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Tillandsia & their blooms (Tillariums)

75K views 187 replies 43 participants last post by  orchidlove 
#1 · (Edited)
PLEASE READ: If you would like me to re-post pictures to any photos that were deleted in the posts below, just let me know and I will re-post those photos. "Ditto" is used in 'reason for editing' box for photos deleted by photobucket. Photobucket really screwed up a lot of websites by eliminating 3rd party hosting. Still have plenty of photos to share, and will post if there is any interest.

A picture (thanks to Imgur) oftentimes reveals so much more than just words.
Photobucket says photo-f**k-it, starts off-site image shakedown - ?Code

I've been growing Tillandsia indoors for many years under artificial lighting enclosures (coined them with the word "Tillarium") to provide optimum growing conditions for these plants. Many of the species that I have been growing are 'decades' old. Some have been grown from seed, but most are offsets that continue to reproduce through the generations.




A few blooms from my Tillariums

Tillandsia ionantha 'rosita' lg. form (mother plant)

Tillandsia ionantha 'rosita' sm. form

Tillandsia ionantha 'ron' lg. form

Tillandsia ionantha 'ron' sm. form

Tillandsia ionantha 'zebrina'
 
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#30 · (Edited)
Thanks NeverEndingProject! Perfect is a strong word... appreciate your compliment, though... wish my set-ups were perfect. A bit like your screen name (a great choice by the way, and something we can all relate to)... there is always room for improvement "for a never ending project" and something new to learn everyday.


Tillandsia Aeranthos "Clavelles" coming into bloom & flowering

Have been testing LEDs on plants for a couple years... results have been favorable (growth, flowering, reproduction).
 
#31 · (Edited)
Brief update

Wanted to add a brief update. My switch over to LED lighting seems to have been very beneficial for my Tillandsia. Growth, flowering, and reproduction is very good with LEDs. Started testing/using LEDs as a supplemental light source for my plants a couple years ago. Was skeptical at first, and knew it would take both 'hands-on-experience', along with time and patience to find out what LEDs could do. Previously, I was using PCs, T5HOs, metal halides, and 'SHO' spiral CFLs as an artificial light source. All have proven to perform well for my plants. But, after some tweaking, along with some trial/error of different spectrum configurations and different intensities, I have been very pleased with their performance. I don't have any scientific data, but from what I have experienced and/or witnessed (in regards to plant performance) I'm a true believer in the power of LEDs!

Started the testing by using small prototype fixtures and experimenting with color spectrum. Used small 8"L x 4"W x 3"H fixtures to observe Tilly performance on a few small set-ups, before committing to switch-overs with larger T5HO fixtures on my other set-ups.

Small testing fixtures (using different Kelvin temp. whites, colors ~ mainly 660nm red, cyan, & blue, different size diodes & wattages/amperage.

3014 diodes, 6500k

3014 diodes, 5000k

Mixture of whites & 660nm red - simple, inexpensive, 8 x 3w small fixture build (driving @700ma)

Aluminum strip bar
 
#35 · (Edited)
Thanks jpappy789 & tattooedfool83... your comments are much appreciated!


Morrie: were you able to obtain them in your area? You should be okay with a soak in the tank. You could also use a separate container (this would keep anything on the plants, such as any fertilizers if any, from entering into your aquarium if you want to be extra cautious).

Regarding ph and hardness; personally I don't think your plants will care either way as long as your water is not on the "very" extreme end of acid/alkaline. I believe using really hard water would eventually start leaving chalky/white deposits behind on the plants over the course of time. There are many varying opinions pertaining to the subject of water and Tillandsia (using only rainwater, R/O water, minerals & lack of minerals, only using acidic water, etc.). Is one opinion better than the other, and is there a correct way to water Tillandsia? I don't think so. What ever works best for you and your plants is "the best way".

My indoor Tillies are soaked in de-chlorinated tap water once a week. Outdoor Tillies are sprayed with the hose (chlorinated water straight from the tap) when needed - usually because of the lack of rain. Both indoor and outdoor plants thrive using plain 'ole' tap water. Good luck with your new additions (very easy plants to work with) and keep us posted.
 
#39 ·
Wow! Your dedication is definitely worthy of your tillies reward of resplendent beauty!

Thanks for showing me pictures of what you do. From this, I'm pretty sure mine didn't make it due to stagnant air and/or too much moisture. The first one I had, I bought at an orchid show so I simply kept with my orchids and they got sprayed when the orchids got sprayed and dried when the orchids dry. Except, sometimes the orchids don't dry out if its a rainy week. (Heh, heh, the orchids love that!) This one lasted a while actually but I don't think it ever reproduced and died off.

The second one I had came in a little glass bell from lowe's during Christmas. The instructions said to soak it once or twice a week and empty out. The problem was there was probably too much "moss" glued around the tilly and this undoubtedly kept the moisture in and rotted it out as well.
 
#42 ·
You know Morrie, I really don't know. Most of the Tillandsia books I've read are more like photo alblums. They seem to be fairly comprehensive about the subject: describing each plant's growth habits, their habitat, distribution, inflorescence, and some comments about their culture. Some of the more recent books --- Paul Isley (with Rainforest Flora out of California); Tillandsia: The Worlds Most Unusual Airplants {1997, 256 pg} & Tillandsia ll: The Worlds Most Unusual Airplants {2010, 287 pg} - Jan Maruska (Czech Republic); The World of Tillandsias {2011, 96 pg} - H. Shimizu & H. Takizawa (Japan); Tillandsia Handbook {1st edition 1992, 36 pg ~ 2nd edition 1998, 134 pgs} - and Derek Butcher (Derek & Margaret have one of the largest Tillandsia collections in Australia); An Amateur's Guide to the Greyish Leaved Tillandsioideae {1st edition 1992, 80 pg ~ 2nd edition 1992, 88 pg ~ 3rd edition 1994, 70pg}.

As to the subject of "keeping" Tillandsia... there is always the web... if you have the time/patience to sift through and carefully weigh out the information. Don't always believe everything you read on the web, and take it with a grain of salt. There is a lot of untrue/conflicting information on the subject floating around in cyber space - along with the "it can only be done this way", "that's impossible", or "it's too difficult" scenarios.
 
#45 ·
These are absolutely beautiful; I joined this site right after seeing them, so thank you for sharing.

Do you mind if I ask what kind of wire that is? I need something similar--something that holds its shape with a bit of weight, and I guess I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Also, what sort of moss/lichens are you using? Are they alive?
 
#46 ·
Thanks hedge_fund! Sorry about the late reply.

And thanks, bandersnatch! Welcome to TPT, a great (and diversified) site with a vast array of knowledgeable members. I use 18 gauge green enamel annealed floral wire (pack of 70 pcs. 18" long for about $3). Easy for me to bend and shape, along with handling the weight of my plants. Good choice for my applications because the plants are always dry when they are in their wire mounts.

If the tillies were to be misted or wet, I would use aluminum wire with a heavier gauge (easy to bend and shape with good support). The ultimate wire material would be stainless steel, but wow, ss is really a "bear" to work with. The moss/lichen I'm using is Cladonia rangiferina, aka: reindeer moss or reindeer lichen... used completely for cosmetic purposes... pleasing to 'my' eye. Not alive because there is no water introduced into the enclosures (my plants are watered outside of the enclosures).
 
#50 · (Edited)
Thanks for the kind words, bandersnatch. I'm sure that (with some time) your "paleacea" will reward you. Many species take a long time to mature and bloom. Although there are ways to induce faster blooming, I always prefer mother nature taking its course. T. xerographica is one species in my collection that has taken years to mature, and still has not bloomed to date. The leafs are finally starting to develop some rosy pink/red coloration which is a nice contrast to the silver/white color.

Appreciate the compliment, johnson18! Tillandsia really are enjoyable plants, and a lot of fun to work with. So many species to choose from... and so many different shapes with varying colors of green, silver and white. Their blooms are very pleasing to the eye (some are short lived, others last a long time, and some have very strong fragrances). Another plus is the ease of reproduction via offsets (pups, clones). Raising from seed can be quite the challenge - requiring a lot of patience - a slow process but very rewarding in the end.

Another T. ixiodies x aeranthos


T. ixiodies x aeranthos (pups/offsets after flowering)
 
#52 ·
Those are some great looking plants! I've had a few different blooms recently as well. I will try to get some pictures up. A few species have not done so well though.

How much light are you using over these systems? I am ready to upgrade my lights now and haven't decided what to go with. I may move one of my t5ho fixtures over or might get an led fixture specifically for my Tillandsia.
 
#53 · (Edited)
Johnson18, thanks! Decided to take a bit of a break (filling out taxes, not one of my favorite tasks by any means... it's going to be a long weekend), so I thought this would be a good opportunity to respond back while I have the time.

What species are not doing so well for you? Any ideas as to the culprit?

Although I cannot remember the exact numbers (borrowed a par meter for measurement some time ago), par was fairly high all the way down to the substrate levels ~ down to about 26". I can easily position my plants at different heights beneath/under the lights. This works out well for my white, grey, & silver Tillies (eg., albida, paleacea, tectorum). They really enjoy bright light, along with plenty of air circulation. Most of my set-ups have been converted to LED (except for one that still uses t5ho).
 
#55 ·
Hey that's looking great! Nice job with the DIY and the plants.

I've been working on the idea on a growout for potted plants that is more like a display with neat and tidy with plants arranged in a pleasing way. I have this 37G fish tank that I set up for bonsai bamboos, ferns, mosses and a few other things. I repotted most of the plants in terra cottas or small bonsai pots. I like it. We have it in our study. I am trying to figure out a tile bottom or something else more attractive than that white eggcrate.

 
#56 ·
Wow. Wastewater never realized Tillies could be so beautiful both in and out of flowers. I may need to add some as companions to my orchids. Do they attract mealy bugs? It looks like they would have many hiding places and be well camouflaged. Also the lower humidity 20%+/- is ideal for them.
Ken
 
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