Atomiser

[Wahaj]

Hiya!

Humidity question again. Hav tried to search this on the forum and can't find anything.

As I'm still trying to find a reliable way of raising humidity around my orchids in the flat. Do you know if an atomiser will work?

I bought this from a gift shop originally just as a fun thing for parties and found it in the cupboard and thought hey!

And it's low voltage. So I've worked out if I use it for about 4 hours a day, It will only cost me about £2.50 a month, which is nothing really.

What I want to know is, it it will work. And also am I in any danger of causing damp problems in my flat because of it?

Aparrently the ions it releases actually cleans the air as well!

Thanks,

Wahaj

 

[NYEric]

Do you own the flat? Take care of the plants, don't worry about the damage! :evil:

 

[Wahaj]

hahaha unforunately not. It's rented. And I know the damage damp caused at my last flat. I had to spend hours scrubbing the inside of the inbuilt wardrobe, choking in the fumes of anti mould/removal spray. And then again when I moved my bed to find hairy green mould allover the wall under my bed. It's evil!

 

[biothanasis]

Hello,

Didn't trays help to raise humidity? It is by far cheaper...

 

[Candace]

Wahaj, if you PM NYEric maybe he'll tell you where he's gotten his and you should check out the growing area megathread.

 

[Wahaj]

thanks candace and biothanasis.

Someone made a good point that I should get a humidity tester thing. I know it's stupid but i still don't have one. I walker about 3 miles to homebase today online to find they didn't have any left! even though they said on the phone they did. I think they thought i was after the soil humidity tester.

I don't particularly want to pay that much money for it, so buying it online isn't really an option. I'm going to a proper garden centre on the weekend there, I'll check it out there.

To be honest I'm not sure if it's helping. I'm not noticing any changes in the shrivelled pseudobulbs, not sure how long it takes to see effects. I have humidity trays, and misting in place. Don't mist the leaves though.

Have noticed a lot of more aerial roots on a few of them though. I guess that's a good sign right?

 

[Ernie]

I don't particularly want to pay that much money for it, so buying it online isn't really an option. I'm going to a proper garden centre on the weekend there, I'll check it out there.

IMO Growing plants and not having a min/max thermometer, hygrometer, light meter, pH & TDS meter, etc is like having a car without dashboard doo dads (ie. no speedometer, tach, fuel gauge, engine temp, oil pressure, warning lights, etc). Wahaj, please reconsider. Each of these trinkets are usually less expensive than a blooming size paph. In the long run, it will save you money because the plants you have will be healthier because you will be able to monitor their environment.

-Ernie

 

[NYEric]

Wahaj, I use a 10 jet ultrasonic fogger; it was about $150 US on eBay. There's no comparing w/ the little pet store ones. It makes so much fog [i.e. burns thru so much water] that I have it on a timer to only run [w/ a fan] for 15 minutes every 3 hours. This will delay the calcification from using tap water for a while. [RO water doesn't work w/ Ultrasonic BTW] I get by w/out a thermometer or light meter because I can't really effect these in my apt. I don't need a hydrometer because I grow in water or water almost every day. I would recommend pH and TDS meters for the health of your plants though.

 

[Rick]

IMO Growing plants and not having a min/max thermometer, hygrometer, light meter, pH & TDS meter, etc is like having a car without dashboard doo dads (ie. no speedometer, tach, fuel gauge, engine temp, oil pressure, warning lights, etc). Wahaj, please reconsider. Each of these trinkets are usually less expensive than a blooming size paph. In the long run, it will save you money because the plants you have will be healthier because you will be able to monitor their environment.

-Ernie

That is one of the best analogies I've ever heard. I totally agree. These devices are more important for a novice setting up, and learning how to compare your observations of the meters to how the setup "feels". After a while you can drive a particular car and regular route almost by feel too. But jump in a new car or take a different route and you need to start over again looking at the guages. Even the best of growers will go back to the meters and gauges when setting up a new greenhouse or trying a new fertilizer combo.

 

[Wahaj]

oh I definately agree with you ernie and rick. It's just that budgets are low at the moment so I want to cut costs by avoiding postage when I could get the same thing next time I visit a garden centre. I'm starting to take this all very seriously and my family think i've gone a bit coo coo haha.

oh and eric, does the fogger cause you any damp problems at your place?

 

[NYEric]

2 sayings.
"No problems only solutions."
"Don't sweat the small stuff.....everything is small stuff."
Anyway, no any damage from the fogger was overshadowed by the condensation formed under the plastic sheets that the water-filled growing trays are on. I plan to someday replace the parquet floors in that area w/ concrete.

 

[Wahaj]

hahahaha excellent. i love the things people do to grow orchids.

Unfortunately, in my little rented flat not a possibility. too much humidity would cause damp, damp would get me kicked out, when i'm kicked out, nowhere for my orchids to go hehe.

 

[NYEric]

hahahaha excellent. i love the things people do to grow orchids.

Did you check out the growing area megathread, and read 'Orchid Fever'?

 

[Wahaj]

nope...haven't yet, but will do.

There's so many threads on here that I intend to g back and read, but don't get the time.

 

[NYEric]

Orchid Fever is a great inspirational read, plus I've met/and lots of the people mentioned post here also.

 

[Wahaj]

I've just been through most of the thread. It's amazing. obviously some people are a lot more dedicated to this than others.

But then it's nice to see a lot of people are using the sort of book shelf growing area....

that reminds me...crap the atomiser's been on for a few hours haha. best go switch it off now. great for the chids i guess.

 

[Corbin]

Tomorrow when I get a little more time I am going to send you some pics of my set up (basically an enclosed light stand with a humidifier) it certainly seems to be working for me.

 

[Wahaj]

okey dokey thanks ed.

 

[Corbin]

Wahaj.

This is an old photo before I got very many plants and the light is not to good. (the light in the picture not the lights on the shelves)I made this myself with 1 x 4s and plywood. The lights are attached to boards, which can be raised and lowered. The whole thing is wrapped with clear plastic (shower curtains). This lets you contain the humidity to inside the growing area.

Here is a humidifier arrangement that I also made with a humidifier and plastic pipe. Adds tons of humidity. The lights and the humidifier are on timers.

You would not have to start this elaborate but anything you can do to contain the humidity will help. Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

[Rick]

Actually Ed I thought your humidifier was elegant and very simple. The humidifier is right off the shelf and the rest is just standard pvc drain plumbing. Piece of Cake:clap:

Don't forget you promised to paint itoke:oke: