Growing air plants from seed can result in stronger plants and add to general growing enjoyment. But how to grow air plants from seed? In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about how to grow air plants from seed, step by step.
Most air plant owners and growers tend to propagate air plants from offsets. Mature tillandsias produce pups, at which point they can be separated from parent plant and grown individually.
While growing from seed will take much longer for plant to become bigger, you might end up with stronger and healthier plants. Plus, it’s a very interesting project and can result in many more plants.
To grow air plants from seeds, you will need to wait for your air plant to bloom, and then pollinate it. Few months after pollination (if successful), it should release seeds from seed pods that burst open.
You can also buy ready seeds like this, and then start germinating them.
What do air plant seeds look like?
Air plant seeds are small, but have fluff on top of them, that are called parachutes or coma. In nature, seeds easily move around with the wind, because of their fluffy parachute top. Most seeds will be brown, with a fluffy top.
Seed pods will also be brown, and appear in the place of blooms. Once the seed pod opens up, it will look like a cotton puff. You can then use tweezers to separate seeds. They look a little bit like dandelion seeds.
In nature, most seeds are released just before a rainy season, so that they are not easily washed off with heavy rains. They land on cliffs, trees and other spots where germination is more likely to be successful.
If you wish to read on how to pollinate air plants flowers and how seeds form, please see this post.
How to grow air plants from seed?
Once you have pollinated your air plants and got the seeds, you can start germination process. If you are unsure about air plant bloom and pollination, please read this guide first. But if you have ready seeds, please read on.
To start seed germination, collect seeds. Some seeds will start germinating inside the seed pods (you will notice small green nubbins on them).
You will then need to prepare a large dish (larger the better, depending on how many seeds) and some substrate. Make sure to leave big gaps between seeds. That will help to allow more time for plants to become bigger, before you need to separate them. Small tillandsia seedlings are very fragile.
The best type of substrate to use for sowing tillandsia should provide enough moisture, but that can also drain properly. Chose a large open container, and fill it with substrate. Make sure to allow proper air exchange, as stagnant air will kill seedlings.
Let’s review how to grow air plants from seed step by step.
Step 1: Soak the seeds
As mentioned above, some seeds will start slowly germinating even while being in seed pods. If they have started germinating, you will see small green nubbins/tips on them.
After getting or taking out seeds from seed pods, observe them. If you see green nubbins, you can skip this step.
But if your seeds look brown and dry, soak them in warm water, in a plastic/deli container for around 14 days (some might take up to 3-4 weeks to germinate). Have the lid on, but make sure to have holes in them. Also, open the lid every few days to allow air exchange.
Don’t keep seeds in water for more than 4 weeks. Hopefully, you will see green nubbins by this time, so take them out, and move them to a growing medium.
Step 2: Spread them
One of the big challenges with air plant seeds is that you need to separate them, and it is hard to do. Lay your seeds on the table, preferably on the dark background, so you can see all the seeds properly.
Seeds will be on the bottom of the fluffy coma part, with the coma being the top part. Take a close look and separate all the seeds – use a magnifying glass and tweezers if necessary.
Step 3: Place seeds on a growing medium
The next step after around 2 weeks would be to place seeds on a growing medium to continue their growth. Substrate that you pick should hold moisture, but not become too soggy.
When laying seeds, make sure to allow as much space between as possible. This will help you avoid needing to separate them while they are fragile. Some good choices of substrates/grounds to grow your air plant seeds are:
- Tree fern fiber like this
- Sphagnum moss like this – be careful not to overwater
- Velcro sheet like this
- Jute fabric sheet or similar
- Lamb wool padding or few layers or nylon stockings
Please note, that you must always avoid soggy conditions that will quickly kill your seedlings. While they do need higher humidity, be careful if using moss or even tree fiber. It can be easy for it to start growing mold if you overwater. Keep spraying lightly, but often.
It can be good idea to sow seeds on different mediums to test your best options. In various climates, the ideal choice of substrate is also different, due to varying conditions.
Velcro tape is great for growing small air plants. It will hold moisture well, but will not be too wet. You can use few pieces of Velcro tape, wet the ‘soft’ side, and place your germinated seeds on them. Spray the surface when it becomes a little dry.
Step 4: Mist accordingly
The next step would be to wait. Seeds will take time to become small seedlings. Make sure that the substrate is rather wet, but not soggy. Let it dry a little before misting again. You must prevent soggy conditions, which can lead to algae growth, killing your seedlings.
It’s always a better idea to soak seeds (germination) and mist more often (after soaking stage), as they need higher humidity. As air plants become seedlings, mist less often but keep them hydrated.
Make sure to also allow proper air exchange. If you are doing everything correctly, you will see small seedlings after a month or two, which might really motivate you. But be patient – the further growth will take a long time. Growth will be slow for the first 1-2 years, but then should speed up.
Your air plants at this point will also need bright indirect light to grow. Make sure to place seeds in a bright (not direct sun spot) place, providing right humidity and air exchange (don’t keep them in an enclosed container or similar).
If at any point you see your substrate or laying sheet turning gray, molding or similar, use tweezers and move your air plants quickly to a new clean surface. Review your watering (could be due to over watering), and make sure there’s proper air exchange.
Summary on growing air plants from seed:
Growing tillandsia from seed is a very interesting, but long-term project. Be patient, as it can take around a year to two for them to reach 1-2 inches. And then, up to 5-8, even 10 years to reach maturity (will vary with species of tillandsia).
You can read more about air plant care on this resource page.