How fast do air plants grow is a question one would like to know about since these plants have a slow growth cycle, air plants are easy-to-grow home plants. Lots of gardeners prefer them due to this reason.
It would help if you had patience with air plants. However, before diving into the facts about the growth of air plants, we need to know some basic information about them.
Contents
How Fast Do Air Plants Grow?
The air plants would grow one inch in the first few years of its growth, moreover, the plant would start to grow even bigger when it becomes a pup, which means that it would become between two inches to almost seven feet tall, within five years.
Roots of the air plants, which are grown and attached tightly to the base to protect themselves, would usually need six to ten months to grow at your home, which is a lengthy span of time. When gardeners take proper care of the plants, they begin to show wood a little early than usual.
Air plants are slow-growers. They grow less than one inch within their first two years when cultivated from seed. Though they blossom only once in a lifetime and then perish, air plants keep producing offsets or pups for many years. They either propagate the pups to generate new plants or continue to expand in clusters endlessly to grow a giant air plant specimen.
– Different Types
There are mainly two plant types of air plants used to decorate homes, the first is mesic, and the second is xeric. The mesic type demands much humidity and less soil, while xeric type requires less humidity and comparatively much sunlight.
Air plants grow most healthily when supported by the bark of trees. However, though their care requirements are slightly different, they are both slow growers.
What Are the Factors that Speed the Time of Air Plant Growth?
The factors that would speed the time of air plant’s growth are indirect lighting given to the plant, and the frequent watering if requires. Moreover, you should also provide it with the right fertilizer, and place it in the correct location.
The use of fertilizer, excess water or exposure to sunlight doesn’t help them to proliferate. However, you can perform some actions to promote flowering in air plants leading to pup formation to propagate air plants.
Air plants grow smaller than other house plants, so they often remain unnoticeable. But they can grow in vast numbers because each plant produces new plants. So, following some methods, you can ensure your plants grow bigger and healthy. Our experts have amassed vital information you use when you deal with air plant growth.
– Indirect Light
Air plants are allergic to direct, sharp sunlight and require indirect, filtered, bright sunlight to grow healthy. You can provide either natural light setting to the plants on an east or west-facing window or artificial light, because either one that is properly filtered would be good.
Remember that the indirect light is needed because most air plants cannot tolerate direct sunlight, even for an hour a day, and end up burned or dried out. However, some types of air plants, especially silver-leaved varieties, are more capable of enduring direct sunlight, including Tillandsia Xerographica, Tillandsia Gardneri, Tillandsia Magnusiana, and many more.
However, you can quickly identify which air plants can survive sunlight determining whether they are Mesic or Xeric. Xeric air plants usually grow in the desert and are direct sunlight tolerant, while Mesic varieties grow in rainforests and cannot stand much light, because it will impact on their health on a big scale, and the process of getting it back would be even more challenging.
– Frequent Watering
You will need to water Mesic air plants every week to 10 days and give them a chance to get dry before watering them again. During the winter season, when the humidity is low, they need time to mistings themselves.
You can dip your plants in the water or spray them. This is done only to soak the leaves. But keep in mind that you have to ensure the plants are dehydrated after you have washed their leaves.
Dunking for this plants will be better because they love high humidity; even in the winter, when they catch natural moisture, you should spray their leaves, this way they won’t be in a vulnerable state.
Moreover, what you can also do is mist them every week is enough as they have thick leaves and hold moisture naturally, but remember that the watering needs to be increased if there are any curly leaves.
– Providing the Right Fertilizer
Air plants do not need fertilizer to live like other plants. On the other hand, if you want your air plants to grow healthy, using fertilizer is wise. Fertilizing even expands the life span of air plants. Moreover, think about how you can also use some common commercial air plant fertilizer as well as orchid fertilizer or bromeliad fertilizer.
Providing fertilizer to your plants once a month is perfect. Fertilize the plants at the time of watering. Your plant grows this way healthfully. They have scales on leaves through which air plants take in nutrients and water and do not need even soil to thrive. That’s why it is considered one of the most low-maintenance houseplants.
– Correct Placement
Growing air plants is simple as air plants do not require soil or dirt to grow. You can give them a base according to your wish, just make sure that it is given the right requirements, and not exposed to anything heavy, like direct sunlight passing through this glass.
Glass pots, jars, holders hanging to walls or windows, adjoined to chunks, indoor garden, or glasshouse can be ideal places to grow air plants. This is because the plant needs a place to stay healthy and to be in a stable location, however, when you adjust it through a glass base, it will also receive a good amount of sunlight that would pass.
FAQ
1. How Long Do Air Plants Live?
Air plants live for around two to five years on average. The lifespan differs for individual houseplants, which depends on their type, method of propagation, and the care they are receiving. However, a plant can propagate such an amount of offshoots, also known as pups, ensuring its indefinite life span.
2. Do Air Plants Multiply?
Yes, air plants multiply and create one to three pups after the blooming procedure. There are different types of air plants, some of which can produce more pups than average.
Air plants have the ability to produce flowers that causes pollination and seed production. Sometimes, air plant pups are formed even in the absence of pollination.
Conclusion
Air plants are fantastic choices for a person who wants to adorn his home.
Let’s sum up the crucial info we got to know about the plant:
- Air plants are slow-grower and demand enormous patience from the gardener as they grow only under an inch within the first two years.
- There are usually mesic air plants, and xeric air plants are grown at home. These types require different types of care.
- Mesic air plants thrive on higher moisture and less sunlight when growing at home.
- Xeric air plants thrive on lower humidity and comparatively much sunlight than mesic plants.
- Air plants do not need soil to grow, and fertilizer does not have much impact on their growth.
Air plants are eye-catching house plants that are even low-maintenance. You cannot ignore them if you want your house to look sophisticated and cool.
References
https://plantophiles.com/plant-care/how-fast-do-airplants-grow/#:~:text=Air%20plants%20are%20slow%2Dgrowers,offsets%20(pups)%20for%20years.
https://www.air-plants.com/blogs/air-plant-encyclopedia/growing-speed
https://thepracticalplanter.com/how-fast-do-air-plants-grow/
https://gardeningbrain.com/how-fast-do-air-plants-grow/
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/care/grow-air-plants/
https://www.proflowers.com/blog/air-plant-care
https://www.mydomaine.com/air-plant-care-4774352
https://cuffelfarms.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions
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