Small amounts of incense smoke should not cause any harm to your plants. However, if you burn incense regularly in a space near to your plants, they may take on chemicals from the incense which can lead to unhealthy plants. You should try to use natural incense in any situation as it is better for your health and the health of occupants in your home, but it also is safer when used around houseplants.
Will Incense Smoke Hurt My Plants?
Burning incense in a well-ventilated room with a distance between the plants and your burning incense, shouldn’t have any negative effects on your houseplants. However, if you are burning often and near your houseplants, it could lead to problems.
If smoke builds up on the leaves of your plant it could harm the photosynthesis process due to the particulate buildup clogging the pores of your houseplant’s leaves.
Can I Add Incense Ash to My Plants Soil?
When your incense has burned out, you’re left with incense ash that will then need to be disposed of. However, you’ve likely wondered if incense ash holds any nutrients that may be helpful for a houseplant. The answer lies in the type of incense you’re burning.
If you use incense that has chemicals in it (which is often found in cheaper, store-bought incense, then the answer is likely yes) then it can harm your plants.
Incense also contains essential oils and isn’t entirely organic. Your plants may not react to these oils well, however, it may also not have much of an effect on your plants. It’s really a toss-up.
At the end of the day, you should add incense ash to your plants’ soil with caution, especially if you don’t know every ingredient that has been used to make the incense.
Will Incense Ash Help Me Grow Health Plants?
Incense ash isn’t likely to help with growing healthier plants. This is because there are often harmful chemicals in incense ash due to the way the incense is made. If you are set on adding ash to your plants then we suggest wood ash as it contains potassium and phosphorus.
You should also note that incense ash can actually upset the pH balance of your plants’ soil which can actually lead your plants to be unhealthy.
It’s best to dispose of incense ash and not add it to your houseplants’ soil.