Hi folks, Recently, I was given three pieces of subtropical highland tillandsia to try and grow in Singapore. They were [1] Tillandsia Magnusiana [2] Tillandsia Velickiana and [3]Tillandsia Plagiotropica. I have tried to google to find out what kind of conditions that I need to grow them well and I could not find help. At the moment I grow them in covered shade in my garden with 2 solar fan blowing at them during the hot day -temperature 34 degree C and I bring them into my air-condition room at night to have night cooling. By 6 am every morning I put them into a tub of ice water for about 5 minutes and hang them upside down to drainout the water. All of them are very dry by about 11 am and I spray them again. Please help me or highlight to me where I need to improve the condition inorder to grow them well in Singapore. Thanks, BMB Albert
OK. These are Mexican and Guatemalan highland bromeliads. I'm in highland Ecuador, which shares most of the same climate characteristics, and I actually grow T. velickiana and T. plagiotropica. The Mexican species (the first two) are from altitude deserts; the T. plagiotropica is from highland forests and is normally found near lakes. First of all: Other than T. plagiotropica, these are full-sun plants in their native range. Plagiotropica will want shadier conditions, and given your lower altitude it is probably a good idea to grow them all in at least partial shade. I'd be looking for a nice tree to tie them onto, then mist them twice daily. Second: In all of the native ranges, the daytime highs are similar to yours, as are the overnight lows. I'd be very concerned about freezing my plants by plunging them into ice water - it's a huge shock to the plant's systems and will stunt growth if it doesn't kill them first. You don't need to worry about keeping them cool - just shaded. Equally, you've got a higher humidity level than they're used to, so I wouldn't worry as much if they seem dry - they're still pulling moisture out of the atmosphere even if the air roots and holdfasts are dry to the touch. I mist in the morning and evening, and my Tillandsias thrive and bloom regularly.
Thank you very much for your immediate reply and to correct me in my wrong doing of plunging them in icywater. I have stopped doing that this morning after going through your reply . However, I would like your comments/cofirmation on the following: 1] Day temperature 34 degrees C and night temperature about 25 degrees C. - So is similar to your temperature in the highland? I donot need to put them in A/C room for night cooling right? 2] Partial shade - having 3 hours morning sun and in the shade the rest of the day OK ? 3] Tie them - It is necessary to tie them upside down or at an angle inorder for water to be drained off fast to avoid rotting? 4] Misting - The degree of misting - mist untill water dripping, yes ? Morning and evening - can adv best time to mist? 5] Any worry about rainning ? We normally have more rain during Nov and Dec. The rain could last for days and nights. Will the tillandsia rot? 6] Have you tried growing Tillandsia tectorum - can they take similar conditions as above? Look forward to hearing from you soon.
1. Very similar. I get a bit cooler overnight (about 20 C) but I wouldn't worry about putting them in A/C overnight at all. It's better to allow them to adapt to your natural conditions. 2. Sounds perfect. Morning sun is not as strong as afternoon sun - if you hadn't brought this up, I would have reccomended morning sun and afternoon shade. 3. Only if you find that they hold a lot of water when they're upright. Tillandsias will naturally grow at all sorts of weird angles, but they are normally pointing at least partially upwards. 4. Yes. Morning when you wake up and go into the garden, and evening just at or after sunset. 5. No worries about rain - your rainy season is the same length as the rainy season in their natural habitats. 6. Tillandisa tectorum is not something I grow on purpose - it's a weed species here in the Andes, and I'm constantly pulling it off of my trees and power lines; I probably throw out about 1/2 kilo a month of this plant. Bearing that in mind, you can treat it exactly as you would your other Tillandsias and it will survive and thrive for you. T. tectorum is adapted to a heavy rainy season and fairly high daytime temps, and it will probably stand full sun as well, especially if you've got high humidity - there are always more of them on the phone lines in more humid regions here.
Thanks for all the growing tips of the above. I will grow them the best I can and will see how they fair in 6 months to a year from now.... I also PM you regarding tillandsia tectorum.
