# Humidity Tray material?



## Wahaj (May 1, 2008)

Hiya, I'm new to growing orchids really so bare with me.

I've bought some trays and stuff to create humidity around my orchids. I wanted to use expanded clay pellets but they're way outta my price range, but ofcourse i don't want to deny them moisture due to lack of funds!

so i was wondering what other stuff can I use? Do you think something like perlite would do the same job?

thanks


----------



## likespaphs (May 1, 2008)

if you're talkin' about stuff to put in the trays, you don't need anything other than water, that is, if there is a grid on top so the plants don't sit in the water...


----------



## Wahaj (May 1, 2008)

oh right ok thanks! didn't realise that. i was told by someone that it needs to have pebbles or something because as they warm up in the sun, the water evaporates.

ok....so does it matter if it's normal tap water or should i be using rain water for this as well?

thanks again


----------



## NYEric (May 1, 2008)

Pebbles are sold in aquarium stores. Water source doesn't matter for humidity. Candace will tell you trays don't help. I'm not sure I agree. If you really want to raise the humidity try an ultrasonic fogger. I used to utilize the cheapie pet store ones, now I have a 10-jet fogger from eBay [about $135] that allows me to grow and flower Pleurothalids I never could before.


----------



## Ernie (May 1, 2008)

IMO pebble-less trays are way easier to maintain! We use egg crate light diffuser to keep the pots out of the water. You'll see some pictures at our web site linked below. Look at the culture pages. 

-Ernie


----------



## Rick (May 1, 2008)

Ernie said:


> IMO pebble-less trays are way easier to maintain! We use egg crate light diffuser to keep the pots out of the water. You'll see some pictures at our web site linked below. Look at the culture pages.
> 
> -Ernie



I think egg crate is also a good idea. I be that if you added a couple of aquarium airstones and a pump you could turbocharge your humidity tray.


----------



## SlipperFan (May 1, 2008)

Ernie said:


> IMO pebble-less trays are way easier to maintain! We use egg crate light diffuser to keep the pots out of the water. You'll see some pictures at our web site linked below. Look at the culture pages.
> 
> -Ernie


That's what I use. You can get a large sheet of it at Lowe's or such-like store. Score it with a blade of some type, preferably on both sides, then you can easily snap off the piece you scored.

I suppose one tray with a few plants on it in a big room doesn't do much to add humidity, but if you have lots of orchids sitting on lots of trays, the water evaporation adds a little. But the big advantage of them is that you can water the plants as they sit on the trays, and the water is collected and then evaporates. I know some people who take all their orchids to a sink or bucket to water, but with 400 or so, that's very impractical. Watering them over humidity trays works very well for me.


----------



## NYEric (May 1, 2008)

Or, you could do like the cool kids and grow in water!


----------



## Candace (May 1, 2008)

> Candace will tell you trays don't help.



Oh no, they help collect crap and run-off water. They are good for that! As for humidity, enclose your growing area and your humidity will rise.


----------



## Ernie (May 1, 2008)

Candace said:


> Oh no, they help collect crap and run-off water. They are good for that! As for humidity, enclose your growing area and your humidity will rise.



But don't forget the air circulation. 

-Ernie


----------



## swamprad (May 2, 2008)

As of today, I have installed french doors to enclose my (previously) formal living room for a high humidity orchid paradise. I can't help it if I don't have a basement!


----------



## Wahaj (May 2, 2008)

hmm....interesting what you guys are saying there. i mean i don't have mean to do that really. all i have is an open, glass bookshelf that lets light onto all the shelves. i've bought these extra wide trays to put on all the shelves....and have the orchids sitting on upturned trays, standing above the level of water.

do you think that will do? i'm still misting them every morning with rain water before the sun really hits them....


----------



## Candace (May 2, 2008)

> As of today, I have installed french doors to enclose my (previously) formal living room for a high humidity orchid paradise. I can't help it if I don't have a basement!



Pictures please!



> i'm still misting them every morning with rain water before the sun really hits them....


 That's really another orchid growing myth as well. Misting makes YOU feel much better, longer, than the plants do;> Misting can actually cause more problems than the benefits. Can you get a humidifier and fans near your plants? If you can't enclose your growing area, a humidifier will help.


----------



## Wahaj (May 2, 2008)

oh really? right....i see i have a lot to learn haha.

um....as i grow them in my living room, which is carpeted, and has matt paint on, i don't think a humidifier is an option really. i think if i caused damp problems on the wall, my land lady would kick me out lol.

i guess i'm destined not to grow them.

hmmm....


----------



## biothanasis (May 2, 2008)

Hello Wahaj,

You can enclose your growing area, as Candace suggested, with the plastic "cloth" used to eclose ghes!!!!! I wasn't using hunmidity trays and the humidity only reached 32%. Now that I use humidity trays, humidity is 50%-70%! It fluctuates, depending on the temprature! I guess that if you use this material I mentioned before, you can have the needed humidity. The material is flexible and you can cover lots of difficult spots... 

I have my orchids sitting on shelves, too, that are like steps, so that depending on the light requirments, each plant is (almost) on the proper position!!! I grow under artificial lights...

The fans are a great idea for air circulation and you can easily install them (especially if you use computer fans- they are light and discreet - I have used these with excellent results)

Good luck...
Thanasis


----------



## Candace (May 2, 2008)

> You can enclose your growing area with the plastic "cloth" used to eclose ghes!!!!! I wasn't using hunmidity trays and the humidity only reached 32%. Now that I use humidity trays, humidity is 50%-70%! It fluctuates, dependying on the temprature! I guess that if you use this material I mentioned before you can have the needed humidity. The materiual is flexible and you can cover lots of difficult spots...



Pictures please! I'm sounding like a broken record:> Yes! That's the way to make use of humidity trays.

Wahaj, do you have a humidity gauge? If so, what is it? I have very low r.h. indoors and I'm still able to grow some plants inside. I have to water them more often than the plants in my g.h. and they don't perform as well, but they still grow, bloom occasionally and survive.


----------



## biothanasis (May 2, 2008)

Candace I have posted the pictures to the collection thread!!!!


----------



## Rick (May 2, 2008)

Wahaj said:


> oh really? right....i see i have a lot to learn haha.
> 
> um....as i grow them in my living room, which is carpeted, and has matt paint on, i don't think a humidifier is an option really. i think if i caused damp problems on the wall, my land lady would kick me out lol.
> 
> ...



Search for the threads that Corbin did for his setup. He used a cool mist humidifier (that you can get from a drugstore) and some pvc pipe to duct around the mist into his orchid case. It came out real sharp, not very expensive, and very effective.


----------



## Wahaj (May 3, 2008)

ah i've seen wot you guys means. The netting over the trays. interesting. 

what about an ioniser? not sure what the property word is. it's this little thing you put in water and it turns it into mist particles. it's meant to be a little party trick thing but it does produced smoke like mist. don't know how long i can leave that one for in the day though....


----------



## Rick (May 3, 2008)

Wahaj said:


> ah i've seen wot you guys means. The netting over the trays. interesting.
> 
> what about an ioniser? not sure what the property word is. it's this little thing you put in water and it turns it into mist particles. it's meant to be a little party trick thing but it does produced smoke like mist. don't know how long i can leave that one for in the day though....



Use the search function and look up a thread started by Corbin on his system.


----------

