Air Plant Care
Light
Tillandsias like bright, filtered light. However, direct outdoor sunlight may be too much and some of the leaves could burn. On the other hand, plants in low light will lose energy and vibrance over time. With bright light, your plant will bloom more brilliantly once it's mature. The best places for bright, filtered light are often indoors by a window in a sunny room or outdoors anywhere that gets strong but filtered light.
Indoor Care
Place your Tillandsia in a brightly lit room, but don't put them too close to window that is exposed to direct sunlight because the combination of hot air and sunlight can cause some leaves to burn. A plant indoors receives significantly less air movement than an outdoor plant. For this reason, watering the plants with the dunking process described above should be done, on average, just once a week. During warmer and drier months, you may try two or even three times week if you notice your plant becomes dehydrated quickly.
Outdoor Care
Display the plants in bright, filtered light. Do not put the plants in direct sunlight outside. However some direct, morning sun is often fine. Hose down the Tillandsias whenever you water your other outdoor plants: an average of once or twice a week in the winter, and two to three times a week in the summer. In very hot, dry climates, the plants can even be watered once or twice a day - as long as they dry out between watering. You may notice it is harder to over water the plants while they are in bright, outdoor conditions. This is because substantial air circulation and sunlight help the drying process and prevents rot.
Water
In general, Tillandsias like to be watered one to three times per week, as long as they dry out completely between waterings. If left wet for too long, the plant can rot. How often you water your plants should depend on where you keep them. Read about indoor and outdoor care, below, for more. We find the best way to water is to submerge the plants in bottled water or rainwater for a few seconds, then turn them upside down for a couple of seconds to remove any excess water, and then let them dry completely before the next watering. You can also mist or spray your plants instead, but we find they may dry out more easily. Because Tillandsias rely on their leaves rather than their roots to absorb water and nutrients, it is important to use good water and make sure that all the leaves get wet.
When to soak overnight: If your plants have not been watered for a long period, three weeks for example, you may notice leaves that were once fairly flat begin to curl up at the edges like a tube. This change in shape is a sign of dehydration. If this happens, you can soak your plant in bottled water or rainwater overnight. In the morning, you'll notice the leaves revert back to their regular shape. TIP: Soaking a blooming Tillandsia overnight may damage the flowers, so wait until the bloom has passed if necessary.
Fertilizer
Your plant is more likely to thrive, produce more offsets, and bloom brilliantly if you use Epiphyte's Essentials. Follow the directions on the bottle, and use it on your plants once or twice a month in growing season (April through October).