With regard to humidity, I read an article once that said that one of the easiest ways to increase the humidity in your growing area is to group your plants close together. Apparently they create a "micro-climate" when put in close proximity, which produces higher humidity around the plants than if one was placed by itself in the corner.
I have mine grouped pretty close together on my landing, which functions as a virtual sunroom, since it has large windows on all sides and sun streams in and heats up the area all day.
I also have coco-liner (used for baskets liners and such) that's cut to fit the shelves of the plant stands. I mist these with water, and of course, when I water the plants the excess drains into the coco-liners, which I imagine helps to do at least something for the humidity in the area, considering there's a lot of shelving with moist coco-liners.
I should probably put my humidity detector in the area to find out what the humidity actually is there, but the plants seem very happy and everything is growing lots of leaves very enthusiastically.
I do, however, have a sulky miltoniopsis that only seems happy outside in the shade during the summer, in 80% humidity. As soon as I brought it inside when the weather got too cold, leaves turned yellow and the new growth turned brown. I have it in a humidity "basket" of sorts, which involves pebbles in water inside a high-walled basket (which I then put the plant pot in), to give it the maximum amount of humidity possible.
But so far, my milt. is the only unhappy plant out of oncidiums, dendrobiums (hard-cane and nobile), paphs, phals, catts, vandas (in vase culture), and a weird inobulbon-something that I got for free. So perhaps there is something to the "grouping" thing.
Especially since I live in Pennsylvania, and we get winters that are particularly dry. Oh, and I've heard that putting ferns in your growing area is GREAT for humidity. I have, unfortunately, run out of space for anything besides all the orchids I have stuffed in that small space, so I haven't had a chance to test out the "fern" theory. But anyway, grouping plants together seems less complicated that building/buying humidity trays and installing humidifiers, so hey, I figure it can't hurt to give it a try!
And my Sandie seems quite happy with the arrangement too! Of course, it will be a couple of years before it would bloom anyway, but it's enthusiastically putting out new, shiny leaves, so I guess that means it's happy!
I've heard many different opinions on the humidity issue...some say it's of great importance, others say it's not that big a deal...but I know my legs get itchy and dry in the winter, so I feel like I should do something to help my orchids out a bit, since I obviously can't slather them with Vaseline!
Anyone else have any thoughts on the "grouping of plants" or "adding ferns" suggestions?
Humidity
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