Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day

A Natural Humidifier for your Houseplants

The air in our homes is often very dry during the fall and winter months. And the colder the weather outdoors, the drier the air indoors. If so, your house plants can suffer from browning or drying leaves, leaf drop, lack of flowers, etc. One way to remedy this is place them on a humidity tray.

Fill a waterproof tray with pebbles, gravel or clay pellets and place your plants on it. Note that they will not need a saucer in the coming months: the tray will catch any excess water. Now, whenever you water, pour a bit extra into the tray. The goal is not to cover the stones with water (you don’t want the bottom of the pot to be soaking in water), but simply that their base sits in water. The water will then rise by capillary action and evaporate, providing beneficial humidity your plants.

Note that this effect is very localized: it really only helps plants growing right over the tray. Also, the humidity tray will be especially efficient in homes where the air is very dry. If you use a home humidifier to maintain a good indoor humidity, the humidity tray won’t make much of a difference.