Air Plant (Tillandsia) Care + Watering Tips 

I agree with you about not soaking them. My Mom was a Horticulturist and her plants always did really well. People were constantly asking her what they were doing wrong as their plants were always dying . I remember her saying that most people over water their plants. The water sits in the pot and rots the plant. Here was her advice: Put your finger in the dirt as far down as it will go . If it feels really dry( loose dry dirt) water the plant really well. Give it a good soak. ( don't soak every plant too much such as cactus and air plants). If the plant felt moist or even slightly moist, leave it alone and check it again next day. She also lightly sprayed her plants about once a week. Less for cactus and other plants that don't like too much water. More mist if it's a plant that needs more water. It's very important to find out what your plant needs. They are not all the same. Whenever my mom went away I took care of her plants. She walked me around w a pen and paper and told me how to care for each one. She had over 100 plants, some in every room. But the main piece of advice she always insisted on was checking them with my finger to see if they were dry or not. It may sound like it's too simple of an answer but if you would have seen all her beautiful plants you would take any advice she gave. Also make sure temperature and amount of sunlight is on point by doing sone quick research every time you bring a new plant home. Another thing she did and I did for her was remove any dead leaves while watering them. My mom was also my best friend . I lost her suddenly and unexpectedly few years ago. It is a great loss to me. She was like a 60/70s flower.child. She had the most unique and beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. I have never seen green eyes this color. I followed her around the house and everywhere when I was a kid. I actually followed her around still until her last day on this earth. We looked so much alike and I was her mini me. A lot of people thought she looked and dressed like Stevie Nicks.She was one of the sweetest people I have ever known. She loved animals so much . She was so special to me and I miss her every day. 💘 💖 🪴 🌱 😭

I love how you are just holding the air-plant in frame the whole time you talk, lol. Awesome vid!

I still cannot believe that Tillandsia, Beardmoss, bromeliads, and pineapples are one family.

I totally killed one of my air plants. So I had to do so more research. My 9yr old son has a couple as well. I’m just grateful it was mine and not his. Thank u for taking the time to share ur knowledge on them❤

I have tillandsias and I’m an every two week for an hour soaker gal. The trick to not get rot when you soak is to dry them upside down for at least 24 hours before you put them back right side up in your displays. Also, this was better method for my hands which are weak and hurt if I use regular sprayer. Thank you , Nick for showing us the Centurion battery sprayer from Menards! I live by smaller Menards so I have to order it online but it ships free to the store. I’m ordering one now!

I'm new to the plant community and I have a cactus, some succulents, a venus fly trap, and an air plant and this really helped me, thank you!!🌱

If I were to start my plant career over... I would only have air plants. Beautiful, diverse, easy, and sometimes fragrant... Plus zero mess. No soil or bark or moss needed. Just water and fertilizer once in a blue moon. I 💓💓💓 these plants

I went to the Kennedy Space Center and found several of these in the plants. I refused to step into their garden areas, and told my Dad ,"I hope I see one of those in a random place so I can take it home." 2 min later I spotted one growing out of the bottom edge of a wall. He's mine now. Lol

I had an air plant that I neglected and occasionally spray for almost a year and it managed to survive. Once I saw a soaking video, I thought I’d try it and it died with a month or two. My second also died quickly 😅 This video is a big help- back to spraying. And hopefully the lighting tips will save them from me 😭

Oh that spray bottle looks like too much fun, I would end up getting the whole house wet!

I always thought that I am hopeless with plants so I never paid too much attention to them. However, a friend of mine once mentioned tillandsias and I was like "what the heck are those" and I got one for a test drive. Now I've suddenly really gotten into plants (mostly tillandsias so far), but I've started to build dreams about having little minigardens and such at home! I have only one tillandsia so far, but I'm really into taking care of it (I've surpriced myself completely). This video was super helpful and had lots of good tips! I'd say what kind of tillandsia I have but I have no idea which one it is. :D Thank you for all the info!

Dude !!!!! Brother from another mother !!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you !!!!!! First off, u have converted me from a soaker to a squirter…. Ummmm. Scratch that. A mister. Lol. Low key comedic pun intended….. ok. Back to business, your video made me smile so much !!! These simple air plants aren’t so simple, yet, they are….. I totally lost a few to soaking too long, and my TIP is to purchase a simple personal rechargeable fan so u can easily move it and dry your air plants…. Probably about 20 bucks or less on Amazon or whatever…. I love your informative talk about color vs sun light needs. I need to do more research to get a better grasp, but I didn’t know that I didn’t know that. I love how at ease you are talking about plants and plant care. I’m totally buying that continuous sprayer / mister !!! Thank you for ur knowledge!!!

I have read the whiter the air plant the least amount of water it needs. I soak my whiter ones for only 2 mins. Happily I have two babies coming, that makes four babies total for me. I also use my Orchid fertilizer.

Loving how much joy that sprayer brings you haha

Subbed. Your comment on the dead tillandsia collection had my girlfriend and I rolling. We also keep dead plants, like cacti and whatnot, so that was great, and we wanna see that graveyard! Also, pretty much facepalmed when I saw that sprayer... Gunna buy 2 now... Thanks!! Great videos, you always get us chuckling. Keep up the great work!

Thank you for inspiring me to adopt a few air plants!

I just bought 6 air plants I’m trying my best to take care of them they are my anti stress reliever too🥰 😊 I wish,haha so I watched your full video without skipping the adds 😉👍 It’s a great & very informative ! I did spray them too we’re the same about thinkin of soaking them 😃 but they are apparently in my bedroom hopefully they will grow longer 😊🥰

I just soak mine in tap water for a couple hours, then I let them drip and dry before they return to there place. I love that spay you showed in the video

Thank you so much !!! I just purchased my first air plant and I had no clue as to what to do! This is the first video I’ve watched pertaining to air plants!! Thanks thanks thanks!!!

I love your energy so much

Save your batteries and give the plant a quick dunk, don't let it soak, unless it has gone without water for a long time. There's a youtube show called Tilli Talk, ya know, tillansdsia. The host has been working with tillis for around 50yrs and that's what he recommends. His videos are great. He runs a business selling them and his collection is insane. Spraying them as thoroughly as in this video gets them just as wet and dunking them for five seconds, maybe more actually lol.

How cool !!! Love that sprayer ! Good for carpal tunnel. Your videos are fun ! Thanks 👍

I've been watching your videos for so many years and I just realized that I'm not subscribed. I am now a new subscriber! Thank you for posting these videos, I come here to learn before I buy plants; yes I look at what you have, how to care for and display them!

All the information I needed for my new air plant. Thanks Nick!

Oh my goodness!! I’ve never seen that sprayer before. I must purchase. I normally dunk my air plants weekly for 20min. It works fine for me. However, I have a 3 ft Norfolk Allen Pine that I’ve had for 5months that I spray on the underside weekly and what a pain. It’s beautiful though so I must be doing something right but that battery operated sprayer would make my life so much easier. Thanks for sharing. Love your videos btw.

Another great video as always! I love watching your videos. They're to the point and very informative. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks bro for tips, I just bought a baby one from lowes cause it looked soo cool! 😁🌲

LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM!!! This vid definitely helped - thank you so much!

Very nice video. I just saw two air plants in my yard growing on the side of a tree. Naturally I decided to bring them inside to love them.

Aw they sound so easy to take care and I wish it's available here so I can get some. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me to add the air plant in my collection ♥️

I got my first one today. I’m so excited!

I agree with you on spraying these plants. I got a few from Walmart and I soaked them and only two of six air plants survived, so I started spraying them. I find this method works much better.

I just recently got a Tillandsia in a cute planter that is a person and the tillandsia is their hair, it's a tiny plant but oh so cute, I try to mist it at least once a week, and so far so good, I haven't killed it yet. Thanks Nick for the watering and care tips. See you soon, love and hugs, bye for now.

Yes. Completely agree that soaking does make some species rotten. Three of my hybrid species are dead from rot after several soaking.

OMG your wooden wall mount is such a good idea! Loved the video, thanks for the info!

OMG I literally just soaked my air plants! I'm spraying them next time!

Thank you!! I just got Spanish moss with 4 new air plants! I'm so excited. I also ordered Hoya Carnosa Compacta from Steve's Leaves!!!!'😁

Great video, helpful tips about the color informing the needs of the plants!

I am so happy to have found your video. I normally do not buy stuff like this but... I have arthritis so this is a dream for me. I cant wait to receive it. THANKS

I LOVE Tillandsia Air Plants so much, thanks so much for sharing Nick and have a wonderful plant powered day XXXX

The watering technique I have had best results with is rinsing the air plants one by one under the faucet then allowing them to completely dry upside down on a towel before returning them to there homes.

Thank you for the tips Nick!

Love your video so much!!! You really sold me on the sprayer too..... I was literally just thinking to myself how I need to go out and buy a spray bottle specifically for my plants/gecko and I just got this baby airplant and Saw your vid.... BOOM I bought two hahaha

Great tips love the container you use to water plants! I need one

I am absolutely an advocate for misting instead of soaking. I mist most of my plants daily and the benefits are uncanny.

I have one on my plant list. Thank you for the good tips.

Great video! I keep mine in a glass ornament suction cupped to a west facing window. So far so good!

The soaking method just made 2 of mine rot so I’m now only spraying 😂 just bought 4 more babies yesterday to make up for the 2 I lost lol

Im definitely gonna get one of those sprayers. This video inspired me to make a braided tapestry, and fit air plants into it!!

i love youuuu. you are so confident and engaging and informative. 💃

I had no ide battery sprayers existed 😂😂😂😂 I need one now I bought my first tillandsia yesterday! Thann u so much fo showing me how to water it and tips how I needed this 🌱

Very helpful video! Subscribed.

This is now my third attempt at having a air plant. Wish me luck! Thanks for the video :)

I love air plant... I plan to buy and care for it. Thanks Nikki.. God bless you

Thanks Nick...cleared up some things about my watering of my air planets

I have some outside in Florida, but in the house I have Tillandsia Caput Medusae, Tillandsia xerographica, and Tillandsia 'Starburst' (brachycaulos x schiedeana), in the house, under an LED. I do soak them every week or two, because I find it easier than to have to spray each individual plant. I think my success is due to the fact that they have a fan blowing on them, 24/7.

Oh nice, I definitely need this guide :'D

Like seeing plant people happy and entiasiastic!

I was surprised to see that they're using your video above on Amazon's listing for this sprayer! Thanks for the great information. I love air plants and have 23 of them :D Debbie in WA Ü

I do have air plants but don’t know their names! Thanks for the tips! I may stop dunking and start spraying after this.

Hey man, really great video! informative and helpful :) keep up the good work my dude

Thank you. This is really helpful for a beginner like me ❤

Nice plants. Air plant is good for health and give happiness .

recently getting back into growing these and this info was very helpful! also the sprayer is very cool! plus you are super cute :-)

This is v useful advice thanks for sharing!

Very informative. Thank you!

I love Tillandsias, and I have many, many species which grow beautifully and and produce pups. I agree with you, Nick, 101% on spraying air plants. Soaking or dunking them in water is playing Russian roulette with their potential death. Dunking them is very bad advice. I've had "black thumb" people tell me they cannot grow air plants. I ask if they dunked them, and most of the time they say yes. Dunkers say to have them dry for a bit upside down to prevent water collecting that leads to rot. Yes, you can dunk/soak, but you have to be very careful to ensure they dry. I say, why risk it? Tillandsias aren't dunked in nature. They get water from mist/rain. Tillandsias must be able to quickly dry out after watering (think of you drying off with a towel after a shower). Soaking or dunking them risks rot from water being trapped in their crevices. Believe me, once a Tillandsia gets just a bit soft from too much water, they are goners. There's really no saving them after that.

I enjoyed this video immensely! New sub ;)

what a nice video :D i buyed two air plants today and these are good tips for begginers like me :) and also thanks for the ideas where I can put them :D

I agree with spraying and not soaking. I lost all mine from soaking but my new ones are doing well from spraying.

correction, all air plants grow in trees, it just has to do with the altitude they're growing at. The lowest level of a rainforest is very dark and crowded.

I do both I soak in my fish tank once a week in summer plus spray and just soak once a week in winter no spray. In winter I check them out before to make sure they need it. I love my airplants. So far I haven’t killed one.

Love this sprayer. I use it outside

THANK YOU I think you just might have saved mine. Wish me luck.

Hey Nick, so glad to see this on air plants. Where do you buy the grey/taupe terra cotta pots?

Thank U so much for this video!

Ionantha turns a gorgeous magenta when given a lot of light, as do some others.

Thanks for the drying upside down tip!

I just found out that these plants are related to the moss that hangs off of trees...and in their native habitat they dangle down off of trees like the moss does very interesting plant

I had an airplant called Fifi, and for a good while she was okay, but then I heard you needed to bathe them at least once a week and she got over watered and rotted :( I gave one of her babies to a friend though and I'm pretty sure it's still alive, so hopefully she's still put there!

It's 2 am and just realized my airplants we're left in my mail box all day in the cold😔& my mail lady went thru hell & high waters to use rubber band(s) to hold side of the box from falling out, verses just coming to my door 🤷....UGHHH...It never said it was delivered until now. I'm so worried they were cold for too long.. Anyways ,just watching some air plant vids...I love that white spider looking one..Very spooky looking lol...

On thing about water . If you have an aquarium , you need to make some regular water changes. The water taken out is fantastic for soaking your air plants. it has everything they need, including some nitrates to make your air plants grow and look their best..... and no other fertilizer is needed.

i think dunking might work in the winter in my apartment just because it gets so dry. I watered my hyacinths this morning, and some of it drained into the dish, well that dish is bone dry now.

Thanks a lot for this video..

Hi Nick! Thank u very helpful tips. I just bought one but I think the glass terrarium its in is too small. Can I spray it within the glass terrarium? Or should I try to remove it when watering? Thanks

I'll have to try the spray method! I haven't had any luck with soaking :(

What fertilizer do you use for them?? And do you fertilize in the winter too?

Awesome video. I recently got a tillandsia and I love it so far. Can you do a video on grow lights? That would be super helpful.

I once got an airplant as a gift, and I put it on a plumb pipe near the shower, but it died, thanks to this video I mabe know why,🙃 today I saw them again by a gardencenter, almoast bought it but I thought: first lets do some care research before buiying. I also saw those gray big ones. I like these plants.

very nice!

You’re amazing!

Great video!! Thank you for this 🙏 I’m hesitant to dunk airplanes so I like the idea of spraying them. Gotta get one of those sprayers sometime, I’ll probably use a garden hose attachment I have for the time being, which has a mist setting! But the one you’ve used seems like it’d be great for this & other plants!

Can use the sprayer in my air plants. BUT Can you use the automatic sprayer with neem oil??? I heard glass containers are good for neem (in case you use neem later and don’t use all of what u just mixed. Also heard glads bottle won’t alter or mix with the old neem the way plastic can). I don’t want the neem to clog the sprayer.

I got one of those in maybe October November. I spray it every day. XD It seems to dig it though. But it did not like the increased light in the window now in late February. Might need to move it to a slightly darker place. I love it though, it's a cool little plant. :)

Thanks Nick

I have a Spanish Moss. Ty for the tips.

Thanks nick

I need this! And i haven't even watched it yet. I've killed a couple that came in my orchid which is also RIP.

Awesome ty

I have two that have pine needle like leaves and they produce seed pods and look like dandelion seeds when they open. So I’m not sure how hard they would be to grow from seed, but out of the 3-4 common air plants I’ve seen in Florida, these are the only two I’ve seen growing wild and both were on rotting branches.