Tillandsia: How to Care for and Sell This Popular Plant

Tillandsia, also called air plants, are one of the most versatile plants out there! They are easy to grow and sell.

Tillandsia is a unique plant that grows outside of soil. They can be glued to just about anything and will still grow!

Tillandsia are also small, which makes them the perfect item to display at checkout. When your customers see them while preparing to pay or standing in line, they will be hard to resist.

In this article, we will walk through

• Tillandsia Care
• Creative Uses
• What We’ve Noticed

Upon Arrival

We are able to ship Tillandsia with both rooted and unrooted plants, so they can be added to any of your orders! When you receive your Tillandsia, they will be in a bag.

For storage, until you can sell them or place them in their own container, we recommend placing plugs into a soilless 105-cell tray. Tillandsia do not grow in soil. They prefer to root freely to secure themselves to trees, branches, rocks, etc.

You can have these trays on your tables and water them while watering your other plants. These plants like humidity, so make sure they are in a humid part of your shop. Do not overwater them. They cannot sit in water.

Watering

There are two methods of watering Tillandsia: soaking by submersion and misting thoroughly until soaked. The difference between the two really comes down to preference.

Soaking by Submersion
Those who prefer to submerge their Tillandsia in a container of water to water the plant only need to do so once a week. Just place the Tillandsia in water. They can then soak for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the plant.

When you pull them out of the water, you will want to shake any excess water free and lay them out to dry.

Misting

The second option for watering Tillandsia is misting. This method requires frequent attention, but it can aid in preventing rot and makes watering easier if Tillandsia are glued to an object that cannot be submerged in water.

When misting Tillandsia, you will want to mist thoroughly, covering the entirety of the plant in water to the point it is soaking wet, just like in the submersion method.

If your Tillandsia seems to be drying out or browning, stick to watering consistently. If you increase the amount of water they are receiving, do so sparingly. The worst thing to do when they are stressed is overwater them. And a lack of water may not be the cause of their browning.

Lighting

Greener Tillandsia require less light than those that are more grey in color. As a whole, Tillandsia prefer indirect light, but the green Tillandsia want to be further from the light than those more grey in color.

Creative Uses

Creative containers seem to be the biggest selling point for Tillandsia. You can sell these at a higher price with a more trendy container.

There is also the option of gluing Tillandsia to wood or wreaths with special glue that is safe for plants. Make sure that the area where you are mounting the plant does not hold water.

If using commercial wood, do not use treated wood. Place a small amount of glue near the base of the plant (but not on the very bottom) and use a small piece of fishing line or thread to tie the plant in place. You can remove the thread after the glue has dried. Avoid covering the area where the roots will form at the bottom of the plant with any adhesive.

Check out ideas for Tillandsia on Pinterest. Since these plants do not need soil to survive, the possibilities are endless! Even if you just want to sell the plugs themselves and not their containers, set up a nice creative display with at least one plant mounted or in a container so your customers can see the possible uses of these unique house plants! You can find our blog on this topic HERE!

Other Things We’ve Noticed

In our own experimenting, we’ve noticed that the water you use makes a difference. Rain water is best for these plants whether you’re submerging or misting to water.

A member of our customer service team experimented with fertilizing with banana peel tea, and it worked well! Fish tank water also provides a natural fertilizer that won’t hurt the tender plant.

While Tillandsia can bloom, it is rare and only happens once in the plant’s lifetime. If Tillandsia are blooming, avoid any water coming into contact with the bloom, or the bloom could be lost.

There isn’t much color differentiation in Tillandsia, but in our trials, we were able to force color by keeping them under a grow light. While sunlight is best for giving the plants nutrients, attempting to force it to color under a grow light is better to avoid burning.

More intense light can increase the need for water, so you will want to bear that in mind. Tillandsia will only turn a different color if they are willing to and typically if they are about to bloom. So while it is possible, you have to work with the plant on the timing.