Humidity and Orchid growing

[Gthumbz89]

Ok today I'm doing an experiment...just took the lid off the orchidarium with 2 humidifiers running in the room...lets see how they do for a month.

[Island Girl]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

I'm right there with you. The lighting... Gah... the expense!
Think of how many orchids I could buy

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I have the same problem too... I think, "oh wow, that would help a lot, I should invest in that!" ....then I think about how many orchids I want, and how many I could buy with that amount of $$..... and then I go out and buy the orchids instead heheheh

Yes, a humidifier helps a lot. Even with the high humidity here in NC, indoors with the AC on, the RH really isn't high enough, so we have to use humidifiers here. (most the growers in NC that I know of, who don't have a greenhouse, have to use humidifiers for their orchids)

[terracotta7]

I am just a beginner, so take this with a grain of salt, but I am trying to help a couple of my species phals that need more humidity by putting them in a glass hurricane (like you would use for a candle) with beach glass and water in the bottom. I set the pots on this (they are small...2 inches) and keep the water level at the top of the beach glass. I just started this last month and so far I have seen no negative effects, but no stunning growth either.

I live in NY, but I have depending on grouping my orchids and other houseplants together on various windowsills to keep a balanced humidity.

Eager to hear what works out for you! Keep us posted, please!

[RJSquirrel]

anything you do in your home to increase the humidity for orchids could end up being very uncomfortable and unhealthy for you. You like wet bed linens? How about mold growing on your walls?

I tried everything inside to grow orchids under lights and keep myself and the orchids comfortable. I never cured the humidity problems but got a pair of these for when the lights came on at 6 am

Russian surplus Radiation Flash goggles

[Bolero]

I have never grown violacea and probably wouldn't attempt it at this point.

However, I have a lot of experience growing cattleyas at low humidity which gets below 10% and they grow just fine, I have had some great plants flower for me as they flower during higher humidity periods which is during winter.

The key to low humidity is to water often and make sure it a solid and thorough watering, in between waterings where the lower parts of the potting mix is still moist but the top isn't then I just mist the plants when I think they need it. It works and they grow well with this regime.

[Gthumbz89]

That's good to hear about the catts surviving in less than ideal humidity.

I chickened out of growing my whole collection outside of the aquarium.

However, now I'm growing a sedirea japonica in my room with no additional humidity. So far its doing just fine in about 20% humidity.

It kind of freaked me out having my whole bedroom devoted to orchid growing. The idea of not cleaning the humidifiers out in time was also a bit troubling. If I do expand the grow area it will be without additional humidity under lights.

[Pilot]

Unless you lived in a place like AZ or in my case, Colorado, where the lack of humidity can quite literally turn you bloody (no deep breaths through the nose or your have a bleed out), you can't really understand the importance of that humidity really is. And so growing orchids inside or under lights can present their own issues; however, it's quite possible. Unless you have water dripping off your walls or onto your floor etc, its quite unlikely anything will grow besides your orchids. I have a tricked out 40 gallon ultrasonic humidifier on a humidistat that gives my plants 60 to 75 rh. But remember that rh is dependent on temp... And one could argue, on elevate as well. My 75% rh feel quite different than a 75% of Florida.

Your phals will have longer but more slender leaves than those that grow in higher humidity and if you grow in moss your roots WILL desiccate. But go slow...adapt as you need to and you'll figure it out. Pm if you have specific questions.

[Bolero]

My advice comes from southern Australia which can have humidity below 10% quite often during summer.

I have no trouble growing cattleyas outside in the low humidity but growing inside your home would present different challenges I wouldn't be able to help further with. However, it can be done an done easily. Cattleyas are easy to grow really and they can tolerate low humidity. I have a few awarded plants and they all grew in low humidity and this includes cattleyas, paphs and masdevallias.........so think about that.