In this article, we will look at where to place a humidifier for plants to keep them thriving and healthy.
Despite misting and using a pebble tray, I could not keep my plants properly humidified—that is, before I bought a humidifier.
Since then, I’ve figured out that a good humidifier is the most effective solution to all my plant-related problems.
I soon learned that to get the most out of my humidifier, I needed to place it in the right location. Putting my humidifier 4 to 6 feet away from my plants, about 2 to 4 feet above the ground, and away from any electronics produced the optimum results for me.
Below, I will provide more details about humidifier placement and positioning for your plants.
Let’s dive in!
Humidifier Placement for Plants
Taking care of your plants with your busy schedule can be challenging. So, if you’ve invested in a humidifier to increase the humidity level in your space, you should place it in the perfect spot to maximize your humidifier’s performance.
The placement and positioning of the humidifier will determine whether your plants get enough humidity or if they need less or more moisture!
Proper Place
Ideally, placing your humidifier approximately 2 to 6 feet away from your plants would be best. This distance ensures that the plants get enough moisture.
Placing your humidifier too close to the plants will cause an accumulation of condensed water on the leaves and soil for an extended period. This would also cause overhydration because your plants absorb more water than necessary.
Excess water on the leaves would increase the risk of mold and fungal growth. At the same time, extra hydration of the soil could limit the flow of oxygen to the roots, stunting the plant’s growth.
Similarly, placing your humidifier too far from your plants would not provide adequate moisture to your plants. You should ensure your humidifier is positioned perfectly to ensure plant health and growth!
Position
You should not place your humidifier on the ground as it could damage your floor. Instead, put your humidifier on a small table or a shelf slightly above your plants. This will ensure that your plants absorb maximum moisture from the air.
Slightly elevating your humidifier, about 2 to 4 feet above the ground, boosts air circulation, ensuring that all parts of the plant have enough access to water.
You should also ensure that your humidifier is at least 4 feet below your ceiling. The humidity could damage your roof if your humidifier is too close to your ceiling. The likelihood of this happening is higher if you use a high-capacity humidifier than a low-capacity humidifier.
Humidifier Range
You should check the range of your humidifier. High-capacity humidifiers produce mist at a higher rate per minute, while low-capacity humidifiers produce moisture at a lower rate.
The range of a humidifier depends on its size, power, and brand. So, you should buy a humidifier compatible with your room size to maximize performance.
Additional Placement Considerations
You should avoid placing your humidifier in a corner. Placing the humidifier in a corner limits airflow and plants’ access to increased moisture.
You should also avoid placing it in a corner because of the risk of mold growth. The lack of airflow results in high moisture content in the corner, which increases the humidity levels to the point where it promotes mold growth.
In addition, you should never put your humidifier near electronics. The mist produced by the humidifier by the humidifier may sip inside your device and damage it. Therefore, placing your humidifier away from electrical outlets and extension cords is advised to reduce the risk of electrocution.
You should ensure that your humidifier is in a place with no sun exposure. Sunshine may be good for your plants but is not for your humidifier. Too much sun exposure will cause mold spores in the water reservoir to grow and algae to show up. These contaminants might get into the air putting your plants at risk.
Here’s a tip: Move your humidifier around your house. If you have placed your plants in different locations, you should move the humidifier around to ensure that all plants have access to increased humidity.
Tips to Increase Humidity Levels for Plants
There is no one-size-fits-all humidifier placement for plants. Many factors affect your humidifier’s performance. This is why you must figure out the best placement for your plants to boost plant growth.
Know the humidity requirements for your plants
Not all indoor plants grow in the same way. Different species have different humidity requirements. For example, tropical plants require more humidity than desert plants.
For example, succulents and cacti can thrive with humidity as low as 10%, but carnivorous plants, air plants, monsteras, and orchids like high humidity conditions.
So, you have to change settings according to the plants you have. I recommend investing in a humidifier with multiple humidity levels, such as the Elechomes Ultrasonic Humidifier.
Place your plants in a naturally humid area
If you want to avoid using your humidifier for too long to save up on the electricity bill, you should place your plants in a naturally humid place.
One of the most humid places in your home is your bathroom. However, if your bathroom has good ventilation and natural light, it can be a great place for indoor plants such as ferns.
Otherwise, I suggest buying an energy-efficient humidifier such as the Vornado Energy Smart humidifier, which uses 90% less energy than other humidifiers on the market.
Run your humidifier during daylight hours
Running your humidifier during daylight hours promotes maximum moisture absorption by the plants. This is because plants absorb humidity and release water during the night through transpiration.
So, running your humidifier during the day will ensure your plants absorb increased humidity improving their health and growth rate.
Keep track of your humidifier’s runtime
It is advised to run a humidifier every day for 3 to 5 hours each day for your plants. However, most humidifiers can last for 6 to 36 hours, so running your humidifier, shouldn’t be an issue.
But if you want an absolutely hassle-free experience without worrying about frequent refills, some humidifiers, such as the Air Innovations Humidifier, can last up to 96 hours.
Check the output rate of your humidifier
Different humidifiers have different output rates. The higher the output rate, the less time it takes a humidifier to increase humidity levels in the room.
For example, ultrasonic humidifiers create a concentrated area with increased humidity around the machine. If the output rate of the humidifier is high, it will likely create a vicinity with increased humidity up to 80%, which is excellent for tropical plants.
If the output rate of the humidifier is low, you may need to put it closer to the plants so they can get enough moisture.
Suppose you have too many plants that need special attention. In that case, I recommend purchasing a portable humidifier such as the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic humidifier to carry it around and place it close to the plants that require more moisture.
Group your plants
If you have a ton of houseplants, you should group them together while running your humidifier to promote growth and reduce the humidifier’s usage time.
Plants release humidity during transpiration which can further increase humidity levels within their microenvironment. So, placing your plants in groups will significantly promote the released moisture’s reabsorption.
Best Humidifiers on the Market for Plants
Levoit OasisMist Ultrasonic Humidifier
The Levoit OasisMist Humidifier creates a fresh vibe in your space. It includes a sizeable 4.5-liter tank with up to 45 hours of runtime. In addition, it provides a user-friendly experience with its top-fill design and smart features.
It also offers dual mist technology to combat winter dryness and summer heat. The best part is that it has a unique plant feature that helps you control humidifier settings through a smart app. The Levoit OasisMist is the humidifier of the future!
ASAKUKI 2-in-1 Humidifier
The ASAKUKI 2-in-1 Humidifier, as the name suggests, is a humidifier and an oil diffuser. It adds moisture to the air and eliminates any unpleasant smells in your room.
This humidifier provides both ease and efficiency with a 2.5-liter tank and 30-hour runtime without refills. Its 2-in-1 feature performs reliably to provide humidity for your plants and makes it smell like you’re in tropical heaven!
Venta LW25 Humidifier
The Venta LW25 Humidifier is perfect for those who want more out of their humidifier. This unit is both a humidifier and an air purifier, meaning it purifies the air in your room while adding moisture to the atmosphere.
Despite being a bit expensive, the Venta provides excellent value for its money—especially if you like your indoor environment feeling fresh and clean!
Wrap Up
Investing in a humidifier is the easiest and most effective way to fix humidity levels in your home for your plants.
You should place your humidifier 4 to 6 feet away from your plants, 2 to 6 feet above the ground, and almost 4 feet below the ceiling. Doing so will maximize your humidifier’s performance and boost your plants’ growth and health.
So what are you waiting for? Get the best humidifier and place them in the appropriate position for your plants before it’s too late!
