How Often Should You Fertilize a Tillandsia Plant?

Conditions

• Place the tillandsia on a large dish with some rocks, set it in a glass vase or shell or use fishing line to suspend it in a window. If the container holds water, dump out any that collects, as the plants rot if left sitting in water. Tillandsias need bright, filtered light. An East-facing window is ideal. The temperature should not fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Care

• Most homes are too dry for tillandsia, especially in winter with indoor heating. Place them in an area, such as the kitchen or bathroom, where you can mist them daily with a spray bottle without harming furnishings. Fill a container with water every two weeks and submerge the plant for about three hours. Shake off excess water, and then return it to its perch.

Fertilizing

• Several fertilizing methods work well for tillandsia. One is adding a pinch of orchid or epiphyte fertilizer to the water in your mister, since tillandsia absorbs nutrients through their stems and leaves. Another method is adding fertilizer to the soaking water, so that the tillandsia is fed every two weeks. Use a bromeliad fertilizer, 17-8-22 NPK or other water-soluble fertilizers at ¼ strength.

Reproduction

• With regular fertilizer, humidity and bright light, tillandsia produces brightly colored blooms and pups. Each plant flowers only once and produces two to eight pups at about the same time. The flowers can last for months, and the tillandsia plant often lives several years after flowering. When the flower browns, cut it off with scissors. When the plant dies, remove the pups, which can now live on their own.