Pebble/Gravel Trays? Recomended or not?

[Triffid]

Hello again.

A query has come to light!
With humidity I have read that using a gravel tray can improve the humidity conditions for household Orchids.
Basically sitting your plants above the line of the gravel and filling the gaps of the gravel in the tray with water.

How good is this method?
Are there any downsides? Or things to watch out for?
Are there any Orchids (pot grown) that do not appreciate this method? (I currently have Phals and a Dend, but that will change eventually)

Only asking as the summers here can be hot and quite dry at times, and so I am looking for potential solutions now so that I'm not panicking later.

I can't go buying loads of shiny new kit, but I am pretty good with making things (various building materials) so if there are any other thrifty/cheap solutions to potential humidity problems I would love to hear.

I have looked through the set up sections, there's just so much! So many ideas! So many potential considerations. But it's great to see what can be done.

Anyway... Thanks in advance to any who can enlighten me on this one.

[Donald]

Humidity trays add very little humidity in general. For instance, measured 3 inches above humidity tray filled with lava rock and water the readout taken with a commercial digital hygrometer was 48. Eight inches above this at the level where the leaves are the readout was 36. I have all my orchids in copper humidity trays filled with lava rock and needless to say water, but they certainly do not add tropical levels of humidity that, lets say, would keep a Vanda happy. They serve more to collect runoff from your plants.

[Izzie]

For someone like me that lives in a very dry environment, they're a godsend. Like donald says, they certainly don't raise the humidity to a "tropical level", but they raise it enough at least in my circumstances that I notice my roots stay green longer between waterings.
They also really help my orchids that are recovering from root rot or that have a less than impressive root system- leaves stay firmer and the plant seems generally happier.


With gravel trays (Donald's volcanic rock sounds interesting, I'll have to try it, maybe it holds more water), I fill the tray almost to the top with gravel, and water only just below the surface of the gravel so that the bottoms of the pots are not sitting in water.

[Izzie]

They certainly aren't detrimental, and for people like me that don't have the money/space for a more elaborate humidity plan, they're a 'good enough' substitute.

The only special care that I do is washing/disinfecting the gravel and tray once a month, or if it starts smelling funky. I do that just to make me feel better, no idea if it's necessary.

Some people get an algae growth, but it's harmless.

ETA: And you don't necessarily need a tray. A few of my orchids just sit on a regular deep saucer that I've filled with gravel. With terra cotta ones, I have a plastic liner in the saucer, so that water doesn't wick through the clay and damage my tables.

[Triffid]

Thank you both for getting back back to me on this. Guess I wont be buying any Vanda any time soon, oh well.

I will certainly try this method out and be sure not to let the tray get a life of it's own through filth

If anyone else has a suggestion about another cheap humidity answer, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks again!

[Izzie]

Grocery stores and places like Walgreens, maybe Target, carry a very small one-room humidifier for ~$20. Mine was made by Vicks. It's a moisture-wicking humidifier, so you can't see the vapor or fog, but it does a great job in helping with humidity in my room where I keep a lot of orchids. I have it near my heater, and just run it at night.
In my room, it raises the humidity to about 30-40%, which is significantly more than the rest of the house.

[Nic100]

Hi Triffid,

I recently bought some plants from Ray, of Ray Creek Orchids, a UK based nursery and he believes that watering appropriately will mean that artificial humidity is not required... ie by maintaining a strong healthy root system additional moisture will not be required by way of artificial humidity.

I'm not sure yet whether I subscribe to this or not, but perhaps it will add something to the debate!

I haven't had the courage to try a Vanda either...

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Nic100

Hi Triffid,

I recently bought some plants from Ray, of Ray Creek Orchids, a UK based nursery and he believes that watering appropriately will mean that artificial humidity is not required... ie by maintaining a strong healthy root system additional moisture will not be required by way of artificial humidity.

I'm not sure yet whether I subscribe to this or not, but perhaps it will add something to the debate!

I haven't had the courage to try a Vanda either...

It can be extemely dry in summer where I live, and while winter humidity is higher - the daytime humidity would still be considered low by orchid growing standards. I do not use anything to increase humidity. Aerial roots on plants do get spritzed daily, or they would whither and die - a humidity tray might possibly eliminate the need for spritzing, idk. I don't grow vandas, but do have some vandaceous plants. I would agree that, in my experience, for many orchids at least - it's the humidity at the roots that matters.
Just my experience ...

[Triffid]

Thank you all!

Izzie - A small humidifier is certainly something to think about.

Nic100 - Cheers for that! I will have to look out for that Nursery and take it into consideration. Does it have a website? (never mind, just did a search and found it )

White Rabbit - Thanks for the advice!

Recent Investigations

Bought a mag yesterday to read on my break and it had tips from Tatton Park Head Gardener, Sam Youd. Ones of those was to start using gravel trays. Which is good to know

My Husband also disagreed with me on the outside Relative Humidity of where we are. So did some digging. Turns out we were both right.
It can get as high as 98% and as low as 38%, but this changes from day to day week to week. And this is Outside the house, and the Inside should be dryer than the outside. So for inside, I guess you may be able to knock another 5% of each number... Will be interesting to find out?
I guess I notice when it's dryer because my asthma plays up and he notices when it's more humid.

So we will be doing a little experimentation this summer!
We will be putting a couple of them outside, using camo-net to provide more dappled and natural habitat effects. Using maybe some extra gravel trays and waters bowls within the enclosure to keep the humidity up if needed.

Inspiration from Phalaenopsis in situ - Flickr: Search Cheers to King Of Orchid Growing for pointing that site out!

We've ordered the Camo-net (can always use it to go Bird and Wildlife watching), so should be here well within time for the hotter weather. Will be making up a frame, probably from bamboo pole for now. Though I will more than likely have to bring them inside each eve and on very windy days I wont be putting them outside. Inside the house I will be using gravel trays.
Will let you know how it goes. Hope it works.

Thanks again for responding!

Well you learn something new everyday!

[Ray]

If you apply a bit of science, you will understand the relative futility of hand misting and using humidity trays:

Evaporation

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