# Atomiser



## Wahaj (May 9, 2008)

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


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## NYEric (May 9, 2008)

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


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## Wahaj (May 9, 2008)

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!


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## biothanasis (May 10, 2008)

Hello,

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


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## Candace (May 10, 2008)

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


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## Wahaj (May 10, 2008)

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?


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## Ernie (May 10, 2008)

Wahaj said:


> 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


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## NYEric (May 11, 2008)

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.


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## Rick (May 11, 2008)

Ernie said:


> 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.


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## Wahaj (May 12, 2008)

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?


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## NYEric (May 12, 2008)

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.


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## Wahaj (May 13, 2008)

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.


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## NYEric (May 13, 2008)

Wahaj said:


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


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


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## Wahaj (May 13, 2008)

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.


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## NYEric (May 13, 2008)

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


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## Wahaj (May 13, 2008)

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.


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## Corbin (May 13, 2008)

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.


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## Wahaj (May 14, 2008)

okey dokey  thanks ed.


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## Corbin (May 16, 2008)

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.


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## Rick (May 16, 2008)

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:


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## Corbin (May 17, 2008)

When the work slows down that will be the first thing on my agenda.:wink:


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## Wahaj (May 17, 2008)

i see what you mean. That looks like a nice set up there.

however I showed it to my boyfriend and he said "that looks like a science lab, if you do that in the living room, I'll bleach the lot of em"

!!!!

hahaha. i know he was only kidding, but what i'm doing at the moment is that I have a tall clothes drier, that i enclose the area with every morning. that keeps the moisture in during the day when the sun's out....and as the clothes dry, they release their moisture into the air as well.

Here's what my atomiser looks like. And this is how I've set up my Mokara that arrived in the post today.


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## NYEric (May 17, 2008)

The lighting looks sufficient for the Mokara!


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## Wahaj (May 18, 2008)

excellent!

I've bought a vase the same shape and width....but it's a meter tall haha. it stands on the floor and when my vanda Sansai Blue arrives, that's where it'll hopefully go.

I know you're meant to use something like virgin cork or tree fern....but do you think the roots will take to the drift wood i've attached it to?


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## Corbin (May 18, 2008)

"I have a tall clothes drier, that i enclose the area with every morning."

You are going to have to educate me on this clothes dryer.  To me a clothes dryer is a round tub that sits next to the washer has hot air forced into it and goes round and round.


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## Wahaj (May 18, 2008)

Oh I meant a clothes horse.....I have two....it's a bit like this one....

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31qEDAQbQWL._SL500_AA280_.jpg


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## Wahaj (May 21, 2008)

Yay! got a hygrometer at chelsea. No idea how accurate it is haha, but it says the mudity around my orchids is about 75%....and it's listed in the "damp" section. which is a little worrying for my walls but yay for the orchids!

don't know if it's a fair test. i put it on a shelf amongst the plants out of sunlight.....and then moved it again and a bit later it was even higher to about 78%.

so that's good right? lol.


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## biothanasis (May 21, 2008)

I am happy to read that you finally managed to raise your humidity and your orchids will be much happier!!!!!  And that you will be happier, too!!!!!!!!


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## Wahaj (May 21, 2008)

thanks!

My Vanda Sansai Blue arrived today so I've place it in a long vase with wet clay pellets at the bottom, and it's been sort of stuck to a piece of drift wood. trying to find some fine moss to attach to the wood, but no idea where to start. All I can find is spagnum moss but i don't like it for fine details. I want the nice furry stuff. Anyone know where I can get it?


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## NYEric (May 21, 2008)

Spanish moss? It grows like moss on trees in florida! oke:


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## Wahaj (May 22, 2008)

oooh not spanish moss. although i would love some of that!

but i'm after the lichen kinda of moss. not spagnum moss. looks too much like pond weed to me!


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## paphioboy (May 22, 2008)

Wahaj, that's a very unique way of growing your Mokara and vanda... I've never seen anyone grow like that.. But I think your plants will like it. Yes,the roots will grow all over the driftwood, but I don't think they will attach to the glass...


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## Wahaj (May 23, 2008)

thanks paphio boy 

there's some dispute in my mind where this method came from. I'm certainly not the 1st one to do. I first saw it about....2001 ish....when I saw a Vanda beeing sold in a DIY store....and they had the vase in a tiny little black basket with no medium and it was sitting in a short, fat vase and the roots were filling the vase up....just like a phal would in a white pot. And you're basically meant to fill it upto the crown with water in the morning, leave it about 10 minutes and then drain all the water away. This gives the roots good soaking. However I know there are some people that around 2005 started to claim they initiated this method of growing, which I find very sceptical, as I said, I'd already seen it being sold commercially about 4 years before that.

However I didn't want to mount it on a basket, I much prefer the more....mounted look, so went for the drift wood wedged into the neck of the vase. As the vase is too tall for me to be moving every day, i don't soak the roots. I mist the every morning, and I have some expanded clay pellets at the bottom of the vase that I fill with water every morning. During the heat of the day, the water at the bottom evaporates, and there's enough of a micro climate in the vase to keep the moist and green.

This morning I've had 80% humidity and last night i had 85% humidity. This is purely from humidity trays and keeping the plants close together. When I mist them, and put the atomiser on, the humidity rises even further.


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## NYEric (May 23, 2008)

It has a very artistic look. Form and function, wow! oke:


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## Wahaj (May 23, 2008)

Hehe fanks!


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## Gavin (May 23, 2008)

*atomisers do work well*

Hi Dude, i use atomisers in all my growing areas with a oscilating fan behind them, i run them for 15 mins every hour of the growing period (daylight or growlight time) and they really help to pick up the humidity, my plants are also in humidity trays but i found this was not enough. over night i vent out the rooms to limit damp build up and in winter if its to bad i use a diluted bleach and water solution to wipe the walls and this keeps the green stuff down.Hope this helps.happy growing!
Gavin


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## Wahaj (May 23, 2008)

ah! ok....well I'm not sure if I'll be able to use the bleach on my walls as it's matt emulsion....it'll just wash off.

However I'l be moving my plants in the winter to away from the window. I know they need the light but in the winter if comes from a different direction. Right now if comes straight down in from the skylights.....however in the winter and sun's lower....it comes in across the room so they'll still have light.

I've now also purchased a black tacca! and I've got a paph pinnochio and a small dendrobium on the way. in july I'll have a phrag grande "virginia" as well. so need lots more room!

And i totally agree gavin. i think it's the mixture of different things that helps humidity. My humidity stays at a pretty contant of 80%...with humidity trays, the atomiser and the occasional misting. sometimes it goes to about 85-90% haha love it.


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