Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Plants perspire.
-Brad
-Brad
help me with humidity pleasee
- Thread starter dakotakleiner
- Start date
RPCV
Avid Member
There are a number of factors that will influence humidity and reasons you could be at 84% Rh. Plants will release moisture vapor and there will be some evaporation from soil and other surfaces from misting.
Where you measure humidity will make a big difference. Relative humidity will be higher at cooler spots in the enclosure and lower in warmer spots because hot air holds more moisture than cooler air. The difference between ambient room temperature and the enclosure can also be a factor as moisture vapor will migrate from warm to cold.
With all these factors to consider the only reliable way to set things up would be monitoring levels and adjusting for your specific environment.
Mold growth can initiate if materials stay wet for greater than approximately 72 hours. Some mold species can begin to grow with prolonged periods (weeks or months) of high humidity (typically greater than 70% Rh). Most species of bacteria will die and not be a concern once things dry out. Once mold growth starts it can remain viable for a very long time without moisture and retain some of its harmful properties even if it dies or is killed.
Where you measure humidity will make a big difference. Relative humidity will be higher at cooler spots in the enclosure and lower in warmer spots because hot air holds more moisture than cooler air. The difference between ambient room temperature and the enclosure can also be a factor as moisture vapor will migrate from warm to cold.
With all these factors to consider the only reliable way to set things up would be monitoring levels and adjusting for your specific environment.
Mold growth can initiate if materials stay wet for greater than approximately 72 hours. Some mold species can begin to grow with prolonged periods (weeks or months) of high humidity (typically greater than 70% Rh). Most species of bacteria will die and not be a concern once things dry out. Once mold growth starts it can remain viable for a very long time without moisture and retain some of its harmful properties even if it dies or is killed.
draetish
Avid Member
I found this on the internet, however there are some suggestions here that would be harmful to chams and should not be placed inside the enclosure.
Increasing Humidity
There are a number of ways that a home owner can increase the humidity in the room or around the plants.
Humidifiers - Using a humidifier is by far the most effective way to increase humity. Humidifiers that attach directly to the furnace will increase the humidity throughout the house. Portable humidifiers can be used to increase the humidity in one or more rooms.
Changing locations - Bathrooms and kitchens, if they are sunny, often have a higher humidity than other areas of the home, and may be more suitable for house plants requiring extra humidity.
Double potting - Take a small potted plant or a number of small plants, and put them in a larger pot. Fill the area underneath and around the small pots with peat moss. Keep the peat moss constantly moist. As water evaporates from the peat moss, it increases the humidity around the plants. Make sure the large pot has a tray underneath to catch excess moisture from the peat moss. A similar approach is to place a house plant in a basket lined with moist peat moss.
Pebble trays - Fill a large plant saucer with pebbles or stones. Place a number of small pots (or a large pot) on top of the stones. To assure that the pots do not contact the water, you may wish to place them on saucers which sit on the pebbles. Now fill the large plant saucer with water up to the level of the pebbles. Make sure the saucer with pebbles is large enough to be effective - the larger the surface area of pebbles, the more effective the method will be.
Totems for climbing plants - Take chicken wire and roll it into a totem (tube). Fill the tub with peat moss. Anchor the tube in the plant pot and then wind the climbing plant around the tube. Keep the peat moss inside the tub moist. Do not worry if the plant forms roots into the totem, but if this occurs make sure the totem is kept evenly moist.
Grouping - Moisture loss from one plant can benefit the plant next to it. Try and group plants with similar watering requirements together, and keep them close to each other. The closer together they are, the more effective the method.
Misting - This is the least effective but often the most used method. Misting plants with tepid water will result in a layer of water on the leaves, which will reduce the transpiration of water from the leaves. However, soon after misting, the water will evaporate, and once this occurs, the air is once again low in humidity. If plants are misted too often or too much, however, fungal growth and tissue rotting may result. Plants with hairy leaves cannot be misted, for leaf spotting will likely occur as a result.
Increasing Humidity
There are a number of ways that a home owner can increase the humidity in the room or around the plants.
Humidifiers - Using a humidifier is by far the most effective way to increase humity. Humidifiers that attach directly to the furnace will increase the humidity throughout the house. Portable humidifiers can be used to increase the humidity in one or more rooms.
Changing locations - Bathrooms and kitchens, if they are sunny, often have a higher humidity than other areas of the home, and may be more suitable for house plants requiring extra humidity.
Double potting - Take a small potted plant or a number of small plants, and put them in a larger pot. Fill the area underneath and around the small pots with peat moss. Keep the peat moss constantly moist. As water evaporates from the peat moss, it increases the humidity around the plants. Make sure the large pot has a tray underneath to catch excess moisture from the peat moss. A similar approach is to place a house plant in a basket lined with moist peat moss.
Pebble trays - Fill a large plant saucer with pebbles or stones. Place a number of small pots (or a large pot) on top of the stones. To assure that the pots do not contact the water, you may wish to place them on saucers which sit on the pebbles. Now fill the large plant saucer with water up to the level of the pebbles. Make sure the saucer with pebbles is large enough to be effective - the larger the surface area of pebbles, the more effective the method will be.
Totems for climbing plants - Take chicken wire and roll it into a totem (tube). Fill the tub with peat moss. Anchor the tube in the plant pot and then wind the climbing plant around the tube. Keep the peat moss inside the tub moist. Do not worry if the plant forms roots into the totem, but if this occurs make sure the totem is kept evenly moist.
Grouping - Moisture loss from one plant can benefit the plant next to it. Try and group plants with similar watering requirements together, and keep them close to each other. The closer together they are, the more effective the method.
Misting - This is the least effective but often the most used method. Misting plants with tepid water will result in a layer of water on the leaves, which will reduce the transpiration of water from the leaves. However, soon after misting, the water will evaporate, and once this occurs, the air is once again low in humidity. If plants are misted too often or too much, however, fungal growth and tissue rotting may result. Plants with hairy leaves cannot be misted, for leaf spotting will likely occur as a result.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Perhaps its a broken guage.
I always like to have two temp/humidty guages in each enclosure. If the two humidity readings are way different, I know one is likely toast.
