Strategies to fight low humidity

[rbarata]

Hello, my friends

How do you grow your plants that require high humidity and good drainage, more precisely Laelias and Catts?

One could increase watering but I don't know if it's a good practice 'cause they need to get dry or nearly dry. You migh put the roots at risk.

And, for these specifically genus, what kind of medium should be used? If it's too coarse, probably it might dry too fast in face of HR's<20%.
It medium or small grade, it will suffocate the roots and, due to high temps, root will be installed fast.

What's your practice?

[Fernando]

Terracotta pots with extra holes, big bark chunks. Dries out very quickly, so I can water daily if there is need to. Even so, when roots appear through the holes, they don't make it long. But there grow a lot of them in the pot. I grow them outside most of the year and indoors in winter. Raising humidity can be done with humid towels (when we have dry spells I do it) and often misting. Doors and windows closed, but doesn't last long ...

[rbarata]

Raising humidity can be done with humid towels...

How do you use them? Put them to dry in the room or do you put them under the pot?

[Ray]

OK. First, I know of no cattleya or laelia (or plants from most genera) that "need to get dry or nearly dry." If you look at them in nature, you will find them to be dripping much of the time.

You can water them several times a day, as long as they roots can breathe, and are not subject to excessively cold temperatures.

I've also not heard of roots' growth stalled by high temperature. In fact, given sufficient water, they will grow better with warmer root temperatures.

The potting medium has VERY little to do with controlling humidity. In fact, the relationship is converse to that. If you have high humidity, a coarser mix is easier to deal with, because it is airy, but will stay moist longer.

The simple fact is that for the benefit of your plants, you need to find an effective way of adding moisture to the air, not managing it through the potting medium or pots. Trays and wet towels aren't going to be sufficient, unless they are HUGE and the growing area is tightly confined.

[Leafmite]

Good luck!

[estación seca]

Grow plants that tolerate this!

You need to grow Laelia purpurata. This is one of the plants that tolerates too much heat, too much sun, not enough humidity and not enough watering and still grows well.

[Leafmite]

Sounds like a good solution!

[Fernando]

Obviously, the potting media doesn't change air humidity; but it does affect how long roots stay wet. If growing indoors and with insufficient air movement (which is mostly so when growing indoors) this can indeed be a problem for Cattleya and Alliance roots. At least, this is my experience (though in my case it is combined with bad water parameters), little pots and a very open substrate has done the difference for me. Baskets work, too.
Two or three big beach towels hang to dry in the room (normal sized room) can solve an acute humidity problem. Plants with buds do appreciate it, buds form better flowers.
Little plants are in a grow box with ventilator, but for grown up Cattleya there is no room.
For the plants grown outside, when humidity doesn't reach 60%, the only thing I can do is misting a few times a day.

[rbarata]

My line of though is:

1 - Although not the same, more frequent watering can compensate a dry environment (compensate water loss through leaves)

2 - to retain humidity around the roots a less coarse medium can be used (or sphagnum, perlite, etc, etc)

3 - a less coarse medium avoid air flow around the roots. This, together with higher temps, promotes root rot.

4 - Roots need to dry fast (not bone dry as I think Ray interpreted) so a coarse medium is best.

5 - I can't increase my HR so I must use the most suitable medium to keep, at least, humidity around the roots.

[Leafmite]

Good luck!