How often to mist aerial roots if growing indoors. - Orchid Board

SundayGardener · #13 02-06-2018, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenpassion

... It's generally around 33 to 38% Max, unless I put a pot on the stove. And this is with three humidifiers running 24/7. I never paid attention in previous Winters, but now that I have I see that due to such low humidity the aerial Roots really struggle to stay plump. They become shriveled. So I too mist them once a day. I certainly hope it's not true that it would cause them to dry out faster.

Don't I know it! Raising humidity in our winters is tough going. Most of my orchids don't need high humidity but a few do, and keeping them happy is about the same level of work that I imagine having mounted orchids is.

My perhaps uninformed understanding is that misting can increase dryness in air that is both dry and hot, because the combination of heat and dry air accelerates evaporation. My limited experience is that misting is beneficial for my orchids in the winter, but not necessary or even helpful in the summer.

Because our tap water is so bad, I have been "harvesting" and melting snow, then boiling it to sterilize, for the orchids, and I have to say that just boiling all that water really gives the kitchen a greenhouse feel and is also wonderful if you have the flu or a cold! I've also been heating water slightly before watering.