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I would LOVE advice / suggestions for my new plant stand. (See photo)… | Anything about plants | Planta community

CraiCrai

I would LOVE advice / suggestions for my new plant stand. (See photo) I’m noticing water spots (white spots) on leaves of the Pilea and Monstera on the shelf above the small humidifier. A ) how can I safely remove the water spots? I’ve used a saturated micro fiber cloth with decent pressure and they’re still there, but less visible. B ) is there a more effective way to position these plants in relation to the humidifier to keep them hydrated but not too close to get water spots. Or where could the humidifier live to be helpful for all plants on the display. C ) would using distilled or spring water for the humidifier solve this problem all together? I’m currently using unfiltered tap water. D ) any tips on how to make this setup more useful and practical for the plants, I’m all ears. I’m new at this and loving all of the help the community has provided. Thanks for looking.

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6 comments

  1. Anya

    Your plants are gorgeous and look very healthy :)

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  2. MeasomerPi

    I agree with Anya. Your plants look good to me. A) you can wash the leaves with a solution of lemon juice diluted in water (not sure if the ratio so you’ll need to do some research). If you don’t have lemon juice you can substitute vinegar. The acids will help dissolve the mineral build up. B) unfortunately I do not have much experience with humidifiers so others will have to speak in that. C) You might try using distilled water. I wouldn’t use spring water. D) the only thing I’d do would be to swap the moon cactus and caladium’s spots. The moon cactus doesn’t care about humidity. Great setup!

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    • CraiCrai

      Love the response and thanks for taking the time to answer my newbie questions. I’ve moved the succulents to the desk further from the humidity and moved up the caladium. Thanks again 🙏🪴

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  3. Fyza

    I can tell you from experience that you should use distilled or rain water instead of tap in your humidifier. I used tap in two and they both got gunked up with calcium buildup. Thankfully they were cheap ones!

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  4. Mara

    Hi there! Distilled water is recommended for humidifiers. I do this more so for the quality of air I’m breathing and the life of my appliances that steam or vapor. No issues with surrounding plants.

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  5. Roundshouse Plants

    Distilled water is recommended, but often it's just not practical. I use tap water for mine but have a schedule to remind me to do a vinegar rinse to keep mineral buildup and algae/mold from growing. If you don't want to add the cleaning schedule to your list, then distilled is the way to go. I had the same problem with my pilea and alocasia near my humidifier. I don't think it's the placement of your plants. I think it's the placement of the humidifier. It's easy to think that since the humidifier is pushing the vapor up, that it should be placed below the plants. The water comes out as vapor but then mixes with the other stuffs in the air, condensation happens, and the now heavier droplets of water head toward the floor. Unless you have one of the super crazy humidifiers that has an atomizer function, you need to place it higher than the plants and let the moisture fall towards the leaves. I think I posted this on another question but I always try to think-what would my plant want if it was living in it's natural home. 🤔 In the jungle, the water comes from the air and works it's way downwards. So maybe that's what my plants want too! Maybe that will help with the water spots. 🤞🤞🤞

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