Need any and all advice on OVERHEAD MISTERS

PepperDaddler

PepperDaddler

EDIT: Sorry just realized this should be in grow tech, (but it is strictly for peppers!) Sorry mods, never posted in grow tech before.
 
Inspired by rebelgrowers greenhouse thread I am thinking of getting an overhead misting system. I have been googling for a couple of hours for info on them and cant find anything but the manufacturers purchasing pages.
 
I have a few questions I was hoping could be answered and would LOVE to have any other input you guys can provide. Hopefully a lot of people have some past experience. I will probably go with something a little smaller than large production size. Maybe something like this:
 
Orbit-Irrigation-Products-30060-rw-232687-337412.jpg

 
 
 
 
Alright the questions are:
 
-Are they just for greenhouses or would they be good in a shade house too?
 
-Would this be overkill for a 7' x 15' grow space and do I really need it? (This is Florida and it is hot)
 
-Any good brands to recommend, past bad experiences?
 
-I have a basic timer, do I need a special misting timer?
 
-Do I set it to be on for my normal watering times or hottest part of day, etc?
 
-Would the higher humidity have a bad effect at attracting BAD BUGS?
 
-Seems like a good idea, what do you think?
 
 
 
ALL replies are appreciated and I would like to have a good idea what I am getting into before I go get a kit.
 
 
 
Thank You.
 
Ummm im not sure you will have much of a cooling effect in florida if your humidity is very high.. here in arizona where the humidity is usually low the misters work very well to drop the temps about 20 deg in the heat of the summer no timer is needed for ours on the outside patio.. we just turn them on when we are out there.. as for where you are.. i would check your dew point temps on the  weather channel .. if you have them on at a time when the due pt is high,, it will make a fog in your growing area. otherwise it will just be like watering with a mister.
as far as issues.. with them, heck yes.. .here in az we have hard water so regular tap water has minerals.. that will clog the mister parts up over time.. so you will need to perform maintenance on them.. i use limeaway or CLR to clean them when they need it.
 
My plan was mainly foliar spray with the hopeful added benefit of cooling during the day, also I hoped to have a boost to my watering schedule. Not a thorough deep watering, just a little mist every now and then for the leaves.
 
But I just thought of something. If the plants are flowering wouldn't this reduce yield as the pollen would get stuck together or be rinsed off?
 
This is why I ask questions, the box aint gonna tell me this stuff.

Also isn't high humidity in there a good thing? Aside from the bugs?
 
If you want a quality fogger/mist system buy one from my friend Jason who owns mistingdirect.com. They build the pumps in house here in Davie, Fl. 
 
Also a high pressure mister will not cause condensation/runoff if placed properly. The low pressure systems drip and get everything wet. High pressure systems are the same ones used in outdoor restaraunts and bars, and they can't have water dripping in customer's dishes or drinks. 
 
Ok here is how I see it if the water flowing into the misters is cool you can lower the temps. I'm thinking with good air flow that's a great thing but if the greenhouse is closed and it gets hot inside along with high humidity from the misters you're just asking for trouble like powdery mildew and other fungi that like that environment. Certain bugs like aphids and mites also love hot humid environments. Its a catch 22 thing but I'm sure with good controlled air flow and the correct exhaust setup it would work great. Putting everything on a controller would be ideal. Constant intake air temp controlled exhaust and misters on a humidity controller would be great.
 
I'm in Louisiana with similar climate to yours in Fla., and the misting system works very well for keeping the plants cool in the mid-day sun. The plants seem to love it. I rarely have to tend to the plants that are under this.
 
 
Here's what I did for my redneck engineered system:
 
I put a two way manifold on my outside spigot and attached a 15' length of cheap garden hose. Then I secured the hose overhead using conduit C-clamps like so
 
8705381441_1bb5454292_b.jpg

 
8705382757_a3a374e44f_b.jpg

 
Then I put a quarter turn ball valve on the open end of the hose as a stopple that I could open to relieve pressure quickly after I turn the mister off.
 
8706506744_bcb04746bd_b.jpg

 
Once the hose was up, I took a regular safety pin and poked holes in the hose every six to eight inches. Turn on the hose, and you're off!!!
 
9158444777_dbd4ca4f88_b.jpg

 
 
I initially put this up just to help keep me and the fiancee cool when we're sitting out on hot days, but I found myself moving plants closer and closer to it, and they seem to thrive under it.
 
Great info... thanks for taking the time.

I have a high heat/low humidity issue and am thinking about a greenhouse setup to filter the sun and a mister setup to bump the humidity and cool the mid-day temps. Good to hear that it can drop the temps up to 20 degrees.
 
I should clarify that it is a shade house and not a green house. Airflow is not a problem.
 
I did just think about the fact that if the hose gets hot (normal green garden hose feeding the line) that the water will be hot. I think if I covered the hose with something to keep it out of the sun it would kill that issue.
 
Here is the area that will be misted:
 


 
 
 
 
 
It is SUPER HOT during the day and despite the shade cloth the sun is blasting in there and wilting the plants, even when they have water.
 
That's what I was talking about if you put some of that foam pipe wrap on the hose it should keep the water cool. I know when my hose lays in the sun the water has to run for like 5 minutes to get cool water out of it. When I first turn it on its really hot water coming out of it.
You could always put a bleed valve before the misters to get the hot water out then shut it off when cool water starts flowing.
 
Got a timer already so all seems good if I get the setup. I think as long as the hose is out of direct light it will be OK.
 
 I might just put the hose in a tub like this which I have already:
 
473-669.BM.01_s500_p1._Vb758ddd5_.jpg

It is actually called an "Attached Lid Container" if anybody wants to search and buy them online. I keep all my gardening stuff in it.
Also called Distribution Containers. Works very well.
 
rebelgrower3 said:
That's what I was talking about if you put some of that foam pipe wrap on the hose it should keep the water cool. I know when my hose lays in the sun the water has to run for like 5 minutes to get cool water out of it. When I first turn it on its really hot water coming out of it.
You could always put a bleed valve before the misters to get the hot water out then shut it off when cool water starts flowing.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, only the water that's sitting in the pipes above ground will be hot. Once all of that flushes out, cool water cometh..... and keep in mind, a stream of water will be hotter than a mist/spray droplets of water will.... the smaller the droplets, the faster they will cool in the air before hitting your plants. That being said, bleeding off the hot water first could only help!
 
Nightshade said:
I will be setting one up tonight and will be adding a timer tomorrow will post how it does
Click to expand...
 
Please post pics also.
 
I am still considering getting that model in the pic. $30 at Home Depot with 10 ft. extension (don't really need ext. but that's how they are selling it)
 
Will post pictures tonight I got mine for 11 bucks at wally world. It works fine. It has 10 feet of misting and 10 feet of hose. No assembly just screwing in the nozzles. Also I will be adding a timer to run for 10min at the hottest part of the day.
 
making these things are to lessen the time you have to go out n water the plants if you have to bleed the hose of might as well just use the hose to water them ..my hose stays in a covered box under a covering..and it still is Blazing hot this time of year for the first 30 seconds   id say get some small hose and just ziptie it to the pvc pipe where you want ,or buy some more T fittings and run it THRU the pvc and out the open end of the T

,you could turn the whole thing into a mister if you buy a garden hose to glue on pvc fitting and some end caps have the water fill the pipes and drip out of poked holes or put misters right on the pipe
 
Threehundredc said:
making these things are to lessen the time you have to go out n water the plants if you have to bleed the hose of might as well just use the hose to water them ..my hose stays in a covered box under a covering..and it still is Blazing hot this time of year for the first 30 seconds   id say get some small hose and just ziptie it to the pvc pipe where you want ,or buy some more T fittings and run it THRU the pvc and out the open end of the T

,you could turn the whole thing into a mister if you buy a garden hose to glue on pvc fitting and some end caps have the water fill the pipes and drip out of poked holes or put misters right on the pipe
Click to expand...
Simply buy two timers... Have one turn on a few minutes before the mister timer. Tie the first timer into the misting circuit but route it somewhere else than the peppers. Have the first timer run for a couple minutes then shut off. When the second timer trips shortly after the first timer shuts off, the misting circuit water will be cool...
 
Being in south Louisiana, I too would love to be able to avoid the summer shutdown with some cooling.  The shade cloth is something I've been wanting to try. 
 
You can "bury" some very inexpensive mainline poly tubing and run it to the location where your shade house is. 
 
http://www.dripworks.com/category/tubing
 
I installed this irrigation box with a valve at the end of the mainline, with a quick-disconnect to make set-up easy.  When not in use, it sits flush with the ground and, is completely out of the way.
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DURA-7-in-Round-Valve-Box-in-Green-Body-Green-Lid-71/203451383#.Ug2issIo6dE
 
 High humidity does have negative effects on the ability of misting to cool an area.  When any liquid evaporates, it creates cooling.(Example, "evaporator coil" in an AC unit.)  It's why sweating cools us.  High humidity means that the air is somewhat or totally saturated with water already, and can't absorb any more water.  So, unless the humidity is at 100%, you will get "some" cooling inside your shade-house.
 
That's exactly why misters have a much more dramatic effect in areas with dry climates.
 
Having constantly wet plants can cause problems with fungus, mildews and molds.  However, in high temps, you can greatly prevent most of these problems by shutting-off the misting a couple of hours before dark, allowing the plants to dry off.  Staying wet all night provides the most favorable conditions for these pathogens to thrive. 
 
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