Tillandsia: home care

Humidity and watering

Due to the wide variety of varieties, watering of plants is somewhat different, atmospheric varieties do not need watering, but only regular spraying.

It is quite difficult to maintain the required level of humidity in an ordinary apartment; it is best to grow plants in florariums or indoor greenhouses. Tillandsia usneiform refers to the moisture-loving species. It is better for her to purchase a humidifier if it is not possible to place her in a greenhouse environment.

In the summer, it is necessary to ensure that the substrate is constantly wet, water should be poured directly into the center of the outlet, wetting the leaves at the same time. In winter, watering is carried out less often, the soil should have time to dry out between waterings.

Spraying is carried out on a daily basis, with the exception of the flowering period (moisture should not get on the petals) and at low temperatures, when watering is needed once a week and once a month, respectively.

Curling leaves indicates dehydration, in such a situation, it is recommended to immerse the flowerpot under water overnight, after which the usual watering schedule should be resumed.

Rainwater is well suited for watering Tillandsia usneiform; spraying is recommended in the morning.

How to propagate and transplant tillandsia at home

The procedure for planting and transplanting a plant, as well as knowing how to reproduce it, plays an important role in the process of growing a crop.

Planting and transplanting

The mother plant dies off immediately after flowering, so there is no need to transplant the plant into a new container. Transplanting a flower into a container is carried out, as a rule, only once, immediately after its purchase in a store. Since the soil in which the flower is sold is unsuitable for further cultivation. It is recommended to use a low flowerpot with a wide bottom as a container for a flower.

In rare cases, it may be necessary to transplant green Tillandsia species, which have not bloomed for 2-3 years of life. In such cases, the plant is replanted in the spring.

A substrate for growing a flower can be purchased at a specialty store; soil for the bromeliad or orchid family is perfect. If desired, the substrate can be prepared independently from leafy soil, humus, moss, peat, fern roots and bark, taken in equal parts.

Transplant sequence:

1. Water the plant abundantly to remove it from the container.
2. Place a drainage layer on the bottom of the container. Charcoal or expanded clay can be used as drainage.
3. Cover the drainage layer with a layer of earthy substrate 3-4 cm wide.
4. Carefully remove the plant from the old container and place it in a new one along with a clod of earth.
5. Fill the voids of the pot with the substrate, tamping it down periodically.
6. Place the flower in partial shade.

After transplanting, it is not recommended to water the plant for a week.

Reproduction by children and seeds

Tillandsia can reproduce in 2 ways: vegetative and seed. Reproduction by children is a pretty quick way to get a new plant. Children are called young shoots of a flower that appear at the time of its flowering.

Stages of vegetative reproduction:

1. Use a sharp blade to separate the young shoot, which has reached 8 cm in length, from the mother plant.
2. Powder the cut with charcoal.
3. Place the planting material in a pre-prepared substrate consisting of peat and sand, taken in equal proportions.

With regular watering and sufficient lighting, young shoots will take root after 2 months, after which they can be transplanted into permanent containers.

For the reproduction of atmospheric species, it is enough to cut off a shoot from a mature flower and tie it to a base in the form of a bark or stone.

Growing tillandsia from seeds is a very painstaking and long process, since such seedlings grow very slowly and bloom only after 5 or more years. For sowing, you can use both purchased and self-collected seeds.

Growing from seeds

The planting material must be evenly distributed over the surface of a wet substrate consisting of peat and sand, taken in a 1: 1 ratio. It is not recommended to deepen or fill the seeds from above. After sowing, the container with seeds must be covered with plastic wrap or glass to create greenhouse conditions.

It is recommended to keep a container with seedlings in a warm and well-lit place. With regular spraying of the substrate and daily airing, the seeds will give their first shoots after 4 weeks.

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Reproduction

It is easy to propagate tillandsia - it is enough to wait for the children after the flowering of an adult plant, or to plant seeds.

Reproduction by shoots

One plant can give from 3 to 8 babies, which over time grow and fill the entire area, the mother plant dies. They need to be cut from the outlet when they are half the size of an adult plant and have roots.

Note! Atmospheric plants do not always die after the appearance of children, they can be removed from the parent without harming him

Growing from seeds

Only potted species reproduce by seeds. At home, there is no way to get seeds, they are purchased. You need to plant on a mixture of peat and sand, without immersing the seed in the soil. Moisten the soil by spraying, be sure to tighten the pot with foil and put it in a warm place at least 25 ° C. Tillandsia grows long and reluctantly.

When growing tillandsia with seeds, an adult plant blooms only after 2-3 years.

Flower care at home

Growing tillandsia, like other representatives of the bromeliad family, requires quite close care. In order for it to grow well and please with flowering, you must follow the basic rules of care.

Lighting - location selection

A tropical plant needs diffused light throughout the year. But she does not tolerate direct sunlight and intense heat. Therefore, in the summer, the flower should be shaded. In winter, all varieties need illumination.

Plants with green leaves need bright light, and with silvery ones they grow well in partial shade.

Watering

In summer, a tropical flower requires high humidity (60–70%). In potted Tillandsias, you need to constantly keep the soil moist, preventing it from drying out. It is also recommended to pour water inside the sheet sockets. In winter, watering is reduced, allowing the soil to dry out a little.

The plant should be regularly and abundantly sprayed and moisture should be avoided on the stipules, which will greatly shorten the flowering time.

SPECIAL ATTENTION is required for suspended species, airy Tillandsias, which, due to the lack of roots, absorb moisture from the air. Therefore, it is recommended for them to arrange "baths" once a week, completely immersing them in water for 4-6 hours (after water procedures, Tillandsia must be put on a soft towel and allowed to dry a little, then put it in its place of residence in the apartment)

Spraying is carried out three times a week.

To provide epiphytes with optimal humidity, it is advisable to place them in a florarium, or to put a humidifier nearby.

For watering and spraying, use soft water. Distillate and tap water are not suitable for an exotic plant.

Temperature regime

In summer, the air temperature should fluctuate between 20-28⁰С. You can take the flower outside by placing it in a small shade. In winter, the temperature should be kept at 18-24 degrees.

The tropical sissy cannot stand the cold. The minimum temperature regime for it is 13⁰С.

The soil

Potted tillandsia requires an airy and light soil. It should allow moisture to pass through well and allow the roots to breathe freely.

It is best to purchase an orchid substrate. You can prepare the soil yourself by mixing leafy earth, sand, sphagnum and peat in equal proportions, as well as a small amount of charcoal.

Epiphytes do not need soil, since they do not have a root system. They are attached to the support by wrapping the bundle with sphagnum. An excellent option is a driftwood with remnants of the bark.

Fertilizers / top dressing

In spring and summer, twice a month, it is necessary to spray the leaves of the plant with fertilizer for bromeliads or orchids. It must be free of boron and copper. The concentration of the solution is reduced by 4 times, compared to that indicated in the instructions.

You should not apply top dressing to the soil, which can have a detrimental effect on weak roots.

Flowering care

Tillandsia must be regularly ventilated, but drafts must be avoided. You should take care of good lighting, high-quality watering, and timely feeding.

If the plant does not release peduncles for a long time, then to stimulate flowering, the leaves are sprayed weekly with a solution of Zircon.

Diseases and pests

Healthy plants are resistant to disease and pest attacks. But with improper care, a weakened flower can be affected by mealybugs, scale insects or whiteflies. In this case, the leaves should be washed well with soapy water and treated with insecticides.

If fungi settle on the plant, then it is sprayed with fungicides. Fungal infections can be detected by dark spots on the leaves.

Growing problems

With improper care, the exotic loses its decorative appearance and may die.

To save the plant, it is necessary to detect and fix the problem in a timely manner:

• curling, wrinkling and dying off of leaves - evidence of dehydration;
• leaves turn brown or brown, the rosette softens and disintegrates with excessive watering;
• when watering with hard water, limescale appears on the leaves;
• with an excess of light, the leaves turn pale;
• with a lack of lighting, the leaves darken, and growth slows down;
• discoloration of leaves or a change in their color, depression is a sign of stress, which can provoke sharp temperature drops;
• leaves are covered with brown spots after sunburn;
• the tips of the leaves turn brown with drafts, hypothermia, lack of moisture, use of hard water for irrigation.

Reproduction

In an apartment, the plant is propagated using seeds or children. Planting seeds is not recommended for novice florists, since the planting material does not always emerge, strict adherence to the cultivation technology is required.

Children

Babies are formed during the active flowering of tillandsia

Lateral shoots with a length of 8 cm must be carefully separated from the mother bush. Treat the cut with crushed charcoal and then immediately plant in a nutrient medium

Seeds

For germination, you need to take a low container, fill it with a mixture of peat and sand in equal proportions. The seeds cannot be sprinkled, they are evenly distributed on the surface, and then covered with a film and placed in a comfortable environment.

The appearance is possible with high humidity and maintaining the temperature at 25 ° C. The first shoots appear in a month, flowering is possible in 3-4 years.

Plant flower descriptions

Tillandsia flowers look like fantastic drawings by the artist.Such unusual tropical bright colors are collected in no less strange inflorescences. Atmospheric bloom with colorful fountains. Their flowers are composed of petals that look almost like leaves, but have bright colors and color transitions on one petal. The stamens are long, clearly visible in a different color.

Potted tillandsia has a developed bracts, which have the shape of a single-row or multi-row spike. Flowers appear alternately from its dense sinuses. Ears of bright light shades, flowers are just as bright, but darker.

Blooming of unusual exotic plants

Views

There are several hundred types of flowers in nature. Only a few of them can be adapted for potting.

Atmospheric (epiphytic)

Plants with lush leaves, with little or no root system. Thick scales on the leaves help the plant to feed and maintain water balance. The main varieties of this type:

• Tillandsia usneoides (tillandsia usneoides) has a second name "Louisiana moss". Thin threadlike leaves with gray scales. It is used to create interior compositions on stands, snags for tillandsia. Caring for tillandsia usneiform at home is simple: regular watering and temperature conditions from +18 ℃ to +21 ℃.
• Tillandsia ionantha violet-flowered (tillandsia ionantha) has silvery leaves, a blue-violet flower. During bud formation, the leaves take on a reddish tint.
• Tillandsia "Medusa's head" (Tillandsia caput medusae) has the shape of a bulb with adjoining leaves, which are bent to the sides at the top. The inflorescences are colored red.
• Tillandsia xerographica is the largest species. Grows up to 1 m in height. Leaves are silvery, curled at the ends. The leaf bracts are bright pink in color, and the flower itself is purple.
• Tillandsia bulbosa (Tillandsia bulbosa). Leaves are thin, long. When the plant is in bloom, the top leaves turn red and the flower takes on a lavender hue.
• Tillandsia Cotton Candy (Tillandsia Cotton Candy), 12 cm high, rosette diameter about 17 cm. It adapts to the temperature regime in the apartment, in winter it tolerates a drop in degrees up to +12 ℃. Requires infrequent watering. Needs a lot of light, grows even in direct sunlight.

Tillandsia epiphytic

Potted

Endowed with green narrow leaves in the form of a rosette. Spike-shaped inflorescences with bright bracts are formed:

• Tillandsia blue cyanea (Tillandsia cyanea) has a rosette of grass-like leaves, the color changes from red to brown-striped. The flowers are blue or light blue, the bracts are painted in bright lilac or pink tones.
• Tillandsia Anita. Its scaly leaves are narrow and spiky. They form a rosette, in the center of which, on a short stem, there is a blue flower with pink or lilac bracts.
• Tillandsia lindenii (Tillandsia lindenii) is distinguished by the large size of the inflorescence, as well as the color of the bracts. In the inflorescence, they are deep red or light pink, and the flowers are blue and have a white eye.

Tillandsia potted

Tillandsia is an exotic plant that easily adapts to various conditions. To grow a beautiful and well-developed flower, you need to properly care for it. Then he will add variety to the interior, emphasize its peculiarity.

Secrets and difficulties of caring for different varieties of tillandsia at home

Tillandsia is a capricious culture, the cultivation procedure of which requires certain knowledge and skills from the grower. A tropical flower, accustomed to growing in conditions of high humidity, reacts poorly to a lack of moisture and dry indoor air.

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General care rules

When choosing a place to place a flower, it should be borne in mind that direct sunlight is destructive for it. The flower responds well to long daylight hours, provided that only scattered sunlight falls on its ground part. In winter, the plant may lack light, so at this time of the year it needs to provide additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

The optimum temperature for keeping a tropical beauty ranges from 20-25 ° C. It is not recommended to allow the temperature in a room with a flower to drop below 18 °. Tillandsia needs a constant supply of fresh air. However, when airing the room, it is worth remembering that the flower reacts painfully to a draft and sudden changes in temperature.

The plant cannot develop normally at low air humidity, therefore it needs regular and abundant spraying of the foliage. It is impossible to allow water to enter the inflorescences. For spraying it is recommended to use "soft" water at room temperature.

From March to September, the frequency of spraying should be 3 times a day. In other seasons, it is recommended to reduce the number of sprays to 1 time per day.

Tip! Placing pallets or containers of water next to the flowers will also help to achieve the optimal level of humidity in the room.

When growing, do not allow the soil to dry out in a pot, especially in summer. It is impossible to water fully epiphytic species, however, regular spraying of their leaf plates will help provide the flowers with the necessary amount of moisture.

As an additional feeding, you can use specially formulated fertilizers for orchids or bromeliads, but in a weak concentration.

Basic rules for fertilization:

Foliar fertilization helps protect the flower's root system from damage.

Features of Tillandsia Anita care

Tillandsia Anita is a terrestrial member of the genus most commonly sold as a house crop. This variety is hybrid and less demanding to care for, unlike its relatives.

Otherwise, the general rules for caring for tillandsia apply to the flower.

Growing tillandsia Atmospheric

Tillandsia Atmospheric is an epiphyte and needs more careful care than its "green" congeners. Atmospheric tillandsia species prefer to grow in darker areas.

In the winter season, when the air in the room is very dry due to the operation of heating devices, the plant can be placed in a special florarium.

The flower needs frequent and abundant spraying, since it receives moisture exclusively from the air, without being able to feed from the soil. Also, epiphytic varieties need a warm shower at least 2 times every 30 days.

It is recommended to make additional dressings only during the active growing season and no more than once every 4 weeks. As a top dressing, it is recommended to use fertilizers for bromeliads at a 4 times lower concentration than that recommended by the manufacturer.

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Tillandsia Cyanea care

Tillandsia Cyanea, or Blue, became the parent for the hybrid variety Anita, therefore, the care of these representatives does not differ significantly. However, Tillandsia Blue reacts much worse to a lack of moisture, in contrast to the hybrid variety. Therefore, it is recommended to water and spray this plant more often than other varieties.

Types of indoor flowers of this type

• Usnia-shaped tillandsia, the second name is mossy. This atmospheric plant is devoid of roots, and clings to branches with thin stems. The length of the shoots is only 15–25 cm. Then new ones are formed, but the old ones do not die off. Gradually, generation after generation, lush whips grow, similar to beards. Usnia-shaped leaves are narrow, subulate, covered with whitish hairs. In summer, the tops of young shoots are crowned with modest green-yellow flowers.
• Tillandsia silver has the same leaves as in most atmospheric species: thin, threadlike. In the sun, the plant appears silvery. The main feature is the thickened base of the rosette, which looks like an onion rejuvenated. It blooms in small blue-red flowers.
• Tillandsia Bootsy (butzi) looks like a tangled bundle of green wires. Only by looking closely, you can understand that this is a living plant. But the thickness of the leaves is uneven. At the tips, they are thin, and at the base they expand and form a pseudo-bulb. The maximum plant height is 40-60 cm. Flowers are long, tubular, with pink bracts and purple petals. Bootsy, unlike most tillandsias, produces many babies even before flowering.
• Tillandsia Andre is very decorative due to its thin, curved back leaves, but there are varieties with straight leaves. In any case, there is brown or gray pubescence. Andre's height is no more than 25 cm. The peculiarity of the species is that there is almost no peduncle (ear), that is, the buds bloom at the very base of the rosette.
• Violet tillandsia differs little from the rest of the atmospheric ones, but in summer it transforms. Purple or white flowers appear on a spike-shaped peduncle. The leaves inside the rosette change color from silvery green to red.
• Tillandsia Medusa's head really looks like a marine life. The swollen and curled leaves resemble tentacles. The peduncle is flat, bright pink, the flowers are blue. After flowering, the spike changes color to golden yellow.
• Tillandsia Blue is named for its purple, bright blue or blue flowers. It is a herbaceous species, grown as a pot culture. The leaves are narrow and long (up to 25 cm) collected in a rosette. They are green along the entire length, but red-brown at the base, plus brown stripes run along each leaf. The pink or red peduncle has the shape of a flattened spike, the maximum height is 16 cm, the width is 7 cm.
• Tillandsia Anita during flowering is very similar to Blue, since it is its hybrid. In addition, atmospheric tillandsia was used to create the species. As a result, the leaves of this herbaceous plant have a gray tint.
• Tillandsia Douera comes with narrow leaves, like atmospheric ones. Duers with wide leaves are also bred. The inflorescence is a large and flat ear. Moreover, it is not dense, like that of Blue and Anita, but loose, growing on a long petiole.

Many growers mistakenly believe that all tillandsias with green leaves are terrestrial, herbaceous, and those with gray leaves are atmospheric. In fact, many hybrids have been bred with thin leaves, like atmospheric ones, but green in color, and there are herbaceous ones with gray leaves.

Determining which tillandsia is in front of you, will help its appearance in the store. If it is attached to a snag, used in compositions with branches, pebbles, shells, then it is atmospheric. Terrestrial is sold as a regular indoor flower, in a pot with a substrate.

Tillandsia atmospheric in the photo

Usnia-like tillandsias look like moss

Tillandsia Usnia flower

Silvery tillandsia leaves form a bulb at the base

Tillandsia Bootsy looks like a skein of green wire

Blooming Tillandsia Bootsy

Tillandsia Andre does not have a spike-shaped peduncle

Violet-flowered tillandsia transforms during flowering

Blue tillandsia lives up to its name during flowering

Tillandsia Anita is similar to Blue, differs in gray leaves

Tillandsia's Head of Medusa has tentacle-like leaves

Tillandsia duora has signs of both herbaceous and atmospheric species

Tillandsia Duer inflorescence is a loose ear

Features of caring for atmospheric tillandsia at home

Unlike other exotic plants, aerial tillandsia grows well at home if a favorable environment is created for it. There is always a place for tillandsia in the interior, and an unusual exotic look will never tire of delighting and delighting.

Temperature

Despite the fact that the flower comes from the tropics and loves warmth, it is recommended to maintain the temperature in the room within 20-25 ℃ above zero, it cannot stand the heat. In winter, the plant must provide a dormant period and reduce the temperature to 15-17 ℃, leaving it on a lighted, cool windowsill.

Lighting

Tillandsia lighting is required diffused, direct sunlight can destroy the plant. The best place to place will be west and east windows so that the sun hits the plant. In winter, artificial lighting is additionally organized. Daylight hours for a plant should be stable at least 13 hours.

Lighting should be diffused

Watering due to the lack of roots and a pot as such is not required, but if the plant does not have enough moisture in the room and its leaves begin to turn into a spiral, the following should be done:

• Carefully detach the roots from the base.
• Collect water in a basin or other container. It is advisable to use melt or rain water, but if there is none, then take settled tap water at room temperature.
• Place the air tillandsia in a container and leave for 1-2 hours so that the plant is saturated with moisture.
• Remove from the basin, drain the water and return to its permanent place.

Bathing a flower

Spraying

Spraying is a mandatory daily procedure. The plant receives nutrients only through the water falling on its leaves and stems, therefore, the spraying procedure must be carried out every day, and in hot weather - 2 times, in the morning and in the evening, feeding the plant and increasing the humidity of the air.

Important! When spraying, the peduncle should be covered with a film so that moisture does not get on it, otherwise there is a risk that the flower will die without having time to bloom

Humidity

An important indicator for the well-being of air-root tillandsia is air humidity. It should be above 70%. To maintain it, a special air humidifier is used, and if there is none, then a container with water is placed near the plant and regular spraying is carried out. In winter, the heaters are additionally covered with a wet towel. Florariums are used to create a suitable microclimate. The use of a regular aquarium or jar is allowed.

Note! Do not use materials coated with paint or varnish, impregnated with special agents for support.

Special design for plant

Top dressing

Fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen, boron, copper, zinc are used - they are poisonous to the plant. The use of organic fertilizers is not allowed. Top dressing is ideal for orchids and bromilium plants. When using ready-made fertilizer, reduce the dosage indicated on the package by 4 times.

Additional Information! Fertilizers should not be applied during the dormant period. Top dressing is diluted in water for irrigation, which is applied directly to the tillandsia outlet and sprayed with it on the leaves and trunks. The procedure is carried out once every 1.5 months.

The most common diseases and pests

Most species are disease resistant.The following problems are rare.

Diseases and treatment

The main causes of the disease of perennial syngonium are thrips, aphids and scale insects. When a plant is damaged by these pests, its growth slows down, leaf plates are deformed and even twisted. Spraying the plant with a soapy solution (20 grams of liquid soap diluted in 5 liters of water), and then treatment with an insecticidal agent will help to solve the problem. After carrying out such procedures, the damaged parts of the plant are removed and it is transplanted into a new pot with fresh soil.

It happens that the leaves of the syngonium turn yellow - in this case, you need to do those measures that will ensure a sufficient supply of nutrients to the vine. First of all, you need to check if the soil in the pot has acidified from excessive watering, and if this is the case, then you should urgently transplant the flower into another soil substrate. If this is not the reason, then, most likely, your flower does not have enough mineral fertilizing and its introduction will help solve the problem.

Often, in rooms with dry air and high temperature conditions, rusty brown spots appear on the leaves of syngonium. In addition, in this case, even the tips of the sheet may begin to dry out. To stop the death of a plant, it is necessary to increase the level of humidity near it and move the flower to a place with a favorable temperature range for it.

On the forums of flower growers, you can often find the question of how to return variegation to a decorative liana. The color of the leaves of the plant may fade or disappear altogether if there is not enough sunlight for it. If you notice that natural lighting is clearly not enough for a flower, you will need to apply artificial supplementary lighting using special phytolamps.

For more information on caring for the syngonium, see the next video.

Reproduction

Reproduction is carried out by seeds or by the method of separating side shoots; during the procedure, maximum care must be taken so as not to damage the plant. The detached shoot should have noticeable roots and 4-6 small leaves, the cuts should be sprinkled with chopped charcoal

For planting, you must use a container that will be enough for the development of an adult plant. Young animals must be protected from sunlight, the temperature must be maintained at 22-25 ° C. The substrate should be moderately moist for several weeks, the standard watering regime should begin no earlier than 1.5 months, the first flowering - after 1.5-2 g.