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Jan 19, 2015 1:13 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
At what range of humidity does your Greenhouse stay?

I know my plants are used to the warm temps and high humidity of the tropical Houston area. I have tried to maintain the temps and humidity to what they are used to in the daytime. They are thriving. My humidity ranges from 90%-40%. I mist as often as I can to raise the humidity to the higher range. No problem with mold or fungus so far.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jan 19, 2015 2:19 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Mine stays in the upper 80's to low 90's. Ok as long as it cool outside .. if it gets warm, say in the mid to upper 70's or beyond, it can become a real problem as algae will bloom on everything.
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Jan 19, 2015 2:25 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Here in Mississippi, it is unusual to have relative humidity below 50%. I have never checked it, but I am sure the relative humidity in my greenhouses stay well above 75%. Physan 20 works well, Anne.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Jan 19, 2015 2:29 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Thanks Doc .. I'll look into it.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
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Jan 19, 2015 2:31 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
How do you keep the humidity consistent, Anne? It seems mine fluctuates and temperatures have little to do with it. There are days where I can have 80% at 90º and 80% at 56º. My GH is not air tight even with the doors and windows closed. Could that have something to do with it?
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jan 19, 2015 3:12 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
I don't really do anything special. I do have a bucket of water that I use to fill up watering cans between heavy duty waterings and I mist every time I go in there .. The floor is pebbles with concrete pavers down the middle which I spritz as well. The plants are actually off the floor on what I call my plant decks which helps with air circulation. Also I have a box fan that goes on at around 5pm to 9am to keep the air moving at night. The picture was taken in mid October of last year when I started to load up the GH. One thing though, high humidity with stagnant, unmoving air is not a good thing in my experience. Once I started using the box fan I had less problems with mold, mildew, algae growth and rot.

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
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Jan 19, 2015 3:34 PM CST
Name: Ric Sanders
Dover, Pa. (Zone 6b)
And his children Are his flowers ..
Birds Seed Starter Keeper of Poultry Ponds Region: Pennsylvania Greenhouse
Garden Art Dog Lover Cottage Gardener Butterflies Vegetable Grower Garden Ideas: Master Level
I think I'm at least 70%. I got a little algae under my inside stuck on bubble wrap last year. It washed off easily with a little dawn and Clorox in h2o. I just use a pot scrubbie with a handle, rinse, squeegee it clean. Since I run fans 24/7 I don't have any plant moisture problems. I usually spray my orchids and ferns daily unless we go for days with no sun. There is usually a small trickle of condensation from the wall in the one corner near the heater, so...
Ric of MAF @ DG
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Jan 19, 2015 4:32 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
This is my gh right now at 73°/40% humidity. As you can see, it's packed fairly full. Both doors and one window were open today to promote circulation along with a fan. I misted early this afternoon but the dry air from outside brought the humidity down as well as kept the temp down inside . I can keep the temp rather stable at 63° over night these days. But the humidity fluctuates. I would like to keep the humidity constant at around 60-70%. Any hints?
Thumb of 2015-01-19/ShadyGreenThumb/8047b8
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jan 19, 2015 4:33 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Ric, in my opinion you have hit a home run, saying how important air movement is. Fungi and algae don't like moving air, they love stagnant air. It is amazing how many of those with greenhouses don't have any or at least very little air movement. And they wonder why their tropical plants rot, why algae and mildew form so quickly, and why insects are an almost constant problem. Come on guys, a box fan costs pennies a day to run.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Jan 19, 2015 4:35 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Doing a flooring like I did in my two greenhouses keeps the humidity up. For me at least, that was a easy solution. I also mist regularly, sometimes every day (orchids) or every other day for other tropical plants or on real cold, cloudy days. That certainly helps.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Jan 19, 2015 5:29 PM CST
Name: Ric Sanders
Dover, Pa. (Zone 6b)
And his children Are his flowers ..
Birds Seed Starter Keeper of Poultry Ponds Region: Pennsylvania Greenhouse
Garden Art Dog Lover Cottage Gardener Butterflies Vegetable Grower Garden Ideas: Master Level
Yeah Ken, I learned in my years working commercial GHs that good air uses the heat better and prevents disease and pest. I run 3 fans, 2- 4" computer cooling fans, mounted along the peak pointed down the side roof slope to sort of tumble the air around like a big drier. They only use 1/4 amp, so they're probably pennies a week or month. They also prevent things from overheating on that south side. I also run an 8" box fan corner to corner about 4' up.
Since I did my floor to tilt in with a brick center I can and do wet it on warm days and not worry about ice build-up under the sill plates and breaking the concrete.
Ric of MAF @ DG
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Jan 19, 2015 5:32 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Thumbs up
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Jan 19, 2015 7:51 PM CST
Name: Carol Texas
Central Texas (Zone 8b)
"Not all who wander are lost."
Bookworm Region: Texas Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Herbs Greenhouse
Garden Art Fruit Growers Dragonflies Composter Cactus and Succulents Gardens in Buckets
I haven't tried to measure humidity in mine at all. We're pretty humid here in Central Texas most days. I usually have a watering can full sitting in there. I've some white mildew/mold issues on top the dirt in the plants, but once I started running fans longer that went away - for the most part. When I occasionally get it, I use the peroxide mix and it works like a charm. Got some of the stuff @Drdawg recommended too, but haven't had to use it just yet. I run a small fan 24/7 and a bigger one 8 hours a day. My GH is small, so probably not a gauge of much of anything Smiling
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Jan 19, 2015 8:01 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
My GH sits on a deck, over soil. I have I/O carpeting over 2/3's of the interior. It basically run downs the center of the GH. I know I am blocking out the cold in a poor way, if at all. I would have thought the soil at least would help keep up the humidity.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jan 19, 2015 8:11 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
The soil, with moisture, should release that moisture. So yes, damp soil certainly would help raise the relative humidity. But you do need enough heat for that to happen.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Feb 18, 2015 12:41 PM CST
Name: Melissa
Memphis, TN (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers hot summers Permaculture Orchids Hummingbirder Hostas
Greenhouse Dog Lover Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: Tennessee
My humidity is 72% right now and we have four fans circulating the warm air from the RMH (rocket mass heater). We also have two Vick's brand warm mist humidifiers that we run when it is too cold to mist the plants with the hose.

Air movement is critical but I will be mounting the fans higher up this summer (for the winter), because some orchids do not like the air hitting directly on the plant. It can stunt the blooming and cause keikis instead.
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Feb 18, 2015 1:26 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
I know I have seen it stated before, Melissa, but what's the size of your GH?
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
Image
Feb 18, 2015 2:20 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I just finished misting the GH. it is 70º with just 40% humidity. It is always lower in the warmest part of the afternoon in the winter. In the summer it is the opposite, with the humidity dropping at night. I would love to keep it constant while plants are inside for the winter. That is something I will be working on this year. How? I haven't figured that out yet anything short of misters on timers.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
Image
Feb 18, 2015 3:24 PM CST
Name: Melissa
Memphis, TN (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers hot summers Permaculture Orchids Hummingbirder Hostas
Greenhouse Dog Lover Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: Tennessee
Ken, 10'x12'.
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Feb 18, 2015 4:00 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
OK, we have the same sizes then. Thanks, Melissa.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.

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