You should mist in the morning, taking care to spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves, and go for a nice, light coating. You don't want dripping! Misting can also spread fungus and bacteria, so don't mist if you notice any signs of potential infection on your plant.
Simply pull down on the level and watch the aerosolized water form a soothing cloud of mist over your plant. Misting is highly recommended at least once a month, and more often with species that enjoy it (see full list below).
Types of Plants That Like Mist
Tropical houseplants and plants that love high-humidity—such as the Chinese Evergreen, Boston Fern, and Majesty Palm—will benefit most from misting, says Plunkett. (Zebra plants, orchids, arrowhead plants, and begonias are just a few others that love mist.)
Too much of anything is not always a good thing. We think that it is appropriate to mist in doses of 1-2 times per week depending on the plant's temperament and environment. Over-misting plants can attract pests. Make sure to spray the undersides of leaves, lightly.
“This ultimately creates a better exchange of oxygen and moisture. Misting one to two times per week can refresh your plants and keep them happy and thriving.” So it's OK to keep that pretty misting bottle near your plants—just don't let that be the only water they get.
Some plants want daily misting; others are OK with two to three times a week.
Generally, you want to avoid misting so much that water is dripping off the leaves. You're going for a light coating on the tops and undersides of the leaves without a lot of large droplets. The leaves should look like they have morning dew settled on them, not like they've been in a rainstorm.
As a rule of thumb, all cacti, drought tolerant plants, and the great majority of succulents, should never be misted!
Examples of some plants that don't appreciate misting are succulents and other drought-resistant plants like Aloe Vera and Jade Plants, as well as any plants that have fuzzy or hairy leaves, as it is easy to cause these kinds of leaves to rot if they get too wet.
“Some plants thrive in humidity,” explains Hank Jenkins of the Plant Provocateur in Silver Lake. “If you don't give them moisture, their leaves will dry out. If you want new foliage and growth, you need to mist them.”
As for misting — for the plants that need to be misted to thrive like air plants and ferns — it's best to mist them in the morning *and* the evening whenever possible. The morning mist helps to prepare them for the day ahead, while the evening misting helps create a little extra humidity.
Filtered water works best for your plants
Filtered water is not only good for you, but it's great for your plants too. If you're new to water filters, you could start with an activated carbon filter first since there's a wide range to choose from.
Wetting leaves.
Plants get their moisture through their roots, not their leaves. Direct watering to the soil surface and avoid wetting leaves because water helps spread some plant diseases. Use a watering wand to reach ground level or a soaker hose or trickle irrigation system to wet the soil rather than the leaves.
The best time to water your garden in summer is from 6 am to 10 am—before the heat of the day sets in, giving your plants plenty of time to drink up and any moisture on the leaves to dry off before nightfall. What is this? If watering in the morning isn't possible, the next best time is from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Apply pesticides during the cooler part of the day, such as the early morning or evening. Treatments made in the early morning allow foliage to dry before temperatures reach 85–90°F. Take special precautions when using pesticides containing oil. Treat when conditions allow plants to dry quickly.
Avoid showering plants that don't like to get their leaves wet (such as African violets, Cyclamen, and Begonias).
A: To a plant, there's no difference in the mist temperature. However, warm misting humidifiers sanitize the water as they heat it to vapor. That means there's a slightly smaller chance that humidity-borne diseases can develop with a warm mist temperature.
"Misting the surface can provide a bit of humidity to the foliage without directly spraying leaves," Resta notes, "and it can help oxygenate the soil." Additionally, she says misters can be really helpful during summer, or growing season. "Leaves are unfurling, and a mister is perfect to have handy," she says.
Your Spider Plant will do well in normal household humidity but will thrive with a bit more humidity. Brown leaf tips may indicate the air is too dry, so mist your Spider Plant regularly using a Mister.
Some houseplants love mist, others not so much. Here's what to know. There are two kinds of houseplant keepers in the world: Those who mist and those who do not.
Use filtered or rain water that doesn't contain chlorine, fluoride or other chemicals. Always mist your plants in the morning so the leaves can dry out during the day.