Rubber plants are comfortable to take care of and sturdy at the same time. They can survive in a wide range of conditions provided their elementary needs are met, and one of these needs include humidity and moisture. People often suggest misting the rubber plant to keep the humidity level maintained. But is it a good idea to mist your rubber plant? Let’s find out!
Misting your rubber plants helps in cleaning the foliage and makes the leaves bright. People often mist their rubber plants to help with humidity levels. However, several studies claim that misting only is not enough. You need to consider other alternatives like adding a humidifier and grouping plants together.
In this guide, we will dive into the details of the rubber plant’s humidity and temperature needs and whether or not it is a good idea to mist your rubber plant.
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Should I mist my rubber plant?
Yes, we can mist our rubber plants to increase the humidity level. The rubber plant does not demand too much humidity and can thrive in extreme temperatures. But misting alone might not be enough to meet the demands of your plant.
The rubber plant does not like the cold draft from the winter as well.
If the rubber plant is underwatered, it is not a problem, but overwatering your rubber plant can cause issues.
Misting of the rubber plant can be done in any season. When the air is too dry, the rubber plant leaves need to be cleaned either with a cloth or by misting.
The rubber plant thrives best at room temperature, and we need to maintain the temperature for the plant’s healthy growth.
If you stay in a tropical region, then the air could get dry very fast, and misting will evaporate the water from the leaves and thus not very helpful.
Similarly, if we stay in a colder region, the humidity level is also very low, and misting will be beneficial.
Another factor to be considered here is the placement of the rubber plant.
The rubber plant loves bright indirect sunlight, which helps the rubber plant build the beautiful variegated foliage.
If the rubber plant is kept near the southern window, we will need to mist the rubber plant more often.
Similarly, places like the washroom, kitchen, and basement have a high humidity level, and if the rubber plant is placed in such places, less misting will be required.
Misting alone won’t help the plant, and in this guide, we will discuss what else will be helpful for the rubber plant.
Also read: Best placement for rubber plant
Do rubber plants need humidity?
Rubber plant does need an above average humidity level for optimum growth. If the humidity level is not ideal, the plant may not be able to transpire appropriately and impact the plant’s growth.
Rubber plants love a warm climate as they are from the warm tropical region. It is suggested that we keep the temperature above 15°C or 60°F.
As they are neither succulent nor tender plants, they enjoy the warmth and loves bright indirect sunlight.
One thing that the rubber plant does not like is the cold draft from the winter.
If the plant is placed near the window, remove the plant from the window during the winter.
We can choose places like a bathroom, washroom, kitchen, or basement to maintain the humidity level.
Another thing suggested is that keep your rubber plant away from the radiators. The air from the radiators will dry out the leaves of the rubber plant faster. This might also cause the rubber plant to droop.
When it comes to humidity, the rubber plant does not require a lot of humidity, and an average household humidity is adequate for the rubber plant.
We can choose to mist the rubber plant now and then, but these plants can manage without misting.
The household humidity level is perfect for the rubber plant.
However, this also depends from region to region. If your area’s humidity is extremely low, then we will need to mist more often and vice versa.
Also read: How often should you water rubber plant?
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Misting
When we talk about misting, we are dealing with a few factors in the plants. There is a war amongst the plant owners where some suggest that misting is beneficial for the plants.
Others suggest that the misting is not required for the plants, and they can thrive well without it.
Let us understand the advantages and disadvantages of misting.
Advantages of Misting
We can say that the humidity level of any houseplant can be maintained with misting.
Another factor is that the rubber plant needs bright indirect light, and to receive that, the rubber plant leaves must be clean.
The rubber tree gets dirty easily, and we need to either clean the leaves or mist the rubber plant. Hence, misting helps the rubber plant.
Also, the foliage of the rubber plant becomes shiny, and the plant gets deeper variegation.
Lastly, we can also prevent pests if we choose to add a neem oil solution while misting.
Neem oil solution is a natural way to keep the pest away from the rubber plants.
Disadvantages of Misting
The disadvantages here depend on the humidity of the region as well.
If the humidity of the place is too high, then the water droplets stay for a longer period, and this might cause damage to the leaves of the rubber plant.
It is also argued that misting spreads leaf diseases and invites pests.
However, we have countered the pest situation with the addition of the neem oil solution.
It is also seen that if the air is too dry, then the water droplets get evaporated very quickly, and it does not stay much on the leaves, hence not helping the rubber plant with regards to the humidity.
How do I measure humidity in my home?
The humidity level can be checked with a device known as a hygrometer. These reliable devices will help you understand the humidity level, and we can act accordingly.
However, as stated above, the humidity depends on many other factors such as temperature, season, and the region that you belong to.
Also, the places in your house may have a different humidity levels.
For example, places like bathrooms, washrooms, basement, and kitchens have a higher humidity level.
In winter, we suggest moving the plants to such locations so that the humidity level is maintained.
In places like your living room and your bedroom, though it has room temperature, the humidity level is relatively low humidity.
Hence, it is suggested to keep the plants near a window, where it will receive bright indirect sunlight.
We recommend using the hygrometer, to keep an eye on the relative humidity of the space.
Ideal humidity level for rubber plant
The rubber plant does not demand high humidity, but they need to get their leaves cleaned.
Rubber plant leaves get dirty very quickly. Hence it is suggested that we either clean the leaves regularly or we can mist the plant.
As a general rule, if you are comfortable in your house, then so will your rubber plants be.
A humidity level of 40-50% is acceptable for the rubber plants.
They can thrive anywhere above 15°C. However, the rubber plants do not like the cold draft of winter.
Signs that your rubber plants require more humidity
We will often notice that the rubber plants are not happy and require more humidity. Some of the signs that the rubber plant sends are:
- Drooping of the rubber tree
- Yellowing of the leaves
- Brown tips or browning of the leaves
- Wilting rubber plants
- The leaves of the rubber plant become crispy
If you have been noticing the above signs, then most probably, the rubber plant is suffering from a lack of humidity.
If we mist the plant a bit, then we can avoid the situation at an early stage. You may need to try some other alternative if you live in an area with very low humidity levels.
However, if the plant is damaged a lot, then we will need to take action.
It is also suggested that you add a neem oil solution when we mist the rubber plant.
All of the above signs can mean a whole lot of things but are mostly related to the underwatering, overwatering, and overfertilization of the rubber tree.
So, before we take any step, please analyze and then act.
How to maintain ideal humidity level for rubber plant?
Rubber plants, as such, do not require much attention and are very easy to care for.
Is there any solution other than misting your plants? How can we increase the humidity? Tired of misting, please provide something new?
The above question could pop up in your mind if we stay in a region where the humidity is very low.
We will talk about a few steps that will help the plant owners.
Use of Humidifier
The use of humidifiers has helped a lot of users, including myself. I personally love this excellent humidifier that I found on amazon.
The definition of a good humidifier is that which covers the entire room or the place that we have placed the humidifier.
The amount of humidity can be increased with the help of a humidifier.
To understand the humidity level, we can use a hygrometer and accordingly purchase the right sized humidifier.
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Lowering your room temperature
The room temperature can be maintained, and it is suggested to keep the plants away from the window during the winter.
The rubber plants do not like cold drafts and will develop a shock if exposed continuously to cool drafts.
We also do not recommend keeping your rubber plants near the radiators because they will mess around with the plant’s humidity.
So, if the room temperature is lowered, then the humidity level in the air increases.
This can impact the rubber plant if we change the temperature and humidity from one extreme to another.
Never change the condition of the plant from one extreme to another. Give a gradual increase in adaptability.
However, if you live in an area where temperature is on the higher side then lowering the temperature might help with the humidity levels.
Grouping tropical plants together
Some plants require high humidity and other low humidity. It has been a common practice to keep the plants clubbed in a definite area.
The practice is good as it helps maintain the humidity level.
Whenever plants transpire, they release a small amount of moisture, hence results in high humidity.
This practice will help the plants, and we will need to keep balanced plants together.
A key to note: Plants get infected easily from their neighboring plants if the other plant is infected.
So, if we are clubbing the plants together, we need to be extra careful and give the plants a little attention every once in a while.
Make sure we are following regular check-ups to keep an eye on the pest.
Thinking of an aquarium?
Yes, the aquarium indeed increases the level of humidity of the area the aquarium is placed in.
Not only does the aquarium provides a perfect level of humidity, but it is a rich source of nitrogen as well.
When we clean the aquarium, please do not throw away the water. Instead, use it to water the plants.
The water from the aquarium acts as a natural fertilizer as it has fish emulsions, a rich source of nitrogen.
A reptile terrarium like this one will also serve the purpose.
Final thoughts
The rubber plant is very loving and will not die on you if you are on a small journey. However, we do not suggest to stress the plant.
Take care of the rubber plants and give a check now and then.
The rubber tree requires its leaves to be cleaned, and it can be done using a piece of cloth and soap water or by misting.
Do not try to maintain the humidity level only by misting the rubber plants as misting has its consequences.
Try the methods mentioned above, as it helps you thrive on your rubber plants and make them healthy.
Also read: Why is my rubber plant dying?
Sources: Rubber trees water, Rubber Tree Water Use Patterns, Stress Generation In Aerial Roots Of Ficus Elastica, Growth of rubber plants, Ficus Elastica care.