attempts at getting higher humidity

[Optimist]

I posted before about the extreme dryness of the Southwest US and how the medium (bark, even spagham) dried out within a day (to a day and a half) making daily watering a necessity and also risk of overwatering. Today 13% humidity. 90 degree F heat. Very dry climate. Today I am attempting an experiment on the one root problem orchid and a newly saved orchid-- I do not know what type of phal, both were rescues. The root problem orchid has firm but covered in a brown sheath type roots, there are small roots slowly coming out of the brown roots. These are not hollow rotted roots-- they seem quite healthy but they are brown. This is a Yellow phal with little veins. The leaves are stiff and healthy. The other one had 2 flower spikes, but I do not know the color.

Any way, I got a terrarium hygrometer used for reptiles and a temperature gauge. In a large 55 gallon fishtank we had hanging around the house, I put in some bottom grids, like used on a humidity tray, about an inch of bottom rocks then filled the bottom with water. I got a large piece of cork, soaked it, and mounted the 2 experimental orchids on the cork with a scant handful of orchid mix and a tiny amount of spag. I hung the bark with 2 orchids on the side with a hanger made with an old coat hanger.

The after a bit inside of the terrarium was 60% humidity and 90 degree f. The actual humidity where I am is 13%.

I checked what the humidity was and temp in Manila Philippines, and it is humidity 89% and 82 degrees f.

I will move the fish tank farther from the window.

----

I have been a little confused because I have been told to water every 10 days and allow the bark medium to dry.

That is utterly wrong according to some other sources. They say that the bark should be kept moist, but there should not be standing water. In other words good drainage.

So now the phals are not touching anything. They are mounted sideways, on the bark hanging, like they would have been in a natural setting, and now they are in high humidity but well drained environment.

I put some of my weak orchid fertilizer mix in the spray bottle and spray them a few times per day. I will try to keep the humidity at at least 70%, and the temp a little lower than 90. (I will try to get this heat lower, to maybe 85 degrees f).

If this works, I think I can live with it. They look great by the way, but I better get minis next time around.

Can I ask, if anyone knows a good plant that might live on the ground below the phals? I was thinking some peperomia. They seem to be a heat and humidity loving plant. Are there any terrestrial orchids a beginner can do in my temperature/ humidity conditions?

Thanks, any answer welcomed.

[kindrag23]

NOT A CLUE BUT will give you a bump maybe they can help you....

---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

You may also want to post this in advanced forum....

[Kanaka John]

Optimist, first, where do you live that the humidity is 13%?
Most phals will live in pots of med/fine bark, placed on a rock bed with water in the tray for humidity back way from a north faceing window. My first efforts were in my living room with about 50 plants before I built my first greenhouse. I need some info on your actual area before approaching the problem. Everyone is different so the answer will be different.

[Bud]

The southwest can be very dry especially if you live in the desert/tundra environment.... a saucer of water with pebbles might help....if you say the media is dry in a day and a half then water it every other day so you know it is really very dry....the fear of overwatering is due to crown rot and stagnant water left on the crevices of the leaves; so if your media mix is dry then the plant is also dry= there wont be any rot happening....you can water as needed. Trust your instincts.
Invest on a humidifier that comes with an oscillating fan(that is if you don't open the windows and seal tight the whole environment) = it sounds like you don't have air conditioning or the heat problems will be solved.... 90F is a lot of suffering for humans and plants. Phalaenopsis likes 80's and can go down to 60's at night to induce flowering.
Do not look at Manila as a temperature gauge.... it is not accurate. You must search where your plant have originated from. For all you know it was just from a greenhouse in Florida.

[Kanaka John]

An excellent quick response. Any orchid that feels light and has good drainage can be watered, the point is crown rot. Make sure that the crown of the plant is dry before the evening temp drop.
If you use a fogger, turn it off at night or put it on a timer, you don't want the mist settling into the crowns at night. The only way you can overwater is poor mix, poor drainage or wrong timing.

[orchidsarefun]

what about installing a humidifier, linked to your aircon and furnace ?

[Kanaka John]

If you are growing in the house, air conditioning is the worst thing for orchids. Air cond dries out the air and will cause sepal wilt of most blooms reguardless of the species. Sepal wilt is the old term for your buds turning brown, shrivelling up and droping off before they mature. In low humidity areas I would use a swamp cooler they are more efficient and they do not dry out the air. A humidity system on your central air/heater would be an assist to better indoor growing.

[Pilot]

Humidity is such an elusive thing and I wish folks would educate themselves thoroughly on the idea of what humidity is, how it relates to temp, pressure and a myriad of other things that affect how water in our air interacts with our environment.

What it boils down to, no pun intended, is that 13% rh is real. Lowest I've experienced was 3%. Yes, 3, as in the number before four and after two. Your skin hurts and your nose wants to bleed and you drink a lot! And an orchid? It'll shrivel up pretty fast. Folks say most orchids can handle low humidity, but chronically low? Doubtful, in fact, I can tell you they don't last long at all. Semi hydroponics is the only thing that gives them a chance. In fact many will thrive despite the very low rh.

I grow in an enclosed space with a humidifier that pumps fresh outside air in after its mixed with an ultra sonic chamber. I keep the humidity at roughly 75% with good air movement. No tray of water beneath the plant will compare to that. And if your rh is as low as mine, that water will be wicked away so fast by natural processes that the humidity from that tray will be useless.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by Kanaka John

If you are growing in the house, air conditioning is the worst thing for orchids. Air cond dries out the air and will cause sepal wilt of most blooms reguardless of the species. Sepal wilt is the old term for your buds turning brown, shrivelling up and droping off before they mature. In low humidity areas I would use a swamp cooler they are more efficient and they do not dry out the air. A humidity system on your central air/heater would be an assist to better indoor growing.

not in all cases..........I couldn't grow what I grow without central air. A whole house and local humidifiers suppply humidity in winter. In summer its naturally humid anyway.

[Kanaka John]

This true, I stand corrected. As I have said many times you have find what works for you and your conditions. That is why I never consider anyone an expert. As soon as you make an absolute statement there will be someone who says but I do it this way and it works. I learned that almost 50 years ago when as v.p. of the long beach amatures, it was one my of my duties to go along the exhibitors table and talk about the plants that had been brought in. I raised this beautifully grown dendrobium and said how it must be grown in the greenhouse. A lovely 70+ lady spoke up and said she grew it on her patio. I asked where she lived, it was on the beach, a warm microclimate. So I restated that it is grown in the greenhouse unless you live by this beach. I never did an absolute statement again. Those sweet little old ladies will kill the expert!!!