Every plant has special needs, with humidity being a very
important part of success for some types of plants. Humidity is the amount of
moisture that is in the air. Often, when it is humid, gardeners have a more
difficult time breathing but this is the ideal condition for plants that
require high humidity and moisture in the air.
The amount of moisture in the air is going to affect how
plants grow and the health of a plant. The purpose of raising humidity in the
greenhouse is to moisten leaves, stems and even portions of the plants that are
a far reach for the plant from the roots. Moisture keeps leaves shiny, and
healthy looking.
Plants that become too dry too fast, when you live in an
area that has a low humidity level, will have dry leaves, dry roots coming out
of the soil and you will have to mist these plants to keep them healthier. The
easiest way to add moisture to a plant is by misting them with a spray bottle
when the humidity levels are very low.
It is important to remember not to mist plants during the
sunniest portions of the day or the sun could possible burn the plants, leaving
more damage then good after misting. Moisture should have a chance to sit on
the plant for at least an hour or two before the high temperatures of the sun
‘come on’ for the day.
What are some signs of having too much humidity?
The leaves are looking droopy. Sometimes if you have too
much moisture in the air, fungus and bacteria can start growing making the
leaves look hairy.
Leaves that are curling up without turning brown have too
much water. The moisture from the high humidity levels has already filled the
leaves with all they need so they curl no allowing any more moisture if
possible.
Plants that have many leaves that are turning black or brown
are becoming diseased because of excessive amounts of moisture brought on by
humidity. Picking off these leaves and helping the plant to dry out will be
important to saving any plant in this condition.
How can you tell if you need higher levels of humidity in
your greenhouse?
When the environment is too dry in the greenhouse, you will
notice that your leaves will become shriveled, often curled up and then they
will turn brown. You will have no choice but to cut off and trim back this
plant, but you will have to keep more humidity on the plant if you expect it to
continue growing.
If your plant is not getting enough moisture from the air
and the environment, the flowers will lose their colors and brightness. The
flower buds will wilt often without openings. The colors of the leaves will
become very dull looking, not shiny at all.
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