As an orchid lover and grower you would be familiar with the importance of the humidity tray for orchids. However, there is always scope to discover something new even when you read or learn about something you are familiar with. Sometimes, going through something you are well versed with can provide new insights, when you find that time has moved on and these have brought about developments which you are not aware of yet.

The General Rules About Humidity Trays For Orchids

Humidity is not an aspect that can be considered on its own. There are other factors such as the intensity of light, the general weather and the temperature that needs to be taken into account before deciding on how humid would be the best for your orchid.  As a rule you should never water your orchid anytime during afternoon or evening, more so if you are a beginner at this occupation.

The reason for this is that any drops of water that might remain trapped on the leaves would condense and hang onto the leaf long enough to lead to gradual rotting.  The best time to water the orchid is early in the morning before dawn so the orchid would have enough time during the day time to use up the water and be on the dry side in the night when the temperatures drops.

The Ideal

When shopping for the ideal humidity tray keep in mind that this flower thrives when the level of humidity is around 50-70% during winter and a little higher during the summer. The easiest way to increase the humidity level of the orchid plants is to place the pots in humidity tray for orchids which are artistically but functionally created with the help of medium sized pebbles and a shallow water film.

Maintain the quality of the water you provide for your orchid by removing the pebbles every two months or so and having them washed thoroughly in weak bleach solution to clean them. This would easily remove the algae and salts residue that has accumulated over the time. Do not even think of adding algaecide in the tray directly as this would impact the orchid negatively.

Many people combine the beauty of fancy arrangements of a group of potted orchids with the practical humidity trays to create a beautiful and fully functional microclimate with just the right humidity. This can be breathtakingly beautiful while at the same time provide the required humidity to all the contributing plants.  Remember to keep them spaced comfortably or it would constrict the air circulation and kill them.

Tags: Humidity Trays For Orchids

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