Raising humidity - DIY moisture wicks

[TheFertilizer]

I think I want to try to raise my humidity to see if that helps things out in my garden. I'm perpetually running at like 20-30% RH. I've tried a humidifier and it didn't really help, raised it to 40 at most, and I had to turn my exhaust fan down to even get that. Tried hanging wet towels, doesn't do it. The only thing that's really helped is foliar spraying, but I don't know about doing that daily and what ill effects may come of that.

My humidity always seems to rise after I've watered, and my theory is that it's because the pots full of dirt are acting like big moisture wicks. So given that, I had an idea that maybe I could just fill up a bucket with something like soil, and just fill it with water every now and then so it keeps wicking moisture into the air.

Just not really sure what to use. I was thinking perlite? Basically something that won't attract fungus gnats or other biologically un-wanteds by being wet all the time.

 

[InTheShed]

I would sterilize the soil first and use that over perlite, which dries out more quickly. Vermiculite might be a better choice there if you don't want to bother sterilizing soil (with heat).
The Differences Between Vermiculite Vs. Perlite and When to Use Each

 

[elpodgrows]

Word. I experience the same. this sounds legit and cheap solution for sure. I'm up to try it too.

 

[TheFertilizer]

I would sterilize the soil first and use that over perlite, which dries out more quickly. Vermiculite might be a better choice there if you don't want to bother sterilizing soil (with heat).
The Differences Between Vermiculite Vs. Perlite and When to Use Each

Interesting, my only worry with perlite is that it seems to like to grow algae. Sterilizing the soil hmm... What if I just use something like peat moss or similar? I mean really it just needs to be something that won't attract fungus gnats from being wet all the time. Maybe just mix a crapload of neemcake into something, they wouldn't touch that.

Word. I experience the same. this sounds legit and cheap solution for sure. I'm up to try it too.

Yeah my only concern is that it's not really the pots wicking moisture but somehow the plants transpiring more that's actually raising the humidity. I guess I'll have to find out though.

 

[InTheShed]

You blew right past my vermiculite suggestion! Perlite doesn't hold on to its moisture long enough, and you could water with a mix of water and H2O2 to solve the algae problem.

 

[TheFertilizer]

You blew right past my vermiculite suggestion! Perlite doesn't hold on to its moisture long enough, and you could water with a mix of water and H2O2 to solve the algae problem.

Oh whoopsie, I forgot about the vermiculite. I was gonna say, wouldn't that hold way more water but not wick it into the astmosphere as well?

I mean if I really want something that mimmicks my soil, 50/50 perlite and peatmoss would be a good simulate. I'm just wondering if pure perlite would be better for that wicking but I've never really handled perlite on its own, and never even seen vermiculite.

 

[InTheShed]

If you already have the perlite I'd put it in a felt pot and soak it with a water/H2O2 mix and see how it goes. No cost to run that trial!

 

[GodOfPot]

Running into the same probs....I put a 5 gal bucket filled with water and used my ACT air pump(not an aquarium pump) with one of those puck shaped air discs....puts out tons of moisture with exhaust off, get's it up from 20's to the 50-60's, however once I turn the exhaust on rh drops right down again