An indicator such as air humidity is necessarily mentioned in any article devoted to indoor plants and caring for them. This is one of the main conditions for the good development of home flora, so we will consider it in more detail. It has long been known that the humidity of the air for plants is as important as its temperature. Dry air, coupled with unreasonably high temperatures, harm not only indoor pets, but also people. That is why creating optimal conditions for plants allows their owners to be in a healthier atmosphere.
How plants behave with increased moisture requirements - for example, maidenhair, asparagus - can be an indicator of the level of moisture in the air. If it is too dry, these plants will not please their owners with flowers, shed their buds and stop development, even with proper watering. Let this be a signal to you that the air in the apartment is losing moisture. Various methods can help restore and maintain moisture levels. The easiest way is to buy a special humidifier. But a high-quality device costs money, and it may not give the desired effect. Therefore, it is better to use the old proven methods.
The very first is spraying. At a time when the plant is rapidly gaining green mass, it must be processed both in the morning and in the evening. And if the second spraying is completely safe, then when carrying out the first, it is necessary to take into account the time and location of the flower in the room. If your plant is located so that straight lines fall on it in the morning Sun rays, moisturize it before sun exposure. That is, let the water droplets evaporate before the sun's rays begin to hit the leaves. Otherwise, having reached the required humidity in the air, you risk exposing the flower to a severe burn.
Care should be taken to spray plants with lowered leaves (gloxinia, Saintpaulia, streptocarpus) and owners of tight-fitting foliage (hippeastrum, amaryllis). Excess moisture can linger on them, which is dangerous by decay. And for novice florists, it is better to heed the following advice - do not spray them at all! The air for such plants can be humidified by other methods.
One of the most common is the use of a water pan. Place the flowerpot in a spacious container filled with expanded clay or pebbles. The water level should be below the drainage hole of the flowerpot. Instead of stones, you can take moss, common or sphagnum, and moisturize well. True, this method has a big drawback - although moss perfectly maintains the moisture level, it can become a home for small insects, it will not end well.
And, of course, do not forget the long-proven method of maintaining air humidity in winter - this is a wet towel on the heating battery. A great welcome considering that most of the houseplants are placed on windowsills.
Important rules for maintaining the required humidity level for indoor plants:
- When spraying a flower, use only clean water at room temperature, and previously settled. That is, it should be the same as for watering.
- Everything should be in moderation.An excess of moisture in the air is just as harmful to the plant as its lack. The danger is especially great if high humidity is combined with low temperatures. Such conditions often provoke plant decay.
- When the rules for caring for a plant do not indicate a specific method of maintaining a moisture level for it, but simply recommend systematic spraying, then it means everyday procedures. Spraying, which is carried out periodically, only maintains the purity of the plants; they can be replaced by wiping the leaves.
- Those representatives of indoor flora that require a high moisture content in the air, but do not like an excess of water, can be located near the systematically sprayed plants. For example, streptocarpus is well placed next to azaleaor abutilone... In this case, the process of spraying the latter must be carried out separately, after removing them from the windowsill, and then returning them back. Such plants not only saturate themselves with moisture, but also give them to neighbors.
- Some homely beauties - tangerine, azaleas, lemon - foliar feeding is also required regularly. It is good to combine it with spraying. Important! When carrying out such leaf dressing, be extremely careful. Perform the procedures only in the evening, separating these plants from others. Often, trace elements needed by one flower can be harmful to neighboring ones.
- Finally, one more piece of advice. In the summer, in the heat, if you do not have the opportunity to rearrange houseplants from the room to the street, or they do not need it, place them on the floor. Here the plants will be more comfortable, because the temperature below is lower. And to maintain the necessary humidity in hot weather, spray water around with a fine spray bottle - moisture will stay near the floor longer. This method is good for Gesneriaceae (streptocarpus, Saintpaulia).
This is the main thing to know about air humidity when caring for plants. Of course, there are a number of houseplants that require moisture in excess of special conditions. In the tips for caring for them, you will definitely read about their needs, and about the methods of meeting them. Although usually such plants need greenhouse maintenance, so it is better for a grower with little experience to wait with them.
