Consider humidity as the holy grail that keeps your tropicals thriving. Many of your houseplants hail from tropical climates all over the world. Oftentimes, the conditions of your home will not be ideal for their survival due to dry air created by heating and cooling units. There are multiple ways to increase the humidity levels in your home to help keep curling leaves, crispy edges and sad plants at bay.
- Purchase a humidifier. This is the most obvious solution. It's also the most expensive solution, and often not enough to reach every room that houses a plant.
- Spray your leaves. Using any spray bottle, simply spray down your tropicals daily to create a mist. If your home is particularly dry, consider doing this 1-3 times a day. Don't forget to do your research though- some plants are more susceptible to bacterial infections like leaf spot than others.
- Group your tropicals. Placing all of your plants in close proximity to one another will naturally increase the humidity levels around them. Your tropicals will be quite happy with friends nearby.
- Create a pebble tray. Simply fill a plastic tray with pebbles and fill it with water. Make sure you don’t fill it too high- you don’t want it seeping into the drainage hole. This method is great because it means there is always water evaporating around your plant, and BAM! High humidity attained.
- Shots! Shots! Shots! Fill shot glasses with water and place them around your plants. Who doesn’t love a hot and humid party?
- Shower with them. This sounds a little scandalous, but your plants will love the humidity created by the shower. Additionally, depending on the lighting, you can consider letting your high humidity friends live in the bathroom permanently.
-
Build a terrarium. Closed terrariums require less water and create a greenhouse effect, making a lovely humid home for any tropical plant. This really allows you to get the creative juices flowing and is widely seen as a relaxing activity.
Always remember to do your research when bringing a new plant home. Desert plants prefer dry environments, so avoid placing them near humidifiers or in bathrooms. Now that you know how to increase the humidity levels in your space, you can say goodbye to pesky crispy edges and sad foliage. Your skin will probably thank you too.