I enjoy plants. I get a real jolt out of seeing plants and flowers that I have potted and kept up with the watering, thriving and growing, big and luscious.
I also have a couple of excellent areas where I put my plants that they seem to grow like crazy in.
One being the window sill in the kitchen,
and the other one being a bathtub (it’s a ridiculously small bathtub, I don’t know what the builders of the house were thinking when they put it in)
that sits underneath a skylight in the bathroom.
Both of those areas work well for growing because of their easy access to water and direct sunlight for 4 or 5 hours a day. Not to mention the amount of humidity in those rooms.
But I also have a room where even though it gets a lot of sunlight, it is very dry and a pain to carry water in there to take care of the plants.
I know that makes me sound lazy, but there is a big difference in taking care of plants when you have easy access to water. Take it from me.
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My Plant Humidifier Experience
Recently I decided to go the humidifier route, with the plants in that room.
After all, it only makes sense.
When you compare that room to the other rooms where we keep plants, there’s an obvious difference.
The plants in the bathroom and in the kitchen both get a lot of humidity.
Bathrooms are naturally humid because of the showers going on and kitchens also get their share of humidity from the kitchen sink.
So putting a humidifier in the other plant room to keep moisture in the air seemed like the perfect ideal.
So what did I learn from it?
Are humidifiers good for plants?
Putting a humidifier with my plants works pretty well. Does it transform that area into a greenhouse? Not exactly. But it does make a difference.
The plants seem to be a little greener from just having a little humidity settling on them.
They have that vibe of being happy and healthy, the way they’re reaching for the sky..
I told you I like growing plants.
Do plants need a cool or warm mist humidifier?
I originally used a vaporizer because we just happen to have one in the closet.
And it made sense that tropical plants probably like hot humidity because of their natural habitat and what.
It also seemed like a good idea because the water in the vaporizer was being boiled which means less chance of mold and bacteria growing in it.
Both of those assumptions were true.
But nevertheless, I decided to take out the vaporizer and put a cool mist humidifier in there instead ,because the vaporizer was making the room feel too swampy.
Did I see a difference in the plants by swapping out the vaporizer with the humidifier?
No I didn’t. I’m guessing humidity is humidity no matter what the temperature is.
When should I use a humidifier for my plants?
When should I use a humidifier for my plants?
Some of the other particulars like when and how, I just Googled them.
In Particular, I needed to know when to use it and where to put it.
I needed to know when the actual humidity in the house warranted using a humidifier and I needed to know when, as in what time of the day to use it.
What I found out about “when to use it” made perfect sense when I heard it.
The ideal is to run the humidifier in the morning before the sun shines directly on the plants.
That probably all depends on which room you’re putting them in and what time the Sun shines into that room.
The Sun hits my room in the afternoon, so running the humidifier in the morning is better for me.
The main reason and why it makes so much sense is that if you are running your humidifier at the same time that the Sun is directly hitting your plants,
The condensation that the humidifier creates can have a magnifying glass effect which can cause the sun to burn your plants.
The same reason why they say not to water your grass in the afternoon sun.
Told you it would make sense when you heard it.
As far as the humidity level in the house, it turns out that plants are very similar to humans in the level of humidity that they find most beneficial.
Though some tropical plants need more humidity, most plants thrive best when the humidity in the house is between 40 and 60%. Other plants like succulents prefer desert conditions so a humidifier is pretty useless for growing cactus.
How do you know what your humidity is?
A little device called a hygrometer. It’s also called a humidity gauge or a humidity meter.
As a standalone device, they’re pretty cheap. Around the $20 mark.
But you can also buy a humidifier that has a humidity meter built in. And a humidistat to control when the humidifier comes on and turns off according to the relative humidity of the room at any time.
A much more convenient option.
Where do you place a plant humidifier?
The other thing I needed to know was where to put the humidifier in relation to the plants.
The answer I found when I Googled this didn’t make as much sense to me.
It’s because I would think that plants would love the feeling of having condensation on them.
Since, especially when you’re talking about tropical plants, they are used to having the rain pour down on them.
But the experts say that putting the humidifier too close to your plants can cause them to become limp and mushy.
This probably warrants experimenting.
I think I’m going to have to feel this one out a little longer, because with the amount of sunlight coming into that room, I haven’t noticed any mushiness in my plants.
Plant Humidifier Drawbacks
The main drawback is the maintenance required for the humidifier itself.
Not only is keeping it filled with water a drag, it also has to be cleaned weekly to avoid mold and bacteria growing in it.
So if you are shopping for a humidifier, I suggest you find one that has a big tank that doesn’t require refilling as often,
And find something that is easy to clean. Dishwasher friendly.
Recap
A humidifier for your plants is a great idea.
What better way to simulate the natural habitat of a tropical plant than to add moisture into the air with a humidifier?
Just remember that humidifiers require some work. They have to be refilled and cleaned fairly often.
And there are some rules about when and where you want to put it. Like when to use it and where to put it.
And if you are shopping for a plant humidifier,
A few tips you might want to consider are:
- Find one that’s easy to clean.
- Find one that is big enough to run a long time without having to refill it.
- Get one with a humidity meter( hygrometer) so you can make sure you’re running when you need it and not when you don’t.
- And remember you can always go the vaporizer route to minimize the cleaning.
Better yet, get a humidifier that can function as a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist (vaporizer).
