How do I speed drying in my overwet cool loving orchids? - Orchid Board

RosieC · #1 10-01-2010, 02:57 PM

Ok... I have a problem.

The orchids in my greenhouse are cool loving ones which I don't want to bring inside as the temperature difference may shock them (and one masdie has a flower and a new bud I don't want to blast).

However they have all got overwet because during the week I had to move them all out of the greenhouse while some work was being done to fit electric out there. Unfortuantely it rained heavily the day they were out.

Due to the high humidity in this area just now they are still very wet days later and I had already been concerned they were not drying even before they got rained on.

It's much less humid in the house because of the central heating already being needed, but for the same reason it's too warm.

Anyone any tips on how I could dry them without warming them too much? I had wondered about unpotting and laying out the medium inside to dry seperately while leaving the plants bare root for a while in the green house (where humidity is between 80% and 90%), is that a good idea or a stupid idea? Is there a better way?

There are...

2 Masdies in moss (which is pretty wet seeming)

2 Restrepia in moss (also pretty wet seeming)

2 Plieone in peat (the old bulbs seem to have suddenly rotted in the last couple of days and I've pulled them off, this year's growth is looking OK at the moment. As old bulbs on these are removed anually anyway I'm not sure if this is related or not).

a Cattleya purpurata whose roots usually dry in a couple of days but seems to have had bright green roots for over a week now.

2 cooler loving dens in bark. These are actually the driest as well as being those I would be happiest to bring inside.

quiltergal · #2 10-01-2010, 04:14 PM

Rosie if you have electricity out there I would plug in several portable fans and point them right at the plants. The Masdies in particular will appreciate this.

ronaldhanko · #3 10-01-2010, 04:18 PM

Terri is right. Fans.

RosieC · #4 10-01-2010, 04:46 PM

OK, that was my other thought but I don't actually own a fan... I was planning to get one to keep air movement in there once I have to keep the door/windows shut so I think I'll go out tommorow and get one.

I left the door wide open tonight. It gets some good air movement in there when the door is open so at least that's a start.

Hedge · #5 10-01-2010, 07:53 PM

Another option would be short term to take them out of their pots and balance them in a size larger, to allow air around the root ball - you need to support the plants if they're top heavy, but it has worked for me in the past

RosieC · #6 10-02-2010, 05:12 AM

Thanks Hedge, I am really tempted to want to take them out so the air can get in there.

Going to see if I can find a fan today but it's not really the time of year for places to be selling them. If I can't get a fan I will definately get them out the pots and I may do that anyway.

Izzie · #7 10-02-2010, 02:25 PM

Godd luck with whatever you do, Rosie! I've always been able to find fans at hardware stores.

RosieC · #8 10-02-2010, 02:37 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice,

I got a floor standing fan in a store called Argos we have in the UK... except we got it home and found that we had two of one of the parts and another was missing (it needed self assembly)

Hubby took it back and got a replacement and I've put it the far side of the greenhouse from the plants, pointing up rather than direct at them. I can see the leaves waving so I know they are getting a gentle breeze.

I also left the door open last night and all day today and they get a breeze (sometimes quite a strong breeze as the greenhouse is in a windy spot) through that.

With both the fan and the open door and I see that the moss is less soggy than it was. The Catt roots still look really bright green though and I would like to have seen some signs of drying on though.

I've turned it off now as it's getting dark and I don't want them getting too cold a breeze but I'm leaving the door open overnight again.

Time will tell

RosieC · #9 10-05-2010, 04:03 PM

Thanks again everyone, the fan seems to have worked.

By this morning two of the ones in moss needed watering again, the other two were close and will need watering tommorow morning.

I brought the catt in as it was still not drying but it seems to by drying inside.

One of the two plieone has dried well the other is still soggy wet, really need to find a way to get that one to dry.

I'm pretty sure the larger den has dried, the smaller one is still damp but dry enough I'm not to worried.