Humidity chamber for ficus?

[Steve C]

I did some searching and found a few threads where people have used more a less a humidity "dome" before where they use a cup of water, but I'm wondering if anyone here has built any sort of larger humidity chamber where you are actually piping in humidity? I'm asking because we've only got maybe another month or so here in Michigan till all the trops have to come inside for the winter, and I'm thinking about trying to build something to see if I can't get a couple of my Ficus to grow some aerial roots inside this winter. One of my other main interest is cichlids/aquariums so I have numerous empty tanks sitting around. I was kicking around the idea of setting up one of my empty 75g tanks with a small humidifier next to it and a duct piping in the humidity from the humidifier into the tank with my ficus in it. That way I could keep the humidifier outside the tank (easier to refill, easier to turn on / off and more room in the tank for the ficus).

So just wondering is anyone has done something similar and if so how did it work out for you / any tips or thoughts?

 

[sorce]

I think it's safer to grow them outside...set next to the pond perhaps.

I been getting em with twice a day water.
Nestled down in some longer grass...
I even got roots coming out of the pot and growing more!

S

 

[bonsai-ben]

Cover tree with dome for humidity....... Good idea. I'm going to do the same for my human body. I'm going to jump in a big bag and suffocate and stay humid. (Dont do it!)

 

[petegreg]

I think something similar can only improve conditions and make growing season longer.
Here are two links that may help, the story is same, the second one is a compilation.

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t4687-ficus-in-the-cold-north-denmark

https://britishshohinbonsai.com/supporters-area/articles/ficus-in-the-cold-north/

 

[Silentrunning]

Are you thinking along the lines of a terrarium or are you not going to seal it that tight. I have a willow leaf ficus that is going into a terrarium next month with a couple of succulents and ferns. It will only be opened to trim the ficus. Is this kind of what you had in mind or did you mean you will have constant air circulation?

 

[peh3]

I kept a glass vase over a ficus and it seemed to improve the health of the tree. Lots of new shoots and even 2 aerial roots formed (which didn't survive long unfortunately).
Whenever I remembered I took the vase off for some air circulation so there wouldn't be mold growing.

So go for it! Just make sure you provide air circulation or you will be growing mold instead of a ficus.

 

[Steve C]

They stay outside all spring/summer but I'm thinking mainly of doing this just for the indoor winter months when they have to come inside. So about Oct-April mainly.
I'm thinking a bit more sealed than a terrarium most likely. Most of the info I have found so far talks about keeping the temp range in the 90's and keeping humidity up around 95%-100% range. Air circulation was one thing I was wondering about, but from most of what I have been able to find so far as long as you open it up every once in awhile (watering/trimming and such) then sounds like that is good. I could put some sort of small fan like a PC case fan in there to move air around a bit though which might not be a bad idea.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

They don't really mind the lower humidity in a home environment. I wouldn't put mine in a terrarium. I have one plant that I grow enclosed and that's a fern. It seems happy.

But yes sometimes there is mildew/ algae??
I guess I do have one more with some moss currently.

 

[Steve C]

It's not that I have any issues with mine inside during the winter at all. They've done well and grow just under lights inside for the past few years. The main reason I am considering a humidity chamber is to try to jump start and promote aerial roots. I would like to try to get some nice hanging aerial roots coming down off of a few of my ficus because I love the look it gives.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

It's not that I have any issues with mine inside during the winter at all. They've done well and grow just under lights inside for the past few years. The main reason I am considering a humidity chamber is to try to jump start and promote aerial roots. I would like to try to get some nice hanging aerial roots coming down off of a few of my ficus because I love the look it gives.

It should work, the only time my ficus produce aerial roots is when the heat and humidity, especially humidity are consistently high for an extended period of time.

 

[BrianBay9]

It should work, the only time my ficus produce aerial roots is when the heat and humidity, especially humidity are consistently high for an extended period of time.

Agreed. I kept tropical bonsai in Wisconsin. Mine were in a grow tent with temps from 70 - 80 F, and humidity ranging from 50 - 80% depending on watering. T5 lights on for 18 h. In the grow tent a fan was key to keeping fungal growth down. Lots of aerial roots.

It seems I got more aerial roots when the ficus were root bound. Didn't set up a controlled experiment, but that was my impression.

 

[cbroad]

I had tons of aerial roots forming on mine indoors from just using a clear trash bag over them, but they looked pretty bad from all of the daconil spraying...

 

[Steve C]

Agreed. I kept tropical bonsai in Wisconsin. Mine were in a grow tent with temps from 70 - 80 F, and humidity ranging from 50 - 80% depending on watering. T5 lights on for 18 h. In the grow tent a fan was key to keeping fungal growth down. Lots of aerial roots.

It seems I got more aerial roots when the ficus were root bound. Didn't set up a controlled experiment, but that was my impression.

@BrainBay9Can you expand more of the fan? Thats one of my main concerns. I'd like to hear more on air circulation / fan issues which sounds like maybe you had?

 

[BrianBay9]

@BrainBay9Can you expand more of the fan? Thats one of my main concerns. I'd like to hear more on air circulation / fan issues which sounds like maybe you had?

The first time I set this up I did not have a fan, and I grew a great crop of fuzzy white fungus within a couple of weeks. I broke the whole thing down, cleaned everything with bleach and started over with a small, ocillating fan (advice I got on this site). Never had a fungus problem again.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

cpu fan is clutch for keeping everything healthy. Lowers risk of scalding if your lights get hot too.

My LED winter habitat.

 

[Solaris]

Cover tree with dome for humidity....... Good idea. I'm going to do the same for my human body. I'm going to jump in a big bag and suffocate and stay humid. (Dont do it!)

The problem with that analogy is... houses.

 

[MHBonsai]

They stay outside all spring/summer but I'm thinking mainly of doing this just for the indoor winter months when they have to come inside. So about Oct-April mainly.
I'm thinking a bit more sealed than a terrarium most likely. Most of the info I have found so far talks about keeping the temp range in the 90's and keeping humidity up around 95%-100% range. Air circulation was one thing I was wondering about, but from most of what I have been able to find so far as long as you open it up every once in awhile (watering/trimming and such) then sounds like that is good. I could put some sort of small fan like a PC case fan in there to move air around a bit though which might not be a bad idea.

I use a set up that I got second hand. I have strong suspicions that it is from a marijuana grower. Works excellent for winter time tropicals. It is not a sealed system, but very close. Minimal air flow. It's in my unheated garage and I open it up roughly once every couple days. Humidity remains at 80% or higher throughout the winter, and heated to 85 - 90 degrees. I keep a pan of water inside to maintain the humidity. It grows some algae, but it's minimal. I have a greenhouse switch setup that kicks everything on and off on timers and thermometers.

Grow tent like this: Grow Tent

Lighting: LED

Heater: space heater

 

[Melospiza]

You can also simplify things by wrapping the trunks with moss and covering it with Aluminium foil o encourage aerial roots.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Some of the best growth I ever had indoors with my ficus was when they were in a 20 gallon (approximate) tote, with the top covered by plastic cling wrap, and shop lights on top, for a week that I was on vacation. When I came back there was some algae in the bottom of the tote, but no noticeable mold.

 

[W3rk]

Our summers can get pretty humid, but we also have dry spells which kill off my in progress/new aerial roots. I just recently made a small tent on one ficus, partway down the trunk literally just using saran wrap and a twist tie. Easy enough since it's for a select area and not the whole tree.