Indoor Humidity

[RNCollins]

I grow my orchids indoors, in a bedroom. I try to keep the humidity around 60%. What would be a good humidity level that wouldn't cause mold growth in the house or damage to the walls or other problems?

If I don't use the humidifier in the winter it drops down to the 40's.

 

[Justin]

60% indoors in the winter when RH outside is in the 10-30% range will definitely cause condensation and then mold on your windowsills. even 50% will do this a little but it is a good target for indoor orchid growing from the plant's perspective. Honestly my plants do great at 40% RH or even lower so that is totally fine. I might not even use a humidifier this winter and let the plants just deal with being at 30% ... we'll see.

 

[NYEric]

Shucks! Don't even waster time watering them.

 

[Ozpaph]

sit them over a heated (aquarium) water bath. That will raise the local humidity and should cause problems in the room.

 

[MaryPientka]

I grow my orchids in my bedroom, too. And in my living room. I live in a brick Victorian building with 15 inch outside walls-it holds temperature and humidity fairly well. I run a cool mist humidifier in my bedroom for 2 hours in the early morning and 2 hours in the early afternoon if the humidity falls below 50% (I aim for between 50-60%). I seldom need to add extra humidity in the living area because the steam from my tea kettle is enough to keep it in range. My temperature range at the window sills is 61-78 degrees (depending on how much sun we get). I do not use a humidifier after dark when the temperature drops. My morning humidity is seldom below 45%. I have never had a mold issue. In Winter, I water ~once a week. My plants do very well.

 

[RNCollins]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I only run the humidifier a few hours in the late evening, my days off, and a few hours during the day... So it's not always 60% humidity in the room. I won't run the humidifier while I'm not home. So far there is no mold on the windows that I can see. One of my Masdevallia is bud blasting and I'm wondering if it is because it is too dry in the room.

 

[MaryPientka]

I don't grow Masdevallias. I suspect they would require more humidity. Have you considered a small enclosure (glass case) for it for the winter months?

 

[NYEric]

What Masdie? some of them you could grow outside right now.

 

[RNCollins]

What Masdie? some of them you could grow outside right now.

Masdevallia Angel Tears
(Copper Angel 'Highland' AM/AOS x amplexa)

2 out of 3 buds blasted so far



image by cponsolle, on Flickr

 

[AdamD]

Nice masdie! I wish I could grow them but I'm afraid they'd burn up. I grow indoors with 60-80% humidity in my basement. I lined my walls and windowsills with mold resistant drywall and FRP panels and silicone caulked the hell out of the joints. I get puddles on the floor sometimes from condensation, but I figure if I start to get mold I can start over from scratch. It's still cheaper than a greenhouse...

 

[troy]

Hawaii, florida, puerta rico , panama etc... the humidity is 60°/. And higher no problems l've had my humidity at 70 °/. Solid with good airflow for two years in the same spot, l'm moving all my plants to my new place on thursday, l will take pictures and post them, not a single piece of mold fungus nothing

 

[gonewild]

If mold is growing at 60% it's because of poor air circulation and ventilation not just because of the humidity.

Generally below 50% many species suffer to some degree, so try real hard to keep humidity above 50% at all times.

 

[gonewild]

Hawaii, florida, puerta rico , panama etc... the humidity is 60°/. And higher no problems l've had my humidity at 70 °/. Solid with good airflow for two years in the same spot, l'm moving all my plants to my new place on thursday, l will take pictures and post them, not a single piece of mold fungus nothing

Exactly!
The humidity is my house right now is 90% at 6:30 in the morning and there is not mold growing on our stuff. But we also don't have glass windows just all open screen with good air circulation and fresh air. We also keep fans going all the time and that is the secret to preventing mold in your home....air movement.

 

[ALToronto]

I keep my growing area at 70% RH through the winter, with no mold issues except for some hardwood floor damage due to a couple of spills of water. No paint peeling off the drywall, no streams of condensed water running down the exterior walls.

If you want to be able to keep high humidity in a northern home, you need excellent insulation of the exterior walls as well as air movement.

 

[NYEric]

My floors suffer, definitely mold, but I water so much that orchid judges question how I get aerial roots growing so much. Carol- put it in a window where it can cool and see how it does.

 

[gonewild]

My floors suffer, definitely mold, but I water so much that orchid judges question how I get aerial roots growing so much.

Your floors are wet or damp from watering or from humidity in the air?

 

[NYEric]

From pouring gallons of water on plants 2-3 times a day! :crazy: