As any indoor plant enthusiast knows, crispy leaf edges, limp stems or oddly crumpled leaves can mean only one thing: low humidity levels. However, savvy green thumbs know the quickest and easiest fix is to make a DIY pebble tray for their indoor plants. This method involves a shallow dish, a layer of pebbles, and a small amount of water, with the potted plant sitting atop the pebbles. How to make a pebble tray for plants ?
Acting as a passive humidifying technique, the evaporation process provides humidity at an ideal level that won’t harm the soil or roots since there’s no standing water involved. Thanks to its ease-of-use and lack of electricity needed, creating your own pebble tray is absolutely perfect for houseplant woes that require increased moisture in the air.
Take care of your green friends with a pebble humidity tray! A helpful and easy tool to create, this container ensures that plants get just the right amount of moisture for optimal health. From step-by-step instructions on how to make it yourself, to tips on maintaining it – you’ll discover all these answers here as well as common questions about using one. Get ready for some plant pampering.
What is a pebble tray for houseplants?
Create your own humid microclimate in your home! A pebble tray is a great way to provide humidity for one plant or an entire group. Simply fill a shallow dish with pebbles and water, making sure that the size of the container extends beyond all foliage edges by at least half an inch – this creates just enough space for subtle evaporation to bring added moisture into play around any leafy occupants in its vicinity.
A DIY pebble tray is a quick project that can boost the humidity around your plants and help them thrive. Of course, if the air in your home is very dry, you may need to supplement with another source of moisture like a humidifier or daily misting.
Some signs that your plants need higher humidity
If you have a humidity-loving plant that isn’t suffering from over- or under-watering, any of these signs might indicate that your plant needs more humidity:
- Dry, brown patches on leaf edges or tips
- Leaves feel crispy and dry
- Leaves are splitting
- Plant starts to wilt
- Leaves turn yellow
- Flower buds don’t develop, or they drop off
- Flowers shrivel soon after blooming
How Does a Pebble Humidity Tray Work?
Houseplants are nature’s way of bringing the beauty and warmth of tropical regions into our homes! Not only do they provide vibrant foliage and blooms, but also facilitate a process known as transpiration – releasing excess moisture from their leaves. In order to maintain optimal growth conditions for your houseplants, it is important to ensure the humidity levels around them stay consistent so that nutrient absorption occurs through their roots while photosynthesis can occur at its peak rate.
You may not experience humidity levels as high as the rainforest in your home, but with a pebble tray you can give your plant all the moisture it needs to thrive. This easy DIY tool works by placing small stones into an open container filled with water. The pot sits on top of these rocks, allowing evaporation itself to increase humidity around the leaves for that perfect jungle feel.
Which Plants Benefit from a Humidity Tray?
Any plant that loves humidity can benefit from a pebble tray. There are many plants that fall in this group, bet here’s a sampling to give you an idea:
- Orchids
- Ferns
- Philodendron
- Hoya
- Small palms
- Scindapsus pictus
- Peace lily
- Arrowhead plant
- Polka dot plant
- Purple waffle plant
- Nerve plant
- Chinese money plant
- Peperomia
I have a Philodendron Birkin to place on the pebble tray I’m making. This plant is showing a couple of indicators that it needs more humidity.
Is your air feeling a little dry? A tell-tale sign is the partially unfurled leaf in this photo. It’s been stuck like that for several weeks now, and you can also see yellowing near its base – an indication of low humidity levels.
Other clues that your plant needs more humidity include:
- Leaves curling downward, especially at the tips
- Brown, crispy leaf edges
- Slow growth
- Shriveled leaves
- Plant drooping or wilting
Plants That Do Not Need a Humidity Tray
Plants that thrive in arid settings have become accustomed to minimal moisture, so adding extra humidity through a pebble tray can be detrimental. The result? Unhealthy and soggy leaves!
That’s not the look you’re going for, so keep these plants away from extra humidity:
- Cactus
- Aloe vera
- Succulents
Bigger plants like Monstera deliciosa and majesty palms often require a pebble tray to increase humidity, but this cumbersome option isn’t feasible for hanging baskets. Luckily, you can still give your potted or suspended greenery the extra moisture it needs by running a humidifier or simply misting them every few days.
Pebble tray for plants
Materials Needed to Make a Pebble Tray for Plants
You only need a few simple materials to build your pebble tray:
- A tray that’s equal to or larger than your plant’s foliage span
- Small to medium pebbles or rocks
- Clean filtered water
Let’s break these materials down in a but more detail:
Tray or Dish
Crafting pebble trays is not only a great way to upgrade your décor but it also has amazing functional uses. Since water molecules evaporate upwards, pebble trays are perfect for catching and absorbing the humidity in the air. It’s actually quite simple to make one!
All you need is a glass or plastic container (I found a 9-inch glass pie dish in a dark corner of my kitchen cabinet!) and decorative pebbles to fill it up. Once you can set it up by a window or in your bathroom, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it will add humidity and moisture to the air.
Any container that’s the large enough in diameter and at least 1 inch deep will work. These are a couple of suggestions:
- Large drip saucers
- Wide, shallow bowl
- A baking pan
- A pretty dinner plate
Pebbles or Small Stones
Pebbles trays are a great way to add a decorative element to your home, as well as help maintain the humidity inside your home. To make sure it is effective, you’ll need pebbles that are between 1/4 – 1 inch in size as these pebbles will hold more water than larger rocks and pebbles, making sure the water evaporates from the tray when there’s too much present. Small aquarium stones or glass gemstones can provide some colour to the pebble tray if you wish for a more decorative look.
Though if you prefer something more natural looking or don’t want to purchase pebbles, you can do so by collecting small stones at the beach or from your garden space. These pebble trays are an easy and aesthetic way of maintaining humidity levels in your home with minimal effort on upkeep and maximum effect.
Water
For vibrant and healthy houseplants, invest in filtered water or let your tap sit for a day! Chlorine can cause unsightly leaf spotting and stunt growth – so make sure you give them the good stuff.
How to Make a DIY Pebble Tray Step-By-Step
Create your own pebble tray with just a few simple steps! Not only is the process enjoyable, it’s so easy that you’ll be finished in no time.
1. Wash Your Pebbles
Get your pebbles ready for their new home! Whether freshly bought or collected from nature, make sure to give them a thorough wash with soapy water – no contaminants allowed. Once clean, rinse and let the little stones soak up some H2O in preparation of being nestled into place around plants.
2. Add Pebbles to the Tray
Creating the perfect setting for your leafy friend? Carefully spread a single layer of pebbles, about an inch deep. Any deeper and there’s risk that excess water might accumulate; but be careful with those heavy stones – too much enthusiasm may crack or chip any glass tray you use.
3. Add Water
Offer your plant the perfect bath! Fill its pebble tray, but not too full; just leave some room for vapor absorption. Perfectly saturating soil avoids moist-o-phobia and prevents root rot – a happy medium for an especially healthy houseplant.
The water line might seem just a bit too low – don’t worry! That’s perfect for your plant. It’ll keep the roots out of the actual liquid while still providing enough space to ensure proper evaporation.
4. Settle Your Plant on the Pebble Surface
SGive your plant the perfect cushioning it deserves by ensuring that its resting spot is perched atop a bed of pebbles! Arrange them accordingly to create an even and secure surface, then give your favorite pet some love in its new cozy home.
Maintaining Your Pebble Tray
Any time there’s standing water, there’s the chance it can stagnate, leading to a few potential problems:
- Odors
- Algae growth
- Pests
The good news is these issues are pretty easy to avoid as long as you keep your pebble tray properly maintained. Here’s what to do:
- If the water completely dries up, your pebble tray can’t its job of producing humidity. Check on the water level every few days, and add more when the level falls below the top of the rock line.
- About every 7 days, do a complete water change. Dump out all the old water, give your pebbles a light rinse and refill with fresh water.
- If your tray is in direct sunlight, be vigilant for algae growth. If you see any, take your tray to the sink and wash your pebbles and tray with soapy water. Rinse, and refill with fresh water.
Do pebble trays work for plants?
A pebble tray / pebble saucer is a simple gardening tool used mainly in indoor plantings. All low dishes and containers are suitable along with water, pebbles and gravel to create a moist environment for plants which have some moisture.
What plants need pebble trays?
Most of the plants like to enjoy moisture and need some pebbles. Many popular names are “bromeliades” or ” bushes ” or ” ferns “.
How do I raise humidity in plants with pebble tray?
Place the plants in the gravel, ensuring it remains above water. The moisture evaporates in the pebble tray, forming bubbles around the plant. Just add the water to this tank after the liquid has evaporated to help the plants flourish a little more!
How much humidity does a pebble tray create?
The humidity changes below pebbles were tested by orchid enthusiasts. He noticed that during winter (see above meme), humidity was about 3% higher than the rest. The humidity dropped from 4′′ to 2%.
Final Thoughts
For potted plants, low-humidity is a major problem to watch for. If your tropical houseplants begin to suffer from this, don’t be scared – instead, create a simple solution like a houseplant pebble tray.
With an easy DIY pebble tray project, you can provide the optimal environment for your plants in no time! All it takes is a few minutes of your time and some materials that are likely already in your home. With just one setup change, your potted plants can go from droopy to perky in no time.
Are you looking for an easy and efficient way to cultivate happy, healthy plants? Take the guesswork out by creating a pebble tray! If this method has worked for your green friends in the past or if you have any advice on how to improve humidity levels, we’d love to hear from you below. Let’s work together to give our beloved foliage only the best of care!
Read more: Best pots for orchids and containers