My-Garden-World Blog

Plants need humidity in order to survive.

Did you know that herbaceous plants need water to stand up? Water to the plant is like air in a balloon. The limp balloon becomes rigid when air is forced into it. An herbaceous plant becomes able to stand up when water fills cells. That is why plants wilt from the lack of water.

Dry air surrounding a plant causes a plant to loose much of its reserve water as it breathes. The more moisture in the air surrounding the plant slows down the amount of moisture escaping. Therefore, it is not only important that the roots have moisture, but the surrounding air as well.

Cactus (succulents) and other plants with thick, waxy, or leathery leaves can tolerate dry air better than others. They store water in their leaves and stems for dry days. Similar to a camel storing water for long treks across the desert.

Plants that have thinner leaves are more susceptible to suffering from the lack of moisture in the air. In other words, the more humidity, the better. I say this with “tongue-in-cheek”, however. High humidity is the breading ground for fungus- don’t over do it!

Once again, pay attention to your plants because their symptoms will tell you if the air is too dry. Curled leaves and dry leaf tips are a good indication of dry air. Dry air can cause flower buds to turn brown and fall off. 

An energy efficient home can be a plant’s worst enemy. 

Just the average home contains less than 30% humidity! Even lower in some energy efficient homes. Not even good for cactus or other succulents. Deserts have more humidity.

Another factor is the area in which you live. The West/Southwest have areas of very low humidity. Areas of the South and Northeast are known for high humidity. For plants, a relative humidity (amount of moisture in the air) between 50 to 60 percent is ideal.

Another “varmint” for plants is the air conditioning system. In order to cool the home, an air conditioner removes moisture from the air.

How can you raise the humidity?

There are some approaches you can take to add moisture to the air. Use saucers to place the plants in. Fill the saucer with water. The evaporation of the water from the saucer will help add moisture to the air immediately surrounding the plant. CAUTION! Do not allow the bottom of the pot to sit in the water. This can cause root rot, formation of fungus, and other problems. Use something to keep the pot elevated out of the water.

Some pots come with saucers that are designed to hold the pot above the collection of water. If you don’t have these, simply place rocks in the saucer that are large enough to prevent the pot from sitting directly in the water.

A humidifier works great in areas of low humidity. Some installed air conditioning systems have this as an added feature of operation.

As a last resort, try misting the plants with a water bottle sprayer. Works great, just more work. Some commercial greenhouses use misting systems entirely for watering plants.

“Til next time when I will be talking about air circulation and recommended temperatures,

Poppy

marvin@my-garden-world.com

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