CAM orchids - mist or not to mist them, that is the question

[rbarata]

Welcome Marzenna

Considering only Phalaenopsis... I hardly water them from above, altough I have some specimens that due to their size and growing habit must be watered like that (otherwise they would dry to death).

I consider relative humidity the fundamental parameter for the CAM process. All the water on the leaves would be dry in a small amount of time, therefore its effect is insignificant. The problem is water stalled in small areas of the leaves.

Youare right when you say that Phals are subjected to rain everydays but in nature they don't grow in pots. Their natural position in the wild is leaning to the sides. This allows water to run out of the leaves due to gravity, which, most of the time, doesn't happen when growing in pots.

Another thing to consider is temperature. Where I live, at least half of the year we have high temperatures...in this case, any accumulated water will dry in a short time. That's when I water from above (only some specimens, as I said before). So, if temps are low or mild, accumulated water won't dry out so fast, leading to issues.