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tillandsia..?

what are they?

ephyppitblah plants that do what?

looks very cool.
 
it is just a species of bromeliad. Most plants do not "do" anything. Carnivorous plants are the exception to that rule.
 
No - tillandsias are great. Some provide chambers for ants to live in, but apart from that they are superb additions to any collection. Tied on a stick thay will, with occasional watering, sit the winter out and then can be hung out in the garden in spring where they add a real touch of the exotic.

Best regards

Chris
 
I agree - Tillandsias are great. Tillandsia is the "airplant" genus of Bromeliads and very few want their roots in anything even remotely like soil. Spanish Moss is one (T. usneoides) and the genus ranges from tiny plants like that to some pretty big species. A really attractive one, and maybe the most popular is T. cyanea, which you'll see in HD and many other chains.
 
I have one and I was wondering if you should keep it in water constantly or not, because it keeps drying out after a few hours after I soak it in water. The humidity in my room is always >50.
 
No. They are supposed to dry out like that. Just mist it daily and soak it once a week, I'd say. In fact a good dunk will do it, not even a real "soak".
 
Maybe it's not humid enough then, or too hot, or too strong lights because the tips are turning brown and curling in on some of them.
 
  • #10
you should probably grow it outside then.

I remember when we used to live in south FL, my Dad and I would find 'Air Plants' all over the place, some only the size of tennis balls and some the size of large ripe pinapples.
Around here Spanish Moss is almost everywhere!!!!!!
And in the FCAT I learned that spanish moss leaves an imprint of all of the compounds that are in the air, kinda like how our hair is basically a book that can tell people what drugs we've done. And that scientists are doing studies with them to see about how much of what is in the air.

Pretty Darn Cool!! - :rookwoot:
 
  • #11
Well, that's not really an option here, but I'll put most of my plants outside; eventually.
 
  • #13
Near Chicago, IL.
 
  • #15
Have you ever been to Chicago? It's like a slightly less extreme version of southern Canada (where I go camping). It's usually below 10 F in the winter, occasionally getting to -30 (it did this year), and gets up to the 90's a lot in the summer (it was in the high 90's and broke 100 last year I think for a week). So, I will, in a few months. The weather is very inconsistent here though
 
  • #16
I have had tillandsia bergeri outside all winter here in Cheshire in the UK. I have slightly cheated by hanging it on a palm tree where it is protected from frost a bit by the leaves - but we have seen -6c or more so it has done well. All my others go out all summer once the frosts have passed and only return to the greenhouse when frosts threaten - they do really well.

Best regards

Chris
 
  • #17
A daily misting will keep just about any Bromeliad alive and well indoors. I only "water" those that don't collect water in a cup. If mounted or free range, like some of my Tillandsias, they also appreciate a weekly soak. But almost none of mine get that because most are at work, where the only attention they get is a misting four days per week, while getting blasted by hot, dry air from the ventilation system. They all come home in early summer and spend some months outside in the dappled sun under a big oak tree. I spray them with dehumidifier water every day or two when they're outside. Then I spend some time ridding them of creepie-crawlies and take them back to work. Since I ride a bus to work and can't carry many at a time (especially the big ones), the migration can take a couple weeks.
 
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