I know this sounds harsh but,....would you buy a car without first knowing how to drive? Do your due diligence and research Tillandsias first. Climate, light, water, etc.

I know this sounds harsh but,....would you buy a car without first knowing how to drive? Do your due diligence and research Tillandsias first. Climate, light, water, etc.

I know the basics I just need to "learn to drive my air plant car" I know they like to be soaked once a week (what type of water?) I have been researching and I know they do not like distilled. They get a duller color when they need misted or watered. I have read that the glass balls are bad for them because they need air flow. (I built a tilly hammock for them) I also know that if you hang them with wire not to use anything with copper. I really need to know how long to soak them, how often to mist, what water to use (tap or bottled), and when to felt with diluted orchid fert. Thanks :)

I find dipping them in water every week and spraying about every other day works well. It is quite possible that this is not ideal but I have not had problems.

This post was edited by Lynngun on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 16:32

Ok at the risk of sounding harsh also........without knowing what you bought no one can give you any tips....one plant that doesnt like soaking is a xerographica and there are many others.........so as gonzer advised research your plants.

The name the plants I bought said Tillandsia Ionantha. (Although I do not trust that to be what it is 100% will post pics when they come in) I try not to buy something without a scientific name. Also! Thank you for the warnings (the plants were not expensive they are my trial plants) is tap water fine ? Thanks for all your help so far and happy growing :)

If tap water is all you have, save some aside for a day or two to allow some of the chlorine to escape. I "Brita" filter my drinking water (though other filters may do the same job). I also use that water in my fresh-water aquariums (it has a very light amount of fish urine in it, good for plants). I change my aquarium water (dip out some old, replace it with new) at least once a week. I save that water in a large container (a clean bucket would do; dedicate the container to this one job) and I soak my tillandsias in that water. Some, like Spanish Moss, I soak for a minimum of an hour a week (with additional soakings if the air is dry and the temperature is hot). My other Tillies I soak at least one hour per week. I then take them out and either hang them to drip (over potted plants) or place them face down on newspaper or towels. They dry quickly in my climate and I can put them back in their display. I also use this same water in a spray bottle to mist between soakings. Do research to find out what plants like water (they tend to be greener) and which plants do better with less water (they tend to be whiter). Keep us posted on your progress!

Alright thanks! That information was very helpful!