If your air plant is looking dull, a bit brown, maybe limp, it could mean that it is very thirsty! To revive a sick air plant that has been a tad neglected, shipped from far, far away, or is just looking a little under the weather, this air plant care guide will show you how to perk it back up!
Air Plant Care: How to Rescue Dying Tillandsia
The first step is to give your sick air plant an overnight soak. Prepare an air plant bath as you normally would to water it, and let it soak overnight. The next morning, shake it off and put back in place. If you need a refresher on watering, here is what I wrote in my All About Air Plants article:
“Without soil, this means that air plants will need to absorb moisture through their leaves. I have heard many, many times that garden centers have recommended spritzing them a few times a week. I find that this is just not enough water and that it is often the reason for their demise. I never found that misting was very helpful or consistent.
Personally, I give air plants an hour-long bath to meet their water requirements. In the summer they need a weekly soak, whereas in the winter it’s once every 3 weeks or so. I like to use rainwater whenever I can, and this is pretty simple given I live in a rain forest! You can use tap water as well, just leave it out for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate, or use filtered water.
To give them a bath, simply remove the air plant from the shell, bowl, or whatever else you have it in and set it in a bowl that is large enough to submerge the plant in water. After an hour, take the plant out and give it a good shake upside down to remove any water pooling inside the leaves. Put the plant back in place and just enjoy its beauty for another 1-3 weeks before it needs another bath.”
See more on how to water air plants here:
2. Remove dead leaves from a sick air plant by gently tugging at them to see if they come off. If they remove easily, they are dead. If the whole plant falls apart when you do this, your air plant has already bit the dust, unfortunately. If only a few leaves come off and the inside leaves are green and healthy looking, your air plant is going to make it!!
3. If the tips of your air plant are turning brown, try using rainwater or unchlorinated water as described above. If you are not giving them chlorine but they are still turning brown, then your plant may not be getting enough water. Give them an overnight bath, then make sure that you are bathing them more often.
4. If the plant falls apart even though it’s green, it has probably been sitting in standing water too long, or it was not shaken off properly after bath time. Read the section about watering again and you’ll surely have better luck with the next one!
Love air plants? Me too! Read all about them here and check out some of the ways you can show them off.
How to Keep Air Plants Alive and Healthy (They Might Even Bloom!)
DINA DELI says
May 9, 2018 at 9:01 amHi ! I live in Greece and I soak my airplants in winter twice a week and in summer Every Day !! Spraying does not work for me either !!
Tina says
May 16, 2018 at 6:01 pmWhat do you do to water your air plants that are permanently fixed to things? So far I have been spraying them every day and they seem to be doing fine. Do you have any other ideas on this subject?
Wastrel says
October 6, 2019 at 10:01 amI, for one, think that works fine, as long as the plant dries out between sprayings. If they do not dry out they will rot. I spray every two days, and mine are doing well.
Doris says
May 29, 2018 at 5:57 amShould buds (I can see little purple tips coming through) be made wet during “bath time”? I am so fascinated with these plants!
SPREE says
July 20, 2018 at 3:51 pmNo definitely NOT! I made the mistake of misting some that had just bloomed and ended up killing them all. Sooo sad!:(!
Carol E.Goldberg says
January 1, 2019 at 12:00 pmI was given 3 Tillandsias 8 years ago. They are heavily sprayed each morning with a solution of dilute orchid fertilized . All have multiplied and bloom on average once/year. But now my T. caput-medusae has developed yellow to orange patches on its surface. We live north of Seattle and recently lost power for 4 December days. Could the spotting be due to cold temperatures? I see no obvious evidence of insects. The other species atroviridipetala andionantha seem fine. If I remove all the affected ‘arms’ very little will be left of my Medusa. Any suggestions? Thank you
Wrenna renault says
April 25, 2019 at 11:24 amIm thinking you might be over fertilizing them every day is a lot. Once a month is good, using 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer. These plants, remember, live under the tree canopy so get water from pure fog and rainwater wih rare drenches trickling down from upper leaves brings other small nutrients a drip at a time. Thet can rot or burn from too much fertilizer as this is a lot of work for them to process . Think of them as being sloths :-) also watch for the sun focusing on the spots. Even the passing sun coming through a slit of the blinds or catching a mirror and lighting up a plant can burn it. They also love ” spring ” or nursery water as a bath if you want to give them a good soak
AstriaAdambulatus says
April 27, 2019 at 9:26 pmAlso, I have heard that tillandsias generally only bloom once in their lifetime, so it is possible that your medusa is just dying of old age.
Good luck caring for it! I sure hope it gets better!!!
-AstriaAdambulatus
Grace says
July 3, 2019 at 9:30 pmHi, the flower of tillandsia has died and dry, should I remove the flower? If yes, what position should I start cut it?
Thanks and cheers,
Stephanie Rose says
July 4, 2019 at 9:28 amHi Grace, yes you can remove the flower. It should fall off on it’s own, or your can cut it back where it is browned. Now that the plant has flowered, it should set pups and the mother plant will die back too. Don’t be concerned when this happens, it’s all part of the natural process! https://gardentherapy.ca/all-about-air-plants/