandsia Air Plants

When I talk about misting, it is important to note two things:

1st, Just a casual misting is not enough. The plant must be wet, not moist. Mist over every part of the plant, top and bottom of leaves paying close attention to the tips as well. Make sure the plant is completely moistened.

2nd, Misting will increase the humidity for a very short time. To maintain a higher humidity level you can place standing water close to your plant.

Keep in mind that while misting is an important tool, it does not replace a good soaking.

Visit Air Plant City to download the pdf of this post and many others.

A word about Air Plants and Air Circulation

I learned a valuable lesson about air circulation with a group of Tillandsia Tenufolia Blues...

I placed a group of the air plants together in a clay pot with a hole in the bottom for draining. The tops of the plants were exposed and looked wonderful. I kept my normal watering schedule and sprayed them daily, kept them out of all but early morning sun and they seemed to be thriving.

Boy was I wrong! When I removed them a week later for soaking, I was horrified. All the air plants in the middle of the grouping were actually brown and brittle from the bottom to the part where they were exposed above the pot. The only explanation is air circulation...

I try to keep my plants together in families for ease of packing and soaking but normally keep them in open baskets or wire containers. I know now Do Not Use Clay, lol.

Remember to visit Air Plant City for more care information and to purchase Air plants/Tillandsia online securely

HELP! My AIR PLANT is dying

Ever feel like pulling your hair out because NOTHING you do is working and your Tillandsia is dying anyway?

I have. One species in particular, Velutina is my nemesis. I have tried different locations, different watering schedules, daily administrations and ignoring it. I cannot keep Velutina in stock.

So what is my advice? First line of treatment would be to soak the leaves, not the stem itself, by placing it upside down in a bucket with vitamin b restorative added to the water. Leave it for the day, then place it in bright light and leave it alone. If its above 50 degrees and below 90 degrees, place it outside in mottled sunlight. This can be accomplished by placing in a tree, around (or under) other plants, hanging near a window on a screen porch, etc. Then only mist it well from then on until it starts to grow new growth or perks up. Once a plant starts to die, less
hands on is always better.

If that doesn't work then make note of the type of plant it is and order the opposite type from then on. For instance, if the brachy's (thin leaf) aren't growing well in your area, order the thick leaf air plants like Streptocarpa Mini X or Recurifolia or vice versa. Also if your bad about your watering schedule, always opt for the thicker leaved, silvery plants. These plants do much better with less water.

Visit Air Plant City to read about individual plants or other care questions. Also email me your questions and I will
be happy to help in any way I can. airplantcity@yahoo.com