Secrets to Successful Houseplants from the Experts

Although air plants may not need watering like conventional plants, they do need misting regularly.

• if the leaf edges begin to roll up, that’s a sign they’re too dry

If you want to get fat, healthy Tillandsias, you should feed your plants too.

• Standard houseplant fertilizers don’t contain the right mix of nutrients, you will need to buy a specialist product
• if you’re in the UK, try Tillandsia Feed (£2.99)
• US growers can try Epiphyte’s Delight ($4.50 from Rainforest Flora) or Airplant City’s Air Plant And Bromeliad Fertilizer Packet ($4.75).

Cacti and succulents won’t thrive in bog standard compost.

Those in the know at the British Cactus and Succulent Society use a special ingredient in place of the grit or gravel: cat litter.

Cat litter has two advantages over grit or gravel

• It’s lightweight
• unlike grit it is porous

This means it can “mop up” excess water from around the roots and release it gradually, as well as ensure there are tiny air pockets in the soil, which is a great combination for cacti and succulents.

Two parts compost to two parts litter to one part grit isn’t a bad place to start.