Pebble/Gravel Trays? Recomended or not?

[Donald]

Always great info Ray.

[Tropicgirl]

How about boiling a pot of water on the drier days to increase humidity inside the house? Assuming the orchids are near the kitchen. I know this has worked for dry sinus problems. Would it increase humidity levels enough for orchids?

[Triffid]

Ray - Cheers for the info link.

Tropicgirl - Hope this helps and does not confuse. (sometimes I make no sense!)
Boiling a pot of water may work to a degree, but keeping a humidity level up seems to be about combination of available water, keeping ventilation low (to help stop heat and water vapor escaping) and of course the surrounding heat.
However boiling water might be very inefficient way of keeping humidity up, when compared to say a humidifier.
Don't forget steam can scold humans let alone plants, if too close.
Also you don't want to make your house humid, the dampness may lead to rot and mold within the building structure. What I will be trying to do if required if confining the humidity to a certain spot (In the home). Outside I will be experiment with a kind of tent and camo set up and see if I notice any changes)

Ever woken up in a tent in the middle of an summer, talk about sauna!

[Ray]

Angela, when I was a grad student, and had just gotten the orchid bug, my sun room was heated by a natural gas radiant heater. I placed a 5-gallon Pyrex crucible right in front of it and kept it full of water. Worked like a charm, but it was working continuously, and I don't think you want to stand around, boiling a pot of water 24/7.

[Tropicgirl]

Originally Posted by Ray

Angela, when I was a grad student, and had just gotten the orchid bug, my sun room was heated by a natural gas radiant heater. I placed a 5-gallon Pyrex crucible right in front of it and kept it full of water. Worked like a charm, but it was working continuously, and I don't think you want to stand around, boiling a pot of water 24/7.

Nope, certainly wouldn't want to boil water 24/7!
I was thinking more like an hour or so, but that probably won't be enough to make a difference to the orchids. I have a digital hygrometer, maybe I'll experiment just for fun. Lack of humidity isn't so much of a problem down here in Florida except in the winter.
I do like your idea much better, I wonder if it would work with natural sunlight. Those rays get pretty intense here.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Ray

Angela, when I was a grad student, and had just gotten the orchid bug, my sun room was heated by a natural gas radiant heater. I placed a 5-gallon Pyrex crucible right in front of it and kept it full of water. Worked like a charm, but it was working continuously, and I don't think you want to stand around, boiling a pot of water 24/7.

True that. In my tiny dorm room back in college, I'd have my hotpot going constantly whenever I had a cold- my 'chids loved it.

What kind of humidifier is good for intermediate orchids? I have a small wicking humidifier, and a larger fogger I could use.