The Importance of Humidity for Plant Health and How to Improve It
Why do some houseplants need higher humidity?
Humidity! In winter, our homes can be drier with the heating blasting. Have you noticed how your skin tends to be drier in the winter and you reach for moisture cream? Well, it's the same for some houseplants, like this Calathea. Many houseplants come from tropical regions where humidity (water vapour in the air) is high, and it's important to try to mimic these conditions to prevent plants from drying out.
Tropical plants ideally need around 60% humidity to thrive. Many modern homes are about 40%.
Some signs to look out for that your plant needs higher humidity:
Leaf tips looking brown and shriveled.
The edges of leaves yellowing.
Flowering plants don’t produce flowers, or if they do, the buds shrivel and fall, or flowers wilt and die quicker than normal.
What you can do to raise humidity for your plants
The good news is there are some easy things you can do to increase humidity for your
houseplants.
Move moisture-loving plants to humid rooms like, kitchens or bathrooms.
Group plants together to create a micro-climate.
Some people mist their plants but you would need to do this several times a day to make any significant difference to humidity levels.
For delicate plants, like ferns, consider putting them in a terrarium. These glass containers trap moisture, creating a humid environment.
My favourite method, the pebble tray. Simply, fill a saucer (or the bottom of your cover pot) with pebbles and keep them moist. Not so the water reaches the soil but enough that it naturally evaporates and raises the humidity around the plant.
If you have tried all these techniques and the air in your home is very dry, and you're an avid plant collector, you may want to invest in a humidifier.
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