Dividing Air Plants – Tillandsias

If your Tillandsias are growing well it might be time to divide them to create a bigger and more professional display. Dividing overgrown air plants is a fast and easy task to do.

How to divide tillandsias

Loosen the clump from its perch on a piece of wood and gently pull the rosettes apart. If needed, use secateurs to cut them loose from each other. Be cautious not to divide the plant into pieces that are too small, as the plant’s recovery will be much slower.

Remove old, dried growth to clean them up.

Cut old stockings up in strips to tie your divisions onto new pieces of wood to keep them in place.

Tie thin wire to the wood with a handy loop to be able to hang your air plants up on a structure or in a tree again.

READ MORE: Learn more about Tillandsias in this article.

Air Plant Care

Display air plants outdoors in gentle morning sun and indoors in bright light. Mist spray them regularly as they like humidity and feed them now and again by simply dunking them in a sink filled with water and soluble fertiliser for a few minutes.

Tillandsias absorb water and nutrients through their leaves so the surface of the leaf must be thoroughly wet to absorb the water. Let them dry out between waterings, to avoid the chance of rot.

Important Note: Do not use any product for tying that contains copper, it is toxic to tillandsias, and never attached the plants to CCA-treated wood.

DIY Air Plant Décor

Take your decor to the next level by displaying your air plants as art pieces. These decor pieces can work both indoors and outdoors.

Option 1

This easy DIY takes about an hour.

Take a few bits of scrap wood, paint and make it into a frame. Cut a piece of artificial lawn to fit inside the frame and then attach a few tillandsias wiring through the grass backing to secure them in place.

To make your design balance use these tips:

• Use only 1 type of air plant and repeat them throughout the design.
• Use the magic numbers 3, 5, 7 and 9 for a better balance.
• Keep the background and other elements in a neutral colour so that the stars – the plants – stand out.

Option 2

Use segments of tree branches that are about 20cm long. If you want the branch to hang vertically, drill a hole through one end of the branch, approximately 2cm from the end. Cut a piece of binding wire and feed it through the drilled hole. Twist the ends of the wire to secure a loop.

If you want the brand to sit horizontally, drill a hole through each end of the branch. Cut a piece of binding wire and feed it through the drilled holes. You want the wire to form an upside down V-shape which you will use to hang it up. Twist the ends of the wire below both holes to secure it.