Thought's on Humidity Trays with S/H
 

It's been brought to my attention recently that some of my 'chids need a bit more humidity. However, since I grow in house, not a greenhouse, my options are limited. Would there be any purpose in placing an outer humidity tray below all my S/H orchids, or does the S/H media itself provide a similar level of humidity bump while it wicks? Either way, anyone have some good options for boosting humidity? Thanks?

Humidity provided by the S/H pot or by trays is minimal at best, and transient. Natural laws want to take those airborne water molecules and spread them out uniformly throughout the room, house, and entire atmosphere.

If you want to increase humidity, you have to have a source of water vapor that adds to the air faster than it can be removed.

Unless you can enclose your growing space to prevent moisture loss, you're going to have to figure out how to add more. Static evaporation from trays and pots does not add it fast enough (Evaporation), so you're going to need a decent humidifier (Humidify Your Home).

That's about what I figured, but having seen some pics of S/H on humidity trays made me ask anyways. The humidifier seems like the best option, but I'm working on trying to get a portion of the house, wife permitting, that I can mostly close off for this purpose. Thanks Ray.

you could put them in an empty aquarium or a clear plastic/ plexi box enclosed with a top. That woud really increase humidity. you would need some areation though. I think open humidity trays are a myth.

too small for a room. But if you feel the tub in the bathroom with hot water and close the door taht would increase the humidity for sure.

a humidity tray will just grow algae and slime.

Full agreement here. Enclose in a tank or something similar.........with some ventilation.

Humidity trays do little and end up turning into dirty, dusty calcium mines! They are a good way to catch excess water from watering.

zxyqu......create something nice for your spoouse and ease into a growing area/room in the basement. Mine wanted a developed basement with massage room and sanctuary bathroom. This equalled a 9x12.
....fair deal

I don't know how well this works, or the difference it makes, but I have my plants in pots set inside of a planter, I put rocks in the bottom of the planter with water, so that the pot doesn't actually sit in it. My plants are doing wonderfully, one of my phals has been in bloom since February with 20+ flowers and lots of new growth.

But I am getting an indoor greenhouse. It's kind of like a shelf, with a plastic cover and a light. It actually doesn't cost too much, but it will help. If all else fails, I would get a humidifier. :D

I hope this helps!

Id have to agree with Ray on the inefficiency of humidity trays for adding humidity to a room. Doesn't really do anything more than a bucket of water in a room would do. On the other hand, I have all my SH plants on humidity trays because having a place for the water to collect when I water is much more convienient than moving all of them to water.

Can you tell me where you got your indoor greenhouse? Did you order it online?