How to Water Air Plants in the Winter

Watering your air plants during the winter is for the most part, the same as watering during other times of the year, however, there are a few points about winter that can change your approach to watering air plants during the winter.

Before adapting to winter watering you’ll need to be familiar with the general guidelines for how to water air plants. Once you know the basics of watering air plants, consider the following points when watering your air plants during the winter and make adjustments as needed.

Humidity

The first thing to consider during the winter is the humidity in your home. If you live in the tropics, this may be nearly the same as it is during the summer. For those of us that live farther north, humidity levels can drop drastically during the winter especially if you use gas to heat. Check out this article if you want to learn how to increase humidity.

This drop in humidity can cause air plants to dry out faster than they would in average humidity. The way to combat this is to soak longer or mist more often. It’s also good to consider how the humidity is affecting your skin. If you are drying out and need more moisture, your air plants probably need more moisture too.

Ambient Temperatures

If you still have normal humidity levels but the ambient temperature in your home is lower, your air plants might not need watering as often as they would during warmer temperatures. Tillandsia dry out faster during warmer weather because the heat zaps out moisture from the plants. So if the temperatures are lower, they may not dry out as fast.

The key here is to watch for loss of volume and/or browning tips. If your plants are deflating and browning, you need to up your watering.

Water temperature

This may seem obvious but it is easily overlooked during busy schedules and multitasking. Unless you live near the tropics, the water coming out of your faucet will be colder during the winter. The average temperature of water in reservoirs and lakes drops during the winter as does the groundwater temperature. The colder the area you live in, the colder your water will be.

Air plants don’t like cold water and soaking your plants in cold water could cause cold damage. The simple solution? Use cool to lukewarm water to keep your tillandsias happy.

Rot is More Likely

Watering air plants during the winter requires extra caution while drying. Because of the lower temperatures, air plants won’t dry out as fast as they would during the summer.

It is very important to make sure your plants are upside down, in a well-ventilated area with plenty of airflow while drying. Keep in mind that it may take longer than usual. If you are nervous about it or feel it’s taking too long, use a fan on a low speed to help facilitate drying.

Check out our video on How to Water Air Plants for more information.

That’s all folks! I hope this helps clear up any confusion about watering air plants during the colder months. Have another suggestion for how to water air plants during the winter? Drop a comment and let us know!