Here’s Why Philodendrons Need High Humidity (And How You Can Make Them Grow Faster)

Humidity in plants is essential. Too much or too little humidity can be bad for plants. It can weaken, slow growth, and even harm your plant after a while. Some plants can handle humidity, while others do better in lower levels. Tropical plants need more humidity than others, and some can handle even ninety percent humidity without any problem. 

Philodendrons are tropical plants and therefore need a higher humidity between 60 to 80% in the space around them.

Being in that range of humidity levels increases their growth rate as well. With too much humidity or too little, a plant grows slower and has other issues like wilting and leaves curling. That is why it is essential to ensure your plant has the humidity it needs. If you are ever in doubt, 50% humidity or so is best. 

Do Philodendrons Like Humidity?

Philodendron enjoys a lot of humidity. While they can handle a large range of humidity, they prefer higher levels. They can handle lower levels than their preference, but it can cause injury to the plant. 

Without the right humidity levels, the plants will often close the opening on their leaves, known as stomatal openings. This will allow the plant to reduce water loss and prevent wilting. While this does minimize water loss, it also slows photosynthesis and plant growth. 

If you want to have your plant grow faster, this means you will have to make sure the humidity level is high enough. Otherwise, you can severely slow growth. 

Why Is High Humidity Good for Philodendron?

High humidity is good for Philodendrons for two reasons. First, it is what they are used to. They are plants that naturally grow in the tropics. Tropical rainforests naturally have very high humidity. If they don’t have high humidity, they may go into shock

Also, high humidity allows plants to grow quicker and reduce their water loss. If you want to keep your plants healthy and increase their growth, ensure they have a good humidity level in your home. 

Be careful not to overwater your plant and add too much humidity, or it could easily damage your Philodendron. 

What is the Best Humidity for Philodendrons?

Generally, a tropical rainforest has a humidity of around 60-70%. This is where Philodendrons do best. They can handle humidity down to 40%, but they will grow much slower. They can deal with up to 80% humidity easily as well. 

Do Philodendrons Like Being Misted?

misting
Philodendrons enjoy being misted but don’t want to be wet all the time. An occasional misting can help increase their humidity and prevent evaporation loss from the heat. Generally, twice a week is a good amount to mist your Philodendron. 

This is true of any Philodendron. While it isn’t a replacement for proper humidity, it can add a boost to the plant if you are on the edge of their humidity levels. 

How Often Should You Water Philodendron?

Watering of Philodendrons should usually occur every one to two weeks, especially if they have the proper humidity. However, if your plant’s leaves appear wilted or the soil is dry, they may need watering more often. You may have to switch it up between the growing season and winter, as they may need less water in the winter when they aren’t growing as much. 

How To Increase the Humidity for Plants?

There are several ways to increase the humidity of your plant. Depending on your needs and the needs of your plants, you may prefer one method more than others. 

Put Your Plants Close Together

Plants release water from their leaves naturally. This is known as transpiration. When keeping plants together, they will all release water and then create a microclimate with increased humidity. If you keep plants that like similar humidity together, it will benefit them all. 

Mist Your Plants

Misting your plants is an easy way to increase your humidity. While Philodendrons like being misted, not all plants do, so make sure you research. However, misting can increase humidity quickly and easily when your plants need a little boost. 

You don’t have to mist it daily. Usually, once or twice a week is plenty of misting. Otherwise, you may harm your plants. 

Use a Humidifier

Humidifiers increase the humidity in a room. They can increase the humidity within a whole room, allowing you to monitor and control the humidity of many plants at once. They can be expensive, but all you have to do is make sure there is water in the machine, plug it in, and you are good to go. 

You may not find it worth it if you have only a few plants that need more humidity. However, it can also benefit your home if you live in a dry area, as a little humidity can help with dry skin and dust and make the air feel cooler in some cases. 

Use a Tray With Pebbles

tray with pebbles
Using a tray with pebbles is a great way to increase humidity for one of your plants. Use one of the trays you would put under a plant pot. Then, layer in rocks at least an inch deep. Small pebbles are best. Fill the tray with water so it covers the rocks about halfway. 

You don’t want the water to cover the rocks because you will be putting the pot on top of the rocks. If the water is high enough to touch the pot’s bottom, it can lead to root rot. 

Is 70% Humidity Too High for Plants?

The level of humidity that is too high depends on the plant itself. For Philodendrons, 70% humidity is perfect. For other plants, it may be too high. Most plants can find a happy medium at about 50 to 60% humidity.

If you are unsure where your plants need to be, staying around 50 to 60% humidity is a good idea. 70% might be pushing some plants to be in an unhealthy position. You may think more humidity is better for plants, but too much humidity can be just as bad as too little. 

Is 90% Humidity Too High for Plants?

Some very tropical plants can handle 90% humidity. Plants like pineapples do well with 90% humidity, but other plants may stay too humid at 90% and be unhappy. 

Too much humidity can cause a lack of water evaporation, which makes it harder for a plant to pull nutrients from the soil. This is why it is important to understand your plant’s individual needs.

While tropical plants can handle 90% humidity, succulents and plants more used to arid climates will easily become damaged and have problems, including not being able to gather the nutrients they need. 

However, don’t assume that just because a plant is tropical, it can handle high humidity levels. While tropical plants do enjoy humidity, 90% may be too much for even some tropical plants. There are, in fact, only a small number of tropical plants that thrive with high levels of humidity. 

Does Philodendron Brasil Like Humidity?

Like other Philodendrons, Brasil does enjoy high humidity. However, they can handle lower humidity levels than some of the other Philodendron plants. They also don’t need to be misted, though it would help them a little, especially if you live in a dryer home. 

Summary

Humidity is just as important to plants as any other part of their care. Although lower humidity might not kill a plant, it can make it harder to grow and stress it out. Philodendrons enjoy much more humidity than other plants, but they cannot handle extreme humidity like pineapples. 

Though Philodendrons can tolerate some lower humidity levels, they are tropical plants and therefore need a higher humidity of 60 to 80% which is more than other plants. They can go down to 40% humidity, but it can make your plant struggle to grow if the levels stay low for a long time. 

The best ways to increase humidity for your Philodendron are placing plants close together, misting once or twice a week, using a humidifier, or placing a tray with water and pebbles underneath your plant. These tips will make sure your Philodendron is growing and thriving!