Plant Care

Taking Care of Your New Air Plant

WATER
Generally, air plants need to be watered once a week. The best method is to soak them, fully submerged, in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to an hour.

After they soak, it’s important to let your air plants dry out completely before putting them in terrarium or container. The best way to do this is to prop them upside down to drain or place them in a sunny window until they're dry. Check the center of the plants; they should feel dry to the touch after about 4 hours. It’s common for air plants to die as a result of water settling in the center of the plant for too long, causing plants to rot.

Air plants take in moisture and nutrients through their leaves, not their roots. For air plants, roots are for climbing trees and rocks, you can cut roots off completely as often as you like. Misting air plants once a week is helpful but is no substitute for soaking, nor does having a humid climate mean that you need to water less.

LIGHT
Air plants thrive with strong daylight, but not direct sun. If you keep them outside, make sure they are under a shade, with lots of indirect daylight. A short period in direct sun is fine, but no more than an hour or the leaves will burn. A good rule of thumb for indoor plants is no more than 10 feet from the window. If your air plant gets lighter in color, it might need more daylight.