Enough air circulation is the secret to ensuring that plants you grow inside—houseplants or seedlings for outside—grow strong and healthy. This video discusses the importance of providing your plants with air-circulation. Enough air circulation helps ensure that plants stay healthy, and disease- and pest-free. Air circulation simulates Mother Nature indoors. Creating air circulation with a fan will help ensure that a plant’s stem gets and stays strong.
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Hello and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you’ll see in the comment section below.
Today, I’m going to talk to you about the importance of air circulation for your houseplants, especially for plants that are really more along the lines of outdoor plants and you’re trying to grow them indoors. This also applies if you’re growing some plants indoors that you will eventually be planting outdoors in the spring, especially during colder months.
For example, this right here is a heliotrope that I’m growing, which will eventually be planted in someone’s garden come spring. And here is a sensitive plant. I have articles and a video on growing sensitive plants indoors, but they are more of an outdoor plant. They’re also plants you don’t want to grow in certain areas of the country because they can be invasive. So, they’re better off grown indoors, but you want to treat them with the same growing conditions you’d give them outdoors.
Air circulation is also great for seedlings when you’re growing vegetables or flowers indoors this time of year. When gardening indoors, you’re trying to replicate Mother Nature. And one of the key things in nature is wind. Inside your home, you won’t typically have wind unless your plant is near a heating or air-conditioning duct, which isn’t a great idea because that tends to dry out the plant and can cause issues like leaf tip burn. I usually recommend keeping plants away from those types of drafts because heating and air-conditioning can be very drying to plants. However, you still want good air circulation around your plants in general.
That’s why I have this fan here. You can turn the fan on to low or high. Here, we can start with low. You may only need it on low, but high is fine too. Wind helps plants by making their stems stronger, which is especially important if you’re growing plants to transfer outdoors or if you’re simply trying to keep them healthy indoors. This is a practice they use in greenhouses, where fans are always running to improve circulation. Good air circulation can help keep away pests and diseases, while also making plant stems stronger.
For example, this heliotrope is growing straight and strong, and the air circulation has helped it maintain that shape. The same goes for the sensitive plant. Interestingly, when you put air on a sensitive plant, its leaves fold up, just like they do when you touch them. And if I touch it now, you’ll see that reaction even more.
To sum up, air circulation is great for keeping pests and diseases at bay, making plants stronger, and it’s also a bit fun to watch them move in the breeze. If you’re growing plants indoors for outdoor planting, I’d suggest giving them air circulation for an hour or two a day. You can also set the fan on low and let it run longer, depending on the plant’s needs. Observe your plant—if the wind seems too strong and the plant starts leaning or looking weak, either turn down the fan or move the plant farther away. You don’t need a huge windstorm indoors, but you are trying to simulate what you’d find in nature, like a gentle breeze or a slightly stronger gust.
Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave any comments about indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video.
Frequently Asked Questions about Air Circulation for Houseplants
Why is air circulation important for houseplants?
Air circulation helps to replicate natural outdoor conditions for your houseplants. It strengthens the stems, keeps pests and diseases away, and is essential for both indoor and outdoor plants grown indoors.
Can I use a fan to improve air circulation for my houseplants?
Yes, using a fan on a low or high setting can help. A low setting is usually enough to strengthen the plant without causing damage. If the plant looks stressed, reduce the fan speed or move the plant further from the fan.
How often should I provide air circulation for indoor plants?
Providing air circulation for about an hour or two each day is usually sufficient. If the fan is on a low setting, you can keep it running for longer periods, depending on the plant’s needs.
Will air circulation prevent pests and diseases?
Good air circulation can help prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and other plant diseases. It also deters certain pests by keeping the environment less hospitable for them.
Can air circulation help outdoor plants that are being grown indoors temporarily?
Yes, air circulation is beneficial for plants that will eventually be transplanted outdoors. It helps them grow strong and prepares them for outdoor conditions in the spring.
Why should I avoid placing houseplants near air-conditioning or heating ducts?
Air-conditioning and heating ducts can dry out the plants and cause leaf tip burn. It’s best to keep plants away from such drafts to avoid these issues.
How does wind affect a plant’s growth indoors?
Wind strengthens plant stems, simulating the natural conditions they would experience outdoors. Occasional air movement from a fan helps plants grow stronger and healthier.
Is it okay for air to move sensitive plants like the Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica)?
Yes, but be mindful of how much air movement they get. The Sensitive Plant will fold its leaves when exposed to air, just as it does when touched. Adjust the fan’s strength accordingly.
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