How To Provide Humidity For House Plants

Step 1: Detecting humidity problems

Unfortunately, central heating provides a very dry atmosphere for house plants, giving only 20 to 60% relative humidity. Ideally they need 80% to thrive.

If your house plants are showing browning at the leaf tips, they may well be suffering from a lack of humidity. Bear in mind though that this can sometimes be a sign of too much humidity, so always check the soil dampness with your finger to make sure.

Step 2: Gravel trays

Fill your plants tray with a layer of agricultural grit, then fill with water to the same level as the grit. This will help to increase the ambient humidity levels surrounding the plants. Alternatively, you can use a clay aggregate, which actually absorbs and holds the water.

Step 3: Grouping

To help the plants create their own micro-climate, group them together to raise local humidity. This also has the advantage of creating an attractive display. Remember to avoid putting the plants in a drafty area.

A further tip is to place dishes of water amongst the plants. This can be topped up daily.

Step 4: Misting

You can spray water once or twice a day all over the plant leaves with a mist sprayer. Leave tap water over night to let it reach room temperature and to allow any chemicals to dissipate. Alternatively, you could collect and use rain water to avoid limescale deposits on the leaves.