Humidity tray question - Page 2 - Orchid Board

wintergirl · #11 02-28-2016, 09:48 AM

Amazon has many boot trays, if you are still looking for something.

gardengirl13 · #12 02-28-2016, 10:29 AM

Well I use rain water for the trays since the roots of some of the phals get into it. At first that's what I thought it was too, but I had only used tap water once or twice until I saw the roots wanting to go into it plus it's well water. The only thing we've been having "issues" with with this well is copper, not from the water but the pipes. When it sits in there for awhile it picks it up and turns things blue and if left out for a few days gets a film on it. But when you let the water run for a bit then use it it doesn't leave the blue or film so there isn't copper in the water itself. But again I only used it 1-2 times.

I looked and might have found some cat litter pans to use that are only about $6-8 each or so. I'm going to look locally and if I can't find anything like them I'll order them online.

Mira_ · #13 03-02-2016, 10:37 PM

I made my own humidity trays because I didn't want to pay 20 bucks for a tray in my earliest days. I just bought a couple of the standard black nursery trays and some eggcrate (you can find it in Home Depot around the commercial/industrial lighting). I then cut the egg crate to fit in the bottom of the trays. As an added bonus, they lend some rigidity to the flimsy trays. I also get the build-up and think it might be mold, but I'm also a newbie.

bil · #14 03-03-2016, 07:05 AM

I agree, it does sound like Aluminium corrosion. If you get a white deposit in plastic trays, if it is hard water it will fizz and dissolve if you drip acid onto it. If it disolves in water then it's more likely to be fertiliser salts, and that causes me to worry in case you are using too much fertiliser.

gardengirl13 · #15 03-03-2016, 10:05 AM

Mira yeah if it's hard water drip some vinegar on it like bil says. Hard water can do the same thing. Which is what I thought it was with me at first, but I had only watered once or twice with the tap then went to rain, so I got confused as to why it got worse. I thought the same thing about the outsides of my pots they get white over the years due to the fert salt leaching out. But that build-up takes months and months to get and even doing monthly water only watering to rinse away the salts from the inside I only rarely wipe away what's on the outside. I had thought it was mold too the very first time it started happening but then figured it out. I have to go to HD this weekend anyway, I'll look for those egg crates you and a few others have talked about. I was originally going to get the repotme trays, but they cost way too much. Then I thought about getting the seedling trays but they are SOO wobbly it concerned me. But if the egg crates help stabilize them then I might go that way.

ETA: plus they'll be easier to clean then the gravel and weigh less for my back issues!

bil · #16 03-03-2016, 11:51 AM

How much effect do such trays have? I remember someone saying that they didn't do much good.

gardengirl13 · #17 03-03-2016, 01:06 PM

I'm not sure? Probably not much, but with the super dry air with forced hot air heat and then the AC it must help a little. The trays need filling more then once a week even with the humidifier right in front of the shelves. It takes just shy of a gallon of water to fill them so that much evaporates in that amount of time. Honestly what makes the humidity gauge go up the most is just watering them and having that evaporate through the pots. I also mist the exposed roots and the top of their mixes a few times a week too when it's super dry.

bil · #18 03-03-2016, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gardengirl13

I'm not sure? Probably not much, but with the super dry air with forced hot air heat and then the AC it must help a little. The trays need filling more then once a week even with the humidifier right in front of the shelves. It takes just shy of a gallon of water to fill them so that much evaporates in that amount of time. Honestly what makes the humidity gauge go up the most is just watering them and having that evaporate through the pots. I also mist the exposed roots and the top of their mixes a few times a week too when it's super dry.

Well, if it doesn't do much, is it worth the trouble? I think in your shoes I would work out if it was having a real effect, and if not, welcome to Dumpsville.

gardengirl13 · #19 03-03-2016, 04:21 PM

Would just spritzing them more often help more? When they were in windows they didn't have the trays. But I've never grown orchids in forced hot air before, it seems really drying. All the other houses we've lived in have always had baseboard. On super cold nights like over v-day weekend maybe I can just hang wet towels in the room to help and the rest of the time not worry.

wintergirl · #20 03-03-2016, 05:43 PM

A table top humidifier in your grow space would help.