Caring for Orchids Essentials: Orchids and Humidity

Wild orchids live in environments where there is a lot of moisture in the air - this can be anywhere between 50% an 80%. Unfortunately, the humidity of most homes is far lower than this, so to look after your orchids properly you need to artificially increase the levels of water in the air around your plant.

Many orchid growers use humidity trays to do this, however there is a lot of debate within the orchid community as to their usefulness. As far as I am aware, there has been no scientific study into whether humidity trays work or not.

You can purchase humidity trays from most garden supply stores and they cost between a few pounds and around £30. Alternatively you can make your own - Care-of-Orchids.Info have some nice information about making your own humidity tray.

Misting is another method that can be used to increase the water levels around your orchid. Simply spray water onto the foliage and flower of your orchid using a spray gun (either purchased from a garden store or a recycled surface cleaner/window spray bottle). There is a myth circulating that misting that misting orchids can cause them damage. I will simply say that it is not true and refer you to a great article on the subject.

The most expensive (and perhaps best) way to increase the ambient humidity around your orchid is to use a humidifier. Humidifiers cost between around £25 and £50 and keep the amount of moisture in the air of the room they are in constant.

Well, that's my third post in this series of Orchid Essentials. Tomorrow, I will move on to fertilizer and feeding your orchid.