“Misting is one of the top things that you can do for your houseplants. I advise my clients to mist their houseplants one to two times per week.”
A spritz as little as once or twice a week can make a huge difference to humidity here as the moisture has nowhere to escape to. Likewise, misting can be an effective way to target dry patches on hanging baskets or mounted plants, such as stag horn ferns, which traditional watering may miss.
It is possible to overmist? As they say, too much of anything is still too much. Repeatedly dousing your plants with moisture is no exception, so Resta says be careful not to overdo it. "You want to be cautious about how much water may be gathering on your leaves' surface," she notes.
Non-selective herbicide overspray will cause chlorosis, poor health, dieback, and death. Other symptoms of herbicide overspray include leaves turning purple, stem dieback, and leaf mottling and spots. These symptoms can indicate other problems, too, so diagnosing overspray can be challenging.
Some plants want daily misting; others are OK with two to three times a week.
“Spritzing your plants is not the correct way to water your plants. In fact, it doesn't water them at all,” she says. While spritzing can provide some moisture, unless the plant really thrives in humidity (ferns, orchids, or bromeliads, for example), Hovis says spritzing can do more harm than good.
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.
Plants accidentally sprayed with contact weedkillers usually have a scorched appearance or brown spots wherever the spray droplets landed on the leaves. Bulb foliage may emerge yellow if accidentally sprayed with a contact weedkiller before it had died back in the previous year.
Misting is highly recommended at least once a month, and more often with species that enjoy it (see full list below). Be sure to spray the top and underside of your leaves, and if using for cleaning your leaves, wipe the leaves down with a cloth after misting to remove dust.
Most houseplants will thrive just fine without the use of a mister, Gillette says. Epiphytes will benefit though from a light misting every morning.
As a rule of thumb, all cacti, drought tolerant plants, and the great majority of succulents, should never be misted!
Also, don't mist plants that don't require a lot of moisture, like succulents, dragon tree (Draceana marginata), fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), yucca, pothos, ponytail plant (Beaucarnea recurvata), cissus and spider plant.
“A lot of people don't understand the importance of misting,” adds Jenkins. “Misting is one of the top things that you can do for your houseplants. I advise my clients to mist their houseplants one to two times per week.”
Apply once a week during light pest season, or twice a week during heavy pest season. Always spray in morning (before sunrise) or in late evening. Never spray in sunlight, or you'll risk scorching your plants. Spray plants liberally, and be sure to get the undersides of leaves, where many pests feed.
Misting greatly increases the humidity level around the plants and lowers the temperature, creating the type of habitat in which they thrive. There is a nozzle mist head known as Fogg-it that fits on the end of your garden hose and sprays a super fine mist on plants.
For your planning purposes, you'll need to spray approximately every 7 to 10 days through the growing season on a dry day so the product has the opportunity to dry on the plant surface.
Gardening: Misting can help plants cope in scorching-hot weather.
Types of Plants That Like Mist
(Zebra plants, orchids, arrowhead plants, and begonias are just a few others that love mist.) "It's best to mist each of these plants as you see the top inch of the soil become dry to the touch," he says.
Water Young Plants and Flowers Daily Until Established
Most young varieties call for daily watering (skip rainy days) until roots are developed, which happens around the two week mark. At that point, you can taper off and move to a weekly schedule if the variety allows.
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.
How long will pesticides last after application? A typical pest control application will last around 90 days. If outdoor applications see consistent or heavy rainfall, they efficacy may be affected and will last about 60 days. Pesticides used to treat flying insects like mosquitoes or flies will last around 30 days.
1. Watering Plants At Night Isn't Needed: Although the idea has been around for years, most plants don't need extra care by watering them at night. There are a few exceptions, but 99% of your plants, indoors and out should only be watered during the day.
The best time to water outdoor plants is in the morning when temperatures are usually cooler. This gives the plants time to absorb the water so they can get through a long, hot day. The second-best time is late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Try not to water at night.