A Tillandsia cyanea hides a little secret under its thick tuft of long, narrow leaves at the end of its flowering period. If you look closely, you can see one or more daughter plants rising from the leaf axils. You can read here how to properly separate and care for these children.
The Tillandsia cyanea can be best multiplied by Kindel
Do not separate child and mother plant too early
At the end of its flowering period, a Tillandsia cyanea will sometimes challenge your patience by allowing its daughter plant to grow for several weeks and months. In this phase, continue the care program unchanged. This also applies if a child sprouts from the leaf axils. Only when the offshoot has reached at least half the size of the mother plant, cut it off with a clean, sharp knife.
Potting and care - How to do it right
So that a child first develops its own root system, pot it up for about half a year. Whether you then attach the Tillandsia to a base or continue to cultivate it in a pot is your personal decision. Proceed professionally in these steps:
- Fill a nursery pot with a mix of loose bromeliad soil and sand
- Insert the daughter plant into it up to the lower leaves
- Spray the child with soft water
- Water the substrate moderately
By putting a plastic bag over the child, a growth-promoting, humid and warm microclimate is created. Two wooden sticks serve as spacers so that the material does not touch the plant. In a semi-shady, warm location, ventilate the hood daily and water the substrate when it has dried. The cover has done its job as more leaves thrive.
After 4 to 6 months, a Tillandsia cyanea child has developed so vigorously that it can be cultivated like an adult plant.
tips
Tillandsia cyanea are excellent for cultivation in the family household. These exotic species are neither poisonous nor equipped with sharp spines or sharp leaf edges like other bromeliad genera. Of course, this does not mean that the parts of the plant are suitable for consumption.