Humidity. We’ve all been told how taking a spray bottle and spraying the air can benefit your plants, how misting ferns can inhibit growth, why dry air isn’t good for all plants, but why? Why do most houseplants thrive in humid conditions? The answer is kinda simple. Extra moisture in the air means plants have more available moisture, give off less water vapor, and increase growth along with photosynthesis. Let’s take an African Violet for example. Native to Kenya and Tanzania this plant grows where humidity is high and soil moisture is low. The leaves are able to trap excess moisture, supplementing the low water intake from the roots, so finding a balance between watering and humidity levels is key to keeping this plant and many others like it alive and well. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a deeper look at this. If you hadn’t already figured it out, plants are complicated. Even the “low-maintenance” ones need a bit of maintenance every now and again. Plants have these little things called stomata (pores found on leaves, stems, and other parts of the plant) that controls the rate of gas exchange. By keeping humidity high evaporation levels will be low, giving the stomata a better chance of transpiring (yes. Plants can breathe). Interested in seeing if the stomata are open or not? Grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some paper towels. Dip the paper towel in the alcohol and rub it onto a leaf. If you notice a darker green emerging, the stomata on your plant are open and transpiring. If you don’t notice a difference, the stomata are closed. This little trick can be helpful if you’re trying to figure out how to better tend to your plants. Giving plants the right amount of humidity is not only key to keeping the stomata open, but will also ensure your plant has the best chance of growing. 

Keep these tips in mind:

• Keep the air surrounding your plants moist

• Reduce excess air flow such as drafts

• Use humidifiers wherever possible