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Whether you already have an urban jungle filled with tropical plants or starting, you need to know about plant care.
While you may already know about the best soil to use, have you considered the temperature 🌡️ and humidity for plants?
The problem is that the home’s central and artificial heating systems damage your houseplants. Thus knowing the best humidity for plant growth to temperatures are essential as it is commonly overlooked.
By providing relative humidity for plants with optimal temperatures, you can create an optimal growing environment for your house plants.
So, journey with us to learn the perfect temperature and humidity for plants today.
Ideal Temperature and Humidity For Plants
Imagine you are an indoor plant growing in a greenhouse filled with high humidity levels. Then you left that comfortable temperature and humidity to move to someone’s home.
As you enter the new home, the air conditioner blows cold air while sucking up all the moisture.
Then winter months arrive, and the heating system keeps the atmosphere toasty with dry air. As a result, your leaves start to brown at the tips and yellow.
Not before long, you wilt away, getting crispier, and oh my word, what is that red thing sucking out all the juice of your stems. It is a red spider mite.
Yes, these are all the plant’s symptoms screaming 😱 please increase humidity and temperature for me. Still, most of us do not have the exact humidity requirements as in the rainforest or the temperature.
So, what is the lowest temperature for house plants, or how cold can house plants tolerate? What is the ideal humidity for indoor plants? Find out here.
Ideal Indoor Plant Temperature
All plants need the right temperature to grow as they get it in their natural environment. The only time photosynthesis takes place right is when you provide your plants with the right temperature.
Thus, you need to find the ideal temperature for your house plants, but what temperature is too cold for indoor plants or hot?
There is no perfect 👌 answer as all plants grow differently, and the variable value can change—most plants like different temperatures. But the crucial thing is to ensure that your indoor plant’s temperature does not fluctuate.
Light hours keep the temperature between 70°F-80°F, and dark hours lower the temperature to 60°F. The difference between day and night temperatures must be as slight as possible. So, it helps as you are imitating the seasons.
When the difference is too big or nights are cold, it takes your plants very long to recover, and the chance of mold growth developing is huge.
A Relative Humidity Level For House Plants
A considerable problem with plants indoors is spending hours in a room with air conditioning and central heating. But we can prevent the problem of too low humidity or if a higher humidity is needed.
Humidity levels are measured as relative humidity, meaning that water vapor is measured when water evaporates. It is calculated about the number of water particles in a specific air.
So when you can determine the relative humidity levels, you can provide different plant species with a comfortable level to grow. Still, what is the ideal humidity for your plants? For adults, a comfortable humidity level is 60% to 70%.
While some tropical plants prefer humidity levels up to 90%, and succulents like cacti only need 10% humidity. So, succulents with thicker leaves can tolerate low humidity compared to tropical species that need higher humidity.
Relative Humidity for Plants:
The tropical plant’s percentages are 80% to 90%. You find this when growing plants, especially seedlings, in a conservatory or greenhouse, as it can reach up to 80%. But indoors, this is impossible for seedlings; this is an ideal humidity but not for adults.
Ideal humidity levels for all, even tropical plants, are 60% to 80%. But maintaining this moisture level is not always easy in a home.
During summer in the home, the air humidity levels are usually around 60% to -40%, and this is where most houseplants thrive, but some plants prefer high humidity and need regular misting.
With central heating, the air is dry around 10% to -40%, and succulents to cacti do well, but most houseplants prefer a high humidity as they can get leaf problems.
If you want to create humid areas, it helps to invest in a hygrometer to help you create a humid microclimate for your plants.
You can use the device to measure humidity in your home and even the temperature. Hence, it makes for an ideal combination.
When Should You Increase Humidity or Temperature?
So, how do you know with indoor gardening when to lower humidity or add extra moisture by increasing the humidity or the temperature? Well, your large to small plants will provide you with telltale signs, as seen here:
Temperature and Humidity Problems (Lower Humidity)
As your plants release moisture and the air dries, the tips and edges of leaves turn brown.
The leaf edge can also start turning yellow with low moisture in the air.
Eventually, the leaves start to dry out and shrivel up.
The above usually can happen with humidity-loving plants as they need more humidity to thrive.
Too High Temperature and Humidity
Plant species with hairy or velvety leaves, like African violets or cacti, can form mildew on the leaves as the foliage does not have enough time to dry out.
You find mold to fungi forming in the soil, and the plant shows signs of crown or root rot.
Tips on How to Get The Right Temperature and Humidity for Houseplants
There are a few ways you can help to create a natural habitat for your plants inside the home to ensure the growing environment is ideal for your house plants.
Getting The Right Temperature
A suitable option for maintaining the right temperature is using a mini greenhouse to maintain a cold and warm temperature.
Also, be aware of draughts at all times during winter and check for slight breezes or gusts of wind. Placing your plant in another spot can prevent your houseplants from becoming victims of sudden temperature drops.
Keep your houseplants away from windows, doors, and vents or air entering from outside during winter. Another concern is heating, as turning the thermostat too much is not always good.
Alternatively, group plants together as the air and moisture will become trapped between them to keep them warmer.
Creating the Right Humidity Levels For Indoor Gardening
One great way is to use a spray bottle with boiling water cooled down to room temperature to mist plants.
It helps to group plants when you have humid-loving house plants. When you do this, the air and moisture become trapped between them, and they use each other’s moisture from the soil.
But provide them with some growing space for air circulation to prevent tiny pests from making them their home. Alternatively, use a humidifier to add humidity back into dry air as it works through evaporation.
But an affordable option instead of a humidifier is using a pebble tray. The tray consists of pebbles filled with filtered water, barely touching the top of the stones.
You can place plants on the tray but ensure it remains well aerated. Or hang your clothes to dry in your home near your plants after removing them from the laundry rooms. The water vapor from the clothes will help increase humidity levels.
When bringing plants home after a couple of months, you can shower your plants and repeat this every few weeks during with watering schedule. You can do this by filling a water can using room temperature rainwater, filtered water, or tap water left for 24 hours for the chemicals to evaporate.
Then place plants in the bathtub to shower them with water except for ones with hair leaves like African violets. Showering the plants will increase humidity levels and remove any residue and dust on the leaves. Leave them to air dry to ensure the foliage dries before nighttime.
You can also place your plants in humid areas like a well-lit bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. The added steam of a shower will also make your plants happy, or use boiling water that enters the kitchen to give them a humidity booster. Lastly, create a mini greenhouse for your tropical houseplants.
Final Thoughts
When you improve the temperature for plants, it provides them with a comfortable place to grow and flourish. But when you increase humidity, it does not only benefit your houseplants but adds moisture to your skin as well.
It helps to heal chapped lips and prevents a bloody nose, itchy throat, and dry eyes. It opens up the lungs to nasal passage allowing you to breathe easier. It reduces static electricity in winter when you move around the home.
With appropriate amounts of air, it helps with different allergies and sinus problems. So, what are you waiting for? Why not add some moisture to your home? Your plants will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Humidity levels are essential for plants, and they appreciate levels between 60% and 80% that can be difficult to maintain in the whole house.
Grouping plants together helps release moisture through the leaves, called transpiration, which helps other plants. You can also use a humidifier or pebbles in a tray to raise the humidity levels. Depending on your plants, you can do misting daily to help.
When the relative moisture levels are high, and there is a lack of air circulation, your plant cannot produce water vapor and will draw all the nutrients from the soil. When it occurs for a long time, the plant starts to rot.
To keep your plants healthy, provide them with 70° and 80°F during the day and 60° to 68°F at night. Flowering plants prefer the same daytime range, but at night it should be between 55° to 60°F.
Plants prefer high moisture at night, less than 75%, and during extended dark periods, they start to shed their roots as they can lose them if the humidity levels are not correct.
Some published data shows that when you increase humidity around plants, it helps to keep the stomata open and helps them maintain photosynthesis to minimize evaporation in plan
High moisture levels present in a room will decrease the amount of water vapor lost through transpiration from the leaves. In contrast, low humidity will increase the amount of water vapor lost through the leaves. So when the room is very humid, your plant does not need more water but less.
A plant can only live in humidity when you have the exactly right grow room. But it would be best to regulate the air’s water vapor to prevent mildew from forming or root rot.
Whether you want to buy, sell, or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!
