If this is a duplicate thread I do apologize. I checked every forum I could think of to find a thread or forum for Air Plants and there was none. As I get older and am not as active as I once was when I had the greenhouse full of all sorts of cuttings and plants, I began looking for plants I could handle and care for without help. Then I found the Air Plants. What interesting little babies they are. I would like to chat with others who are also interested in learning and showing these adorable little plants. For those older members of NGA this may be just what you need to fill in those hours of boredom that goes along with the golden years. We shall see.

So far I have six Tillandsia Air Plants. I bought them from the Air Plant Shop located at St. Augustine, FL. They arrived in 90 deg. weather, wrapped and packed beautifully and with instructions how to take care of them. I am so pleased. So far I have placed three of them in old sea shells I had sitting here around the bird room. I began collecting shells from the Jersey Shore many years ago and at last I found a use for them.

Here are pictures of my new passion:

I grow the Tillandsia, Jacquie, and think they are really neat plants. However, two years ago I decided to only grow native varieties, and I started collecting those found in central and southern FL. I now have 12 Fl varieties. Several have bloomed for me.

I don't know why there has never been a Tillandsia, aka Air-plant, forum. Perhaps lack of interest? Of course, you know that technically all epiphytic plants are air plants and that includes the orchids, staghorn ferns, and bromeliads.

I have a bunch of these FL varieties mounted on a single, huge slab of cork. Many of the Tillandsia are putting on their "color", prior to blooming, and a couple of them have already bloomed. One's in bloom now but the leaves don't change color before flowering. The last picture is of course, plain Jane Spanish moss. It looks like the moss and the vanda's root is in competition to see who grows the longest, quickest (the Olympics, you know).

Hi JB, it looks like you've acquired some real cuties! Tillandsia and other Bromeliads sure are interesting plants; many grow here in Florida.

You will find some discussions about all sorts of Broms (Tillandsia included) on this thread in the Tropicals Forum: The thread "Bromeliads" in Bromeliads forum

drdawg/Ken grows and sells some real beauties at his website http://www.tropicalplantsandmo...

JB--

You are doing well! Your Tilandsias look great!

You still messing around with CC's? Bonnie spiders? Not big enough to produce babies--
but I bet by summer's end--I might have some for you---if you want...
Hugs--Gita

gitagal said:JB--

You are doing well! Your Tilandsias look great!

You still messing around with CC's? Bonnie spiders? Not big enough to produce babies--
but I bet by summer's end--I might have some for you---if you want...
Hugs--Gita

This will be my last attempt to grow anything, I swear. That water softner just kills everything and I am not about to buy bottled water for all my plants. As they die off, I am not replacing them. Thanks for the offer of plants but I am just not growing anything other than what I have and these little Air Plants. I am afraid I have lost interest in many things as I get older and grumpy.

Wow @drdawg they are really pretty plants. May I ask how you water them?

plantladylin said:Hi JB, it looks like you've acquired some real cuties! Tillandsia and other Bromeliads sure are interesting plants; many grow here in Florida.

You will find some discussions about all sorts of Broms (Tillandsia included) on this thread in the Tropicals Forum: The thread "Bromeliads" in Bromeliads forum

drdawg/Ken grows and sells some real beauties at his website http://www.tropicalplantsandmo...

Thanks for the links to the threads . I do not know anything about Bromeliads, so maybe now is the time to do some reading.

Ken, so cool! Do you have to protect them for winter where you are?

I consider my air plants among my house plants. Literally!

T. ionantha on the trunk of this dragon tree (Dracaena marginata.)


The older section that's dying off now, as expected, was the whole plant when I got it. It's making a lot of roots. It's been there for about 4 yrs. I dribble water over it when I'm watering the soil for the tree & other plants about every 2-3 days while outside. While inside for winter, I use a squirt bottle to mist the air plant about as often, 2-3x week.





There's another kind on the trunk of this Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa.) My MIL found it on the ground in FL & brought it home & gave it to me earlier this year.



Don't have a recent pic of one other one. Will add it soon.

Tiffany, I just posted on your other thread about the orchids, and BAM! This is what I had started considering! Love the pictures! You are really waking up my grey matter! Getting the juices flowing, so to speak. Love the idea!

Though I have several orchids that could possibly fit the bill, I've only just picked up my 1st tillandsia. A cute little guy, though I don't have a name for it. My little NOID.


I'd thought about adding him to my shell collection, like you did, JB. Not really sure now...hmmm...going to have to think about this.

edit...forgot to say, Ken, gorgeous collection there!

Are y'all sitting down? I water all my plants with tap water from a hose. Even my Nepenthes. Momma Nature does some watering though, particularly this month. We badly need to do some drying out.

Jacquie, if you want a really, really easy bromeliad to grow inside (outside, under trees during the spring and summer if you wish), grow the "urn plants". I just cannot imagine any plant being easier to grow.

Tiffany, the only Tillandsia that remains outside is the Spanish moss. I left out several other varieties last winter, just to see if they would survive (only one of each variety except for some ball moss), and I lost everything. I do lose some Spanish moss (the experts say it is impossible to grow them here), but the majority survives and really flourishes during the spring and summer months. Heck, some of that moss gets so long, I have give it a haircut so that I can walk beneath it so that it won't knock my hat off.

Lin and Tara.

TY, Ken! Much appreciated. Your display is awesome!

TY, Tara! I love tillys in seashells too!! It's hard to decide when I have so few.

Tiffany!

So very kind of you!

How does everyone water their air plants? When I first had some, I watered too little so they died. Next, I sprayed the new ones everyday but didn't let them properly dry so they rotted. Nowwww I give them a good soak for about an hour 2 times a week in a bowl with distilled water. How do you water?

I described how I do mine, for the one I've had for yrs, basically get it wet 2-3x week, buy dribble or spritz. It's attached to the trunk of that tree, I've never soaked it, or moved it since I put it there. Hopefully my other 2 will like the same, that's my plan for them.

The trichomes (looks like white fuzz) on the surface are how they absorb moisture. I'm not sure handling them often is harmless, if it damages the trichomes.

ljones26 said:How does everyone water their air plants? When I first had some, I watered too little so they died. Next, I sprayed the new ones everyday but didn't let them properly dry so they rotted. Nowwww I give them a good soak for about an hour 2 times a week in a bowl with distilled water. How do you water?

Watering of Air Plants as per The AirPlantShop.com . This is the information that came with my new babies.

"Soak them in good, clean, room temperature water for about 20 to 30 minutes once a week. Do not use distilled water because it has fewer natural minerals and nutrients that air plants like."

After they soak, remove the air plants from the water, gently shake off the excess water and lay the plants out upside down so they can dry completely before placing them in their containers. 1 to 2 hours to dry usually. Do not place your plants in sunlight. They like bright, indirect sunlight. Never put them in soil because they will rot. If the leaves begin to curl, they are telling you they need to be soaked. IF THEY ARE ON WOOD , or in a container where you can not remove them without a problem, they may be misted three times a week. If you live in a hot dry climate you may need to spray them during their soakings.

I noticed that on the Plant Database for Tillandsia that they like full sun or partial shade and I wondered if that was accurate. Especially one of the things they repeated here on the instructions was do not put in direct sunlight.

You may cut the roots and peel off the brown leaves.

This is basically the information that came with my plants. It may not be new to some of you but it was all new to me. Especially the distilled water info. I use bottled Spring Water since I have so few plants.

http://www.airplantshop.com/ab... if the like on their webpage if anyone is interested.

I finally found places for my other three tillys. @drdawg, I will look at your website for the bromelaids. I am have to giggle about the Spanish Moss....I never thought of that as a plant...how funny you just sometimes take things for granted and do not consider where they come from.

Yep, the air plant Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is in the bromeliad family too.

Love the way your displaying them, JB! Beautiful!