Tillandsia - home care, types, and replanting

Tillandsia is a genus of plants comprising approximately 500 different herbaceous plants, with a wide variety of shapes and colors. As a wild plant, Tillandsia is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. However, not a single member of this numerous genus has successfully adapted to temperate climates. However, some of them have become quite popular as houseplants. The plant's exotic and sometimes bizarre appearance quickly gained a following among Russian gardeners.

Tillandsia may seem like a capricious plant, quite difficult to care for properly at home. However, following all the basic growing recommendations will help any gardener grow this extraordinary tropical plant effortlessly.

Characteristics of the variety and species diversity of tillandsia

Tillandsia is a fairly large genus of herbaceous plants in the Bromeliad family. This evergreen plant is considered native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. It is in these regions that this unusual flower grows wild.

Providing an accurate botanical description of a cultivar is quite difficult, as most of its members share virtually no similar external characteristics. Only a few representatives of this numerous genus are suitable for growing as potted plants. These include the following Tillandsia species:

1. Atmospheric. The plant has virtually no root system; it relies on scales covering its shoots and leaf blades for nourishment. The underdeveloped roots act as anchors, allowing the tillandsia to attach itself to any surface.

   

   The flower's thin, gray-green leaves, growing up to 1 meter in length, begin to cascade downwards as they grow. This species includes several subspecies, the most famous of which is Tillandsia usneoides, or Spanish moss.

2. Tillandsia Anita. A unique hybrid variety, distinguished from most of its relatives by the highly decorative, spike-shaped bract. During flowering, small, blue-violet flowers, consisting of three petals, appear along the edges of the pink bract.

   

   Flowers open alternately, starting from the top of the spike. The long, narrow leaves, covered with small scales, form a dense rosette. The green, curved leaf blades have a brownish-red tint at the base. The cultivar's parent is considered to be the Blue Tillandsia.

3. Tillandsia duerii. This epiphytic variety features a decorative, bright orange bract shaped like a loose spike. Broad, tongue-shaped leaves form a dense rosette around the stem.

   

The secrets and challenges of caring for different varieties of tillandsia at home

Tillandsia is a capricious plant, requiring specific knowledge and skills to grow. Accustomed to high humidity, this tropical flower does not respond well to low humidity and dry indoor air.

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General care rules

When choosing a location for the plant, keep in mind that direct sunlight is harmful to it. It responds well to long daylight hours, provided its above-ground parts receive only diffused sunlight. In winter, the plant may experience a lack of light, so during this time of year, it needs supplemental lighting using fluorescent lamps.

The optimal temperature for this tropical beauty ranges from 20-25°C. It is not recommended to allow the temperature in the room where the plant is growing to drop below 18°C. Tillandsia requires a constant supply of fresh air. However, when ventilating the room, keep in mind that the plant is sensitive to drafts and sudden temperature changes.

The plant cannot thrive in low humidity, so it requires regular and generous foliar misting. Avoid allowing water to come into contact with the inflorescences. It is recommended to use soft water at room temperature for misting.

From March through September, spraying should be done three times per day. During other seasons, it is recommended to reduce the frequency to once per day.

When growing, avoid allowing the soil in the pot to dry out, especially in summer. While epiphytic species cannot be watered fully, regularly misting their leaves will help provide the flowers with the necessary moisture.

As an additional fertilizer, you can use specially developed fertilizers for orchids or bromeliads, but in a weak concentration.

Basic rules for applying fertilizers:

Foliar application of fertilizers helps protect the flower's root system from damage.

Care tips for Tillandsia Anita

Tillandsia Anita is a terrestrial member of the genus, most often sold as a houseplant. This variety is a hybrid and less demanding in care than its relatives.

Otherwise, the general rules for caring for tillandsias apply to the flower.

Growing Tillandsia Atmospherica

Tillandsia atmospherica is an epiphyte and requires more careful care than its "green" relatives. Atmospheric tillandsia species prefer to grow in shaded areas.

The flower requires frequent and generous misting, as it obtains moisture exclusively from the air and cannot draw moisture from the soil. Epiphytic varieties also require a warm shower at least twice every 30 days.

Supplemental fertilizing is recommended only during the active growing season and no more than once every four weeks. For supplemental fertilizing, it is recommended to use a bromeliad fertilizer at a concentration four times lower than the manufacturer's recommended strength.

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Caring for Tillandsia Cyanea

Tillandsia Cyanea, or Blue, is the parent plant of the hybrid variety Anita, so care for these plants is essentially the same. However, Blue Tillandsia is significantly less sensitive to moisture stress than the hybrid variety. Therefore, it is recommended to water and mist this plant more frequently than other varieties.

How to propagate and transplant tillandsia at home

The procedure of planting and replanting a plant, as well as knowledge of its propagation methods, plays an important role in the process of growing a crop.

Landing and transplanting

The mother plant dies immediately after flowering, so there's no need to repot the plant. Repotting is usually done only once, immediately after purchase. The soil the plant is sold in is unsuitable for further cultivation. A shallow, wide-bottomed pot is recommended.

A growing medium for this flower can be purchased at a specialty store; bromeliad or orchid soil is ideal. Alternatively, you can make your own from leaf mold, compost, moss, peat, fern roots, and bark, all mixed in equal parts.

Transplant sequence:

1. Water the plant thoroughly before removing it from the container.
2. Place a drainage layer on the bottom of the container. You can use charcoal or expanded clay as drainage.
3. Pour a 3-4 cm wide layer of soil substrate over the drainage layer.
4. Carefully remove the plant from the old container and place it in a new one along with the root ball.
5. Fill the voids of the pot with substrate, tamping it down periodically.
6. Place the flower in partial shade.

   

   

   

After transplanting, it is not recommended to water the plant for a week.

Propagation by shoots and seeds

Tillandsia can reproduce in two ways: vegetatively and by seed. Propagation by pups is a relatively quick way to produce a new plant. Pups are the young shoots of the flower that appear during flowering.

Stages of vegetative propagation:

1. Separate a young shoot that has reached 8 cm in length from the mother plant using a sharp blade.
2. Sprinkle the cut area with charcoal.
3. Place the planting material in a pre-prepared substrate consisting of peat and sand taken in equal proportions.

With regular watering and sufficient lighting, young shoots will take root within 2 months, after which they can be transplanted into permanent containers.

To propagate atmospheric species, it is enough to cut a shoot from a mature flower and tie it to a base in the form of bark or stone.

Growing tillandsia from seed is a painstaking and time-consuming process, as these seedlings grow very slowly and only bloom after five or more years. You can use either store-bought or home-grown seeds for sowing.

The seed should be evenly distributed over the surface of a moist substrate consisting of peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio. It is not recommended to bury the seeds or cover them with soil. After sowing, the seed container should be covered with plastic film or glass to create greenhouse conditions.

It is recommended to keep the seedling container in a warm, well-lit location. With regular misting of the substrate and daily ventilation, the seeds will sprout in as little as 4 weeks.

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Frequently asked questions about growing

Tillandsia is a tropical beauty that has amazed many gardeners with its exotic and bizarre appearance. Growing it at home is no easy task, but the results are worth the effort.