Ask a Master Gardener: 'Air plants' don't live on air alone

A: No. While they are very easy to grow, tillandsias, the family of plants commonly called air plants, need regular watering, bright light and good air circulation to survive. They got their nickname because they don't grow in soil, but instead attach themselves to trees or other structures. They are unusual in that they take up nutrients through their leaves rather than roots.

There are lots of different kinds of tillandsias, and they can be displayed in many ways, from being plopped on a desktop to hanging from the ceiling. They can be attached to bark, sticks or frames by using zip ties, fishing line, or even construction adhesive. Just make sure the plant can dry after watering, or it will rot. For this reason, don't use decorative moss under the plants when mounting, and don't add water to a display container.

Tillandsias need bright light indoors. If you move them outside during the summer, keep them out of direct sunlight. They need to be watered two or three times each week, depending on how dry your house is and the kind of tillandsia you are growing. Water by dunking the whole plant in water for a few minutes or misting until water rolls off the leaves, then shake off the excess water to prevent rot. Newly purchased or forgotten about plants can be soaked for a half hour or so. Curling leaves or brown tips are signs of under-watering.

They need very little fertilizer, and too much will kill them. Some people never fertilize them indoors, but if you want to, use a quarter of the fertilizer label's recommended dosage in the water you use to dunk or mist your plant once a month.

Tillandsias spread by forming offset shoots, called pups. If the plant blooms, the mother plant will die, but hopefully, pups will appear. They can be left to form a bigger clump or cut apart for separate plants.

Written by U of M Extension Master Gardeners in St. Louis County. Send your questions to features@duluthnews.com. Send your questions to features@duluthnews.com. Send your questions to features@duluthnews.com.