Air Plant Care
One of the most popular questions I get! Your air plant does not need any soil. They do not absorb water through their roots, they only use their roots to anchor on objects. Instead, air plants absorb water from their leaves.
Air plants enjoy bright indirect sunlight or fluorescent lighting (they'll do great in offices!). Some direct sunlight is okay, but the longer it is in direct sunlight, the quicker your plant will dry out.
YES! Air plants must be watered. You should mist your plants or run quickly under water 2-3x a week. Your air plants should also be watered for a longer soak every two weeks. The longer soaks are called a bath, you should completely submerge your air plant in water for 2-3 hours. Often I will soak mine over night for about 8 hours. When they are finished soaking, shake the water out of them. If they are displayed in an enclosed container, let them dry outside the container. If there's air flow, you can immediately place back into your container. Do not soak any plants with flowers, instead just rinse them.
Your plant is blooming! You are a lucky one. An air plant only blooms once in its lifetime. The bloom can last a few weeks to a few months depending on the type you have. Admire its beauty, and do not submerge the plant under water. The flower is also the plants last hurrah. Once the bloom is finished, you'll have about a year left of your plant.
Your plant is having babies! Once the flower cycle is done, your plant will start growing offshoots called "pups." You'll notice they have their own centers where their leaves grow from. Once the pups reach 1/3 the adult plants size, you can remove them by gently twisting them off from the base. These plants will have their own lifecycle growing into adult plants, flowering, and producing pups of its own. Exciting!
Like any plant, a little grooming can be done to these plants. It grows from the center of the plant out, and often the outer leaves will dry out. You can remove these leaves gently. Also, sometimes the tips of the leaves will dry out. You can snip the dried parts with a pair of scissors.