How Much Do Succulents Get Affected by Air Humidity

Some succulent enthusiasts often notice this problem: a treasured succulent newly picked up from the flower market loses the impressive look it had when it first "moved in" within just a few days.

This is actually a matter of air humidity.

In dry northern regions, the best cultivation spot for succulents is your own

open-air balcony, or a windowsill, and this point is especially important.

So why do these problems occur?

And why is air humidity so important?

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The succulents sold at flower markets are all produced in nurseries; these plants grow up in greenhouses, and greenhouses are kept closed for cultivation most of the time, so the air humidity inside is relatively high. Plants grown this way are plump and full of vitality. However, after they are purchased, the home cultivation spots in most areas often cannot meet such conditions, so the problems mentioned above appear.

Succulents don't all grow in harsh desert environments,

so how do they make use of air humidity?

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In the succulents' places of origin, the temperature is higher in the few hours before the sun sets (especially at noon

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, but at night the temperature drops sharply again, so the water vapor in the air condenses into mist, which is especially noticeable at dawn. This

moisture existing in gaseous form can also be absorbed by succulents

. The conditions in most cultivation spots are still not sufficient. This doesn't even include some epiphytic varieties and some bromeliad plants that have even higher requirements for air humidity.

It is precisely

because of the limited conditions of the cultivation spot

that many plants show fading, scorched and shriveled leaf tips, and premature aging. And this is something you never see in greenhouse cultivation. Although it isn't fatal, the ornamental value is greatly reduced.

The most effective method is very simple:

use a fine-nozzle spray bottle to mist them. Many enthusiasts also invert a disposable plastic cup over the pot (mostly in spring and winter). Or they choose to grow them in a glass tank, laying a layer of coarse sand at the bottom and sprinkling water on it from time to time; this both increases humidity and prevents the pot from constantly being "flooded." In short, adjusting air humidity must take many factors into consideration, including species, season, growth stage, and so on, and must never be generalized. Too high humidity makes plants prone to rot and prone to attracting mealybugs; too low humidity reduces the plants' ornamental value and makes them prone to red spider mites.

Humidity Recommendations

1

Air humidity requirements for each season

Maintaining a certain level of air humidity during the growing period is quite important.

When plants enter the growing period, the effect of air humidity is obvious. Species native to tropical rainforests have even stricter requirements. Some horticultural varieties with rich color changes will show more brilliant colors if considerable air humidity can be maintained. It can be said that basically most varieties need a certain amount of humidity at this time. But during

the dormant period, air humidity must be handled with considerable caution.

2

Air humidity at the seedling stage

Air humidity at the seedling stage is especially important

, because during the seedling stage there is a process of "hardening off the seedlings." At this time, the purpose of controlling the water in the soil is to

encourage new roots to grow

; if relatively high air humidity can be maintained, the seedlings will not suffer from lack of water because of the hardening-off process. Generally, the air humidity requirements at the seedling stage are higher than at other growth stages, but air humidity at this time is also the hardest to control.

The smaller the seeds, the smaller the seedlings are relatively, and the poorer their resistance is; they often cannot tolerate high humidity. Typical examples are most varieties of the Aizoaceae family and some varieties of the Crassulaceae family (with wax begonia being the most prominent). Once they are established, this phenomenon greatly improves, and the air humidity issue becomes less prominent.

3

Air humidity requirements for asexual propagation

There are two commonly used methods of asexual propagation at home: cuttings and grafting.

For cuttings, note that the plant organs must be kept dry for several days after being separated from the mother plant

. This time period depends on the variety: as little as 4 or 5 days, as much as 1 month. Once the wound is completely dry, it can be inserted into the substrate. At this point, relatively high air humidity can be maintained. One approach advocates creating a dry environment, which allows rooting in a shorter time but consumes more resources.

The other approach advocates creating a humid environment; this method consumes less from the cuttings themselves. As for grafting, during the first two weeks after grafting is completed, keep it dry and well ventilated, since excessively high humidity affects the survival rate of grafts.

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