Is High Humidity Harming Your Plants?

Humidity can have a serious impact on how your plants grow - and when you're growing either indoors or in a greenhouse, it pays to monitor and address humidity through every stage. Plants early in propagation (germinating seeds and cuttings) usually benefit from a much higher humidity (70% +) while plants later in development usually benefit from much lower moisture levels. It varies by the plants, of course, but in this video I'll go through some of the basics of why humidity matters and what you can do about it.

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[MyFocusVaries]

Thanks for the information. I can just imagine that this deluge we've had these last few days would add a lot of humidity to the air. Good luck with the manual humidity control.

[pchannie]

This video is extremely helpful for someone like me who is starting things from seed for the very first time. Thank you!

[gwbuilder]

This was exactly my problem at the farm I previously lived on. The under cover locations, even though open air on all sides, during the winter months I would struggle with propagating cuttings because of the constant dampness even without watering. The humidity in the air was just warm enough and cool enough at the same time to keep the areas damp. It was just a roof with no walls except one side, but that was enough to prevent air movement on the shelves were the cuttings were.
The soil moisture was fine, but the surface of the plants was always wet and even dripping sometimes without any watering.
The current winter weather is the very conditions to watch out for depending upon where you live.
This week it is projected that the Pineapple Express or mor commonly known Westerly Winds blowing on shore frome the Pacific Coast will will bring significant rain and moisture to the Northern Americas (US and Canada) primarily.
We have had warmer Westerly winds here in Hawaii for the past week with 20 degree warmer temperatures in the higher elevations.
My early morning temperatures last week were 4C/37F and this week 15C/60F.
This is a normal phenomenon that happens every year, it just depends on where the Jetstream decides to dip down in the central Pacific. Last year the Jetstream came down between Russia and Japan, looped around Hawaii from the West and made a sharp U-turn back North on the East side along the state creating hurricane like conditions here and then gathering enormous amounts of moisture that found its way across the Northern continent.
This year is quite mild with light winds so far and it appears the majority of weather is suppose to be more Southern California, but that is yet to be determined.
It's been clear skies all day with the high temperatures in the 28C/80Fs up here at 1400m/4600ft.
Great video Jason!🤙

[kathiesimpson]

Very helpful information. Thank you, Jason!

[Elestrial]

Thank you for sharing! I've never had this issue before but this year it's been an unusually warm and wet winter, bought a dehumidifier for my grow room which is helping

[zinnia]

Thank you, Jason. I have a new greenhouse, and am starting my seeds. Very timely info!

[davidb]

Excellent explanation of moisture issues with data and samples

[adam-puib]

Sick work dude 🤣 I'm doing a lab on the effects on humidity on plant growth, this really helped with my background research. You are really well spoken, does wonders for my academics.

[scallywags]

Just watched Rosy Hardy from Uk. She suggests to make sure you have fresh air circulating in your greenhouse large or small. Stale air is not good.

[KawarthaFamilyFarm]

So informative. I had seeds just last week that successfully germinated on the outside but nothing in the center. I was perplexed - now I know!

[nickirios]

Very useful with great examples. Thank you!

[joanne_niagara]

Great video. Thank you! For two years, I kept tulips in a pot in my unheated garage over winter (thinking I'd pop them in urns in the spring when they started to sprout) and both years the bulbs rotted. The third year, I just put them in the ground, but we have heavy clay in a garden that is basically filled with water all winter long and they did fine. Any thoughts on why they would rot in the garage but not sitting in water all winter? (ON Zone 6b)

[debs-more-plants]

Another informative video!
Thank you!

[GainingDespair]

As someone who had never had success with rooting roses I was discouraged. For a few years I tried, I would take 2-3 cuttings put a bag on them than fail, couple months more 2-3 cuttings bag on top fail again. Started trying to learn more, bought a humidity dome, 2-3 cuttings rot, try again rot.

Never had any luck what so ever, I stopped water the plants and misting only, helped with some stuff like gardenias. Started getting more success with them until I just had too many, I was getting virtually every single one to root to the point where I had far too many of them. Still never had luck with roses, this last (well last two times) I took many cuttings at once 10+ potted them up in a single pot and watered, no cover no humidity nothing, having success finally, tried again and more success.

My point is I live in a very humid climate, however everyone said humidity dome, trap in moisture! I realized my conditions are different than there's, and it just didn't work for my climate. I encourage folks to test with stuff, I failed for years doing what folks said worked for them in their climate that I never considered it might be bad in my climate.

Lot of folks have a vast amount of knowledge and information to share, but climate plays a big role, turns out humidity dome was causing me to fail, once I tried without it I started having success. I am happy to learn this, and I strongly recommend others struggle as well to try new things.

[gunmetal]

I am from Malaysia and it's definitely high humidity year around. No way to get around it. I did notice some of my roses have the light green leaf issues...also with burnt edges and I don't fertilise heavily. My sole Gardenia plant has that too. Wonder if maybe the leaves of those plants don't work best with high humidity. But the flowers are blooming fine though.

[pamelamercado]

I had the same problem with some plants myself recently first time ever It was a pain

[kellycornett]

Hi Jason, so good to see you again. I had messaged you a few months ago pertaining to a new yellow rose. Question is how is it doing? And does it have a name. Reason being I will be creating a garden room in honor of my mom. Yellow roses was her favorite. I’m wanting something very special and unique.

[janekozlovsky]

Hi Jason, I had recently watched one of your videos where you featured a 'Distant Drums' rose and I loved it so much, that I ordered one as well. I ordered it from Springhill Nursery knowing they'd ship when appropriate for my zone 7b, Long Island, NY location. Just got a notification that they're shipping it next week. I am in complete shock! I haven't a green house nor have I ever heard of planting roses here in February. I purchased an agricultural fabric from my local HD as a precaution. What makes this even more petrifying, is when I tracked it on FedEx, it's coming from California! Jason, have you any words of wisdom or should I just accept the thought that this beauty doesn't stand a chance?

[TheresaDarylsWife]

I have a meter, got it for incubating chicks just put it by my plants. Thank you

[ponytaclub]

Could you please also explain the required humidity levels for rose cuttings propagation at different stages?