MISTING: WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY USEFUL FOR ?
In addition to watering your houseplants regularly, some species also benefit from the occasional misting. Misting houseplants can improve humidity, which is beneficial to tropical varieties that thrive in humid environments. Additionally, plants that receive nutrients from the air can benefit from the occasional misting. Here, gardening experts explain which houseplants you should mist, as well as when and how to do it.
In This Article
*Why Mist
*Benefits of Misting Houseplants
*When to Mist Houseplants
*Signs of Low Humidity
*Which Plants Most Appreciate Regular Misting?
*What Water to Use
*Can you water and Mist your plants at the same time?
*How to Mist
*How Often to Mist
*Final misting tips and conclusions
*Why Mist
*Benefits of Misting Houseplants
*When to Mist Houseplants
*Signs of Low Humidity
*Which Plants Most Appreciate Regular Misting?
*What Water to Use
*Can you water and Mist your plants at the same time?
*How to Mist
*How Often to Mist
*Final misting tips and conclusions
Why Mist?
Many of us love to mist our plants. There’s a joy in spritzing and it creates time to check in and connect with our plants. But the reality is misting isn’t doing much to help humidity. That isn’t to say it’s not an excellent tool and something you should be doing regularly, but the primary benefit of misting is actually in cleaning leaves and pest management, not in increasing humidity.
When you mist a plant you’re temporarily increasing the humidity around the foliage, but only for a matter of minutes before the water begins to evaporate. Most houseplants grow best in 30% to 60% humidity, although some like it even more humid. This is because most houseplants naturally grow under the jungle canopy of tropical rainforests. So while a high quality Mister can help temporarily increase the relative humidity of surrounding a plant, it is not the best tool out there to create a healthy environment for humidity loving species. If you want to increase the relative humidity in your space on an ongoing basis, it would be better to invest in a humidifier. We like this one from Honeywell as it’s easy to refill and holds over 1 gallon of water for a long run time.
When you mist a plant you’re temporarily increasing the humidity around the foliage, but only for a matter of minutes before the water begins to evaporate. Most houseplants grow best in 30% to 60% humidity, although some like it even more humid. This is because most houseplants naturally grow under the jungle canopy of tropical rainforests. So while a high quality Mister can help temporarily increase the relative humidity of surrounding a plant, it is not the best tool out there to create a healthy environment for humidity loving species. If you want to increase the relative humidity in your space on an ongoing basis, it would be better to invest in a humidifier. We like this one from Honeywell as it’s easy to refill and holds over 1 gallon of water for a long run time.
The Benefits of Misting Houseplants
Many popular houseplants come from the tropics, including pothos, orchids, and ZZ plants. Humidity in the tropics is very high, and the air inside our homes is often dry, says Trey Plunkett, Lowe’s lawn and garden specialist. Misting houseplants is commonly used as a way to boost humidity. The effects can be short-lived, however, so if your houseplants really like humidity, it’s best to mist in addition to other humidity-boosting techniques.For many gardeners, misting also gives them a reason to spend time with and pay attention to their plants. “The more attention you pay to them, the more likely you are to notice any potential issues when they’re small and easy to remedy,” says Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms. “With pests, in particular, it’s so much easier dealing with an outbreak at its start and on one plant than if that pest starts to spread to other plants.”
When to Mist Your Houseplants
If you mist your houseplants, the best time to do so is in the morning to midafternoon. “Wet leaves in the evening, when humidity levels typically increase as temperatures drop, can potentially encourage some fungal diseases,” says Hancock. “Happily, fungal diseases are not as common indoors as outside. So if you want to mist in the evening, it’s probably fine, but it’s safer not to take the chance and instead focus it earlier in the day.”
Be sure to spray the top and underside of your leaves, and if using for cleaning your leaves, wipe the leaves down with a cloth after misting to remove dust.
Signs of Low Humidity
Even though misting isn’t the best tool to increase humidity on a long term basis, it can help short term and it’s important to know what the signs look like so you can determine if you need to take measures to bring more moisture into the air surrounding your plants. If you want to track the humidity of your space, a hygrometer is a great tool to set up near your plants. This inexpensive instrument will give you ongoing temperature and humidity readings for your space and is a worthwhile investment for anyone with a large houseplant collection. Some of the signs of low humidity include:
*Brown edges or tips on the leaves of plants
*Yellowing leaves
*Curling or dried leaves
*New growth has difficulty unfurling and sticks or tears as it tries to open
*Brown edges or tips on the leaves of plants
*Yellowing leaves
*Curling or dried leaves
*New growth has difficulty unfurling and sticks or tears as it tries to open
Which Plants Most Appreciate Regular Misting?
Anthurium, Bromeliad,
Birds of Paradise,
Monstera,
Dischidia,
Orchids,
Fittonia,
Palms,
Ferns,
Philodendron,
Spathiphyllum,
Scheffleras,
Syngoniums,
Pileas,
Caladiums,
Begonias,
Calatheas,
What Water to Use for Misting
It’s best to use filtered or distilled water when misting your houseplants. If you mist a lot, tap water can cause mineral build-up on your plant leaves.
Can you water and Mist your plants at the same time?
Once a week, you can mist and water at the same time. Misting protects the plant against dehydration. Watering, on the other hand, is intended to reach the roots and allow for the absorption of both water and nutrients.
How to mist your plants the right way
Mist should be applied to both the top and underside of plant leaves in the early mornings between 7 and 9 a.m is best. Using a good plant spray bottle is reccomended. This is because the stomata are open during these times, allowing water to easily soak into the plant.
Final misting tips and conclusions
Mist should be applied to both the top and underside of plant leaves in the early mornings between 7 and 9 a.m is best. Using a good plant spray bottle is reccomended. This is because the stomata are open during these times, allowing water to easily soak into the plant.
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