Kitchen & Window

Keeping houseplants alive in dry air

Plants

Most leaf browning in dry flats comes from low humidity and irregular watering, not from too little water. Group plants together, keep them away from heaters, and water deeply but less often.

Tray trick

A shallow tray of pebbles and water under the pots raises the humidity right around the leaves. Keep the pot itself above the waterline.

Plants that cope

Snake plants, ZZ plants and pothos forgive a lot. Ferns and calatheas will complain first.