Houseplants require high humidity to thrive, but indoor air is often dry. See how to make a humidity tray for healthy houseplants. It’s quick, easy and effective to make a humidity tray.
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Hello and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com. In today’s monthly video, we’re talking about humidity—or more accurately, the lack of humidity—and how it affects houseplants.
When houseplants experience low humidity, which is very common in heated or air-conditioned homes and in naturally dry climates, they can suffer in several ways. Common symptoms include dry leaf tips, leaf loss, slower growth, and in plants like African violets, failure to bloom. Humidity is especially important because most houseplants originate from the tropics and jungle environments, where humidity levels are extremely high—often near 100%.
In an average home, humidity typically ranges between 30–50%, and sometimes even lower. This is far below what tropical plants are adapted to, so increasing humidity can make a big difference, especially if your plant is showing signs of stress.
One of the best ways to raise humidity around a plant is to create a humidity tray. A humidity tray can be made using marbles, decorative flat stones, pebbles, or gravel. Place about half an inch (or slightly less) of these materials into a flat, wide container—often called a cache pot or catch pot. The container should be wider than the plant’s pot in diameter.
Fill the tray with water until it reaches just below the top of the marbles or pebbles. This is important—you do not want water to touch the roots or wick into the plant pot, because standing water can lead to root rot. Once the water is below the surface line, it will slowly evaporate, gently humidifying the air around the plant.
While a humidity tray won’t dramatically increase humidity, it will raise it enough to help your plant grow more comfortably. It’s also decorative and easy to maintain. Simply place your plant on top of the tray and let the natural evaporation do the work.
Thank you for watching! Please leave comments about any indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see, and remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video.
Humidity and Houseplants: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is humidity important for houseplants?
Most houseplants come from tropical environments with very high humidity. Indoor air is often much drier, which can cause leaf damage, slowed growth, and reduced flowering.
What are signs my plant is suffering from low humidity?
Common symptoms include dry leaf tips, leaf drop, poor growth, and in plants like African violets, a failure to bloom.
What is the average humidity level in most homes?
Typical indoor humidity ranges between 30–50%, which is far lower than the near 100% humidity many tropical plants prefer.
What is a humidity tray?
A humidity tray is a shallow container filled with marbles, pebbles, or gravel. Water sits below the surface of the stones and evaporates to increase humidity around the plant.
How do I make a humidity tray?
Place marbles or pebbles in a flat container, add water just below the top of the stones, and set your plant on top. Ensure the pot does not sit in water to avoid root rot.
Will a humidity tray dramatically increase humidity?
No, but it will raise humidity enough to help most houseplants grow more comfortably.
Can humidity trays prevent root rot?
Yes—if the water does not reach the plant’s pot. The tray should only create humidity through evaporation, not allow the plant to sit in water.
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