INDOOR PLANTS: WINTER HUMIDITY
The Monday Garden, Eco-gardening at its best
October 16, 2005, Issue 182
The winter humidity level in the average North American home is much too low for the humans, let alone the plants, woven baskets, and wood furniture. In case you are into numbers: tropical plants and orchids like humidity in the 40 to 70% range; humans like at least 30% and tend to object to amounts over 50%; a home with central heating is about 15-20% -- drier than many deserts. Where humans are concerns, low humidity has been blamed for poor skin, dry nose and throat, low productivity, and all kinds of other problems. Thus, central heating may keep you warm enough, but even the cacti feel that the air is a bit dry.
The office is even worse than the home for humidity. At home, we have more cooking, dishwashing, clothes laundering, and bathing activates that regularly contribute at least some moisture to the air.
Picture: papyrus (cyperus alternifolius) gracing the den windowsill.
Indoor plants are a great way to raise humidity naturally at work and at home. Unlike humidifying machines, plants don’t have filters to change, tend to be very quiet, and usually work well without electricity. Plants are also generally much more attractive on the window sill than the average humidifying machine.