HUMIDIFIERS ..... Do you use one ?
 

Hi all,

I just bought a Cool-Mist Humidifier for my growing area - which is basically my Windowsills - All of my orchids are grown on my 3-large bedroom windowsills - I've had a hygrometer for years, which of course has always reflected Low humidity. Now, with the Humidifier it seems I can only get the Humidity up to about 53-54%.
I don't see it going above that. Is this acceptable?
and does anyone else use a Humidifier near their Orchids?

I would like to know this as well.

I live in a frequently quite dry climate, and do not use a humidifier ... in the 50%s should be quite adequate.
If you are using forced warm air heat, it's sucking up the humidity, probably why your readings are lower than you expected

I have 3 humidifiers. One (ultrasonic) is trained on my masdevalias which are loosely enclosed in plastic on 3 sides but not the bottom. I also have small low power fans blowing it around.
Another is a cool mist type which is between two shelves of plants and seems to help some.
The third, also cool mist, is in a large bathroom where I keep about 15 'chids. That is the only area I can keep at 50-60% humidity, other than the masdies.
I live in Massachusetts, have hot water heat and it has been bitterly cold, which lowers the indoor humidity considerably, hence the humidifiers.

I've always used a cool mist humidifier because of the air conditioning in the summer and the dry heat in the winter. The humidity is very low year round for me... I have it placed directly under my growing area and have a ceiling fan on low above it for more air circulation. I haven't checked what the humidity is lately though.

Don't use one now (in Florida) but did when I lived in Minnesota.

You will probably continue to have trouble getting the RH above 50% unless you do like Connie and enclose it (and the orchids) in some sort of a plastic "tent". Anything you can do to contain the humidity. Once it distributes into the household air, it will get so "diluted" that it won't mean much. Fans (unless contained in the "tent" or enclosure) will just help circulate it into the household air. You may not want to get your household air too high anyway.

You potentially could have trouble with your home if you got the humidity above 60% (I did). My home was not the most energy efficient or best insulated (would have been about 30 years old now). I would get terrible condensate on windows when the temperature dropped. I'm sure there was also condensate between the walls, though I never opened one up to be sure. I was putting 15 gallons of water a day into the atmosphere and it was all going somewhere. I did find badly waterstained wood floors under carpeting when we replaced it (especially under the windows).

If you do make an indoor "tent" or enclosure, make sure you measure your humidity and adjust your watering. Your orchids will dry out much more slowly in the higher humidity. You will have to watch for mold much more carefully. It can be almost like living in Florida during the summer, and your growing habits will be quite different.

This is very interesting. I have forced air in my home, and my new hygrometer is saying RH is around 38%. This is with a humidifier on the forced air heaters as this is a very old house. I have never had an issue getting any of my orchids to rebloom given these conditions. In fact, several oncidiums, all of my phal's, phaius', jewel orchids, & scaphosepalum's are blooming quite liberally at the moment.

I think the difference for me is though might be that St. Louis tends to be humid and I take most of my plants outdoors when the weather is warm enough.

I considered humidity for my orchids but remembered that the water must go somewhere and since everything is wood in this house it would be very damaging. I'm currently considering building terrariums to house them all, but it would have to be some huge terrariums, lol...

Here in Massachusetts I don't use one. All 48 orchids stay in a sunroom where the temps range from 60 at night to 74 during the day. The measured humidity is 32%. All my phals, two catts, a couple of psychopsis, two dens and a phrag are all in bloom. The answer: They are seasoned Massachusetts grown and like a human being will function after awhile in any reasonable conditions. Just harvested 12 oranges under the same growing conditions.

I used to use a console type humidifier when we lived in Ontario and the outside temperatures were bitterly cold, bringing the humidity down. The plants really are pretty adaptable, though.
Where we live now, it is rainy a lot in the winter, and our humidity is ranging between 50 to 75%. We also have a large fish tank, which helps

Hi -

Well I think your Orchids are blooming because of the HIGH LIGHT being in a Sunroom. All of my Orchids are grown on windowsills with SOUTH-EAST and SOUTH-WEST Exposures only. Everything I read says all orchids need Minimum 50% Humidity. Right now my Humidifier is only bringing the Humidity up to 46% - Earlier this morning, it was 62%. I think I need to buy more Humidifiers ! LOL

I don't have a sunroom, but I do use humidity trays in some areas of the house.

I have all of my orchids over humidity trays as well. That being said, after having done some reading I found that humidity trays are fairly useless especially in rooms where the air can move the humidity about. I even tested with a hygrometer and the tried and try thermometer test for RH to find that this was true. However, online they did say that you might get some benefit from humidity trays in rooms if you have tons of orchids/humidity trays all grouped together. I have not tested that yet.

It seems to me that it would be better than nothing. I believe it helps. I sometimes think that we can have too much humidity, because mold grows on a plant now and then. I should set up a fan, but I figure that with forced air heat, the air must get moved around a fair bit.

I agree, at least something is better than nothing. I'm still in a dilemma of attempting to figure it all out in regards to humidity. Thus far, most of my orchids seem to be doing fine without the recommended humidity during the winter months.

Re: Humidifiers
 

Well, I actually started using a Humidifier after reading a Blog from a grower in Sweden, who recommended using a Cool-Mist Humidifier. This morning, the area around my Orchids was registering at a 64% Humidity level, which sounds great to me ! So I plan on using the Humidifier thru the Winter, and probably well into the warmer Summer Months. I still am unsure as to whether any orchid will grow and bloom in an area with a 30% Humidity.

Upstairs, the RH is about 40 to 50% for me, while downstairs and in the basement it is around 30-35%. All of my phal's are in bloom, and 4 oncidium alliances have bloomed. I also have had a dendrobium in bloom since August, and my phaius' have huge spikes. That being said, I purposely don't purchase orchids that need the high humidity such as Masdevelia's and such as I know I can't give them the proper humidity. Of course, this may be why my paph's haven't rebloomed too.

Again, my concern with a humidifier is that in a very old house with lots of wood, the humidity would probably do more damage to the house than it's worth for me.

HUMIDIFIERS ........Do you use one?
 

LOL, well I grow my Orchids only in One Room - not the whole Apartment. I grow them in my bedroom, and it's not a HUGE room, however the windows are a really good size and have nice wide and deep windowsills. I'm only concerned about the Humidity directly around the orchids, and One 1.25 Gallon Humidifier would never ever have any effect on the rest of the apartment (which is two-floors) --- and so far, this Humidifier is Raising the Humidity level directly around my Orchids. I grow predominantly Neofinetia falcata, and Neostylis, with a Darwinara thrown in as well. But I also have mounted orchids - Den. Kingianum, Sophronitis cernua, Brassavola nodosa, and Den. Jenkinsii. They are mounted on the inside wall of one of the windowsills.

I tried to grow Masdevallia .... Ugh. What a horror story. I tried and tried, and ended up killing every Masdie I ever owned!

We live in a rain forest area, so our humidity during the winter is really good, but in the summer it's another story. As to the humidity in old wooden houses doing damage, I suppose it's possible, but most of the houses here are wood and it doesn't seem to be a problem. However, I have heard that pot growers houses are full of mold.
I plan to try masdevallias again, now that we live in good humidity.

I don't use a humidifier in the house. I just keep better track of the medium so they get the needed moisture from their roots to aid them during winter. Summer isn't a problem as our humidity runs in the 90's.

HUMIDIFIERS....Does anyone use one?
 

90% Humidity in the House ? Really ????
Wow.

I don't grow any orchids outdoors. All of my orchids are indoors on Windowsills. I'm thinking that many people here grow orchids outdoors in much more accomodating climates than we have here in the Northeastern USA.

I take most of mine outside for the summer. It helps them to get better light, breezes and the temperature changes they need to bloom. I protect the warm growers, though. We are in Canada, so you should be able to put some of yours outside.

re: Humidifiers .... do you use one ?
 

Hi -
Where do you live in Canada? What types of Orchids do you grow and take outdoors in the summer?

I grow mostly Neofinetia falcata --- I don't think they would do well outdoors at all. I do have the Brassavola nodosa which does summer outdoors, and I have (2) Dendrobiums, a few Encyclia, and a Potinara, Oncda. and Ondctm, and (1) Vanda... so these could all go outdoors I guess...

NeoNJ, sorry for misunderstanding, I summer outside.