Tillandsia ionanatha

[kiki-do]

I love air plants!!!!! I have about 30 or so. I don't know their names....I just buy them here and there because they have such an appeal to me. They are all so different. I love yours with the redish purple ends. Very cute!

[greenbean]

Air plants are awesome! This is a nice one Tindo!

I have about a dozen or so, and only know the names of about half. I haven't rebloomed any of mine.

I've heard that they are supposed to bloom every year, but I don't know how I'm going to pull that off. I'm thinking of giving them a vacation outside this summer. Would that help? I'd really like to get more of these odd little beauties, but I want to figure out how to successfully grow them (that includes reblooming in my definition) before getting more.

[kiki-do]

Every two weeks or so, I put my air plants in water with a small amount of miraclegrow....very diluted. Do you do that?
I don't mist mine, either. I soak them once a week in water for about 20 minutes. I read too many negatives about misting and it not being enough to keep the plants alive.

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[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

I do the same thing Kiki, except I just use orchid fertilizer. I've heard bromeliad fertilizer is better, but I don't have any and keep forgetting to buy some.

[Tindomul]

I rarely fertilize, but I do do it, very very diluted. I never move the plant. Ever. That plant has been in the same spot since the day I put it there 3 years ago. Also I mist it almost every day. It is situated only 4 inches away from the light, so it experiences bright, dry, and hot climate.

[kiki-do]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

I rarely fertilize, but I do do it, very very diluted. I never move the plant. Ever. That plant has been in the same spot since the day I put it there 3 years ago. Also I mist it almost every day. It is situated only 4 inches away from the light, so it experiences bright, dry, and hot climate.

Is there something about moving them that I don't know about? Or is it that you don't move it cause it;'s in that tank?
I have a bunch in a large pasta bowl and some in a basket. I soak them in a special tub of lukewarm water once a week. Am I not suppose to do that? Seriously, I don't know.

[Tindomul]

Well I always say, if you aren't killing them, then you are on the right track. I don't know if they don't like being moved or not. But as you say, I don't move them because they are in the tank. I don't soak them once a week because I mist them very heavily 4-6 times a week. Maybe you keep them too dry?

[greenbean]

I keep meaning to feed mine, but I forget so often. They might get 3 or so applications of very dilute fertilizer, generally in the warmer season.

I've found that some of mine, especially my duratii, love being soaked twice a week. As soon as I started doing that, my duratii started putting out huge healthy leaves. The medusaes seem to like soaking too, but they have to be shaken a lot to get the excess water out of the leaves.

I think most of mine prefer soaking, but some of them need a lot of air circulation to go along with it. My new leonameana smelled funky a couple days after I got it, so I started running a fan most of the day, which is probably making my other plants happier too. But now I need to water it more because it's leaves are starting to curl.

Oh that illusive balance.

[Tindomul]

Oh yes, circulation is a must. Where I have mine it gets a computer fan blowing directly on it all night long, every night.

[Sun rm.N.E.]

That is a beautiful variety. How much light does it need to bloom?