I had the same algae takeover in my pebble trays—felt like I was running a mini swamp instead of boosting humidity, lol. What worked surprisingly well for me was placing a couple of shallow bowls of water near my plants. No fuss, no algae, and my calatheas seemed way happier. Fiddle leaf figs though...mine still throws tantrums if I even look at it wrong. They're definitely drama queens.
Haha, your fiddle leaf fig sounds exactly like mine—total diva vibes. I tried the pebble tray thing too, and yep, ended up with a green slime fest. Switched to grouping plants together and leaving a bowl of water nearby, and it's been way less swampy. Although, honestly, my monstera doesn't seem to care either way...that thing could probably survive in the Sahara.
Grouping plants definitely helps with humidity, but honestly, I've found placement matters just as much. I used to keep my fiddle leaf fig near a drafty window, and it threw tantrums constantly. Moved it away from drafts, and suddenly it's way less dramatic. Have you noticed if yours reacts differently depending on location or airflow? Seems like some plants are pickier about drafts than actual humidity levels...
Totally agree about drafts—my monstera was the same way. Thought it was humidity issues at first, but nope...turns out it just hated being near the AC vent. Once I moved it to a cozy corner away from airflow, it perked right up. Humidity matters, sure, but sometimes it's just about finding the sweet spot in your space. Plants can be as picky as tenants looking for the perfect apartment, haha.
"Humidity matters, sure, but sometimes it's just about finding the sweet spot in your space."
True, but do you think maybe airflow itself isn't always the issue? I've seen plants thrive near vents if the air temp stays consistent. Could it be more about temperature fluctuations than drafts alone...?
