misting your plants
Spruce/Crystal Slagle
Stop misting your plants. This is probably the most widespread houseplant mistake, and experts agree that it’s useless to increase humidity.
“Many of us try to mist plants to increase humidity, but unfortunately, this is not very effective,” says Matt Aulton, head grower at Plant Proper, a plant nursery and online seller.
Ruth Carl, master gardener and state program leader for the Consumer Horticulture and Master Garden programs at Rutgers University, says the effect is so brief that it essentially does nothing. And it can actually cause more harm than good.
“Spraying the leaves sporadically with water causes the leaves to go from moist to damp to moist to damp to damp,” says Carl, who also cautions against using Life Shine.
