Water your Tillandsia at the right time!

4.00 pm. It’s time to water the plants in the tropical greenhouse. The Tillandsia, richly covered in scales, then take on a whole new ‘look’…

Before:

After:

The white ‘down’, which has turned grey from the water it is filled with, lies flat against the foliage, revealing its colour. Some of the water is absorbed by the plant, whilst the rest evaporates.

In the case of a species such as T. tectorum, it is important not to water after sunset, as the plant would not be able to dry out quickly enough and is very likely to remain damp until the following day, which is very bad! As I write this, the down has already dried out somewhat: it is beginning to regain its upright posture and its white colour.