Monstera Humidity: The Key to Vibrant Growth

Do you…

ever wonder if your Monstera humidity levels are necessary? Imagine leaving a cold climate to go somewhere tropical! You leave that airplane and the humidity hits you as you feel like your bones are finally melting! Well, your monstera loves that! Optimal humidity levels are between %60-%80 for your tropical plant. So you might be wondering, do monsteras like humidity? Well yes! They do!

Optimal Monstera Humidity

Monsteras are tropical plants that require high humidity levels. This is why we need to put in the effort to create the right growing conditions indoors. Monsteras thrive in temperatures of 65-80F and slightly cooler at nighttime.

“They are picky regarding their humidity levels as this is their natural state. %60-%80 is the best humidity level and anything lower can cause dryer out of the leaves.”

To help keep humidity levels consistent avoid putting your Monstera close to doorways or windows during the cooler months. these can create cold drafts causing frostbite and other physical problems on your Monsteras foliage. Furthermore it is not recommended to put your plants near floor vents. These can also create drafts that are not ideal for the health of your tropical plant. By placing your Monstera in a corner or room away from drafty zones you will help create a consistently even humid area.

Best Humidity spots for your monstera

Some of the best spots in your house for humidity are often the bathrooms or kitchens. This is because when the shower or bath is on it provides misting that your Monstera leaves will love! In the kitchen we create humidity when cooking. Having a pot of boiling water on the stove creates humid levels as the water evaporates creating an ideal growing environment for tropical plants.

• Near a bathroom with natural lighting
  • Bathrooms are a gem spot for monsteras because of the steam from a hot shower. Bathrooms are usually smaller which is ideal as they keep moisture in the air longer which is perfect for tropical plants.
• Close to a kitchen counter by a sink
  • Kitchens have higher humidity levels because of hot water from a sink, cooking, and baking. This helps raise humidity in a smaller area however it will not provide enough moisture so pairing it with a humidifier will be most beneficial.
• Beside other monsteras
  • Putting monsteras beside each other in groups creates small microclimates that help keep moisture levels up. Monsteras release moisture into the air so placing them together will raise humidity levels in that area.
• Beside a humidifier
  • This is great if your house is naturally on the dryer side. Humidifiers help raise moisture levels and at the same time keeping them consistent so you don’t need to worry about moisture fluctuations.
• Sunroom
  • Sunrooms get warm and provide great humidity with all the windows. Remember to keep them out of direct sunlight. Hanging a sheer curtain in front of your sunroom windows will provide great dappled shade that is often found in the rainforests.

Low Monstera Humidity Care

If you struggle with high humidity levels in your home you’re in luck! Monsteras do prefer humid environments but they are surprisingly adaptable to lower humidity, as low as %40. However you will see them in their best health and vibrant growth with higher moisture levels.

“However, lower humidity levels over time bring health, appearance, and stunted growth issues.”

When humidity lowers drastically, your Monstera will not grow as fast as they normally would in optimal conditions. However they do often continue to develop healthy leaves with new growth. Slight changes, like slower leaf unfurling or minor browning on the leaf edges can occur. These are usually manageable with some minor adjustments to your care routine.

How to tell if Monstera needs more humidity

Browning leaves

One of the first signs your Monstera is struggling with the humidity level is discoloration in the leaves. Browning on the edges of the leaves is due to lack of moisture in the air. Monstera’s loose moisture through there leaves faster than they can absorb it from the soil. This then leads to dehydration and results in leaf browning. To help with this increase your humidity level and adjust your watering cycle so it has consistent moisture.

Slower growth

Fluctuating humidity levels cause stunted or slowed growth. If you notice that your Monstera isn’t growing as fast as it usually does this could be due to low humidity levels. This leads to producing fewer leaves and new leaves not unfurling. Use a humidifier to increase the moisture level, grouping plants together works as well to create humid microclimates.

Curling of leaves

Monstera leaves start to curl up if the air is to dry. This is a protective mechanism for them. This is a sign that your plant is trying to keep any moisture it has left in it’s foliage. Misting your leaves a few times a day can help your plant have immediate access to more moisture. Alternatively you can put bowls of water around your pot base to help raise humidity as the water evaporates.

“Using a humidifier, regularly misting leaves, or grouping your plants together will help in keeping moisture levels consistent. This will make a big difference in keeping your Monstera vibrant and healthy.”

Wilting

Wilting can be a tricky sign. It can be due to overwatering, underwatering or low humidity levels. Limp, droopy or loss of firmness indicates that your air is to dry for your tropical plant. Monstera foliage tends to loose it’s leaf structure when their environment does not have access to enough moisture. Increase your humidity to regain the health and firmness of the plants structure.

Indoor Monstera Humidity Conditions

Creating the right humidity conditions for your tropical plant is a key factor in growth and health. Monstera plants do adapt well to environments that are not ideal however they will thrive the best and you will see the best growth in conditions that mimic the rainforest. The iconic fenestrated leaves come alive with the right humidity conditions. There are great ways you can increase the humidity levels for your monstera plant

Humidifiers

These are an easy way to enhance the humidity environment. They release air into rooms which helps raise moisture. Setting a humidifier between %50-%60 will be a great humidity level for your monstera to thrive in.

Misting

Misting is a cheap way to help out your monstera’s humidity needs. Grabbing a spray bottle and misting your plant’s leaves a few times a day will help your monstera leaves have access to more humidity.

Pebble Trays

A very cost effect way of increasing humidity levels are pebble trays. They are relatively cheap and provide an increase to moisture levels overtime. Fill a tray with water and pebbles underneath your Monstera’s pot. Make sure the roots are not in it. As the water evaporates, it will increase the moisture level in the air, raising the humidity around your plant. Make sure to always top up the water level in the tray. Alternatively you can do the same thing except with bowls from your kitchen instead of buying a pebble tray specifically.

Grouping

Grouping your plants together in the same area will help raise humidity levels. As they grow in the same location they create a small microclimate. This microclimate will increase the moisture levels around the plants as they work together to release moisture into the air.

“While can survive at low humidity levels of 40-50% range, but growth will slow down. Health concerns like the leaf edges turning brown and leaves struggling to uncurl will be more noticeable.”

These are great options for raising the moisture level in your home. Keeping your Monstera humidity levels consistent without sudden drops is a key factor in the humidity care routine for your plant. Remember to keep your Monstera away from doorways, windows or vents during cooler months. These can cause sudden cold drafts that will drop the humidity levels creating plant stress.

Different Monstera Humidity Needs

Monsteras come in many different types which means there are different humidity levels for each type. By understanding what they are you can drastically improve the health of your plant. To help accommodate the needs of the different types, you will need to adjust your care routine. A hygrometer is a great tool to measure humidity levels.

• Deliciosa– %60-%80
• Adansonii–%60-%80
• Obliqua–%80-%90
• Siltepecana–%60-%80
• Dubia– %70-%90
• Standleyana– %60-%80
• Pinnatipartita– %60-%80

Monsteras that have more delicate leaf patterns, like the Monstera Adansonii, will benefit more from an environment that provides consistent moisture levels. This type has thinner leaves and therefore can lose water faster which makes it heavily reliant on a well-maintained humid environment. Other varieties can tolerate a wider range of conditions, some including lower humidity levels.

“By knowing your specific Monstera’s humidity preferences you can help create the optimal environment which will set it and you up for long-term success!”

Is Monstera Humidity Necessary

Because monstera plants naturally grow in humid rainforests humidity is an essential part of caring for this tropical plant. These tropical plants thrive best in humid environments between 60% and 90%. Creating a growing environment that mimics this will make a huge difference when it comes to your Monsteras overall health. Plants are less likely to experience stress if they grow in an environment that closely mimics their native rainforests. This will lead to better overall health, strength to fight off infestations and deeper green color.

“They can survive in lower moisture levels however providing them with %60-%90 humidity will keep them healthy in order to develop fast new growth.“

The right humidity levels will promote:

• Health new growth
• Prevents any leaf or stem damage
• Helps with leaf development
• Reduces plant stress
• Mimics natural growing environments
• Strengthens plant to fight off diseases and bugs
• Faster growth
• Dense lushes foliage

“Maintaining the right humidity levels is critical in preventing common health issues like spider mites and dry soil conditions. These issues thrive in low humidity environments. However by increasing your humidity you will create the ideal healthy growing environment for a healthy thriving plant.”

If you notice that your home is naturally on the dry side, especially during the colder months there are ways to improve it. Misting your Monstera leaves, using a pebble tray filled with water, grouping your tropical plants together, or using a humidifier are all great ways to raise your moisture levels. You want to keep the humidity above 50%. Use this as your baseline, but aim for 60% or 70% is even better.

FAQ: Monstera Humidity

Can a Monstera get too much humidity?

If your monstera leaves are getting crispy, you have low humidity. Aim for 65%-70%. You can use a hygrometer to measure and adjust levels. Too much moisture can also cause plant disease so it’s a tricky balance!

Do Monsteras like being misted?

This plant loves to be misted! It reminds it of its natural growing environment. Normal room temperatures between 60–80 degrees are great for your Monstera.

Is a humidifier good for Monsteras?

Using a humidifier is an effective way of maintaining optimal conditions for your Monstera plant, Improving overall health in your home or office space, Its one of my favorite methods used among houseplant enthusiasts to maintain proper humidity levels for houseplants.

How much moisture does A Monstera need?

Monstera plants need evenly moist soil. The soil should feel dry on the top half of the pot, but moist on the bottom half. Check your soil often to determine when your plant needs to be watered.

Do Monsteras do well in bathrooms?

Don’t forget that the Monstera Deliciosa does need bright indirect light in order to grow bigger and stronger. Monsteras are perfect for bathrooms.

Knowing your monstera humidity levels will help increase plant growth and will help your monstera grow to new heights! If you want extra info on humidity needs for Monstera this article is also a great reference.

Check out our other posts on caring for Monstera!