While it might not compare to the lush tropical forest, your home can provide the humidity your Monstera Deliciosa needs to thrive. Let’s talk about humidity levels and the equipment you can use to maintain them.
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Humidity for Monstera
The good news is, you don’t need insanely high humidity to keep your Monstera happy! Their needs and requirements are not as extreme as humidity loving plants like calathea and anthuriums. Household humidity above 40% is enough to keep your Monstera thriving.
So what does that humidity percentage mean exactly? It represents relative humidity, the amount of water vapor in the air at a certain temperature. As humidity approaches 100%, the air cannot hold any more and it will start to condense into liquid droplets, like a cloud. The air temperature matters because warm air can hold more water than cold air.
Your local environment, both inside and outside your home, makes a big difference in the relative humidity. If you live in a hot, dry location, it can be harder to maintain humidity in your home.
In the winter, if you turn on the heat and notice your skin feeling more dry, that’s because the warm air can hold more total moisture. As a result, the relative humidity goes down.
With humidity too low, your houseplants will dry out faster, needing water more often to avoid dry tips. If your humidity is very high, water can start to condense on your plants and evaporation is limited. This can lead to increased chance of rot and fungus without sufficient airflow.
Of course, it’s also important to consider what humidity is practical to maintain in your home for your own comfort! People feel most comfortable with an ideal humidity between 40 and 60%. Too high and you risk mold growing in your home; too low and your lips will be chapped.
Humidity for Variegated Monstera
For variegated Monstera, some humidity is important to maintain the delicate variegation. However, it is a myth that your humidity needs to be super high to keep the edges from browning! My variegated albo Monstera stay perfectly white with a typical range of only 45-55% humidity. Usually, when the edges brown it is the result of inconsistent watering for my variegated Monstera’s evolving needs.
Measuring Humidity
The device used to measure humidity is called a hygrometer. Keep it right between your plants to keep track of the humidity they experience. For measuring high humidity, make sure to pick a hygrometer sealed against moisture to last longer.
I recommend this thermometer/hygrometer that I use for my plants. I love the fact that it displays the highs and lows of the last 24 hours, so that when I come home from work I can see what my plants experienced while I was gone! Click the image or link to check the current price.
BFOUR Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer, Hygrometer Humidity Gauge Room Thermometer Digital Hygrometer Indoor Temperature Humidity Monitor High-Precision Digital Sensor(HD Large Display)
Ways to Raise Humidity for your Monstera
Ways to raise humidity in your home:
- Humidifier – A humidifier is by far the best solution for humidifying an entire room! Keep in mind that the larger the space, the higher the water output you need. It would take a whole 5 liter humidifier tankful every day to keep my living room at 60% humidity. A little diffuser just doesn’t cut it for a large room or open floor plan. This is the humidifier I have next to my variegated Monstera Albos. It’s quiet, has a high mist output, and looks pretty sleek! Click the image or link to check the current price.
- Misting – Many people use misting as a method to raise humidity, but in truth it barely makes a difference. The amount of water released in mist is way too small to affect the humidity for more than the few minutes it takes to evaporate. Misting can be a calming practice to interact with your plants, but it doesn’t do much to meet your Monstera’s humidity needs.
- Grouping plants – The moisture of your plants and their growing mediums help contribute a small amount to the humidity in the immediate area. Cluster your Monsteras close together so they can share humidity.
- Enclosures – A sealed greenhouse, cabinet, or terrarium is much easier to keep humid than your entire house! If you live in a super dry climate, this is a great option.
- Water feature – A water feature like a pebble tray or small fountain can provide a local increase. Water evaporating from the tray will increase the humidity around it while it is wet. This can’t humidify a whole room, but it works well in an enclosure.
Want to use what we use for our Monstera plants? Check out our Monstera care product recommendations that you can purchase from Amazon.