It was time! Time to repot some plants, rearrange some other plants and put away the grow lights. It’s also too soon to even think about outside planting. First, I had to dismantle the grow lights that I used for the microgreens. They will be stored until I need them again.
Bert started by repotting the aloe vera. It was in a tiny 4″ pot and had two baby plants trying to hang on in the crowded space. That gave the mother plant room to grow and the babies their own pot.
The spider plant is determined to send out long shoots that will make new plants. Bert keeps cutting them off (he really doesn’t like the spider plant…too unorganized…it’s the engineer in him!) We did let one baby grow and it’s now in its own pot. I’m sure the main plant feels stymied but we’ll keep it a while longer.
I saw an article in a magazine about “air plants” and wondered if they would give us the feel of the small spider plant but grow differently. The article confirmed that they grow slowly and have interesting blooms. Air plants, otherwise known as Tillandsia, are native plants to the southern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and have the ability to thrive in the warm temperatures, despite neglect. (That last statement is very important!)
With over 650 types of Tillandsia, these unique-looking plants survive without soil or water. Air plants use their specialized leaves to obtain from the air the water and nutrients they need to survive. The roots of the air plant are simply used for attaching themselves to rocks, trees, shrubs and the ground. They are easy to maintain but need a humid environment. So, I can either soak them in water once a week and/or mist them daily. (Not sure that can be called neglect…)
Bert thought they sounded interesting so he went on Amazon and ordered three plants. We saw pictures of pink ones and blue ones and learned that the color is applied and slowly fades away. They really didn’t look REAL.
This is what we ordered:
He also ordered a spray bottle of fertilizer and tiny hanging holders for the plants.
I followed the instructions that came with the plants that said to soak the plants first in room temperature for 20 minutes.
I laid them out on a paper towel while I got the holders ready.
I can see I might need to rearrange the plants on the shelves at some point, but at least now I can mist the air plants. We’ll see if I can remember to mist them every day!
