Plants in the bathroom

When it comes to decorating, the bathroom is often neglected, but it is the place where our day starts and ends. It is therefore logical that this place is designed as a small green oasis. Green plants not only provide a beautiful decoration of the room, but also improve the indoor climate and have a relaxing effect! It is mainly tropical plants, such as different palm varieties, that are very suitable for the bathroom. They are used to high humidity and little light. The biggest challenges for your bathroom plants are indeed the high humidity, the lack of light and the large temperature fluctuations caused after taking a bath or shower. But that doesn't have to be a problem for all plants!

The benefits of plants in the bathroom

Bathroom plants provide several benefits. Plants create a relaxing atmosphere and make the bathroom look like a home spa. You start your day in the bathroom and end it there, the bathroom plants create a cozy atmosphere. Another advantage of plants in the bathroom is that the bathroom is often a humid room and that makes many plants 'happy' because they originally come from a humid jungle. In addition, bathroom plants ensure better humidity. And when the humidity is in balance, you have less chance of mold.

The three challenges for bathroom plants

Before purchasing plants, it is important that you briefly analyze your bathroom. There are three factors you have to take into account: humidity, light and temperature.

Factor 1: the humidity in the room

Showering, bathing, washing your hands and even drying clothes increases the humidity significantly compared to other rooms in your home. The humidity in a bathroom is usually between 50 and 70% and can even rise to 85% after a shower. For most bathroom plants, a humidity of 60% is ideal. Therefore, remember to ventilate the bathroom in good time after showering. And to be really sure, you can place a hygrometer in the bathroom. In principle, high humidity is not a problem, especially for tropical plants. So it certainly does not have to be a critical factor for the bathroom. Due to the high humidity, the potting soil of your plants may start to become moldy. This indicates that your plants have been given too much water. Due to the high humidity, your bathroom plants need less water than other rooms in the house. That is why we recommend that you only water your plants when the soil has dried.

Tip: If the potting soil is too moist and starts to mold, all you have to do is remove the top layer and loosen the soil daily with an old fork. This way it can dry out properly.

Factor 2: the light in the bathroom

Plants see light as an energy source and this is also a deciding factor when purchasing your plants. A bathroom without a window is therefore not suitable for placing plants because no plant can live without light. In this case you can only place artificial plants. Does your bathroom have a fairly small window? Then consider placing your plants near the window so that they have enough light even on winter days. If your bathroom has multiple windows or a large window, you don't have to worry.

Factor 3: the temperature in the bathroom

It is often significantly warmer in the bathroom than in the other rooms of your home. For most plants this is generally not a problem. However, the plants do not like to be suddenly moved from a cold bedroom to a warm bathroom. So let them slowly get used to their new location. In addition to the use of a heater, the temperature in the bathroom also rises significantly after showering. So don't forget to ventilate so that it becomes a bit cooler in the bathroom and excessive temperature fluctuations are avoided.

The ideal plants for the bathroom

Plants that should not be placed in the bathroom

It is also useful to know which plants you should not put in the bathroom. Tropical plants can tolerate high humidity and therefore appreciate a steamy bathroom. Unlike cacti, succulents and plants with hairy leaves. These plants cannot tolerate high humidity. This can even cause them to rot. It is therefore better to avoid these plants in the bathroom.

Tips for caring for your bathroom plants

One of the most annoying things that can happen in your interior are plants that become withered. That is why it is important that you maintain your bathroom plants well. These are our tips for that.

• To water

One of the things that almost all plants need is water. It is important that you water your plants often enough, but not too often. To check whether the plant needs water, it is best to feel whether the potting soil is still moist. To do this, it is best to put your finger in the soil and if the soil does not stick to your finger, you know that the potting soil is no longer moist and that you can water the plant.

It is also important that you do not give your plants too much water. This is one of the most common reasons that plants die. Too much water can cause root rot, causing the plant to wilt and leaves to discolour. Not many plants survive root rot.

• Daylight

It is also important that your plant gets the right amount of daylight. It is important that you find out how much sunlight your plant needs and that you place it in the right place based on this. In general, plants in the bathroom do not get too much light and it is wise to choose plants that do not need it. It is therefore important that you do not place these types of plants directly in front of the window. Do you have a lot of light in the bathroom? Then you can choose many more plants.

• Plant food

Plants also absorb minerals from the potting soil. In nature, these minerals never actually run out, thanks to animals that leave behind minerals or old leaves that decompose. House plants do not have this in their small pots, but you can imitate this with houseplant food. They need this, especially in spring and summer, when your plants grow the fastest.