Using Mayo For Leaf Shine?! Scientist Opinion On Leaf Shine For Houseplants. The Truth Is Surprising

The Readers Digest suggested using Mayo as leaf shine for houseplants. This Gardening In Canada video looks at whether or not using Mayo as a leaf shine is a good idea.
The Benefits Of Leaf Shine
Leaf shine claims to do a lot of different things. From that ability to remove dust, dirt, and lime deposits to helping increase respiration and decreasing evaporation. With claims like that, you would think that there is value in adding leaf shine to a plant routine.
Does Leaf Shine Clog Pores
The claim that most of the internet makes is that leaf shine clogs pores. By pores, it is likely that they are suggesting the stomata of the leaves are becoming clogged. If the stomata of the leaves are harmed the plant is unable to respire.
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Ashley is a soil scientist who has had a passion for plants since she was a small child. In the long summers as a child, she would garden alongside her grandmother and it was then that she realized her love for greenery. With years of great studying, Ashley had begun her post-secondary education at the University of Saskatchewan.
At first, her second love, animals, was the career path she chose but while doing her undergrad she realized that her education would take her elsewhere. And with that, four years later she graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor’s degree in science and a major in Soil Science.
Some of Ashley’s interests are KZbin, in which she posts informative videos about plants and gardening. The focus of Ashley’s KZbin channel is to bring science to gardening in a way that is informative but also helpful to others learning to garden. She also talks about the importance of having your own garden and the joys of gardening indoors. Ashley continues to study plants in her free time and hopes to expand her KZbin channel as well as her reach to up and coming gardeners.
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[@GardeningInCanada]

Here is how to check the quality of your leaf shine. gardeningincanada.net/issues-with-leaf-shine/ Grab your houseplant Planner! Paperback geni.us/NFTrl2 Printable www.etsy.com/ca/GardeningInCanada/ Also check out the Gardening In Canada podcast channel. kzbin.info/door/jui7H4Eczaoj3Z92AC-LBQ Leave me a voice memo & have your question featured on the Podcast! memo.fm/gardeningincanada

[@PositiveRaincloud]

I just use a tiny bit of neem oil in a diluted spray and wipe with a microfibre cloth. Not only does it make them super shiny, it also helps with pests, AND it moisturises (it's also used for humans with skin conditions). Seems to help with crispy tips as well on thinner leafed plants

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s a perfect solution

[@DragonflyenAmber]

Are you using neem oil that you would get at a health food store or something from a plant shop?

[@GardeningInCanada]

😅 I know where this is going.

[@PositiveRaincloud]

@@DragonflyenAmber I order it off Amazon. Been using it for years! Cold pressed neem oil

[@mindfulmadeline]

Yes!!! Thank you for this!! I know that ur the one to go to for the best scientific info

[@EverythingPlants]

Great video and love the science behind it! And thanks for the shout out again!

[@GardeningInCanada]

🤓🤓🤓 anytime!

[@mabonniejungle....7851]

Loved the video, thank you for the content 🌱🌿🪴💚 sending love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🥰

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hello and welcome!

[@patkonelectric]

Wipe them down with salad dressing. This makes then ready to eat. 😄

[@GardeningInCanada]

Ahaha love this

[@-shmoopie-]

thanks for another amazing video! I've got a few in desperate need of a clean and I've always messed with the bottoms of the leaves before... good to know why some seemed to become angry LOL

[@GardeningInCanada]

Happy to help!

[@spawnofsailor7158]

Hey girly there is a typo in the thumbnail! The second red text bubble at the bottom! Love your videos 😄 I apprecite your scientific based perspective ❤

[@GardeningInCanada]

Omg! Thanks!!!

[@NimWithRandomNumbers]

This was timely. I’ve only ever had cacti indoors and this year I have a lemon tree I’m trying to keep alive over the winter. I just noticed it was quite dusty and misted it with water but I was wondering if there was anything else I could do. Its good to know that water is good enough!

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahah that is awesome timing

[@charlottecobain6986]

I’ve heard leaf shine is predominately a light mineral oil (obviously with other proprietary ingredients), but my understanding is that it’s *somewhat* comparable to a summer horticultural oil/light oil. I’ve also heard it’s somewhere between white oil/dormant oil and a light/summer oil. There’s a channel called Miss Orchid Girl who’s been doing extremely informative (and largely science based 🤗) videos for years. She has a few videos on leaf shine and recreating her own light mineral oil for pests.

[@amilie15]

Thanks for all the incredible content you make; I’m so glad I stumbled upon a scientific channel for once! Good effort. Q; what would you recommend for hard water areas? I have some plants in my bathroom that get hard water from the humidity plus dust. Dust isn’t too bad to wipe off but not sure what to use to remove the hard water residue. Rain water? Would a dilute mixture of h2o2 and rain water be acidic enough without harming the leaves? Thanks for any help!

[@hasan6132]

You need to do steps to re balanced the soil: First : cut of hard water and use rain or filtered water . Second: put natural compost on soil to change soil to acidic Third: small amount of Cow milk with water help soil and plants from . Fourth: use Humic Acid products to help plants roots collecting minerals from soil. Hope this tips help you

[@QuirkyLemon]

I just realised I do something woo to my plants. When I wipe down my leaves I use water and a few drops of lemon juice. I'm sitting here thinking about why i have never thought to google this at least. It's something my mum and i would mix together when I was a kid and we would clean the plant leaves together. I've never questioned it. I do wonder now if part of it was the experience of mixing a concoction to make it seem more exciting? I've not had any negative results, thank goodness.

[@GardeningInCanada]

haha it may help dissolve some of the excess lime

[@jyrbian]

Thank you for another wonderful video. I have been using enzymes to help with pests. I am using 3 different products but all are like Dr. Zymes. This really makes the leaves clean, like a shine, but was using it for fungus gnats. I am wondering if the same precautions apply for bottom leaf application with enzymes?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I wouldn’t even spray water on the bottoms of leaves directly. So avoid it whenever possible with any product

[@kendravoracek3636]

💚💚

[@GardeningInCanada]

❤️❤️❤️

[@m.i.1482]

How do I wipe the leaves from dust without touching the underside of the leaf? Thank you!

[@epasuxelar4473]

What are your thoughts on foliar feeding the underside of leaves? I've heard it's more effective but now I'm not sure.

[@GardeningInCanada]

by ALOT

[@epasuxelar4473]

@@GardeningInCanada Good to know, I've also heard you're supposed to do it in the mornings and make sure to wipe the undersides of the leaves after they're dry since the fertilizer leaves a residue. Do you concur?

[@KJ-qw3mc]

Its mostly mineral oil tbh So theoretically it could be used to kill pests too

[@apextroll]

I was worried about the stomata, but not realizing most are on the bottom of the leaves. Speaking of African violets, I suppose compressed air will work but not canned duster due to the freezing chemicals found in it.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea exactly. Or a lint roller 😅

[@apextroll]

@@GardeningInCanada Good idea!! Or masking tape. You also gave me an idea of how i can clean a Christmas cactus effectively with a detailing brush(like a small paint brush with softer bristles) and a spray bottle of water.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Ooooo I like that!

[@thatonedog819]

I see people use CLEAN make up brushes on fuzzy plants too

[@charlottecobain6986]

@@thatonedog819 that’s what I do! I use an old (clean) powder brush (one of the larger fluffy ones). It’s especially helpful for removing soil from leaves when repotting 🤗

[@theonewhoknows3351]

You have a wonderful face 🥰🖤

[@brandon13k]

Using mayo as leaf shine seems crazy to me. That’s why I use potato salad. 😂

[@GardeningInCanada]

HAHAAH

[@frasercook5823]

Come through botany 101.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha hopefully I wasn’t too technical!

[@frasercook5823]

@@GardeningInCanada monocots houseplants are so common, aroids, gingers, musa, orchids.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I have snake plants that’s about it for the monocot fam here.

[@frasercook5823]

@@GardeningInCanada Much prefer the dicot flowers and leaf varieties overall

[@GardeningInCanada]

Same! Especially when the foliage is intricate 🤤

[@wildedibles819]

Ah no.....spray with clean water not hard water if you can....give them a shower I wiped so many leaves growing up dusting moms rubber tree plant lol No more! Im on strike lmbo

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahaha

[@thatonedog819]

Right? I have so many plants, I'm not cleaning them. And my rubber plant is huge

[@wildedibles819]

@@thatonedog819 bath time lol

[@rulerofthelight]

Water with bacon grease for shiny plants.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahah oh my. My cats would be licking the leaves

[@Hatarue]

Never heard of mayo thing... Weird and gross.

[@GardeningInCanada]

hahah agreed

[@aquariusmix]

It's not weird nor is it gross. You sound like a kid