Misting plants is a wonderful way to help create humidity for your plants! When I started with plants, somebody told me that by misting my plants, I was making them far more susceptible to diseases and that they genuinely were not needed. However, I have found that by misting my plants I both keep them clean and increase humidity!
Now, the trick to misting plants is to realize the best time to mist them. Misting in the morning is the best way to prepare your plants for the day by simulating morning dew!
Now, there are far more complex reasons to mist your plants! Here we will go over the best methods to keep your plants well maintained.
Misting vs Watering
You may be wondering, what is the difference between misting and watering? Well, the truth is it is about the method of applying water. Misting is smaller particles of water vs watering is a larger amount.
Personally, I am a huge fan of bottom watering my plants!
When it comes to misting, I try to mist my plants in the morning every other day. This is because, like people once told me, having your plants too wet can make them vulnerable to diseases like funguses. Fungus gnats love wet soil and so allowing your soil to dry out can help prevent them.
Misting is also good to help boost humidity in your plants. Dry and brown leaf tips can be a sign that your plant is needing increased humidity. Many tropical plants would benefit from humidity as well:
- Ferns
- Palms
- Orchids
- Monstera
These are only a select few that need humidity. Watering is also important for all plants; however, misting can help provide extra moisture.
Plants like cacti and succulents should never be misted. It is important to remember with these plants that it isn’t about the amount of water, but the frequency!
Plant Nana
Related Article: Best Gloves For Handling Cactus
Plants with more textured or fuzzy leaves such as African Violets. The textured leaves can have major issues when misted! The moisture will trap inside of their leaves leading to rot and higher pest loads!
Another benefit of misting is you are far more mindful of what you are doing. Mindfulness can help identify issues your plants may be having before they become a major issue!
Best Time To Mist Plants
This just depends on your plant and where it’s located. If your plant is on your porch, you may want to mist it morning and evening, especially in the heat. If the plant requires more humidity, misting midday may help due to the evaporation of the water from the heat as well!
By misting in the morning, you are stimulating morning dew and ensuring that your plant has a moisture level before its day. This can help prevent wilting due to the heat! The heat may also evaporate the water prior to the plant drinking it up!
Do not mist your plant if you see signs of rot! If your plant seems mushy or not well, it may need to have its soil dried out.
Rotting can kill a plant quickly. Another reason to avoid excessive plant misting is that if there is a fungal issue, your plant may be having issues with excessive water; an option for this is adding a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to your bottle.
How Do You Properly Mist Plants
Misting plants may seem like a no-brainer! However, it can be complicated depending on your plant care requirements. When I worked in an office, we had plants and I had to explain to my coworkers that misting cacti daily would kill them!
Those succulents when I first started were mushy and rotting. With a little bit of proper care, we were able to bring them back to their full potential! It was at this moment that I realized that not everyone realized that, like people, plants need different things to thrive.
Marsha in accounting is allergic to peanuts, so we don’t give Marsha peanut butter. Succulents are desert plants, so we don’t water them daily!
Just like Marsha, these plants have their own special needs. High humidity plants thrive being misted. Make sure to mist the tops and undersides of the leaves!
Should You Mist Plants Daily
Again, it just depends on the plant. Humidity-loving plants will benefit from being misted multiple times a day. In contrast, plants like snake plants may benefit every three days. It really is just a matter of understanding each one of your plants’ care needs.
Plants that enjoy misting; I try to make it a routine in my daily life to sit down with my coffee and enjoy the task at hand. By doing so, I feel like I have set myself up for a great day. Enjoying your plants is the most important part of this lifestyle!
What Plants Should Not Be Misted
There are a variety of plants that should not be misted. One of which is tomato plants. Tomato plants are highly susceptible to a disease called blight which will kill your plant quickly!
Blight is a fungal disease that thrives on nightshades like tomatoes and will quickly spread, especially in moisture! I recommend watering your vegetable plants at the base rather than the top because they are typically more at risk for fungal diseases.
The obvious examples are succulents, cacti, and other desert plants. These plants are from dry climates and are very susceptible to root rot if exposed to too much water. Misting them is not good for them!
Our Final Thoughts on The Best Time To Mist Plants
Misting your plants that like it is a great thing to do for not only your plants but you as well! Spending this time with your plants can be a wonderful way to relieve stress and anxiety.
Remember as your pondering the best time to mist plants that not every plant does well being misted.
Like people, every plant has different needs and some plants need to be misted while others do not so when deciding if you should mist your plant, research the care requirements!