Increasing Humidity? How do you do it? - Orchid Board

Xenophon · #1 10-10-2011, 01:47 PM

hi all,

i've had problems with some species and i do suspect it's because i do not have enough humidity ( Ironic coming from me because i live in the tropics )

but i've given them sunshine (till mid afternoon), more waterings, less waterings... all don't seem to work. Would repotting help? i heard that if you allow the new bulb's roots to touch hard surfaces like charcoal or the wooden slat basket, there is a higher chance of it booming.

How do you increase the humidity? i already have a tray filled with water and a water feature going. i'm tempted to put some of them into ziplock bags for a few days to make them spike. Just hope they don't rot. Hot + Humid + No aeration = Rot

What do you guys think? and most of all, how do you make certain bulbophyllums boom? (Medusae, Echinolabium, Lobbii) all are mature plants already with more than 10 bulbs!

Cheers,
Freddie

tucker85 · #2 10-10-2011, 02:24 PM

Aside from bulbos what other kinds of orchids are you growing? Are you growing indoors or outdoors? What kinds of pots and medium are you growing in? And do you fertilize your orchids? I've never heard the theory that roots touching a hard surface will make orchids bloom. I think that might have come from the fact that many orchids grow and flower better in very small containers. But this is probably because small containers dry more quickly not because the roots touch them.

CTB · #3 10-10-2011, 04:39 PM

You are questioning the Bulbos right, I keep mine out of direct sun but very bright, always moist never let them dry out. I have clay saucers sitting between filled with water for humidity. I mist several times a day your idea may have some truth , the ones I have that have bloomed have been hanging over or been outside the pot. Weakly weekly.

Xenophon · #4 10-11-2011, 03:45 AM

Hmmm... this is bringing up some interesting results. I only grow bulbophyllums and an occasional phalaenopsis or two.

I grow mine outdoors and the humidity never if not rarely drops below 75%. Day temperatures can go up to a blistering 33 degrees celsius and at night it can drop to 25 degrees celsius.

most of them grow on fern bark but the bigger ones grow in pots filled with charcoal and covered with sphagnum to retain moisture. watered every 12 hours or when it rains.

But why do orchids flower better in cramped conditions? Because they dry out? But i thought Bulbophyllums shouldnt ever be allowed to dry out? *Confused*

camille1585 · #5 10-11-2011, 04:34 AM

Your conditions already sound just about perfect for orchids. Doing things to increase humidity outdoors is futile, all the water vapor simply disappears into the air without lingering around the plants much. What kind of light are they getting? You don't mention that. Humidity is rarely an issue to get plants to bloom, except maybe when it's very very low, which yours certainly isn't.

aeranthes · #6 10-11-2011, 05:13 AM

I haven't tried this myself yet so would ask you to let me try first

I have other species like Masdevallias in Seramis - clay granules and some in alpine grit in pots with no drainage hole. The capacity of the pot when empty is measured and a quarter of that amount given every time it needs watering and feeding. It has been highly successful with the Masdys so I'm thinking of trying it with a Bulbo. May repot it today to see what happens.
Also how about misting? I go in with a fine spray and mist early in the day - so far - so good.
I should have said the the sealed pots should have indicators which turn red when you need to water and blue when moist.

Xenophon · #7 10-11-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

Your conditions already sound just about perfect for orchids. Doing things to increase humidity outdoors is futile, all the water vapor simply disappears into the air without lingering around the plants much. What kind of light are they getting? You don't mention that. Humidity is rarely an issue to get plants to bloom, except maybe when it's very very low, which yours certainly isn't.

Half of them are getting, well i dont have a light meter, but half of them are getting Morning till Noon sun and the other half are getting Indirect Sunlight (75%) filtered. So its quite a range of temperatures. I've been swapping the plants around and Bulbophyllum Lepidum absolutely loves every position it's been placed in and some others got burnt

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeranthes

I haven't tried this myself yet so would ask you to let me try first

I have other species like Masdevallias in Seramis - clay granules and some in alpine grit in pots with no drainage hole. The capacity of the pot when empty is measured and a quarter of that amount given every time it needs watering and feeding. It has been highly successful with the Masdys so I'm thinking of trying it with a Bulbo. May repot it today to see what happens.
Also how about misting? I go in with a fine spray and mist early in the day - so far - so good.
I should have said the the sealed pots should have indicators which turn red when you need to water and blue when moist.

I dont think i can do that because it rains and i mean RAINS cats and dogs at least once a week so the pot did overflow along with all the media. Trying to keep it as simple as possible to let mother nature handle most of the watering. I've tried misting but it gets tiring after awhile to mist a whole wall by hand so i installed an automatic misting/watering.

But i've found that rapidly wetting the ground on a very hot day does increase the humidity quite significantly too... time to change my watering timing? hmmm... lots of variables.

aeranthes · #8 10-12-2011, 04:14 AM

Ah yes. I understand now. Here where I live I have to grow them indoors in pots - or in a greenhouse. There are hardy orchids I grow outside but not many.