Like any other plant, air plants also need pruning for appropriate maintenance. It helps them to get rid of brown and dead leaves that hamper healthy growth. Air plants are generally known for being low maintenance and easy plants to care for. With a little trimming and pruning, you can help them maintain their beauty.
Pruning Roots-Air Plants do have tiny roots that seek to anchor themselves for support. These can be trimmed away without causing the plant any harm.
Shedding leaves- Air plants produce new leaves from their center, so its normal for the older outer leaves to gradually dry out and drop off. You can actually remove any dry leaves by gently pulling them downwards, but if you can completely remove it, that means the leaf is still healthy and needs to be left alone. If your air plant is shedding lots of leaves, it is likely due to unsuitable light, temp, or humidity.
Curling leaves- This is a typical sign of dehydration and indicates that you need to water your plant more frequently.
Soft brown areas & rotting- If you find your air plant suddenly turning brown at the base and the leaves are falling apart, it could be a build up of water that has led to rot. Sadly, there is nothing you can do to save it at this stage. For future plants, remember to make sure after watering that you place your plant upside down to dry ( if you soak your plant).
These are a few tips to help keep your air plant flourishing. You can read more about watering and taking care of air plants in several earlier blog posts in our garden blog.
If you have any questions about your plant- leave a question in the comment box.
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