# Phrag air circulation?



## Krister Lawlor (Nov 15, 2019)

I got a small fan constantly blowing air to the side of my growing zone (windowsill), but it seems like it dries the plant too fast or the plant leaves are moving too much.

Do I need the fan when I have a ceiling fan always running nearby?
Is the drying out faster beneficial?

What do you indoor/bedroom growers use to circulate the air for your phrags?

ps: I also need a proper shelf for these orchids if you couldn’t tell lol any pointers for nice windowsill shelves?


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## monocotman (Nov 16, 2019)

As the humidity in a house is much lower than a greenhouse I find I absolutely do not need a fan. As you say, it dries out the plants very quickly. Try it without for a couple of months as see what happens.
I’ve grown indoors for years with a good level of success and never used a fan,
Regards
David


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## monocotman (Nov 16, 2019)

Here is my set up for phrags, all growing next to a floor to ceiling window in the kitchen. Absolutely no fans!
It’s not needed with lower humidity. It just stresses the plants.


It’s primary requirement in a greenhouse is to dry out damp and wet leaves and stop rots. No need in a house,
David


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## Ray (Nov 16, 2019)

The primary purpose of fans in a greenhouse is to eliminate pockets of stagnant air.


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## mrhappyrotter (Nov 16, 2019)

For that size of a collection, Krister, a ceiling fan may be sufficient. You can run the dedicated fan for a few hours to 1/2 a day or so after watering to be extra sure any moisture that's collected in/on the leaves is dried off. Some air flow is good, it reduces the incidence of bacterial/fungal disease, which can sometimes infiltrate plants even when growing indoors.

Drying out faster (in regards to the media) is beneficial for some orchids, but I don't think that's the case for most slippers, especially not Phrags.

My growing situation is much different from yours, even though we both grow indoors. That said, I run a ceiling fan 24/7, and then I have a few oscillating fans strategically placed around the plant room for added circulation, which I have on timers so that they run a few minutes each hour. And, in addition to that, I've got a couple mini-fans that I use specifically to boost airflow around the plants that seem to benefit from it. On watering days, I'll run at least one of the oscillating fans non-stop for up to a day to assist in drying out any water that may have gotten on the leaves. This would obviously all be over kill for your current situation.

As far as shelves go, knowing nothing about you or your aesthetics and basing it solely on the advice I'd give myself -- go ahead and get a 4 foot wide, 6 foot tall metal wire rack. You're clearly succumbing to the addiction and any shelf you buy is going to be inundated with orchids before you know it. The wire shelves will "buy" you a little extra space and time!


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## monocotman (Nov 16, 2019)

So there you have it! One of the conundrums of orchid growing. Every growing zone is slightly different and needs different solutions.
You can grow perfectly good phrags with and without fans, you just have to make adjustments. It depends entirely on your own conditions.
You will have read the orchid mantra that is trotted out in every book on culture, ‘thou shalt only grow good orchids when there is a buoyant humid atmosphere with lots of air movement’.
Welll I say b*****, to that. This mantra is for greenhouse growers where stagnant air quickly causes problems. It is not necessary for windowsill growers. With lower levels of humidity generally then following this mantra blindly and using fans to move the air and the leaves of your phrags stresses the plants out badly. They basically dehydrate as the fans amplify the effects of lower humidity.
I grow without any fans and have no rot issues, but the room is fairly large 20 feet x 20 feet with three doors and several windows, so there may be a little natural air movement. 
So what is the way forward? It’s all about developing as an orchid grower. Watch and observe. Tweak something then wait and see. Maybe point the fans away from the plants so there is some air movement in the room but no leaf movement. Do the plants improve? Take it from there. In orchid growing there are very few hard and fast rules!
Good luck,
David


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## tomkalina (Nov 16, 2019)

Whatever you're doing ,David, seems to be working very well based upon the appearance of your plants. Krister, I think a ceiling fan is about all the air movement required with your setup.


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## monocotman (Nov 17, 2019)

Kirsten,
Remember that books on orchid growing are generally written by people who have greenhouses not windowsills for their plants!
Indoor growing is a different beast.
Here is my biggest phrag. Mem Dick. Clements. It’s about eight years old. There should be eight or nine spikes this year. It spends all autumn, winter and spring indoors with no leaf movement.
As you can see, it is at death’s door.
The only time the leaves move is when I pick up the pot and shake it!


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## NYEric (Nov 19, 2019)

We constantly use fans with our Phrags. Unlike most apartments we water a few times a day, and most Phrags are in trays of water. Not good for the floors.


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## tomkalina (Nov 19, 2019)

monocotman said:


> Kirsten,
> Remember that books on orchid growing are generally written by people who have greenhouses not windowsills for their plants!
> Indoor growing is a different beast.
> Here is my biggest phrag. Mem Dick. Clements. It’s about eight years old. There should be eight or nine spikes this year. It spends all autumn, winter and spring indoors with no leaf movement.
> ...


Wow! That's a horse of an MDC ! Well done for achieving this result growing indoors for most of the year.


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## monocotman (Nov 19, 2019)

Eric,
Why do you water so often if the plants are stood in water already?


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