How long do you run a humidifier?

[heathersgoinnuts]

It is getting cold in my area where I live, in NJ, and the humidity levels are going down drastically. I was running my humidifier for almost 8 hours a day in the summer. The orchids seemed to be thriving. Now I am having a hard time keeping the humidity levels up above 50%. Should I be running my humidifier all day like that and all night? I wake up really early in the morning and find that the humidity has dropped to the 40s or even lower. Maybe I should get some trays with gravel to raise the humidity at night instead of using the humidifier. I have over 30 orchids. So the tray idea will be a pain but is it worth it? I mean will the humidifier running at night cause too much moisture, and cause the orchids to eventually rot? Sorry for so many questions, just trying to decided what to do. I have searched all over google and no one has an answer to this.

Thanks in advance!

[rbarata]

50% is a good value for most orchids. Not ideal but ok.
Humidity trays do nothing unless used in a small enclosed volume.

[Ray]

You might want to consider a plug-in humidistat so you can leave the humidifier on, and if the RH increases overnight, the device will shut it off.

There are direct plug-in types:


and some with cords. These tend to be more accurate to start with, and you can position the sensor closer to the plants for better local control.

[heathersgoinnuts]

Originally Posted by Ray

You might want to consider a plug-in humidistat so you can leave the humidifier on, and if the RH increases overnight, the device will shut it off.

There are direct plug-in types:


and some with cords. These tend to be more accurate to start with, and you can position the sensor closer to the plants for better local control.

Thanks. I will get one. I did not know these exsist

[Ray]

I recommend the corded one in the link over the one in the image.

The one with the cord has a sensor that you can put right in the middle of your plants, where it matters...

[heathersgoinnuts]

Originally Posted by Ray

I recommend the corded one in the link over the one in the image.

The one with the cord has a sensor that you can put right in the middle of your plants, where it matters...

I am an airhead lol My humdifier has an option to set it to a certain level and then it shuts off and turns back on. So that is what I did. It is new so I am still figuring out the way it works. Thanks.

[Ray]

Now THAT'S an economical solution!