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High humidity is not necessary for orchids in the home or in a greenhouse. When I started growing orchids, the humidity around my plants was 30 to 40 percent. With a space humidifier, which I rarely use in summer, I found I could increase humidity to 50 to 70 percent. However, such constant high humidity would be harmful. Orchids do better with lower humidity along with a lower temperature at night; some species do need high humidity, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule. Humidity will vary depending on where you live, and there are always ways to increase or reduce it artificially.

If you are using galvanized trays with gravel or gravel-filled saucers, a certain amount of humidity will be provided by the evaporation of the excess water draining from the plants. Misting the air around the plants will increase humidity for a few hours, and the old-fashioned method of pans of water on radiators has its uses, too. Daily misting or spraying is necessary on sunny days in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, this is only necessary, say, once a week.

There are a number of mist and spray guns on the market but I use a fifteen-cent window-cleaning bottle and find it quite satisfactory. Avoid directing mist or spray onto your palms, and spray if possible early in the day. Orchids are susceptible to disease if water remains overnight on foliage or in the crowns of plants. If you have many plants growing together, they themselves will create additional humidity.

Houses are now being built with humidifiers as part of the furnace operation. And room-size plastic lightweight space humidifiers are now available. These operate with a small inside fan and a motor that breaks up water particles into a fine mist. An hygrometer to measure air moisture is a real help.

Source: Orchid Care