The heat is on and the days are longer. With the change in seasons, come changes in the way you care for your air plants. Luckily there are only a few things you need to keep in mind to keep your air plants healthy this summer. Summer care for air plants includes being mindful of 3 things – sunlight, temperature, and water.
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Protecting Air Plants from the Summer Sun
Whether you care for air plants indoors or out, be aware that direct sunlight will burn your air plants. For instance, a windowsill may have been the perfect spot for your air plants earlier in the season, but with intensified sunlight, you may need to move your air plant to where the light is assuredly indirect.
Or, if you bring your air plants outdoors for the summer, be sure that the air plants are placed in a bright location that is away from direct sunlight. A shaded porch is an ideal location.
Summering Air Plants Outdoors
Outdoors is the best location for your air plants. Even if you don’t live in a climate to suit air plants outdoors year-round, growing them outdoors for the summer will have enormous benefits for your plants.
Outdoor Benefits for Air Plants
- Natural sunlight is better outdoors than the filtered UV rays of indoors.
- Just a few months outdoors will help your air plants thrive the rest of the year indoors.
When to Bring Air Plants Outside
Wait until nighttime lows are above 55°F/13°C. Then, place the air plants where the temperature is as close to the indoor temperature that they were accustomed to. This will help the air plants to more easily make the transition to outdoors.
Thank you, Bill, for this picture of your air plants thriving in your greenhouse!
Water: Keeping Air Plants from Drying Out
If summering air plants outside, you’ll need to be extra aware of the heat. As temperatures soar, air plants dry out. When temperatures rise above 90°F/32°C, you’ll need to either spray the air plants off with a hose every few hours or more conveniently, turn on a mister. The added humidity will keep the air plants from withering in the heat.
Keep Air Plants from Drying Out with a Mister
Summer Care for Air Plants
For optimum care for your air plants this summer, just keep in mind three things
- Keep air plants out of direct sunlight. This is important if the air plants are grown both indoors or out.
- If at all possible, grow your air plants outdoors during the summer months.
- Keep the temperature in mind. Don’t put your air plants outside until nighttime temperatures are at least 55°F/13°C. And, when temperatures soar above 90°F/32°C, spray them down regularly with the hose, or, even better, turn on a mister.
By the way, click here, to see where I like to buy air plants.
