How to revive my air plant

How to revive my air plant?

How to revive my air plant is a common question most people would ask at some point of time in their journey of growing tillandsias. The first step to reviving any air plant is to identify the root cause of the issue. And then you can take the appropriate actions to fix the problem that is killing your air plant.
 

Why is my air plant white or gray?

You may notice your air plant turning very white or gray sometimes. While it is normal in most cases for your air plants to be covered with a coat of white or gray hair or trichromes, a naturally green air plant that is turning very white or gray could be early signs of your air plant drying.

The good news is that your air plant is not dying when your air plant turns very white or gray. The trichromes are simply becoming more pronounced, causing the plant to look paler than usual, when the air plant lacks water.
 

How to revive my air plant when it is dry?

You can revive a dry air plant by soaking it in water for 5-8 hours. Shake off any extra water after the soak and let your air plant dry within 4 hours of watering. Repeat the long soaking every 2-3 days until the plant does not look dry anymore.

Check the light, temperature, and humidity levels of the surrounding environment If your air plant is drying up again after it is revived with a series of long soaking.

Place your air plant away from direct or very bright indirect light to help your air plant retain moisture. Air plants prefer warm temperature around 50 – 90 F. It could be hard to revive your air plant if you expose it to extremely cold or hot temperatures. Extreme temperatures can cause the air plant to become too dry to survive.
 

Why is my air plant turning brown or black?

Brown or black leaves on the air plant are typically signs of root rot. Air plants can get root rot when they are not properly dried out after watering. When the leaves are constantly wet, the air plant is susceptible to fungal infections that permanently damage the plant cells. These dead cells would make the air plant turn brown or black overtime.
 

How to revive my air plant when it is rotting?

You can revive your air plant as soon as you spot the brown or black leaves from gently removing those leaves to prevent the infection from spreading. Make sure you keep the air plant in an area with good air circulation and let the plant dry quickly after each watering to avoid root rot.
 

Why is my air plant dying?

Severe cases of root rot that spread to the core of the plant can result in the air plant dying. If the root rot is so serious that the plant starts falling apart then you will need to try again with a new plant.

Growing air plants is a learning process that can take some trial and error. While air plant can wither from dryness lack of light, or lack of nutrients in the water, the most common answer to “why is my air plant dying:” is root rot as a result of the air plant not drying out properly.

You can experiment with different methods and place your air plant somewhere with more air movement to reduce the chance of root rot in the future.