I just read a message at another forum that got my synapses excited.

Has anyone any experience with those Mist Maker things? Like this:

http://www.kkorchid.com/fogger.asp

I have often wondered about these things, but figured it would a) be too far away from the plants to make a difference, if I made it into a fountain to be placed nearby my growing area and b) worried about proximity to walls and exccess humidity in my rented appartment.

However, what I just read indicated that one could place this INSIDE the humidity trays, using runoff water from the plants to provide humidity in a more active way. This would get the mist closer to the plants, and I wouldn't have the wall issue.

Can anyone share any thoughts on this? Would this work? What about if there was fertilizer in the runoff water, would that be an issue? Or, maybe I designate the tray that it sits in to be kept clean and use distilled water to fill it?

I know I need to up my humidity, particularly in non-summer months.

Yeah, I have some experience with this.

This is the most efficient way to cause bud blast and crown rot.

Never ever ever rely on misting your plants for humidity.

I am done with that. Forever. You absolutely must use totally atomized water, not fog or mist, with which to increase humidity. This means simply, use running water with air passing around it, use a soaked sponge around a fan, use humidity trays. Use anything except misting and fogging. You will lose your buds today and your plants will rot tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, if used properly, foliar feeding is great for plants inbetween babies and NBS, all else, forget it.

I used one that came with a fountain and must say I was VERY disappointed. They only work well at certain water depths and go below that depth very quickly. Too much water and they don't work at all. They also heat the water and for whatever reason warm water doesn't work well with them. Maybe I had a junky one...but I was not impressed enough to try a more expensive one.

I have however had great luck with the cool mist humidifiers which use the same device inside them.

If you want to put something in your humidity trays to increase humidity, I suggest bubblers with airstones like you would use in an aquarium. I have used these and they do raise humidity a good bit, but if your plants aren't high enough up(2-3 inches) they can get wet from the tiny droplets that jump up out of the water like when you pour a can of Coke in a glass of ice(hard to explain but very obvious when you see one running). They are quite inexpensive and worth experimenting with if you have low humidity. I think I got a pump for $6 and tubing and stones for another $2 at walmart/meijer/kmart.(pet stores have a higher mark up)

Hope this helps...and if anyone has good experience with these foggers please give a brand name so I can try it again.

Jon

My Draculas and Scaphosepalums don't seem to mind being right in the fog. In fact I can't get my D. bella to bloom unless the spikes are right in the fog.

But otherwise I agree with Steve to seriously avoid getting lots of water directly on the plants. In my greenhouse I use misters under the benches or off to the sides, so only the realy fine atomized water gets blown around. Also everything is on a humidistat so when temps go down at night(which is when you definitely do not want wet plants), the humidity goes up and shuts off the water. Wet pads are also easy to build, and I found a website that has the aluminum cores in small sizes.

The actuating switch on the ultrasonic fogger units is conductivity based. I have found that there needs to be a touch of salt in the water for the switch to work. It also gets corroded with time, and you need to scrape off the corosion periodically. Also they are depth sensitive. One company I have a website for sells a float that keeps the fogger unit at the best depth.

Rick

Can you talk me through the humidistat. I too have misters under the benches, but have them connected to a timer. I find in summer it still gets too dry. Would be better if it was linked to a humidistat. Are they affordible for the average person at home. Are they simple to install or do you need an engineering degree. Where do you get them? Any information appreciated.

Cheers

David

Ok, GREAT! This is exactly the info I was hoping for! Thank you so much!!!

I do like the soaked sponge idea...I have four fans, I wonder if I could rig up something large enough to actually make a difference.


Off to muse some more on this....THANKS all!! You are most helpful!
:D

They opperate and wire up just like thermostats (except they are actuated by changes in relative humidity instead of temp). The ones I'm using now are scavenged out of old Robitusin room humidifiers you could by at a drugstore, but they are also available from many electrical eqipment wholesalers like WW Grainger, and greenhouse supply catalogs. Not sure who's in Australia.

Obviously they won't add humidity by themselves, they just turn humidity making devices on and off. So you need to find out if your present misting/fogging/wet pad system was able to get the humidity were you wanted it to get when the timer had it running. If its still coming up short during a timed run, then you would need to increase the humidity making system you are using too.

If you all want to make small wet walls for indoor use then go to rpsproducts.com, and look at some of the small humidifier pads (wet pads) and filters for replacement in home furnace and air systems.

These are honey-combed aluminum, so they won't rot like the wicks do, and they are less restrictive for better airflow than a wick.

I made a system for my pleuro box that uses a tupperware tub, a wet pad, and a small fountain pump to recirculate the water over the pad. You need to figure out how to force the air through it optimally.

I’m too technically challenged if it involves me having to do my own rewiring. I thought this may be an option

http://www.hydroasis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=H&Product_Code=0000680

While relatively costly it isn’t outrageous. I mean some of my orchids are worth more than this. My plug-in thermostats which I use for my heater and evaporative cooler are similar to this and work very well. My current misting system does increase the humidity, however as it is based on a timer the humidity tends to fluctuate. It would be much better if the misters came on based on humidity levels rather than a set time. I am a bit concerned though about how much water it would take to keep the humidity above 70%.

David

Yes I waste allot of water, but I'm on a well so I only pay indirectly in electricity and wear and tear on the well pump. The grass is luxuriant down slope of the greenhouse! A fogger or wet pad is more efficient than the misters, but my misters also double as temp control in the summer. I wired the humidistat through the normally open side of the thermostat. Above 83-85 the misters run for temp, below that they run for humidity (if needed, and controlled by the humidistat). There are hot spots that get in the 90's, so I can find a variety of mini climates in a small greenhouse. I didn't open up the site you posted, but here you can get a small room humidifier (with a scavengable humidistat) for $30 -$40. That's definitely cheaper than some of the plants I've bought.

If you are not already trying this, put a box fan under the bench where the misters are to help blow the finer water spray away from the ground to get it into the air better. My under bench fan is wired to the misters too.

We've had a pretty serious increase in humidity in my growing area the last several days due to a high dewpoint, my open windows, and my becoming slightly less of an idiot.

Incidentally, last night, I noticed that the bent floppy leaf that has plagued my Michael Koopowitz since repotting it after it finished blooming, is all of the sudden nice and rigid and upright - no more bent leaf! Can I perhaps attribute this to the positive change in conditions?

I used to really hate this weather, but now, I am rather enjoying it!

Perhaps, but maybe it finally just got it's root act together in the fresh media??

Heather I tried a mist maker in my aquarium for masdies, pleuros etc. It worked well for them but I wouldn't use it on my other stuff. I have one of those old fashioned wheel type humidifiers for my Paphs etc. It has a wheel with a big sponge on it that turns in a tub of water...there is a fan that blows on the sponge and that adds lots of nice COOL humidity to the air. I can take pictures of it if you don't know what I mean.

Thanks guys!
Rick - whatever it is that caused it to perk up, I'm thrilled!

I have a nice humidifier, but it is technologically advanced and consequently, I realized the other day I had it set in a really dumb way. Since I reset it, I'm getting much better humidity (around 70%!!) and also, very humid outside right now.

They are great for Dendrobium cuthbertsonii on a timer. They grow much better with it!

Paphman

...a wheel with a big sponge on it that turns in a tub of water...there is a fan that blows on the sponge and that adds lots of nice COOL humidity to the air. I can take pictures of it if you don't know what I mean.

Yes please post some photos, I would love to see it.

I've heard of another primitive, but sucsessful method to rais humidity and ventilation: hanging a mop with it's tip dipped into a bucket of water and aiming a fan at it. in winter it works the same way with a heat distributer (I hope I said that right and you understand what I mean) instead of the fan.

Down here I dont need to help the humidity! It is nice and sticky at least 6 -8 months out of the year! And I love it!

You could also just create a nice fish hatchery like I have, that way you won't have any free time at all...."Sleep = Priceless". The orchids are easy compared to fish keeping, but they do like the humidity of the fishroom/basement. Even just a couple aquariums will raise the humidity some in a room.