Transitioning Your Air Plants from Winter to Summer

As the winter months come to an end and the weather gets warmer, you have the opportunity to bring your plants outside for a summer vacation! Air plants are from tropical climates so they love the warmer weather. Summer weather is great for air plants as more moisture comes back into the air, temperatures get warmer, and the sun shines brighter.

To help make the transition for your air plants as smooth and gentle as possible, we have a few important tips for you:

Do not leave them in direct sunlight.

Be sure you place your plants in a spot that they are getting indirect sunlight. Too much direct sunlight can burn your plant, causing the leaves to dry and wither, and can eventually kill them. If you find that one of your air plants is getting too much sun, remove it from its current location and try to find a better, shaded spot. If any leaves have dried or withered, you can use a pair of clean scissors or small gardening shears to cut off the dead and damaged parts of the leaves.

Putting them on your lanai or porch is a great option, as they will be covered from direct light, but they will still get the sunlight they need. Your air plants can also be attached to to trees or other plants that have branches or leaves to shade them-- you can tie them with string onto branches or placing them in between the base of a branch and the trunk works nicely. Remember that they will not harm your trees or plants, but they might root to the host if left long enough. This might cause difficulty when it’s time to bring your air plants inside again, so just keep an eye on them! If you are worried about your plants rooting to a tree, you can always place them in a terrarium or container and hang that from the branch of a tree.

Air circulation is important.

Be sure to never plant your air plants in soil because they do not take in nutrients through their roots, they absorb everything they need through their leaves. If you would like to put them in a container or terrarium, just make sure that the container doesn’t block the air circulation around any part of the plant and always remove the plant form the container to water.

Make sure to keep watering regularly.

Air plants left outside will still need to be watered regularly. Continue your soaking or misting regimen, and just keep in mind that the air may be a little more humid during summer months. Make sure to check on them at least once a week to ensure that they are happy and healthy in their new location. If your plant is getting too much sun or not enough water you can adjust accordingly before it’s too late.

Cut back on the fertilizer now that your air plants are outside because they will be getting natural fertilizer from birds, bugs, spiders, etc. If you notice they are looking unhappy during one of your inspections, you can soak them in a bath with a mild bromeliad fertilizer for an hour or more each month.