root rot on Airplant
Quick answer
If your Airplant has root rot, the most likely cause is: Because airplants have little or no roots and take up moisture through their leaves, water that lingers in the leaf rosette or on the foliage after a soak becomes a rot hazard, and the BBC Gardeners' World A-Z entry for airplants calls for them to be left to dry upside down after their weekly soak so that trapped moisture drains out of the crown instead of rotting the base.
Start here:
- 1. After each weekly soak from spring to autumn, shake off excess water and set the airplant upside down on a towel or rack so moisture drains out from between the leaves and the crown dries before the plant is put back on display.
- 2. Between soakings, mist lightly every few days and then let the foliage dry off thoroughly in open air, and keep the plant somewhere with good ventilation rather than closed terrariums or still corners where wet leaves cannot dry.
Why Airplant gets root rot
airplant
Because airplants have little or no roots and take up moisture through their leaves, water that lingers in the leaf rosette or on the foliage after a soak becomes a rot hazard, and the BBC Gardeners' World A-Z entry for airplants calls for them to be left to dry upside down after their weekly soak so that trapped moisture drains out of the crown instead of rotting the base.
How to reverse root rot on Airplant
- 1
After each weekly soak from spring to autumn, shake off excess water and set the airplant upside down on a towel or rack so moisture drains out from between the leaves and the crown dries before the plant is put back on display.
- 2
Between soakings, mist lightly every few days and then let the foliage dry off thoroughly in open air, and keep the plant somewhere with good ventilation rather than closed terrariums or still corners where wet leaves cannot dry.
Keep root rot off this Airplant
Maintain a once-weekly soak with interim light misting through spring and autumn, place the plant in bright, indirect light with good air flow at 10-30°C such as a bathroom or kitchen, and always let the airplant dry fully upside down after each watering so no water remains trapped against the leaf bases to start rot.