Wondering if your air plant is healthy? Learning about “what does a healthy air plant look like” will help you identify early signs of an unhealthy air plant and treat it before its too late.
Air plants, also known as Tillandsia, are tropical plants that can be found in any modern home. Due to being low-maintenance in nature, the air plants are very beginner-friendly and can improve the greenery of your home. But being easy to take care of does not mean that they require no attention at all. Lack of proper maintenance might leave the plant malnourished or dehydrated. In order to ensure a peak condition of your air plant, we will show you how to recognize a healthy air plant and identify the early signs of malnourishment.
There are over 650 different types of air plants and they come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. So how do we learn to recognize a healthy one? Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly seen features of the species. The majority of the plants are characterized by spiked leaves that could be vertical or curled. They are also silver-green in color and usually recognized by their tubular or funnel-shaped form. When an air plant is in a healthy state these features are usually brought out.
On the other hand, just as there are signs to look for that indicate a healthy plant, such exist that also suggest for a malnourished plant. If your plant is unhealthy you must take action to nourish it and prevent further damage.
Dried up leaves are the first and more obvious indicators of trouble. The leaves of the air plant dry up due to dehydration, just like any other plant. A dried-up leaf can become darker or paler in color and is prone to changes in texture. Usually, the texture of a leaf is thick and solid, whereas unhealthy ones have a brittle and thin feel. When trying to figure out whether your plant is getting dehydrated, it is important to keep an eye on the leaves at the bottom of the plant, as they are the first to experience malnourishment. When you notice any such indications, you must gently break the affected leaves off. By doing so, you prevent the plant from distributing resources to the wrong parts of itself and also wastage of nutrition.
It is often that curled leaves are also in the mix when an air plant suffers. This is a feature of the plant that appears in a more subtle fashion but can be a key sign of malnutrition. Usually, when the leaves start curling untypically inwards, this is the plant’s earliest plead for help. Curling can be spotted easier on air plants that have vertical leaves rather than such that are naturally curled. Be wary not to acquire the wrong impression when diagnosing your plant, as its leaves might be naturally curly, as opposed to suggesting malnourishment.
Successfully indicating the troubled condition is one thing, but treating it is the most important step. Air plants are epiphytes, thus they are organisms that do not require soil and rely on air and water for nutrition. So, naturally, the first thing you should do is properly water the plant. A typical watering procedure consists of soaking the air plant for about 15 minutes. Upon completion, you must make sure that your air plant is situated in an open space with proper air circulation in order to ensure that it can gather the resources it needs.
A final factor to consider when trying to keep your air plant healthy is its general placement. Epiphytes grow on the surface of other plants, which is why they could be often spotted hanging on tree branches in their natural habitat. Air plants usually thrive in shaded areas, thus when placing them home you must make sure to replicate their natural living conditions. That is a lot more simple than it sounds, as you should just simply place your air plant in a bright but otherwise indirect sunlight. Too much sun exposure might prove to be detrimental to your plant, causing malnourishment and damage.
Hopefully, now you should have a proper grasp on the important signs indicating potential malnourishment. As long as you make sure that your air plant has access to water, appropriate air circulation, and fitting lighting placement, it is likely that you will enjoy a green and happy home a lot longer.
