I've had similar experiences, especially when moving larger pots around. Sometimes I wonder if pebble trays are worth the hassle... Have you ever tried using humidity mats or even those small portable humidifiers instead? I've seen some folks mention them but haven't given them a shot yet. Curious if they might be less messy overall or just introduce their own set of annoyances.
"Sometimes I wonder if pebble trays are worth the hassle..."
Honestly, pebble trays always felt like more trouble than they're worth to me. I've tried those portable humidifiers you're talking about, and while they're convenient at first, they come with their own quirks. You gotta refill them pretty often, and some cheaper models tend to leak or sputter water droplets onto nearby surfaces—not ideal if you've got wooden furniture around.
One thing I've found practical is grouping plants together in clusters. It naturally boosts humidity without extra gadgets or messy trays. If you have a bunch of plants anyway, it's a simple solution that doesn't require constant upkeep or worrying about spills. Plus, it looks nice too.
Humidity mats sound interesting though—I haven't personally given them a shot yet. Might be worth experimenting with one or two plants first before investing in several.
I've wondered about pebble trays too—tried them briefly but honestly couldn't tell if they were doing much. Plus, cleaning algae off the pebbles every few weeks got old fast. Has anyone actually measured humidity levels before and after using them? I'd be curious to see if there's a noticeable difference or if it's mostly just placebo.
Grouping plants together does seem to help a bit, but I've also noticed certain plants don't like being crowded. My fiddle leaf fig started dropping leaves when I moved it closer to others—maybe it was coincidence, but who knows?
Portable humidifiers sound tempting, but hearing about leaks makes me hesitant. Are there any brands or models that are more reliable? Humidity mats are totally new to me...do they work similarly to heating mats, just with moisture instead of heat? Seems like an interesting concept, though I'm skeptical about how evenly they'd distribute humidity. Might have to test one out myself sometime.
I've never measured humidity scientifically, but I did try pebble trays for a while and honestly...meh. Didn't notice much difference either, except the algae was thriving more than my plants. 😂
Grouping plants definitely helps in my experience, but you're right—some plants are just loners. My monstera loved company, but my snake plant seemed annoyed (if plants can be annoyed?). Maybe your fiddle leaf fig is just picky like mine; mine throws a tantrum if I even look at it wrong.
Portable humidifiers can be hit or miss. I got one of those cute mini ones off Amazon—worked great until it leaked all over my desk. Now I stick to bigger brands like Levoit or Honeywell, and so far no disasters. Fingers crossed.
Humidity mats sound intriguing though...never heard of them before. If they're anything like heating mats, maybe they'd work best for smaller setups or propagation trays? Might be worth experimenting with a small area first before committing to a full jungle setup.
"Didn't notice much difference either, except the algae was thriving more than my plants. 😂"
Haha, felt this. Pebble trays were a bust for me too—just extra cleaning I didn't sign up for. Agree on grouping though; my pothos definitely perked up when I clustered them together. Humidity mats sound interesting, but honestly, simpler solutions usually work best in my experience. Good luck with your fiddle leaf...mine's still holding grudges over minor offenses from months ago.
