another question - misting-under bench or overhead? - Orchid Board

Adrian · #1 01-21-2013, 04:17 AM

Hi there, again.

so, i have my gravel floor in the shade house so now i am thinking about some sort of misting irrigation system and to keep humidity high.

I have the option of installing a pretty basic sprinkler system from bits and pieces of left over stuff from my vege-garden. i could put this under the benches and use it exclusively to wet the floor of the shade house in an attempt to raise humidy. At the moment i am soaking the floor with a hose in the morning and late afternoon.

Option 2 would be to purchase a misting system which I would attach to the roof of the shade house and run off of a tap timer to run a few times a day for short periods.

I do understand there is a debate as to wether misting or fogging is best for humidity but save buying an expensive fogger I cant think any other option.

can anyone here help me out on this one before I go out and buy anything?

thank you (once more)

p.s. I live in west australia and we are experiencing 35deg + every day/ - hence my genuine need to raise the humidity.

Adrian

greengarden · #2 01-21-2013, 04:33 AM

If you grab a packet of the misters that go on irrigations systems you can punch the holes and attach them straight on to an old garden hose to save money. A packet will cost about $3. I have found 1 minute is more than sufficient twice a day to keep the humidity up. I have it automated to go off at 4am which is essential the plants being watered, they get a couple of hours of the water soaking in to the medium/mounts before the heat starts to dry things out and then at 4pm they get a second round which is really just a humidity boost to get them through until the end of the day. Other than that I just spot water with a pump up pressure waterer.

james mickelso · #3 01-21-2013, 03:38 PM

Hi there in West Oz. 35*C I am guessing which is brutal. Yes misting will help your orchids a lot. Here in Southern California up on the high desert is an old orchid nursery which has been up in hell, er, the heat (100*f+) for decades. They are very good at growing orchids in these extremes. Email them and I know they will help you out. They are Gubler Orchids. Just google them for the right addy.

Jinx · #4 01-21-2013, 08:13 PM

I visited Gublers over christmas break when I was in Cali, very lovely place. Could of spent 1000s in there.

Oh and very lovely/helpful ladies that work there!

james mickelso · #5 01-21-2013, 09:41 PM

Jinx, lucky. I have yet to visit and hope to soon. I hope you had a good time down here. I hope you got to visit some nice nurseries too.

Jinx · #6 01-21-2013, 10:19 PM

A couple of the greenhouses smell like heaven. Its well worth the trip.

james mickelso · #7 01-21-2013, 11:19 PM

Photography trip is planned around march so I will stop and smell the flowers. The Joshua trees and ocotilla will be blooming about then with gorgeous clouds in the sky. Not enough rainfall this year to have a really good flower show in the desert.

Adrian · #8 01-21-2013, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greengarden

If you grab a packet of the misters that go on irrigations systems you can punch the holes and attach them straight on to an old garden hose to save money. A packet will cost about $3. I have found 1 minute is more than sufficient twice a day to keep the humidity up. I have it automated to go off at 4am which is essential the plants being watered, they get a couple of hours of the water soaking in to the medium/mounts before the heat starts to dry things out and then at 4pm they get a second round which is really just a humidity boost to get them through until the end of the day. Other than that I just spot water with a pump up pressure waterer.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Greenhouse - that is what I had in mind - do you have your system attached to the roof or under the bench? have you got misters or just normal sprinkler head fittings (i.e. Microjet) you get from bunnings?

anyway, cheers for your help

Adrian Di Lello

greengarden · #9 01-22-2013, 12:11 AM

I have mine attached to the roof of my patio. I have found that it is good for watering but some things in pots tend to stay too wet (with one 2 minute watering in the early morning, the mounts love it though)so I've been tinkering with it to get things right, that said it is fairly humid where we are so with the dry heat you guys get you might not have that issue as evap will be much faster. I just have the microjet type misters for irrigation, nothing special. If you just want it for humidity I'd be inclined to attach it to the edge of the bench pointing upwards, that way some of the moisture will still float down into the pots but it should dampen the roof for you etc without totally soaking the pots and water logging them.

Adrian · #10 01-22-2013, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greengarden

I have mine attached to the roof of my patio. I have found that it is good for watering but some things in pots tend to stay too wet (with one 2 minute watering in the early morning, the mounts love it though)so I've been tinkering with it to get things right, that said it is fairly humid where we are so with the dry heat you guys get you might not have that issue as evap will be much faster. I just have the microjet type misters for irrigation, nothing special. If you just want it for humidity I'd be inclined to attach it to the edge of the bench pointing upwards, that way some of the moisture will still float down into the pots but it should dampen the roof for you etc without totally soaking the pots and water logging them.

thanks very much for that. the idea of facing them up towards the roof is excellent. I'll have a look at bunnings tonight and see what they got.

Cheers

Adrian