Sunday Gardener: Helping plants adjust to the fall season’s lack of humidity
TIME FOR SUNDAY GARDENER I’M HERE AT VALLEY VIEW FARMS WITH CARRIE INGLE. HELLO. AND YOU KNOW, IT’S GETTING COLDER. WE’RE SPENDING MORE TIME INSIDE, AND WE’RE MAYBE BRINGING IN SOME OF OUR PLANTS AS WELL. YOU SAID PEOPLE ALWAYS THINK THEY STRUGGLE WITH SUNLIGHT, BUT SOMETIMES IT’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT. YEAH, MOST OF THE TIME IT’S HUMIDITY. I MEAN, THEY’RE USED TO THAT WONDERFUL BALTIMORE HUMIDITY WE HAVE ALL SUMMER LONG. AND YOU BRING THE HOUSEPLANTS IN AND YOU KICK THE HEAT ON, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU’VE GOT DRY AIR. YES. SO DRY. AND WE NOTICE IT WITH OUR SKIN. SO YES, WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT OUR PLANTS TOO. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ADD THAT HUMIDITY? I SAY PERSONALLY, I HAD A LARGE NORFOLK ISLAND PINE THAT WAS PROBABLY TEN FEET TALL THAT I BROUGHT INSIDE AND IT WAS SUFFERING. SO I GOT A HUMIDIFIER FOR THE HOUSE AND I WAS BETTER. MY DOG WAS BETTER AND THE PLANT CERTAINLY DID BETTER. OH, IT WAS LIKE. IT’S LIKE YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU NEEDED IT AND YOU DID IT FOR THE PLANT. AND IT HELPED YOU IN THE LONG RUN. I LOVE THAT. OKAY. SO YOU CAN ALSO BRING IT. YOU CAN HAVE A NICE INDOOR FOUNTAIN LIKE THAT. THAT’S GOING TO BE COOL. YEAH. SO THEN IT’S LIKE ART, BUT THEN IT’S ACTUALLY RELEASING SOME. AND THAT SOUND IS JUST SO LOVELY. JUST THAT LITTLE BIT OF YEAH, HE’S GOING TO BE SO HAPPY LIVING RIGHT BY THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE MR. OKAY. NOW THIS THING YOU’D HAVE TO USE EVERY DAY AND IT’S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AT MY HOUSE. SO, OKAY, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER TO DO IT. YEAH. BUT I GUESS CONSTANTLY BECAUSE IT’S FUNNY I ONLY THINK ABOUT WATERING MY PLANTS. WHY IS IT A BENEFIT TO SPRAY THEM AGAIN? IT’S JUST THE HUMIDITY. THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE USED TO. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE MOST OF THESE PLANTS COME FROM IN THE TROPICS, THEY’RE USED TO A LOT OF HUMIDITY. ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT IS TO FILL UP A SAUCER WITH PEBBLES. NOW YOU DON’T WANT TO PUT YOU DON’T WANT THAT WATER TO BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO THE PLANT BECAUSE IT’LL OVERWATER IT, BUT IT’LL GIVE IT SOME HUMIDITY AND YOU CAN GET LIKE AN EXTRA LARGE TRAY AND FILL THE WHOLE THING AND PUT A BUNCH OF PLANTS ON IT, TOO. AND EVEN GROUPING PLANTS LIKE THAT TOGETHER IS GREAT FOR HOUSEPLANTS. THAT’S REALLY COOL. AND IT JUST LOOKS REALLY NICE. IT LOOKS PRETTY. YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU WORRY ABOUT BRINGING INSECTS IN. SO A YEAR ROUND SPRAY OR SPRAY OIL IS MY NUMBER ONE GO TO. THIS JUST SUFFOCATES ANYTHING THAT MIGHT COME ON THE LEAVES. IT GOES ON THE LEAVES AND GO UNDER THE LEAVES AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. SAME WITH THE INSECTICIDAL SOAP. YOU KIND OF WANT TO SPRAY IT UNDER THE LEAVES OR ON THE LEAVES TO GET RID OF IT. IF YOU DON’T HAVE PETS, YOU CAN ALSO USE A SYSTEMIC. SO THIS GOES INTO THE SOIL WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH THE PLANT. IF AN APHID GETS IN THERE AND IT SUCKS SOME JUICE OUT, HE’S DONE. SO LIKE MY DOG, HE’S KNOWN TO EAT SOIL FROM MY PLANTS, SO I SHOULD AVOID THAT. I WOULD AVOID THAT, BUT IF YOU DON’T, YOU’RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND YOU COULD TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OKAY. GOOD TO KNOW. GOOD TO YOU KNOW WHAT? WE LIKE HUMIDITY JUST AS MUCH AS THE PLANTS DO. AND THERE YOU GO. YOU KNOW. SO WE’RE GOING TO BE ADDING IT TO US AND ADDING IT TO THE PLANT AN
Sunday Gardener: Helping plants adjust to the fall season’s lack of humidity
Updated: 4:07 PM EDT Oct 5, 2025
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When bringing plants indoors for the winter, it’s important to consider how humidity plays a role in their growth. Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms shares her advice for keeping plants healthy indoors.
When bringing plants indoors for the winter, it’s important to consider how humidity plays a role in their growth. Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms shares her advice for keeping plants healthy indoors.
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