On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 07:54:14 -0800, you wrote:

Good morning Group,

I have listened to you talk about humidity and the "No effect " it has
on the Bonsai plant.

I don't think that is what was said.

The 'myth' referred to is that misting and water trays increase the
relative humidity indoors to a significant degree.

Billy M. claimed that, 'A tray of water under the
plant can't increase the humidity in the air enough to matter.'

If memory serves, the average air in a domestic room, say a dining
room, changes twice an hour - once in your sitting room.

The idea of creating a microclimate around a plant can only work in a
living room where no-one lives.

Just my scientifically unsupported opinion.

Richard P.

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In a message dated 3/26/2004 1:40:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for propagating seedlings
and cuttings.

I know from experience that misting systems work for rooting cuttings
but I have never heard of them helping seedlings. The misting helps cuttings
because they have no roots to take up moisture. A seedling has roots to do
this. I think I would worry more about the misting promoting fungus in a
seedling bed.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 3/26/2004 1:40:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for propagating seedlings
and cuttings.

I know from experience that misting systems work for rooting cuttings
but I have never heard of them helping seedlings. The misting helps cuttings
because they have no roots to take up moisture. A seedling has roots to do
this. I think I would worry more about the misting promoting fungus in a
seedling bed.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 3/26/2004 1:40:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for propagating seedlings
and cuttings.

I know from experience that misting systems work for rooting cuttings
but I have never heard of them helping seedlings. The misting helps cuttings
because they have no roots to take up moisture. A seedling has roots to do
this. I think I would worry more about the misting promoting fungus in a
seedling bed.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 3/26/2004 1:40:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for propagating seedlings
and cuttings.

I know from experience that misting systems work for rooting cuttings
but I have never heard of them helping seedlings. The misting helps cuttings
because they have no roots to take up moisture. A seedling has roots to do
this. I think I would worry more about the misting promoting fungus in a
seedling bed.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 3/26/2004 1:40:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for propagating seedlings
and cuttings.

I know from experience that misting systems work for rooting cuttings
but I have never heard of them helping seedlings. The misting helps cuttings
because they have no roots to take up moisture. A seedling has roots to do
this. I think I would worry more about the misting promoting fungus in a
seedling bed.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Pranab:
I do hope that you have an oscillating fan operating near your trees as
it will keep the pest population down to almost nil.

Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
http://bmee.net/rosner
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48

Pranab Nag wrote:

For what is worth, raising humidity by misting would be extremely hard
inside a house in winter. The relative humidity inside the house drops
to 25-30% at the peak of the winter. It would be really hard to raise
that to a level that tropical plants like.

Having said that I regularly mist my tropicals but I drench them so that
most of the plant becomes wet. Basically a mini shower. The rel.
humidity rises to about 45% in the vicinity. In a hours time it would be
hard to figure out that they ever got drenched.

I never noticed any ill-effects of my misting schedule. Plants I want to
keep on the drier side I just skip those.

BTW my plants are in the basement with lights so it is easy to just mist
them heavily.

-Pranab






************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Pranab:
I do hope that you have an oscillating fan operating near your trees as
it will keep the pest population down to almost nil.

Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
http://bmee.net/rosner
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48

Pranab Nag wrote:

For what is worth, raising humidity by misting would be extremely hard
inside a house in winter. The relative humidity inside the house drops
to 25-30% at the peak of the winter. It would be really hard to raise
that to a level that tropical plants like.

Having said that I regularly mist my tropicals but I drench them so that
most of the plant becomes wet. Basically a mini shower. The rel.
humidity rises to about 45% in the vicinity. In a hours time it would be
hard to figure out that they ever got drenched.

I never noticed any ill-effects of my misting schedule. Plants I want to
keep on the drier side I just skip those.

BTW my plants are in the basement with lights so it is easy to just mist
them heavily.

-Pranab






************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I grow seedlings in my garage using a grow light and a
Saranwrap tent over
the trays. For humidification, I use a $35 cold air ultrasonic
mister from
Walmart that has a 2 gallon reservoir. A simple plastic dryer
duct connects
the mister to the tent. I put the mister on an interval timer
(10 minutes
on, 30 off) and add water to the reservoir every 2 or 3 days.
My coast live
oak acorns were planted on 1 January and now the seedlings are
about 6
inches tall and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air on my front
porch. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of
those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for
propagating seedlings
and cuttings.


Goodness! Another reason to stay away from "indoor" trees.
They're a lot of work! ;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I grow seedlings in my garage using a grow light and a
Saranwrap tent over
the trays. For humidification, I use a $35 cold air ultrasonic
mister from
Walmart that has a 2 gallon reservoir. A simple plastic dryer
duct connects
the mister to the tent. I put the mister on an interval timer
(10 minutes
on, 30 off) and add water to the reservoir every 2 or 3 days.
My coast live
oak acorns were planted on 1 January and now the seedlings are
about 6
inches tall and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air on my front
porch. When
I get a larger place, I'll set up a greenhouse with one of
those continuous
misting systems that are supposed to work so well for
propagating seedlings
and cuttings.


Goodness! Another reason to stay away from "indoor" trees.
They're a lot of work! ;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I haven't checked all your facts, but watch your spelling. Stomata is already a
plural. Don't add an s. You can only do that with operas.
It is true that bonsai need some humidity in the winter, but if the rest of
your conditions are satisfactory, humidity is not as much of a problem as with
other plants. There are a few exceptions. Serissa seems to need rather high
humidity, above 60%. Just remember, humidity trays are a myth.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

Ok, I've got to jump in here -

When someone says "humidity tray" I have to assume they are referring to a
small, shallow tray with small gravel (or something like it) that is set
under a pot & tree and then "filled" with water. The idea being to increase
the humidity - create a small micro-climate - in that small area. Correct?
If that is the case, I'll buy the fact that it doesn't work (nor would
misting) when placed in a normal room. Too much air movement, air too dry,
etc. However, in my grow room I would argue that humidity trays do work
(as does misting). For one thing, the trays are pretty large and hold quite
a bit of water. There are quite a few of them. The room, while not sealed,
is enclosed in 8 mil plastic. I have a hygrometer in the room and there is
a noticeable difference in humidity when I "fill" the humidity trays vs.
when I don't. With just the two humidifiers running, I can keep the
humidity at around 40 - 50%. If I "fill" the humidity trays, the humidity
stays around 60% (until the trays dry out).

Jeff Isom
Cleveland, OH / Sunset Zone 39 (where it appears that spring may finally be
here...)

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 3/26/2004 11:57:08 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

The room, while not sealed,
is enclosed in 8 mil plastic.

That probably has more to do with the humidity that anything else.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast
BSF Annual Convention May 28 - 31, 2004 Radisson Hotel, Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Sponsored by The Bonsai Society of Brevard and the Treasure Coast Bonsai
Society
http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org/2004/2004.html

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++