WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:05.879 And we're live. This is Point Ditty Podcast. I'm Matthew and I'm Stephen. 2 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:22.679 This week we're excited to bring a guest from the Volunteer Park Conservatory to 3 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:27.039 talk about air plants. This is particularly fun for us and timely because, 4 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:30.679 as you may have heard, we're thrilled to be hosting a live fundraising event 5 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:35.520 at and for the Volunteer Park Conservatory. It's our first live event and truly 6 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:40.359 an honor to be volunteering our time to support this fantastic organization and local destination. 7 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:45.159 Tucked in a beautiful old glasshouse in Volunteer Park and the Capitol Hill neighborhood 8 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:49.640 of Seattle, this garden is the one for indoor plant cultivation inspiration. You 9 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:53.640 might even have to spend some time in the conservatory to even appreciate just how 10 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:56.799 true that is. You can visit any time of year and have a completely 11 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.119 different experience, as pott and tropicals are rotated seasonally and different parts of the 12 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:06.159 permanent planted displays are in bloom or growing fresh foliage. Or you can just 13 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:11.400 marvel at several century old specimens growing into the structure itself. Check out the 14 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:14.799 Desert House in particular, I genuinely have a list of plants that I fell 15 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:18.799 in love with just by seeing them at the conservatory. So we're really excited 16 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.799 to be hosting this Pride Plant Parenthood panel with Emily Alsup, with whom we 17 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:26.560 actually chat in today's episode, and we'll be sharing plant parenthood stories and answering 18 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.840 houseplant questions. So get your tickets now. Links are in our social media 19 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:36.319 bios, show notes and our live events story highlights on Instagram. So even 20 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:40.719 if you're not a dedicated houseplant hobbyist, you're probably aware of air plans. 21 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:45.239 Yeah, we weren't able to pin down when their popularity exploded, but it 22 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:49.760 was at least a decade ago, and probably not before the nineteen seventies. 23 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:53.480 They weren't mentioned in the LASSA Crusoe's book from that time I just checked. 24 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:59.159 But now that they're available at most gift shops, they're considered quote easy plants 25 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.959 in populariousness, at least around here in Seattle, And they come in so 26 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:07.840 many shapes and colors that they're collectible like Pokemon fun as decor elements, and 27 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:13.719 I swear there is a whole separate scene for airplant specific pots and mounts and 28 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:16.520 other decor tools like that. Yeah, yeah, so I think it's easy 29 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:21.439 to forget that. They're also a focus for dedicated plant parents too, when 30 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:24.280 there's even jokes online about how can you even tell if they're dead because the 31 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:30.280 homes, they're often slow growing and they're not terribly responsive plants, so sometimes 32 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:32.919 people will go to move their airplants one day and just how it fall apart 33 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.759 because it's all dead and dried out. I may or may not have had 34 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:43.319 that experience myself personally. Yeah, that does remind me of my Spanish moss 35 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:49.599 experience. Rest in peace anyway. The common vernacular name air plants is essentially 36 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:53.280 synonymous with the genus to Lanzia, which has more than six hundred species more 37 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:58.719 than I realized, which also includes Spanish moss. Yeah. They're found in 38 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.840 the wild as far north as the southeast US and all the way to Argentina. 39 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:06.319 There are species of all sizes, and like other bromeliads, most are 40 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.400 rosette forming with leaves that create a funnel that collects water on the crown of 41 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.319 the plant, and some species are quite small while others are quite large. 42 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:17.240 So there's kind of an air plant out there to fit any collection. Almost 43 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.840 all of them are sold as individual, loose plants without any sort of potting, 44 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:24.199 and this is because one of the most obvious things that sets them apart 45 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:28.879 from other plants is that the roots basically just serve the function of holding a 46 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.439 plant in place, and its foliage takes in the moisture the plant needs, 47 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:35.639 though, just to be a stickler. A fairly common species, often called 48 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:39.400 Flanzia cyanea, is sold as a potted plant. It's actually been moved into 49 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:44.400 the Willisia genus though, so it still has a lot of the characteristics and 50 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:46.560 attributes of the Tlanza air plants that we're going to be talking about today. 51 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.360 But these are fantastic plants. Okay, let's say you've never had an air 52 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:54.800 plants or you've never successfully kept one. How does one care for these? 53 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:00.879 Well, generally they like bright light, frequent misting and or weekly soaking, 54 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:04.400 regular fertilizing, and high humidity will go a long way if you can swing 55 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:09.199 that too. Yeah. The foliage is covered in tricombs, which are specialized 56 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:12.879 cells that absorb water and nutrients, and there would give the air plants their 57 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:16.240 silvery sheen. Yeah, Like staghorn ferns have that gives them that fuzzy look. 58 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.800 Carnivorous sundews have dewey tricombs, and many other plants that are fuzzy and 59 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:26.040 described as pubescent to do too. Yeah, and given how diverse their habitats 60 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.800 are, from dry deserts to consistently moist jungles, there is a pretty impressive 61 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:35.199 range of morphology and tricombe density based on what environmental conditions a species has adapted 62 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:39.279 for, and this gives you some clues to look for in their care. 63 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:44.079 Yeah. Generally speaking, the more silver or fuzzy looking your air plant is, 64 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:46.759 the higher light you should give it, and the greener and smoother the 65 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.639 foliage, the lower the light. In cultivation, the silver ones are referred 66 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:55.639 to as xeric and the greener ones are mesic. Yeah. Xeric de Lanzia 67 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:59.399 are from desert like dry climates and they can tolerate full sun a lot of 68 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.600 the time. Mesic to Lanzia come from areas with more moderate amounts of moisture 69 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:06.839 and they want bright indirect lights. So knowing this, you can often just 70 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:12.000 get an adequate visual queue from a plant without knowing its species, and this 71 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:15.639 helps you be able to give it the correct light intensity and watering frequency, 72 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:19.000 and that really helps you keep them happy. Right. So truth time, 73 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:24.079 Matthew, what are our care experiences? This will be an interesting section, 74 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:30.160 I think. If I'm honest, I've had mixed results. Yeah, airplants 75 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:32.879 and I do have a history. I got one as a gift years ago, 76 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:36.959 in one of those hanging glass globes. I was not yet a plant 77 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:42.519 person, and it swiftly died. I remember missing it maybe once a week, 78 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:47.959 something cruelly rare like that, Like it definitely needed more more moisture. 79 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:54.839 But I left that experience confused and mildly angry, wondering what to do with 80 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:59.279 this hanging glass globe that's clearly meant for an airplant that did not contain one, 81 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:03.959 which made it obvious that I killed mind standard gift shop thing. Yeah, 82 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.160 then I had a long airplant break. I got into plants otherwise. 83 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:12.800 I then got one from a friend again about a year ago. It was 84 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:16.160 a silvery xeric one. He is a serious airplant person, so his collection 85 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.199 was constantly overflowing. I just got you know, a pup from there. 86 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:25.519 I halfheartedly tried to match his bright you know, shower conditions, like in 87 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:30.360 a bathroom I put it near my orchids. It got frequent missing. It 88 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.920 was right in a window, and that plant has done well. Like I've 89 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.519 had flowers, I've had more pups, but if I'm honest, I don't 90 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:41.439 really notice it very much. Like I'll see the flower, I'll enjoy it 91 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:44.439 for a moment, then I'll pick off the dead pieces periodically. That's kind 92 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:48.680 of our relationship. So around the same time, I then got an impulse 93 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:53.879 purchase one at a checkout at a garden shop. It was tiny, and 94 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:58.839 it's still doing well enough, like it has grown slowly, but it has 95 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:01.240 grown, but there are always some dry bits on it. This is a 96 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:05.079 messic one, which is the greener type, so it probably needs a less 97 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:09.680 bright spot. But yeah, I feel like I will have an airplant phase 98 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:13.360 at some points, maybe when I have that brightly lit bathroom, or maybe 99 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.800 when I find a species or get like a big specimen plant that I really 100 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:21.480 love. Also, a botanist with my same last name described many to Lanzia 101 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:26.879 species, so maybe it's like my duty on some level, but more about 102 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:29.600 that in or after show. So that's like my airplant life story, I 103 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.160 guess, how about you. Yeah, my own results have been mixed too, 104 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:36.279 And to be honest, I know how to care for them, but 105 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:42.879 I've just not been terribly invested in tolanzy and airplants in general compared to the 106 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.279 other plants that I grow. So to me, the Tlansia kind of fit 107 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:50.800 this place of being more decorative, which that can often be a death sentence 108 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:55.319 to a lot of plants if their specific needs aren't being prioritized in how you 109 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:59.600 display them in your home. And I've had about eight or ten of them 110 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:03.160 for four or five years now. They're doing well enough, like I'm happy 111 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.319 with them. They're still alive. But they were originally bought to be used 112 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.920 as decoration on a holiday wreath that I made with eucalyptus foliage, and they 113 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:16.160 were just kind of peppered throughout it. It was a cute little display. 114 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.639 And then after the holidays, I unwired them from the wreath and I set 115 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:24.439 them on a shallow dish of lecca and I would spray them down regularly. 116 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.439 There would often be water sitting in the lecca, so that the airplants themselves 117 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:31.759 were never sitting in water. But they've been happy to grow like this, 118 00:08:31.039 --> 00:08:35.320 just you know, ever since, and for a while now they've been under 119 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:39.240 pretty bright grow lights. They've gotten bigger, they've grown some pups, but 120 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.840 I've not really had them flour then they're just I'm sure you've all seen this 121 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:50.240 one. It's an enormous kind of curling silvery species called the Lanza zero graphica. 122 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.840 Yeah, that's probably one of my favorites. I think it's extremely ornamental. 123 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:00.480 But I've definitely treated those like walart on like a really beautiful kind of 124 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:05.200 wood plaque with wood burning design on it that I got from our friend James, 125 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:07.759 one of the friends of the show. But I've treated this one not 126 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.360 as much like a living thing as I should, and I attest that they 127 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:16.600 do not tolerate low light levels, that afoulinopsis are happy, and I've also 128 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:22.840 not watered them as often as I should. But I'm determined not to just 129 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.799 buy and kill another one of these because I haven't prioritized their needs. And 130 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:31.440 after we worked on outlining this episode, and especially after the interview that we 131 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.440 have coming up, I feel inspired to do something better with all of my 132 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:41.080 Tolanzia, which includes fertilizing them periodically and making sure that they all have pretty 133 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:46.120 consistent water and that they definitely get the light that they need, because I 134 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:50.279 really want to see them flower. There are some really impressive and dramatic blooms 135 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.720 to be had in the Tlanzia genus. And so if I start caring for 136 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:56.559 them better and get some of those goals specimen plant vibes, I think that 137 00:09:56.600 --> 00:10:01.240 they're going to be more rewarding and that's going to encourage to treat them better. 138 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:03.440 Yeah, okay, you know what you've heard it here, Like this 139 00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:07.720 show, it's for others, but this is also for us, okay, 140 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.240 in our intention setting. So yeah, those are some good goals. Matthew. 141 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:16.240 Thanks anyway, if you couldn't tell, this is us owning that we 142 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:22.120 are casual airplant people, but then we step into volunteer park conservatory near us 143 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:24.960 and we're blown away by what they can be when they're grown. Well yeah, 144 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:31.000 and not just as some afterthought impulse by plant that's quote easy, and 145 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:33.519 then it gets treated like some nonliving trinket on a coffee table or something. 146 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.200 I think there's this very prevalent notion among people who would buy an airplant, 147 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.559 even those of us who are houseplant people, but for people who just like 148 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:45.759 the idea of it, that These are easy. They live off the air, 149 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:48.200 they don't need much care. Yeah, so we thought we'd bring in 150 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:54.320 an expert from the conservatory. Here she is. We are so excited today 151 00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:00.000 to be joined by Emily Alsop, the resident romeliad expert at Volunteer Park Conservator, 152 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.600 to here in Seattle, where she focuses on bromeliads, and to Lanzia's 153 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:09.840 ferns plant propagation and the Conservatory's autumn chrysanthemum exhibit. A lifelong plant parent, 154 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:13.039 she grew up helping with the family vegetable garden and then at one point owned 155 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:16.480 more than three hundred house plants. That should sound familiar to some of our 156 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:22.000 listeners and some of our podcast hosts. Yeah, we had an opportunity recently 157 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:26.200 to visit her at the office in quotes behind the scenes at the conservatory, 158 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:31.440 and let's just say we were equally impressed by what she's accomplished and jealous of 159 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:35.480 what she gets to do every day. Thanks so much for taking the time, 160 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.279 Emily, and welcome. Oh, thank you. It's my pleasure to 161 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:41.039 be here. It's so nice to have you. It's really nice to meet 162 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:43.360 you in person. After some of our recent video chats. Yeah. I 163 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:48.679 was so happy that you were able to come to visit the Conservatory because it 164 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.399 is a gem in Seattle that a lot of people don't know about. But 165 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:56.600 we are so proud and happy to be working here. It's a dream job, 166 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:01.240 I believe it. And the Conservatory is one of those local Seattle gems 167 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:05.440 that I was born here and it really was not on my radar until Stephen 168 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.600 introduced it to me quite a while ago. But it is something that more 169 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:16.799 people need to go visit and check out. And there are so many amazing 170 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:20.720 plants to both see and discover in the Conservatory. I have a lot of 171 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:26.360 wish list plants that I have added to my plant collection because I've seen them 172 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:30.159 at the Conservatory. I want to grow them myself. And we specifically have 173 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:35.320 you here today because you're their resident expert in Tlanzia. Like Stephen said, 174 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:39.000 and air plants are I think they're just always popular. They are a plant 175 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:43.159 that appeal both to plant parents as well as people who just like having plants 176 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:48.120 in their home, both for the design element that they offer they're so decorative, 177 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:54.320 but also for people who like a fairly low maintenance plant. And all 178 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:58.720 that said, Stephen and I are not terribly familiar with the cultivation and growing 179 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:03.679 lands. Yet I have a few, Stephen has a few. We have 180 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:07.639 had a few past tense yeah, by her alive, not all of the 181 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:11.639 ones that I've bought her alive. Yeah. But so we basically just want 182 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:16.559 you to help teach us what we need to do for our air plants and 183 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.080 how to keep these to Lanzy, these really beautiful plants alive. Obviously, 184 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.559 you grow in a conservatory, which is an amazing and dare I say ideal 185 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.440 environment, very ideal. Yeah, we got to see some plants that were 186 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.519 just thriving in a way that I could never achieve in my home. But 187 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:41.440 for growers interested in keeping these as houseplants, what are your ideal airplant care 188 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:46.159 recommendations that people can apply to their home environments. Well, first of all, 189 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:52.200 let me just thank you for your benevolent praises, because I'm really not 190 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:58.360 an expert in the large sense for tlansias, but I have perfected a lot 191 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:03.519 of things I keep every day. Well, that's true of gardening in general. 192 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:05.159 There's always someone who knows more than you, and you can always learn 193 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:09.720 more exactly, But I'm happy to be taking care of them because the care 194 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.799 here is ideal. Like you said, we have a lot of space for 195 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:20.080 air plants to llansias to grow. We have the moisture that is captured within 196 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:24.200 the greenhouses and the conservatory. We have the sunlight. Those two things are 197 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.120 really essential for the care of tlansius. If you don't have good sunlight, 198 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:33.320 they're not going to thrive. But at the same time, you think about 199 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.799 air plants, you don't need to water them. You do need to water 200 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:41.960 to lansias nowise they won't thrive either. One thing about the tollansias that you 201 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:46.919 may notice is that they have sort of a scaly, sometimes fuzzy, very 202 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:52.720 silvery looking cover over them, and that's really essential to its growth because those 203 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:58.919 are the tri zones that captures water to keep it moist and growing and all 204 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:03.480 the nutrients from air and humidity. And also if they're larger, as in 205 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:09.960 the xeric type of Tallansius, they deflect the very very bright sunlight. Even 206 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:16.879 though it's required for the xeric, they help deflect sun so that's really essential. 207 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:20.240 With that being said, they also are easy because you don't need a 208 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:26.000 substrate or a soil mixture because they can just be hanging. If you notice 209 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:30.039 on some of these tallanzius, they have roots, but they don't act as 210 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:33.759 roots because they don't absorb the nutrans or the water through those roots. They're 211 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:39.559 really anchors, tans, anchor on branches, on trees, on rocks and 212 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:45.000 cliffs, even on telephone lines. Oh wow, yeah, I've seen that 213 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:50.279 in the wild and Peru. These air plants just perched like birds on high 214 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.600 altitude desert power lines. It was really cool to see that. And you 215 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:58.600 can definitely tell that those roots are doing nothing to help the plant do anything 216 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:03.200 but cling. That's it. That's what they are. And so you don't 217 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.519 want to cut away those roots, those attachments, because that's what they're for 218 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:15.360 is to be secure and whatever vessel or pot or bark that you're going to 219 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:21.440 be placing them in. Okay, So hearing about the way that they don't 220 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:26.039 need their roots to take up water, they're just there to cling. They 221 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:30.919 have these tricomes to help deflect light when there's a really highlight environment, but 222 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:36.279 also absorb water and nutrients. You're saying that sunlight and water are the two 223 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.159 most important things. So if you're growing one of these very very silvery ones, 224 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.000 you know that it's going to deflect a lot of light away, so 225 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:47.879 that probably means that you have to give it a much higher light environment so 226 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:51.919 that it's not deflecting the minimal amounts of sunlight that you're providing. Versus a 227 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.840 greener one, you might be able to get away with more bright indirect light. 228 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.440 Is that a good way to think of that, Yes, exactly. 229 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:06.079 Zerographica, that's one of the tilansias that are very silver gray. Yeah. 230 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:08.039 Oh, it's beautiful. It's one of the bigger ones, and you see 231 00:17:08.039 --> 00:17:11.839 them at plant shops. It's one of my favorites. Yeah, and very 232 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:15.720 expensive because it takes a while to grow. It's a slow grower, right, 233 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:22.319 But that in particular needs the hottest part of your window where your room, 234 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.440 and it needs at sunlight. I put that where I get sunlight in 235 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:33.000 the west and during noon it's very bright and sunny. I water it less 236 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:40.119 and it doesn't cause any rot. I have seen my xerographica rought out because 237 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:44.440 too much water has been captured into the cap. That's how I'm killed every 238 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:49.559 zero graphica that I've ever killed. Yeah, So when you're talking about water 239 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:55.559 being important for these in the wild, the ones that come from really dry 240 00:17:55.640 --> 00:18:00.000 ecosystems are going to get probably some warning do probably some seasonal rain. Absolutely, 241 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:03.920 then the ones that come from wetter climates are getting a lot of it 242 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:07.920 from both rain and from humidity. I know that a lot of people tend 243 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:11.039 to soak their plants and bowls of water and then let them drain upside down 244 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:15.680 to make sure that water gets away from them. But do you have any 245 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:21.039 tips for how to keep your house plants, air plants as well moistened as 246 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:25.880 they need, the frequency kind of how you should prioritize humidity versus active watering. 247 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:30.400 There's several ways of watering, Okay, I have to say though at 248 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:33.680 home, for my chillensias, I don't have a lot. What I do 249 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.599 have I soak them once a week, okay, for how long? Anywhere 250 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:41.519 from an hour to three hours Okay, I think an hour is safe to 251 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:45.559 say. But I do soak them because I don't have time during the week 252 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.799 to miss as I should be right right, they should be misted like maybe 253 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:52.920 three times a day in the wild, that how they would get their moisture. 254 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:57.240 But at home maybe missing once a day would be ideal. But some 255 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:02.880 of us forget One of the signs that you'll see on tilansias where it will 256 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:07.680 need water is that the leaves will start curling to form kind of a pencil 257 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:11.000 shape tunnel shame. I've seen that. Yeah, and once that gets hydrated, 258 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.039 it starts spiking up and standing a little taller. Yeah. Okay, 259 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:19.440 you can do kind of a shower or take it right into your bathtub and 260 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:25.240 take the nozzle and shower it off. Those are three things that I've heard 261 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:30.160 of and that I actually do, and it works. Are growing great. 262 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:33.920 Yeah, they're doing well by following that regime. Okay, And I like 263 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.640 that we have an option for people who are fairly hands off, you can 264 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.319 just soak them once a week or so, and then if you're a really 265 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.200 hands on plant person, you can miss them as much as you want. 266 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:47.759 The thing you don't want to do is you don't want to leave water sitting, 267 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:52.240 especially at the base or even on the leaves. You don't want to 268 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.519 have water sitting there. You want to make sure that it does drain off 269 00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:57.640 or dry. Yeah. And I love the way that you know if you 270 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:02.799 thoroughly soaked a planta as regardless of how silvery they are when they're dry, 271 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.640 they look green, and then when they're bright and silvery again, or back 272 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:08.279 to their room or color, and you can put them back where they were 273 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:15.440 displayed originally. Yeah, I know when I water my tolanza wall that I've 274 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:18.599 watered thoroughly enough. When they turn green, all of them have a little 275 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:22.559 bit of a silvery skin to it. But once yeah, I know that 276 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.799 it's sufficiently watered, and then I move on. Okay, Okay, I 277 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:30.279 am learning a lot already, so this is very helpful for me. Yeah, 278 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.559 you know, because you know in your experience just visiting other people's solves, 279 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.720 like I've seen great tolanzia display is happening in like a bathroom, right, 280 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:41.920 or maybe they're getting that humidity, maybe they're getting water from the shower. 281 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:45.359 Great ones in like the kitchen window too, right, where maybe people 282 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.920 are remembering to spray and all of that. I am kind of the nitpeaky 283 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:55.759 one on this podcast in some ways where I sort of want the exact direction. 284 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:59.559 So when I hear soaking, I just had a little follow up question 285 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.359 there, is it like you would soak it in a bowl you just kind 286 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:04.160 of put it in the bowl, or is it like you really should make 287 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:07.680 sure the plant is submerged like sometimes you have to kind of put a weight 288 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:11.680 on them to sink it untill you get it under There is there a specific 289 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:18.480 delicate ste I think they're delicate. I mean they float, right, that's 290 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.440 true. The leaves are kind of brittle sometimes, and so I would be 291 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.519 very careful about putting a weight on. I actually use a Pyrex bowl sometimes, 292 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:30.880 or one of my plastic mixing bowls, or I have a basin that 293 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:34.720 I use. I use any of those, depending on the mount of telamsias 294 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:37.759 I have to soak. Okay, I guess I do have quite a few, 295 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:41.839 but I collect them all and i'd fill it up to the brim with 296 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:47.240 water, and I very delicately push my hands down so that they submerged for 297 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:49.000 a little bit, and then I just let them alone. Okay, you 298 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:52.799 know, I come back and maybe toss him around like a toss salad, 299 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:56.599 but toss him around. Yeah, And within that hour, you know, 300 00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:02.119 it's gotten maybe turned once twice maybe okay, great, marinating some vegetables or 301 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:06.799 meat, right, and then you're ready. They're ready to go. Well, 302 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:11.039 here's another follow up question. Does the water quality matter if these are 303 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:15.119 getting mostly like missed humid air rain. I imagine that you're going to want 304 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:21.359 to be fairly careful with using good quality water for these Will they be harmed 305 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:25.200 if you have either hard water or maybe chlorine added to your tap water? 306 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:29.519 You know, I haven't heard much about that myself. We are lucky in 307 00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:34.039 Seattle to have extremely high quality water here exactly exactly. But I think ideally 308 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.359 you would like to have maybe purified or maybe even distilled water. But I 309 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:42.960 don't think it matters here in Seattle, Like you said, we have very 310 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:47.960 high quality water. Do you fertilize? Do you add fertilizer to the water 311 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:51.680 at any point while you're soaking them. I've never done that. I've never 312 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:56.359 put fertilizer in the soak okay, but they do require fertilizer, Okay. 313 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:00.559 You may notice on some of your plants that it's getting weaker looking, it's 314 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:03.720 losing its green, it's kind of grayish or yellow at the base. And 315 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.720 it could be one of two things. I mean, it could be maybe 316 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:15.119 starting the overwatering process, but more than likely it is not getting enough fertilizer 317 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:18.759 because it needs to feed off of something. And home plants, home tilansias 318 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:23.519 do need a fair amount of fertilizer, and I would say every three months 319 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:29.000 during the winter, and then especially during the growing season, maybe biweekly monthly. 320 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:33.400 Okay, can you give me guidance on the MPK ratio that they you 321 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.319 want a little bit of nitrogen, but the rest can be even. They 322 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.279 can all be even. But if you have a little bit of nitrogen the 323 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.839 first number, then that would be better. So you want that to be 324 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:45.880 a little higher than higher. So if you had a twenty twenty twenty, 325 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:51.240 if you went to a twenty three twenty twenty, that would be a better 326 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:56.039 option. Okay, But if you tend to want to fertilize every time you 327 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:00.960 water, then I would dilute that fertilizer maybe in half, which is what 328 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:07.079 you at the conservatory. Yeah, we have a weekly schedule when we fertilize 329 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:11.200 all of our plants. But it's a very weak solution. Same thing at 330 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:15.319 home. You want to dilute that fertilizer so it's safe because if you have 331 00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:21.079 too much fertilizer, you will definitely bring your plants. Okay, So growing 332 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:26.960 a variety of kinds of bromeliads. The only pests that I've noticed on mine, 333 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:29.799 but again, this is with near regalia, which is more of like 334 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:34.039 that tank style tropical rainforest, you know, bromeliads. I've noticed scale on 335 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:38.920 those. Yeah, I've not noticed anything specifically on my Tolanzia, But can 336 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:44.559 you give us an idea of what kind of either pests you needs to look 337 00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:48.319 out for or maybe pest management if you do have an infestation. I've basically 338 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.000 here at the conservatory and even well, not so much at home. I 339 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:56.319 really try to play it safe at home. Here we have lots of Mealy 340 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:00.720 books and we have lots of scale. Yeah, you want to tackle those 341 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:07.160 things right away because if scale gets into the base and into the crevices, 342 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:11.960 same thing with Mealy bugs, really damaging to the plant. You may have 343 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.920 to just get rid of it. Seems like it'd be tough to get those 344 00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:18.799 outs, and good luck controlling it when they've really gotten deep into those rosettes, 345 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:22.480 so many nooks and grammys. Yeah, it is tough. I actually 346 00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:27.839 use a soft toothbrush with a soapy water solution and brush out the scale. 347 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:32.680 I don't want to brush too hard because it could damage the surface, but 348 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:36.920 I've had to do that on some of my better tilansius that I wanted to 349 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:40.039 say, yeah, do you have to worry about removing the try comes when 350 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:41.920 you do that? Well, that's what I'm saying is that it may remove 351 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:47.319 some but I think the gentle brushing just in one section. Meanly, bugs 352 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:51.799 aren't as bad as scale. I think scale is much more serious. But 353 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:56.440 really bugs are ugly looking and they get cottony, and they scatter too. 354 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.720 You can actually see the mealy bugs crawling around. But that you can actually 355 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:06.359 spray off pretty easily. Yeah, take maybe your kitchen spray and go in 356 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:08.960 there and just spray out into the crevice very gently so you don't break the 357 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:14.119 leaves off under and over on the top as well and in the crevices. 358 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:19.279 Then come back once that's all cleaned up with your soapy water solution. It's 359 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:26.000 like a spray bottle, maybe quartz size, with three or four squeezes of 360 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:29.839 dish soap in the water and that's it okay, And you don't have to 361 00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:34.279 worry about using some kind of like special soap like down dishwashing fluid is going 362 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:37.640 to be okay there. I don't think it matters. I think just three 363 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:41.519 or four scots of it and it'll be okay. Okay, we use seventh 364 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:45.519 generation here, so whatever you have at home, okay, Well, before 365 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:48.960 we move on to Steven's next question, I just want to say that what 366 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.559 I love about the idea of treating these pests is that it is like the 367 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.720 same motion as watering them. Well, that you can kind of do this 368 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:00.759 both to remove them by spring them down you're watering at the same time, 369 00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:04.519 as well as that being a good preventative treatment, like if you have baby 370 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:08.720 mealy bugs, you're washing them off before they've established a breeding population. Just 371 00:27:08.839 --> 00:27:11.880 an emotion of caring for these plants the way that they need. I can 372 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:15.319 tell you're a plantsman. Yeah, if we've been doing this for a little 373 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:22.200 while, I've also had my brush with mealy bugs. They're never gone. 374 00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:25.119 Yeah, And you know, I just kind of want to throw in that 375 00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:29.119 was good pest management talk there. But in my experience, I've never had 376 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.279 pests on mine. I've had scale in my home, right, things like 377 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:36.559 that. So I just anyone listening, I hope you know you're not hearing 378 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:41.599 it like it's this chronic, you know, extremely common issue. And I 379 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:44.359 think I think you guys would agree, right, Yeah, at least Steven 380 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:47.680 and I both agree that of the pests that we have had, they have 381 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:49.839 not showed up on the clansia, even if there are lots of other plants 382 00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:55.359 nearby. But I've had serious outbreaks of other things on wood. Yeah. 383 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:57.079 Yeah, oh, I agree with you. I have no pests on my 384 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:03.960 clansia is at home, and I think those are one of the prime plants 385 00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:07.000 to own because they don't get that many pests when you have them in the 386 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:11.240 home. Saying, yeah, that is such a blessing. So no pest, 387 00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:15.359 no soil, you know what, These are very easy. Yeah. 388 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:22.079 So what are your recommended species for home growers? Yeah? Speaking of easy, 389 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:26.359 where's a good place to start in the home environment. I think starting 390 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:30.799 small, and it could be any species that starting fall is always good. 391 00:28:32.119 --> 00:28:37.039 But I just showed you one of my favorites. I had a very tiny 392 00:28:37.079 --> 00:28:40.440 one when I first started, and it is two or three times the size, 393 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:42.519 so it's a grower. Yeah, it's kind of surprising, but it 394 00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:48.960 has a most beautiful plant, has a spike on it or fluorescence that's a 395 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.640 hot pink with purple flowers that are extending out of the bracts here and then 396 00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:57.039 plus it's curly. You know it's got this Medusa effect. It is a 397 00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:00.279 really unique shape. Yeah, I think you can kind of see the Medusa 398 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:04.640 element. And I'm just going to interject your like, podcasting is an auditory 399 00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:10.799 medium, and we're looking at a really beautiful plant over the video that we're 400 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:14.839 doing this on. This is a clansy that you're probably familiar with at plant 401 00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:18.000 shops that kind of has like this bulb shape with really thick, fleshy, 402 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.640 succulent leaves to it that kind of come out. So you've got like this 403 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:26.799 bulb at the base with these twisted corkscrewing leaves. They're very coarse compared with 404 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:30.160 some of the other air plants. Stephen has one, And Stephen, how 405 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:33.880 big is your airplant? Does it? Does it look as nice as hers? 406 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:37.119 Let's just say it was surprised to hear that it was a grower, 407 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:44.680 Emily. I've had Yeah, I've had mine be kind of the same size. 408 00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:45.839 For I mean, I want to say a year or so. We're 409 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.839 here to learn from you, Emily. Steven's not been missing or fertilizing his 410 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:53.039 Yes, we are both. I think we're both to Lanzia novices in some 411 00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:56.759 respect, and I am kind of at this point where I'm just happy that 412 00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:00.759 I've had it for this long. It has been the the same size for 413 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:03.200 a year. It does still look good though, and I'm very glad too. 414 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:07.200 They said to start small because that's you know, that can be tricky 415 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:10.160 sometimes sometimes, you know, it's better to start with a plant that has 416 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:14.960 some size that maybe can weather rocky care as people figure them out. So, 417 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.240 yeah, I started small, and I have more hope now, So 418 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:21.960 thank you, Emily. Well, so here's a question. When you say 419 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:26.960 start small, do you mean the small species they're typically available at most places 420 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:30.960 that sell plants, and specifically air plants, or do you means start small 421 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:33.279 with like pick a couple, don't get a huge collection, figure out the 422 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:37.720 care of the ones that you begin with. Probably both, right, yeah, 423 00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:41.440 yeah, definitely both. Okay, because there are some smaller tolanzias. 424 00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:48.160 I find those very tedious and very sensitive to touch because they just sort of 425 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:52.480 fall apart. So I would get something that is a little sturdier, smaller, 426 00:30:52.920 --> 00:30:57.200 and maybe get that and another the duse. Maybe you're just one that 427 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:02.400 speaks to you whatever you like. But you know, start a small quantity 428 00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:06.480 wise and size wise, because if they should fail, then you really haven't 429 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:11.079 lost too much. Okay, great, that's a good idea. So what 430 00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:14.480 I'm hearing is basically that if you can find it at a plant shop, 431 00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:18.480 it's going to be a good option that you don't have to worry about any 432 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:21.960 enormous challenges in their care. Do you think that's a good way to sum 433 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:26.359 it up? I think so that's comforting. Now if you feel as though 434 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:32.279 you have kind of gotten the knack of these that maybe you're growing some like 435 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:34.680 down a little fish and gravel, or growing them hanging in a window or 436 00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:37.839 something, and you're happy with them, if you really want to go to 437 00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:41.920 the next level with your air plants, like I don't know, maybe you 438 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:45.839 see them flower, maybe you see them produce seeds, if you want to 439 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:49.920 try growing them from seeds or try maybe a more tricky species. Do you 440 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.880 have any ideas for how a home grower who wants to get more invested in 441 00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:59.079 a higher level air plant could kind of do this? Yeah, Ire Like, 442 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:01.559 for the experience inst people out there, we are novices, clearly, 443 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:06.359 but the more experienced people listening to our show, yeah, because I'm kind 444 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:09.599 of thinking that you might be telling us about terrariums or some like really unique 445 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:13.400 species that you might have to search out. But I'm just curious where you 446 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:17.519 think a budding airplant fanatic could kind of like sink their teeth. A little 447 00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:21.880 later, there was another favorite that I want to bring up that I really 448 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:27.960 like, and it's called the Talensia ciania. It has a y okay and 449 00:32:28.200 --> 00:32:34.079 the beautiful purplish blue florescence that come out of the bracts of this pink paddle 450 00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:37.599 and literally it's like a paddle. Yeah. That one reminds me much more 451 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:43.839 of the Vergia And it was actually my very first bromelia that I ever owned 452 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:46.000 back in like junior high. I love that one. Yeah, And the 453 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:50.720 thing is, you know, I thought this was just so alarming to see 454 00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:52.960 this pink paddle with the purple flowers. It just brightened up my day. 455 00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:00.519 Every side Find Myself Home Depot Lows sells it. Really every is getting into 456 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:06.160 these designer and exotic plants now, which I think is good. But I 457 00:33:06.279 --> 00:33:09.920 was so surprised that Lows had a whole tray that was going to be my 458 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.519 question, right, like, where do you find this exclusive, you know, 459 00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:17.720 challenge species? Okay, I mean I think that I got mine at 460 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:22.640 lows a something years ago, and I gotta say, like, it is 461 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:29.759 so colorful. The flowers themselves clash in the most in the most brilliant and 462 00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:35.079 beautiful way with the like flaming pink bracts that they come from. It's a 463 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:37.160 really grassy looking plant too. It has a darker foliage and less of that 464 00:33:37.279 --> 00:33:40.759 silveriness to it. That's that's a good recommendation. I like that. Yeah, 465 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:45.039 it's it's very bright green and it's kind of brittle, so you don't 466 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:49.599 want to knock up against it. That's a problem with this as Sianias is 467 00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:52.559 that the leaves can break off very easy, so you want to be able 468 00:33:52.599 --> 00:33:58.440 to I guess, hang it or put it in a structure that is kind 469 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:00.720 of more pedestal, like, because I I've snapped the leaves off, Like 470 00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:05.440 it's not like the leaf itself breaks, but it snaps off from the base 471 00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:08.920 of the plant kind of like is that is that how you found that to 472 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:14.480 be brittle? Yes? Okay, yeah, it's the tips are just get 473 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:17.039 broken very easy, so I have to set it back a little bit from 474 00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:22.840 the bench in the conservative I bet people want to touch them too. Oh 475 00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:27.400 of course there's a tactile. It's a show stopper. When people come by 476 00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:30.079 and that they'll say, oh my gosh, and they'll start taking pictures. 477 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:35.239 Yeah, and maybe you can tell me what some of these species are, 478 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:37.280 because I don't know a ton of them. But there are some that are 479 00:34:37.639 --> 00:34:43.320 super narrow, leave that they are very grassy, some that have really fluffy, 480 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:46.679 silvery kind of like it seems like the try comes are almost like flocking, 481 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:51.679 like a you know, holiday decoration. There's a lot of diversity in 482 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:54.280 form here. I know which ones you're talking about. There's one and I 483 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:59.400 forget the name of it. It almost looks like a pine cone with yeah, 484 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:05.119 and they kind of come into a little ball and they have the little 485 00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:09.199 tiny thread like leaves that stick out, and if you put them together they 486 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:13.880 kind of cling like velcro. You can make kind of a sphere out of 487 00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:16.960 it. There's also one very similar to that, but it's a little more 488 00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:24.000 elongated with very extended leaves and the fluorescence. The spike that it gives out 489 00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:29.920 is very long, maybe one or two feet, with purple at the end. 490 00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:35.679 Yeah, there really is this amazing diversity of species commercially available ones. 491 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:39.559 Yeah, and also display options, right, Like I think just the air 492 00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:44.400 plant nous of air plants, it kind of forces you to think of different 493 00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:46.559 ways to display them and to grow them. Gives you a lot of options. 494 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:50.840 There's definitely a lot of you know, artisanal kind of projects that you 495 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:52.559 can do that could really enhance these and you can have fun with. And 496 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.760 that makes me think of just like one little follow up question that I want 497 00:35:55.800 --> 00:36:01.280 to ask when you're displaying these is it important to the plant's ongoing health to 498 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:07.039 encourage them to actually secure themselves onto something or could you really just treat them 499 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:13.039 like this little self contained, completely mobile plant that you care for well, 500 00:36:13.159 --> 00:36:16.039 display in different ways as you feel like it. Are they going to continue 501 00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:20.320 to thrive even if they've not clung to something. I find that if I 502 00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:24.039 don't anchor them in some way, like with wire, that they don't really 503 00:36:24.079 --> 00:36:28.320 perform as well. Yeah, you can put it in a dish, but 504 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:32.840 in our setting of the conservatory, things are either on the bench in a 505 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:37.679 substrate or the soil, or they're hanging. Now, all the tilanzias are 506 00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:39.960 hanging. Okay, I want to bring up a book. I don't want 507 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.679 to promote a book, but there's one out in the market now that I 508 00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:47.320 really like it, and this talks about displaying it. I mean you can 509 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:53.800 even have tillansias as boutineers on a bridegroom's buttonhole. I've seen that, or 510 00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:59.559 yes, part of a veil. It's really interesting. And it's by Zenatas 511 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:02.639 saying it looks like a good thick tone too. Oh it is nice. 512 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:07.239 Yeah, it has everything that we've talked about, plus at the very end 513 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:13.760 it shows you about how to design and how to attach these. That looks 514 00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:16.679 really good. Yeah, that looks great. I love that. Yeah, 515 00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:21.679 it's so interesting. And Stephen, we're going to chat about this after we're 516 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:27.119 done with Emily, because I have definitely used airplants as like ornamentation in the 517 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:30.440 past. Oh wow, by your window, I mean, this is my 518 00:37:30.519 --> 00:37:32.159 favorite. I love that. I've seen stuff like that. That's how I 519 00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:35.639 would want to display mine. Yeah, I like that. That's great. 520 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:39.000 Basically, what we just saw was like a very handsome, elegant looking wire 521 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:44.320 mash in a window with airplants is growing on it. Really beautiful. Okay, 522 00:37:44.400 --> 00:37:49.079 so we've gotten a lot of good information. I have learned a lot. 523 00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:52.920 Maybe you could see the wheels turning a little bit like I do move 524 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:55.480 my airplants, maybe a little bit too much. I don't move my other 525 00:37:55.559 --> 00:38:00.320 plants. Maybe we need to let them grow like plants, not like ornaments. 526 00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:05.039 So why, yeah, why have I treated them that way? And 527 00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:08.320 so on? I really think that's okay, because it's like furniture in our 528 00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:13.000 house. I mean, they do thrive pretty well, but not for long, 529 00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:16.880 okay, so moving it around. That's part of the owner's fantasy of 530 00:38:16.960 --> 00:38:21.719 growing plants like that, is to be able to place it in places like 531 00:38:21.760 --> 00:38:25.119 a coffee table or a kitchen bowl or something, but then bring it back 532 00:38:25.159 --> 00:38:30.039 to its origin where it has the light and the water, because it's going 533 00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:32.719 to need it, yeah, eventually, but it will thrive. Yeah. 534 00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:37.360 So it's just the same as our potted plants. These just don't have pots, 535 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:43.519 right, Okay. So if someone after all this good information, if 536 00:38:43.559 --> 00:38:46.599 you're still hesitant, what would you tell them to convince them to try air 537 00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:52.800 plants out? Well, I just think it's so creative that you've got this 538 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:57.519 plant that doesn't need to be in soil. I mean, our whole lives 539 00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:00.599 we think we put we dig a hole in the ground, we put our 540 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:05.480 tomato seed in there. And watch it grow. Here's a plant that you 541 00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:09.480 don't need to do that too, and to understand its origins because they're from 542 00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:16.119 Mexico, Central America, and South America and even of Southeastern America, United 543 00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:21.159 States. We have them growing. I've seen them growing in Houston. Yeah, 544 00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:25.360 yeah, yeah, So I think that's the marvel of this plant is 545 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:34.000 that it's in the air and taking an advantage of that and trying to develop 546 00:39:34.199 --> 00:39:37.440 some good growing habits. To see your air plant thrive in your home, 547 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:43.880 I think is a great challenge and it's different than any other plant that you 548 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:46.159 will ever own. It really is. They're in a class by themselves. 549 00:39:46.960 --> 00:39:51.559 Any of us who don't have any table space left. You have no excuses 550 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:54.400 with air plants, right, And I love that we kind of have these 551 00:39:54.440 --> 00:39:58.199 ideas of if you want to grow them, ideally you can do this, 552 00:39:58.280 --> 00:40:00.719 and if you want them to survive and still do okay, you can be 553 00:40:00.760 --> 00:40:05.760 a little bit more relaxed with that. It seems like they're just relatable and 554 00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:08.920 yeah, they're going to suit most people who are interested in plants, whether 555 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:13.199 or not they're anywhere near as passionate as the three of us, or if 556 00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:15.719 you just want something that's alive and kind of green. And the good thing 557 00:40:15.719 --> 00:40:20.599 too is that you don't get aphids and you don't have slugs to eat them 558 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:24.000 up. Right, even better, even better? Right, and you know 559 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:29.519 in the home environment, you won't have the outdoor pest that plants to come 560 00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:35.400 to, so I think your chances of success would be pretty good. Start 561 00:40:35.480 --> 00:40:37.679 small, Okay, great, all right, thank you so much. This 562 00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:43.840 has been so informative. Yeah, and for imparting all of this great information, 563 00:40:44.079 --> 00:40:45.280 I'm helped and I'm sure a lot of people will be great. I 564 00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:47.800 enjoy it. Yeah, thank you so much for joining us today, Emily. 565 00:40:47.840 --> 00:40:51.599 It's been a real pleasure, very welcome. It was my pleasure. 566 00:40:51.800 --> 00:40:55.719 Thank you, thank you. Okay, Well, I loved that and I 567 00:40:55.840 --> 00:41:00.840 learned some things that could help my little airplant collection pretty much right away. 568 00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:04.360 Yeah, and that was just a really fun chat too. I'm really glad 569 00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:07.199 that we got to meet with Emily and have this interview with her. We 570 00:41:07.239 --> 00:41:10.440 really just got to enjoy a laid back plant levers conversation, and it made 571 00:41:10.440 --> 00:41:15.280 me feel much more confident in how I'm going to approach my tlanzia in the 572 00:41:15.320 --> 00:41:20.039 future, just with more deliberate intention really, and I am now fully inspired 573 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:22.639 to do that and grow them much better from now on. Same and this 574 00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:28.400 week's after show, we discussed the TOLLANSI interested botanists that share a Stephen's surname 575 00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:34.079 and the inspiration or burden of having plant species that seem to contain your name 576 00:41:34.199 --> 00:41:37.519 or family name? Is this a force in your planty life? If extra 577 00:41:37.559 --> 00:41:40.000 banter like this sounds appealing, however, to Patreon dot com slash plant Daddy 578 00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:45.199 Podcast and check out our official patron level. Okay, anything else? No, 579 00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:47.679 I think that's it all right. This has been Plant Daddy Podcast. 580 00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:51.800 Thanks for listening, don't forget to like and subscribe, Tell your friends about 581 00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:52.840 us, and if you enjoy what you've heard, please give us a five 582 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:55.840 star rating that I'll brothers find us. To see images of things we discussed 583 00:41:55.840 --> 00:42:00.719 in our episodes, check out our interested Instagram or visit our TikTok. If 584 00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:02.639 you want to be in touch, email us at plant Eddy Podcast at gmail, 585 00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:06.920 or check out a website plant Teddy podcast dot com. Until next week, 586 00:42:06.960 --> 00:42:07.679 Thanks for listening and happy growing