phalanopsis & low humidity levels

[ladyslipper]

Hello guys, for you phal growers.

I have managed to get my light levels to at least a min of 800 to 1000 ft candles with the addition of 2 T5 54 inch lights in addition to my 2 full spectrum flourescent tubes. My next battle is with the humidity level. I hand mist the plants usually twice a day and the trays always have water in them. Even with that, I have trouble getting higher than 30% most times. Question is, would a humidity level that low retard blooms? That is also a problem that will be addressed in time. The temp does drop by night, but I am still not seeing any "action". Fertilizing is done monthly with a diluted mix.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, m

[Bolero]

I hope I'm not out of place by responding to this question. But I have to say my climate is very low in humidity, I grow them at room temperature but am very careful with them and rarely mist them. By careful I mean that I water so that no moisture sits in the crown.

I have them at room temp as I said and this can vary from 8C to 35C all year round although mostly the minimum would be around 14C. I have about 6 plants.

Anyway I had almost given up on them but two have flowered this year, well they're in spike but have a reduced number of flowers. I figure this is mainly due to a lack of air movement and humidity. 5 flowers on both mature plants is a very low flower count as they had many more when I bought them.

So I would suggest trying to get the humidity up and see how they go. Humidity trays don't make a big difference but I notice the humidity around the plants is higher with coconut chips. These seem to get better root systems going than anything else I've tried.

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question but hopefully you can work something out. Have you tried a terrarium or something similar to get the humidity up???

[smweaver]

Ladyslipper, where is your hygrometer, near the plants or hanging on a wall away from them? The reason I ask is because I've found in the winter that if my hygrometer is hanging on one of the walls in my southeast-facing dining room (where most of my orchids spend the winter), the humidity level reads around 40%. However, when I experimented last year (also due to a concern that my humidity level was too low) and placed the hygrometer next to the orchids, the humidity level went up anywhere between 52% and 58% (which, by Florida standards, isn't anything to brag about; here in my centrally-heated Midwest home, however, that's pretty decent when you consider that I'm not using a room humidifier). I think the humidity level's probably going to depend on the type of plant you're growing (a fairly "flat" plant like a phalaenopsis is going to be easier to keep a good humidity level around than a more vertically-inclined plant like a lycaste--excluding the deciduos ones--that has tall leaves that arch two feet into the air away from any humidity tray) as well as the air movement (a small oscillating fan set at a low speed and a good distance away from the plants is far less likely to dessicate your phals than one set at high speed and/or closer to the plants). If you invested in a small room humidifier and placed it near the plants, that might also be enough to give your phals a little extra humidity and help encourage them to bloom this winter. Good luck!

[Tindomul]

The humidity around your plant might be higher than in the room or even just 1 foot away from the plant. There is not much more you can do except mist and mist and mist. Unless you put it in a well ventilated enclosure such as a terrarium. Humidity trays never really did anything for me in terms of adding more humidity. Perhaps you can get a humidifier?
I think most Phals accustom themselves to their new homes regardless of environment and when the time is right they go ahead and bloom any way.

[gmdiaz]

Maybe try humidity trays...but add those Hydrotone or Leca clay balls. . .sitting partially submerged in water?

I am having really good luck with this & am planning to try this for the orchids I have at work.

[Dorothy]

I will be attempting a fogger or mist maker in some capacity to increase humidity .. foggers come in all sizes some so small that they only need 2 inches of water and some with lights for cool effects .. I have yet to get one and try this out!
Just an random suggestion

[Gin]

When I grew in the house I bought one of the cool mist ultra sonic humidifiers from Wal Mart it did a good job . One thing to beware of is false spider mites. They like low humidity and love Phals . Gin

[Lagoon]

Mary,

Even though phals can take the lower end of humidity, its the mites that tend to invade becos' of the low humidity aswell.
I will be looking into a cool mister this weekend. I'm not going thru the same ordeal like last year - Mites! 'RAW'

[ladyslipper]

Hi guys, I am tempted to try a cool mister but my grow area is so small and its in the living room so the hum would make me "mental" even more than I already am. What I am thinking about is to add a piece of fabric to the front that would be able to be pulled back to work in the plant area then pulled shut to keep the plant lights from overwhelming the room. I thought that I could keep one side partially open and with the plastic drapped on the back and 1/2 of the width of the sides & the front drapped with a nice cloth with a plastic backing, may make the plant area more humid. In my mind's eye, it will work perfectly!

so far, no false mites or any other nasties.....regards, m