Throw it away and get a new one, they're cheap. Do not nestle them in damp beds of moss or pot them in any type of soil. Tie a flexible wire around the plant and suspend it in a bright, airy location.

So should I consider this plant dead then?

Consider it compost :\

For wire, do NOT use copper. Steel or aluminum are okay, or fishing line (which is mostly waterproof), maybe twine or string. Maybe pipe cleaners, or rubber- or plastic-covered wire. "Memory" wire may also work nicely. Check bead supply stores or craft stores. Be gentle. I also set smaller tillies in shallow cups, shallow wine glasses, shallow decorative dishes and the like (all easy to find in thrift stores). Shot glasses, too. Sometimes candle holders with holes in the sides for extra air flow. If decoration in a display is needed, rocks are okay, especially petrified wood, to set plants among but not hold them down (not cover the roots or restrict air flow). Air flow is the key. Study specifically where Ionanthas come from (Mexico mostly, which has a lot of climates), and if you can mimic their home climate, it may help.

Alright thanks guys for your advise!

It might not be dead. give it a few more weeks. No water for a week then water twice a week. Just spray it with water and let it dry out. Hope it's ok.

hi laura, thanks for or advise. But en I had decided to toss it, I tried removing all of its outer leaves, i found the base of the crown with rot. so i guess its beyond salvageable. Painful mistake and lesson. will probably lay off these air plants for now, my apt doesn't really provide he air circulation the plants needs.

I really appreciate all the encouragement riodv! I think the plant was doomed to begin with when my partner stupidly followed the care manual to soak the plant for a couple of hours; 1) not knowing the fact the plant probably doesn't need watering until it is showing signs of drying.

2) He soaked the whole plant overnight! Probably didn't dry it the right way, and the plant started collecting water and rot in the crown.

3) I didn't really helped much either, I was thinking it should thrive in a moist environment, and those terrarium moss would probably be a good rooting medium for it, like orchid plants. Boy I was wrong

4) My last resort was the gritty mix, the gritty mix drains fast; and I mainly plants succulents and cacti, hence I was thinking this will help; but I should have known better to suspend the plant with an airy environment instead

It's not an expensive lesson, but a rather personally painful one. I take serious vendetta to plants dying under my care. I think to begin with, my planting environment aka our shoe box apt in the city cannot provide the sufficient fresh airflow the plant needs; but I'll consider getting another one after more research.

-Bernard

Bernard - I'm not a Tillandsia grower, but the key to answering your question is in the common name for Tillandsias "air plants" as they thrive on abundant air circulation.

I think the pictures in this article in Wikepedia demonstrate this clearly, especially the plants growing on the overhead power lines in Venezuela. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillandsia#/media/File:Ep%C3%ADfitas_en_los_cables_de_la_luz_el%C3%A9ctrica.JPG

As riodv247 says above, don't give up! Learn from your mistake and try again.

All the best, Nev.

Bernard- Did you ever get new tillandsias? The Xerographica are awesome.

Xerographicas are terrific, but they can get big, and if they flower -- watch out! They almost need their own room :) I suggest going with ionanthas at first. They are really cheap, can be purchased in five and ten packs, and grow and flower relatively quickly. If a tilly gardener decides to glue tillies in place (say, to a piece of drift wood), be sure to purchase glue made especially for that purpose.

Debbyabq- Xerographicas when they flower are spectacular. I get them for cheap where I am..roughly $100 a piece.

$100/each!! Well, I bought one from an online seller. It was about the size of a softball (bigger than a baseball, less than half the size of a basketball). That was 3 years ago, it cost $24 plus shipping, and it is somewhat bigger now, doing okay. Last year I bought another, smaller one from my local seller and paid only $10 (we're friends, I helped her sell plants to people walking by "Here are some plants that don't require dirt!"). So I imagine one that costs $100 must be huge, size of a basketball, and quite happy. I've seen pictures of Xeros in flower -- long and glorious stalks! If any of mine think about doing that, I'll photograph it daily and maybe write a newspaper article or something :)

Neil, unfortunately no. When I do not have time for my plants, they go thirsty for quite a while. And when I do have time, they have alot of overbearing attention. My region now might be perfect for these plants in terms of humidity, but come autumn/winter, it's going to really dry up and I don't think I have the time to spritz my plants day in day out. So long story short, my care habits and environment might not exactly be great for growing air typed plants.