Pothos is the ultimate houseplant for the lazy grower. This plant tolerates neglect and can quickly grow by following a few simple rules of thumb. These include moderate watering, indirect sunlight exposure, and, most notably, high humidity levels. Many pothos owners consider misting as a solution to reach high humidity levels with this plant. In this article, we will see if misting does help in raising the humidity of pothos.
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Does Pothos Like To Be Misted?
Pothos do like misting because it helps increase their humidity. However, if you are growing this plant in a low-humidity area, then misting won’t help you reach the humidity level required to produce pothos. In fact, pothos needs a humidity level that exceeds 60%, which can be achieved only by growing the plant in a tropical environment or using a specific device like a humidifier.
Misting pothos too often can also attract pests and promote fungus growth. Generally, when the leaves remain wet for a long time, they become attractive to bacteria. This could lead to the development of mold and other fungi problems.
When you grow pothos with other plants, misting can cause severe damage to your whole plant collection. In fact, misting a plant using a sprayer often causes spiders that are hiding under the leaves to be flooded with water. This encourages them to move to other plants and causes unwanted infestation.
Also, if you want to mist your pothos for increasing humidity, you will need to spray them with water every few minutes, which is unrealistic and can lead to unwanted issues, such as yellow leaves.
Misting pothos can be helpful only during the growing season, typically spring and summer, as it can help oxygenate the soil and clean the plant’s leaves from dirt and insects.
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If I Mist My Pothos, Do I Still Need to Water Them?
Misting is not an alternative to watering but rather an addition to it. In fact, watering pothos is mandatory because the plant’s natural tendency is to lie down in the dirt and absorb the moisture from the soil.
Misting Pothos doesn’t Replicate watering. Instead, you can combine these two processes with helping your pothos grow at their full potential. Generally, pothos does not like overwatering. And here comes the role of misting. You can reduce your watering frequency and start misting your pothos; this will ensure that your plant gets enough moisture without being overwatered.
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How Often to Mist a Pothos? (Depending on Its Environment)
The frequency of misting pothos will depend on the environment where they grow. You will need to mist pothos less frequently in an environment with little or no moisture. For example, if your pothos is in a cold room, you may only need to mist it once every week. In a humid environment, however, you may need to mist your pothos twice a week.
The best time to mist pothos is the morning because this will give the plant enough time to dry before night. Also, if you want the best results from misting, you can add liquid fertilizer to your mister. You help your plant stay humid and provide the necessary nutrients.
Plants must be misted with room temperature water because if the water is too cold, it will shock the plant, leading to severe problems such as root damage and leaf drop. Also, when you mist your pothos, avoid softening water as much as possible, as it can diminish the soil’s quality. Instead, you can use chlorinated and filtered water safely.
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How to Increase Humidity for The Pothos Plant? (5 Misting Alternatives)
When it comes to increasing the humidity of pothos, other practical solutions give better results than misting. Depending on the area where you grow your pothos, one method may be more efficient than the other. Here are the leading solutions to increase humidity for pothos:
- Add Some Water to The Soil: this will increase the moisture level in the pot, and the plant will absorb it instantly. But the water must be added carefully because overwatering can lead to severe problems with pothos.
- Add an Aquarium to The Room: aquariums release humidity into the air, increasing the moisture near plants. This benefits the plant because it helps them retain more water, keeping them healthy and looking their best.
- Group Pothos Together with Other Plants: grouping plants together can increase humidity because the plants’ leaves will evaporate water, increasing the moisture. Growing plants together in the same pot can also help speed up the growth of some slow-growing plants.
- Use a Humidifier: humidifiers can help increase the humidity of a plant by adding moisture to the air. The humidifier should be placed near the plant so that the plant can easily absorb the water from the humidifier. Humidifiers are one of the most effective ways to increase plants’ humidity, but they still have some significant drawbacks. For example, humidifiers can be expensive to operate, depending on the size of the unit and the humidity level desired. Also, humidifiers can introduce excess moisture into the air and cause mold or mildew growth if misused. Humidifiers can also spread bacteria and other contaminants if not properly cleaned.
- Use a Moss Pole: A moss pole can increase the humidity of a plant by trapping water on the surface of the moss. This will help keep the surrounding air more humid, which can benefit the plant. Moss poles are also a great way to grow plants without using soil. The moss pole provides sturdy support for the plant as it grows. The moss pole also helps to distribute the water evenly to the plant, which helps to promote growth.
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How to Check the Humidity of My Pothos? (3 Verified Methods)
It’s essential to monitor the humidity of your pothos as it can affect the plant’s health. You can check the moisture of your pothos by using a hygrometer, or you can look for signs of dehydration.
Here are 5 easy ways to check the humidity of pothos plant:
- Use a Hygrometer: this device is the most common way to measure humidity levels. In the context of houseplants, a hygrometer can measure the humidity level in the air around the plants, which can help determine if the plants need more or less water.
- Humidity Can Also Be Measured by How Wet the Leaves Are or By the Dew Point: leaf wetness can be monitored using a magnifying glass or a digital camera. On the other hand, the dew point can be observed by using a thermometer and a hygrometer.
- Insert a Wooden Dowel Into the Soil: this is one of the most ancient yet effective ways to check soil’s humidity. You need to insert a wooden dowel into the ground and verify. If the dowel becomes wet, then the soil is humid. If it doesn’t become moist, then the soil is less humid. This simple test can be done at home with your own hands and without buying anything. You need to dig your finger into the soil instead of the dowel.
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Conclusion
Misting can help raise the humidity of pothos, but it will never provide the humidity levels required to grow such a plant. In fact, pothos is a tropical plant that needs a humidity level above 50%. And to reach this level, the only way would be to grow the plant in a tropical area or use a device that helps increase the humidity, such as a humidifier. Also, when misting is done excessively or at the wrong time, it may adversely affect the plant, causing yellow leaves and bacteria propagation.
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