Air Movement

[Undergrounder]

What is it meant to do?

I mean technically, does it blow mould spores around and stop them taking hold? does it give the leaves more fresh air? does it stop moisture collecting on the surface of the leaves? does it cool the plants down?

[goodgollymissmolly]

Typically fungus spores require long periods of leaf wetness to germinate and successfully enter the stomata of the plant. "Long" means 8 hours or more. Obviously air movement helps to dry wet surfaces and to minimize localized areas of high humidity. Existing fungus infections tend to sporalate when conditions favor spore germination.....typically high humidity and temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees F.

So air movement can minimize both formation of spores and successful germination of those that do develop.

Makes sense to me so I'm sticking to it!!

Jim

[Undergrounder]

Makes total sense thanks Jim!

So that leads to another question. If i top-water my baby phalaenopsis and there's obvious water in the crowns, it is OK as long as the water has dried within say.. 2 or 3 hours?

[Becca]

Undergrounder, I wouldn't take any chances with water on the crown from watering if it is say pooling in the crown. I take a q-tip and dab the crown area and leaves if I get them overly wet.

[Undergrounder]

Yeah i do that too but it's a real pain to dab each one.

It'd be a lot easier if i could just throw water at the bunch of them and let the fan dry the water out of its own accord...

I guess i can only try it and see if they do or do not die.

[Pippin]

You can water them without wetting the leaves (like I do), or you can grow them the way they grow in the nature (crown pointing downwards). Both ways you can avoid the pain to dab each one and the risk of crown rot.

[goodgollymissmolly]

Undergrounder,

Possibly you would be OK as long as the water dried out in 2-3 hours, but my wife would never allow it to sit in the crown as the others said. She also dabs out the collected water.

The problem with leaving it is that you can not be sure it will dry and the information I gave you is general in nature. It might not apply universally and it probably does not apply to non fungal stuff.

I'm not a phal type of person so I don't encounter the crown collection problem as much as you do with monopodials.

I would be careful leaving water in the crown. Just to be on the safe side.

Jim

[Undergrounder]

It's actually near impossible to water them without wetting the leaves, since they're only about an inch in diameter and they're either in a compot or little seedling pots.

I've considered growing them upsidedown since in the end i want to mount them anyway. When is a Phal schilleriana large enough to be mounted?

ggmm: I might set aside 1 or 2 plants and purposefully leave the crowns wet when i water them, put the fan on them for a few hours and see if they survive that regime.

[Ray]

I overhead water my entire collections, so everythig gets standing water in the crowns. They are typically dry within 4-5 hours, and I've avoided rot for years.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by Ray

I overhead water my entire collections, so everythig gets standing water in the crowns. They are typically dry within 4-5 hours, and I've avoided rot for years.

Thanks Ray! I won't be so paranoid about a little water in the crown anymore