Light and Humidity Requirements for Houseplants
Houseplants can liven up any room. They do not just make offices and homes more attractive, but certain varieties can also improve the quality of air. They absorb or reflect noise pollution such as sirens, buzzing neighbours and loud electronic devices.
You must recreate their native environment to keep your greenery as healthy as is possible. Tropical houseplants, for instance, thrive in humid, warm conditions. Cacti and succulents on the other hand are suited to dry desert temperatures, with very little water.
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Lighting is crucial for the development of houseplants. Houseplants require many different conditions to thrive including water, humidity, the correct growing medium and the right temperature range and temperatures, but perhaps the most important factor is light. The majority of houseplants thrive in indirect light, not direct sun. Plants that don't receive enough light can become damaged and eventually die. A few plants are well-adapted to direct sunlight in the summer, such as desert succulents and cacti.
You can measure the amount of sunlight that a room receives by using a light meter, or simply by looking at the brightness of your plants. Light meters can be expensive, but allow you to measure the intensity of sunlight throughout the day.
East or south-facing windows are ideal for plants that require shade. These windows can provide ample indirect sunlight throughout the majority of the day and some hours of direct sunlight in late morning or early afternoon. This light is more intense than sunlight from an unshaded west-facing window, but it can still be too for a plant that prefers partial shade and sun.
Filtered sunlight is sunlight that enters a room through windows but is softened by blinds, curtains or an awning. It's not as bright as direct sunlight, but it's still sufficient for plants to photosynthesis. If you live in a northern climate this kind of light is usually not available.
Floor lamps and table lamps can provide filtered light to a majority of plants. However they are not ideal for plants that require full sunlight. These lamps emit more heat than light, which makes them unsuitable for many plants that love sun or tropical climates.
Some plants that require bright indirect light can thrive in the North or East window, but they will require protection from wind and rain that can toss the plants around. You can also shelter them by a gazebo or another structure that can keep out the harshest elements from the North or East sun.
Water Requirements
Watering requirements for different houseplants is dependent on the environment in which they are growing. Tropical plants that thrive in a jungle-like conditions prefer the humid, warm climate with regular rainfall. Desert plants, like Cacti, prefer dry soil, drier soil and periodic watering.
To get a houseplant growing it is important to know the needs of your plant and then water it according to its needs. Check the moisture in the soil and only water it when the top 1" or 2" of the potting medium is dry. This will stop the soil from becoming saturated and creating root rot.
In general plants that are thirsty will display symptoms of it through dropping and/or yellowing leaves or by taking a long time to produce new leaves. One way to check for the moisture of the plant is to poke your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels moist it is probably safe to put off watering for a couple of days before watering again. Pick up an empty pot and observe whether it is heavy. If it's filled with liquid, it will be. Alternatively, you can purchase devices that indicate, beep or flash to inform you when it's time to water.
Many people opt to bring indoor plants into their offices and homes due to aesthetic reasons. They provide interest and color, soften lines, and improve air quality by absorbing chemicals like formaldehyde and trichloroethylene which are usually off-gassed from man-made materials. But it's important to keep in mind that these aren't the only advantages of having houseplants they also offer therapeutic benefits and taking care of a plant can help reduce stress levels.
The majority of indoor houseplants will thrive better in ceramic or glazed pots rather than the terracotta. They also grow more in the summer and spring than they do in winter and fall. When selecting a watering pot, try to find one that has good control over the spout so that you can direct the water towards the soil's surface and not soak the leaves, which could encourage fungus. If you're not able to find rainwater tap water, it can be used as long as it is allowed to sit for a couple of days to let the chlorine evaporate.
Temperature Requirements
Many of the houseplants we cultivate are native to tropical or subtropical climates. To thrive indoors, they need a warm, moderately humid climate. Most plants thrive in temperatures that range between the 58-86 degree Fahrenheit range. Temperatures that are too cold can hinder growth, and temperatures that are too hot can cause wilting and other issues.
The tropical and flowering plants, including philodendrons (philodendrons), palms (peace lily plants), hibiscuses, and bromeliads, like warm temperatures during the day. This increases photosynthesis and also produces sugars and starch that help the plant's tissues expand. They require cooler temperatures at night to save energy.
Succulents such as the fishhook barrel cactus string of pearls, fishhook barrel cactus, and cacti require warm temperatures to flourish. good house plants can tolerate temperatures as low as to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but do not thrive in sudden temperature fluctuations.
It is recommended to place your houseplants in a warm and sunny location that is moderately cool in the night, and warm during the daytime. This is particularly important during winter when the sun is lower in the sky and light levels decrease by up to 50 percent. To prevent your plants from becoming too dark, relocate them to an area with a brighter view or add additional lighting to the room.
In the winter, soil surfaces can dry out more quickly due to the colder temperatures. When it's time to water make sure to use warm (not cold) water to avoid causing shock to the roots. It is also recommended to water your plants in the early morning, so that the water is taken up before the temperature begins to drop at night.
A sudden change in temperature can be fatal for many types of houseplants, including those that are the most sought-after ones. It is particularly dangerous for tropical and subtropical species like philodendrons and palms and banana trees. Even succulents such as agaves or bear paws can be killed by sudden fluctuations in temperature. It is recommended to bring the plants indoors prior to the temperatures outside begin to drop. Then, gradually acclimatize the plants to indoor conditions so that they can adjust.
Humidity Requirements
Many houseplants require high humidity levels. Many houseplants are native to tropical regions that have higher levels of humidity. Others may be adapting to the dry conditions of forest underbrush and deserts and are not able to adapt to low humidity and temperatures indoors. This is true for aroids, orchids, and other species like haworthias.
Humidity is a measurement of the ability of air to hold water vapour. It ranges from zero (dry) up to 100% (saturated, like fog). The average relative humidity for homes is 30-50%. Many common houseplants can survive within this range, however those requiring high humidity will be affected and may begin dropping buds or leaves that they cannot support with the amount of moisture in the air.
When the humidity is low, stomata can close and plants are incapable of replacing the water lost with carbon dioxide, which is essential for photosynthesis. This could eventually kill the plant. The first sign that humidity is low is the appearance of the plant when it begins to dehydrate. Other symptoms include wilting or browning of the leaves.
One way to increase the humidity around plants is to place it on a tray that is filled with water and gravel. The water that evaporates will give the plant the extra humidity it requires. However, low maintenance house plants is important to clean the tray on a regular basis to stop mold and bacteria from breeding in the stagnant water and causing damage to the plant's roots.
A plastic bag can also be used to increase the humidity of plants. Make sure to put wooden stakes inside the pot to keep plastic away from the plants. Also, ensure it isn't in direct sunlight as this can cause the leaves to burn. It is essential to regularly open the plastic and check for condensate that is excessive which could indicate that the temperature is too high.
Place the plant in the kitchen or bathroom where the air is generally more humid than other areas of the home. It is also beneficial to group plants with high humidity in the same location, since they will benefit from each other's higher transpiration rates, creating a tiny area of greater humidity around them.