Winter Humidity - Plant Drop

Winter Humidity

(It sounds a bit odd, to be misting our plants in winter when it is cold outside and they are dormant and not growing much. However, our centrally heated homes, kept at a constant 20 or so degrees, are taking moisture out of the air and it isn't being replaced by airflow as all windows and doors are battened down. 

Most houseplants originate in tropical regions where the air is warm, but also high in moisture, which we refer to as humid conditions. So although it may seem counter-intuitive, it is a good idea to increase the moisture in the air around some of our houseplants. 

This can be achieved by misting around our plants (good for medium to large plants), using a humidifier (great for large plant collections), or pebble trays (perfect for smaller plants, or those in water resistant spaces like bathrooms and kitchens). If it isn't too cold, opening all the windows and turning off the heating once a week can help move some of that dry air out of our homes. (Fiddle-leaf figs don't like draughts so windows should not be opened in their direct path when there is strong airflow.)

The important thing is moderation, it doesn't need to resemble the wetlands in your living room, and too much moisture around the plant can deposit on leaves, reducing uptake of already reduced light, and spread infection. It can also move down to the roots where it may not be needed by the plant and stagnate.