Tillandasia's strange behavior, advice?

[floraAdore]

I was given an air plant as a gift & was stunned! I now have many different varieties, 1/2 of which arrived a little over a month ago. I mist them daily & submerge weekly , more often for the less fleshy varieties. Thing is most of them are blooming! They're beautiful but, I'm confused. 2 weeks ago I put 1 drop super thrive in their bath water & I assume this must be the reason; my concern is my 2 large stricta; they sit in the crown of my yuccas trees 5 ft away from a skylight. 1 has shot out a flower from the middle on a stalk apporx 2.5-3" but it's almost white (slight pink color) looks like a tiny albino pinecone! The other stricta (purchased same vendor, same time) is developing a deep pink flower but its deep w/in the leaves still. Only from certain angles or extremely up close can you see the flower. Perhaps I should e diluted the fert more?
Anyone have expierence w/ air plants? My caput medusae is forming a normal bloom though & 2 fuschii v gracilis have been flower bearing for a month! ( prior to the fert)

[valley]

I have held back from answering because I don't have air plants. I have known people that do. I have never known anyone to fertilize their plants. They did water them a couple times a week. They do attach to trees and may/must get fertilizer from birds. They do gather their children around them, the pups, that helps maybe to hold moisture, though they can be over watered. Fertilizer, I would give less than more. If you think you have overdone it with fertilizer you can leach it by your watering. I have known the water to be shaken out. too much water will do them harm, yet misting is not enough.
You know it will flower only once but the little ones will bloom around it.

I'll bet there are some on this forum that actually live with them. Be patient, when they see your post they will have more to say. I'll ease drop, I'm interested, had one when I was a kid but have no idea what happened to it. They are a lot like having a bird. in your case birds. Best of luck. I'd like to hear more.

Richard

[floraAdore]

Thanks Richard, for your input! Tillandasia's are very interesting plants! They have an other-worldly!! I've had good results w/ AirPlants4u, their selection is amazing & many are only .95-$3!! They had recieved some bad reviews but, id reccomend them b/c my 2 oders have come swiftly, correctly & arrived healthy. check em out! I've love to collect things I find in nature & have some driftwood pieces that looks like a sculpture & I keep some of the smaller one's arranged there.
Apparently, they have something (I foget the word) along their leaves that opens to grab moisture & closes once the plant is no longer thirsty. Baths have been difficult lately though b/c you can't get the flowers wet (I suppose a little wouldn't hurt) but, I think especially while they're developing, they can disintegrate, I've read. Very strange how the 2 stricta are acting so differently!
I hope to get some more insight from ppl here!

[floraAdore]

Along the same line; epiphytic plants; I'd LOVE to get a staghorn fern (especially the superbum cultivar!) they're simply STUNNING!! None of my local nurseries have them though so, I'd have to order it. Large specimen are VERY pricey & even the small ones are $40+ if already mounted!! I'm big on DIY & up cycling so, I'll probably make my own. I've read to surroubd them w- sphagnum moss (to hold moisture) & attach them by wrapping fishing line/pantyhose to board/mount. They have bottom leaves that'll eventually cover it & as the plant develops its horn-like fronds they really resemble a deer or elk mount!

[valley]

Hi flora, Mom grew great large Staghorns in her lath house, mounted on board. They had this leathery almost like half a basket at the bottom. We, wifey and I had a place in Queensland, Australia, there were many growing in yards on the side of trees or posts, not in direct sun, liking the moisture of the air there. There are spots of rainforest there, walking through, they can be seen growing on trees. They don't hurt the trees, unlike the Strangler Fig.

I would love to see some of your plants when you have time to post pics.


Richard

[floraAdore]

I'd love to go to Australia someday! 1 of my aunts lived there, I guess they have a lg Vietnamese population (I'm 1/2 Viet). Austrailia has such interesting animals, coastline, forests etc!! Sounds like your mom had a green thumb! I've read they can be difficult & like to dry out in between waterings.
Excuse my ignorance but, how do you post pics here? only see the share options. . .
Thanks!

[TZ -OH6]

I would trust the blooming to good light more than to the Super Thrive. They bloom quite readily in a greenhouse, and if you've ever seen them in the wild they look like crud but still bloom.


I suspect that highly concentrated fertilizer would burn them, not make the flowers strange colors. Excessive fertilizing without enough light to bloom would just give you big plants with lots of pups. I always used quarter to half strength fertilizer sprayed on once a week during the warm months when I grew them with my orchids.

[valley]

Here is what worked for me: I pressed reply, choose photo, than Add the file, submit.

If the file is too large it will come up written in red and tell you the max size you can post.

The folks, mom & dad could grow anything. Always wanted my wife to like me as much as mom like/loves dad. It took a while but I found her. I like Australia and they speak English, almost. We are Armenian, there's a good sized Hye population there too.

[floraAdore]

All my photos have been deemed too big! (I'm not very tech-savvy)
Any idea how I can shrink it? Ty

My yucca has 3 stumps of varied heights; The more developed stricta was snuggled w/in the crown of the medium one while the underdeveloped one was on the tallest segment. Since they naturally live in trees I figured it'd be the best place, giving them the filtered sunlight I've read, they like. We shall see!

My "secret" spot where I find the best & biggest pussy willow boughs have lady slippers a different time of year. Over the past 6yrs I've watched them multiply & multiply! They're so gorgeous! Every year I do a count (I'm a geek!) wish I could grow orchids. I need a humidifier. (For my poor nose & bonsai!) I love the cultivars w/ long, hanging petals
Hopefully I can figure out how to shrink my photos

[valley]

You can resize your photos. If you have Photo shop or another program on your computer You must have one.