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Water Application

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 15:57 — disaguy

This can be a fairly complicated subject. There are obviously many ways to apply water.  How you apply water depends on a number of factors including whether or not the water is to provide a cooling function as well as plant moisture.  I am going to tell you what I do but you need to consider your individual needs before you implement any plan of action.   I utilize a number of different ways to apply water but I am moving slowly to a method by which all water is applied from the bottom.  I have a bit of trouble doing the watering completely from the bottom as I sometimes experience temperatures in the 100's (Fahrenheit degrees) and cool by misting.

 First,  I have  the greenhouse on a simple timer mechanism (a lawn timer) which will apply a gentle mist for  X  minutes a day every  Y  days.  This is a basic backup to make sure you don't forget to water.  This type of a system works especially well for seedlings where you may want to water 4 - 6 times a day.
Second, I have a homemade timer attached to a thermostat which turns on a mister when the temperature climbs above 80 degrees between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm.  The purpose of this device is to provide some cooling but also to raise the humidity when the temperature gets above the optimal temperature range for Disas.
Third,  Since the local temperature sometimes gets into the low 100's, I have a high pressure misting system which turns on at 87 degrees F and will fill the greenhouse with a fog in about 30 seconds.  The fog is almost dry and only serves to provide a cooling function for the Disas. This is kind of like the mist on the top of Table Mountain, South Africa, in the Summer.
Fourth,  I have been experimenting with the use of a flow tray or table to provide a constant source of bottom water.  The  tables are  4' wide by 24 to 30 feet  long and slope very slightly from one end to the other.  My approach is to keep the table flat from side to side so that there is no pooling but yet the table will drain once the supply of water is stopped.  I don't try to raise the water level at all so it usually is only about a half inch deep as it flows through the table.  The depth varies with the amount of water that you supply at the top end.  It drains form the bottom end into a 150 gallon holding tank where it is pumped back to the start.  I'm still having mixed feelings about this arrangement as I fell that if there is a problem with any disease, it would spread rapidly in this type of a situation.  The advantages are longer life of the blooms since the pollinia don't get moldy and better aeration to the roots since the top of the pot doesn't get covered with moss or liverworts. There are potential problems that need to be considered though.  For example, what happens if the power goes off?  Another is what happens if on a hot day, the water temperature in the holding tank gets above 60 degrees F?  Or how about if the pump leaks?  Lots of things can happen to the detriment of your plants.  The main advantage is that since you don't top water, all the problems with moss and algae buildup on the surface disappear.  In addition, you decrease the likelihood of fungal attacks due to excess water on the leaves. Some of the best growers in the world use this approach.   If the risks didn't outweigh the rewards, I'm sure that they would use another method.  After a trial period of two years, with no major problems attributable to the watering method, I'm becoming convinced that this is definitely the way to go.
Fifth,  No matter how hard you try, you will sometimes have to add a bit of water with a hose.  If you have fans going, you will sometimes find spots that dry out quicker than the rest of the bench.  This is where good old hand watering pays off.  I would suggest using something like a 1 or 2 gal./minute Fogg-It nozzle as a mister in this situation.

Once upon a time, I would have told you that you can't over water Disas.  In the wild, they are often immersed for hours in cold running water during the rainy season.  There are things happening in that situation which we don't understand,  however.  There is no consensus about when to cut back either.  One person who is an excellent grower feels that you should increase the water in the winter since that's similar to what happens in nature.  I know that if I water too often in winter, I will surely have more fungal problems.  Maybe that's because I have the sides up in the winter.  It's a difficult question that there seem to be many opinions on.  If you have a favorite theory, I would love to hear it.  The one thing that I am positive about, is that you must not let the stream Disas dry out.