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New tillies

  • Thread starter thez_yo
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thez_yo

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So... after killing my last batch of tillies from a good 9 years ago, I've finally successfully kept 2 alive for more than 4 years. That motivated me to look for some more to hang off of my Nepenthes again and I found a seller on Amazon of all places that sells 12 for $18, and they actually sent 15 of em! I figure after I accidentally kill half, I'll still have a good handful left hahaha...

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I have them hanging on their own for a week or two in case they had bugs of any sort - but just to ask, is neem safe on these guys? I can't imagine it would be but I'd like to continue not killing my tillies... :biggrin-new:

As a bonus, here's a tilly hanging on a wall at my neighborhood nursery -

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Hopefully one day mine can get this big. What kind of tilly is it? I like the curly leaves.
 
Tillandsia duratii ,
 
Thez, you could always experiment on one of the duplicates, but I really would be very hesitant to use any kind of oil on a tillie. Tillies -- particularly the silvery ones are full sun plants. (Though whether they could handle your mid afternoon sun I don't know. Might be able to if hardened off.) The trichomes, which give those tillies their silvery/whitish look are responsible for water absorption and reflecting excess light away from the plant. (The latter function being not unlike the long white hair/fur "old man" cactus grow.) Coating those areas with an oil might interfere with the ability of the trichomes to uptake water as well as increase the risk of sun burn.

The tillie with curly leaves might be T. duratii. If so, it is a tillie that is adapted to dry/arid environments though it can handle higher humidity and regular watering as well. (Has quite a wide range: " Tillandsia duratii is native to the dry forests of Bolivia, the eastern areas of Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. It is found at various altitudes ranging from 200 to over 1300 meters, almost 3000 meters for saxatilis variety.") Note the plant can get HUGE.

I have had a duratii for years. In my care it is quite slow growing, BUT that is likely in part a result of my being a "tough love" plant daddy. Once temps remain in the 50Fs, it goes outside on my balcony until fall. My balcony gets full sun from 8am to 2pm through the summer and gets hot enough for my balcony floor to blister one's feet. It gets watered whenever it rains or I am watering the plants on the balcony. During this time is when I see the most growth. It winters indoors in my "wonderful" 10-15% RH and gets watered infrequently because I tend to forget about it. :blush:


 
Coating those areas with an oil might interfere with the ability of the trichomes to uptake water as well as increase the risk of sun burn.

Sitting on their own for a few weeks without neem it is!
 
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