House Plants

            During the winter months the low humidity levels can be a problem for your indoor “tropical” plants. Yes they are tropical; they don’t call them “house plants” because they like to live in the house. They are “house plants” because they can’t live outside in our neck of the woods during this time of year. To test this hypothesis don your favorite beach wear and flip-flops and go stand outside for an afternoon. Not only will you start looking like someone from Avatar, but you’ll be eager to get back in the house.

            The humidity in our homes can take on all the characteristics of the Sahara in July when the furnace is running. How can that be, you just heard the weather guy say that the humidity outside was 78%; that sounds rather high. But 78% percent humidity in 20 degree temperatures will not remain 78% humidity when warmed up to 70 degrees in your house; it will drop to around 20 to 30%, which if you were a horn toad would make you feel right at home.

            How does this happen? The cold humid air of outside comes in every time you open the door or window, where the furnace warms it up and it expands. The water molecules that were close together, making it 78% humidity in the cold air, are now farther apart and the farther apart they are, the drier the air becomes.

           This is why you see people misting their leaves from time to time; they are actually simulating a jungle environment. One other humidity raising thing you could do is to set your plants on gravel or pebble trays filled with water. The pebbles keep the pot out of the water, but the evaporation of the water up into the plants creates an environment that is more humid.

            Just because it’s warm inside your house doesn’t make it a Tarzan and Cheetah rich environment for your indoor plants. Tarzan didn’t trek back to Jane through the burning sands of the desert; he swung home through the humid jungle on vines.

 

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at NiemeyerLandscaping@Gmail.com or post a comment on this Blog. And like us on Facebook at Niemeyer Landscaping. For more Landscape and garden info and pictures on the subject check us out at www.NiemeyerLandscaping.com