Humidity Deep Dive and Winter Plant Care with the Plant Daddy Podcast Daddies, #112

One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten from our community is how to understand humidity and watering better. As we are in the depths of winter, humidity is a big topic and focus in our plant care routines, and you are going to hear a LOT about it today in a nerdy deep dive with two other plant podcasters, the daddies of the Plant Daddy Podcast Stephen and Matthew. I knew there couldn’t be a better guests than these two guys who are total nerds and maybe the only two other people who get as jazzed as doing weird deep dives into plant care as I am. This conversation was supposed to be 40 minutes and ended up being 90 because we just couldn’t stop talking about plants and winter and humidity and problem solving and

I hope your inner plant nerd sees the inner plant nerd in us and just smiles and feels seen.

So kick back, cozy up with your plants and enjoy episode 112 of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!

Just wanted to let you plant friends know during the time of this interview I got REAL curious and polled you guys about which brands of hygrometers you use (those are the humidity meters we talked about in the episode) and I’ve become a bit obsessed at putting them all over my house and comparing and contrasting the humidity levels in different rooms- from the bedroom to the bathroom to the living room. Check out this youtube video on my hygrometer and moisture meter review. 

 

In this episode we learn:

• [00:05:32] Matthew and Stephen share their personal histories with plants, and Matthew’s previous plant number (it was A LOT)
• [00:09:31] Matthew and Stephen’s gateway plants and how the difference in their plant interests pave way to a more diverse discussion in their podcast
• [00:11:03] How the Plant Daddy Podcast came to be
• [00:14:18] Maria shares the idea behind doing a deep dive episode on humidity and winter plant care
• [00:15:20] What happens to your plants during winter, the changes you might see in them as it grows colder, and figuring out the light your plants need
• [00:18:48] Are you making sure that the heat and cold in your home are optimal for your plants?
• [00:21:10] Should you really just water your plants less come winter time? Matthew has a different and smart answer!
• [00:22:19] A glimpse into Maria’s opera days: a wet rag on top of the radiator for more humidity
• [00:24:03] Should you leave your plants touching or close together?
• [00:25:29] Let’s talk about dormancy! Yes, your plants also take some time to sleep
• [00:26:29] Matthew’s insightful perspective on plant dormancy and seasonal changes
• [00:28:36] Stephen’s easy and practical tip to understand plant dormancy
• [00:32:23] Are your plants required to go through dormancy? Maria, Matthew, and Stephen share their own experiences with controlled environments
• [00:35:15] Why it is important to know the genus of your plants and where they originate from
• [00:37:10] Matthew elaborates on bulbs and how different plants with bulbs behave during different seasons
• [00:40:45] One of the biggest secret plant killers during winter: pests!
• [00:41:42] How seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can also affect your plants
• [00:42:16] How to ‘double-down’ on pest control management during the winter according to Stephen
• [00:43:28] Matthew’s personal hacks on getting rid of mealybugs
• [00:46:30] One of the most important things to know when you have plants according to Matthew: there is no one answer to everything
• [00:47:01] Where to source the BEST seeds for your garden (It’s planning time!)
• [00:49:37] Maria’s curated starter plans for all the different types of plant parents out there
• [00:50:58] Understanding the humidity and the environment that we, our plants, and even our homes need during colder months
• [00:56:24] What are Stephen and Matthew’s approaches to maintaining the right humidity for each of their plants?
• [01:00:00] Maria shares why she wants to learn more about humidity despite not needing to really focus on it before (yes, it’s true)
• [01:01:50] The horrifying experience with a humidifier that taught Maria a lesson the hard way
• [01:02:56] Matthew and Stephen’s hot takes on humidifiers and misting
• [01:06:55] Interesting hack on avoiding molds on dry walls when using a humidifier
• [01:09:11] Why you should check how your humidifier is working in the environment or room that it is in
• [01:14:01] Humidity concerns matter, but are you watering and taking care of your plants’ soil properly?
• [01:16:11] How to keep tabs on your plants’ humidity with tools
• [01:17:41] Maria’s future plans and experiments on humidity
• [01:19:32] Appreciating the unique perspectives and re