{"id":14312,"date":"2023-12-11T17:53:39","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T17:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.honeywellpluggedin.com\/?p=14312"},"modified":"2025-10-20T13:10:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T13:10:01","slug":"help-plants-thrive-with-humidity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/honeywellpluggedin.ca\/fr\/help-plants-thrive-with-humidity\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Plants Thrive With Humidity"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbsection\u00a0\u00bb]\n\t\t\t[et_pb_row admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbrow\u00a0\u00bb]\n\t\t\t\t[et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbText\u00a0\u00bb]\n

Your houseplants. Even with all the love in the world, sometimes they just won\u2019t flourish. But don\u2019t start feeling bad about your green thumb. Simply getting the right humidity level in your home can help your plants thrive \u2013 and with significant benefits for you, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is humidity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Relative humidity (RH) is the kind of humidity talked about most often. RH is the amount of water vapor in the air, compared to how much water vapor the air could hold at its current temperature and pressure. Note that cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air. That\u2019s why dry air is typically colder, and moist, humid air is typically warmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does relative humidity affect houseplants?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Low relative humidity, not high, is often the culprit when it comes to humidity-perpetrated houseplant harm. This is because most plants don\u2019t like dry environments, i.e., environments with a low relative humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When RH is low (say, on a cold day), the air is dry and lacks moisture. As a result, the air will start drawing moisture out of stuff \u2013 like your houseplants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now technically, the \u201cdrawing-out of moisture\u201d is good for plants. When plants transpire, they release moisture at their leaves, in the form of evaporation. Transpiring is what allows the plant to use the food and water you\u2019ve dutifully provided for them, good plant-parent that you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is, RH that is low will make your plants dry out \u2013 they\u2019ll release  moisture faster than you can replenish it. Even if you water your houseplants more frequently on cold, dry days, the leaves on a humidity-sensitive plant can start to turn brown and crisp. Enough water just can\u2019t reach the leaves to counteract the rate of moisture loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proper humidity, happy plants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the right humidity level, your plants can transpire normally, i.e., not lose too much moisture. They will start to thrive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several ways to help give your plants the humidity they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Regularly mist your plants. You\u2019ll need to do this several times a day in order to make a difference, but regularly misting your plants with warm water can help give them a more humid climate. In a very dry home (think wintertime with central heating), misting will be less effective.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Group plants together. Combined with frequent misting, you can help your plants trap and take advantage of the moisture that they\u2019re all giving off by grouping them together in one place, forming a little, humidity-conserving plant community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Create a terrarium. Some plants, like tropical plants and ferns, need very high humidity. You can buy a terrarium or create a glass enclosure (looking at you, old aquarium) in order to create a microclimate where moisture is trapped, and the plants can thrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Use a humidifier. The easiest way to regulate the humidity in your home is with a humidifier \u2013 this way, you can take advantage of more humidity, too. Because it\u2019s not just your plants that get dried out during the winter!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Humidity helps you, too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Cold, dry air is the source of many winter woes, including dry skin and chapped lips, irritated sinuses and throats, and even gaps in hardwood flooring. Since you can\u2019t live in a terrarium with your plants (that\u2019d be awesome, though), give yourself some wintertime relief with a humidifier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n