How important is humidity really?

16 years ago

There are many palms that are considered to "need" high humidity (coconuts, royals, dozens of others I don't know about). Do they need humidity in the air or just to be in a place that rains regularly so they never lack for water. I also realize that higher humidity = warmer overnight lows.

Example two Royal palms (same specific type)1 in Florida and one in Michigan both given the same amount of sun

Florida weather 84-74 84-74 84-74 84-74 (ave daily temp of 79)

on again off again rain average humidity 65%

Michigan weather 94-64 94-64 94-64 94-64 (ave daily temp of 79)

no rain but given ample water average humidity 50%

(hit 92 here yesterday but the humidity was only 39%)

Is that Florida palm going to grow faster because of the higher consentration of water vapor in the air.

Or would we expect them to grow at about the same pace (until the 90s go away in Michigan as they are pretty uncommon)

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Comments (7)

david_
16 years ago
Those are not south fl averages. We are in the 90s from about june 1 through september. We also have humidity higher than that in june through sept. If that was accurate it might be the same but of course its not. here is the average temps for my area

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/33471?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared

Here is detroit average.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USMI0229?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared

The humidity in the summer is so high you can die working outside if your not used to it.I work outdoors and in and I can tell you its hot. The palms grow the fastest in this time of year.
andyandy
Original Author
16 years ago
I understand that the averages are warmer than that. Having said that here are the temps the past couple of days in Deerfield Beach and the forcast for a few days
84-73 85-74 83-74 81-75. I know what it can feel like down there in the summer. We had several days last summer where it was every bit as hot and humid up here. Of course it doesn't last months at a time. My origianl question was if the % of water vapor in the air helps plants grow or two places having the same average temperature one getting warmer in the day and cooler in the night would grow the same.
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bihai
16 years ago
What David said. We have almost daily warnings here in North Central FL to try not to be working outside between about 11am-4pm due to the possibility of heat exhaustion. Temps here are slightly hotter than some places in South FL because we are landlocked and they get seabreeze. But the humidity is killer for everyone. Its not uncommon to have an entire summer after about June 1st of temps between 88-95 daily with humidity of 70-85%. That makes for heat indices from 100-110+.
It was so hot today I had to take 5-6 10 minute tea breaks in 3 a hour span. All I was doing was holding a hose in various places to fertilize the flowerbeds and whatnot.
david_
16 years ago
I think the answer to your question is they would grow the same given there temps were simular and given the same amount of water.The biggest thing is the heat in my opinion.I could not find the deerfield averages that low but they always have a sea breeze that is usually warm.
orchiddude
16 years ago
I found this information, sounds like it has alot to do with alot of things.

Humidity and Plants
Theodore W. Tibbitts
BioScience, Vol. 29, No. 6 (Jun., 1979), pp. 358-363
doi:10.2307/1307692
This article consists of 6 page(s).
andyandy
Original Author
16 years ago
Orchiddude-
Thank you for the information (mid-high 80s here all week) YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
andyandy
Original Author
16 years ago
David-
Those weren't Deerfields averages they were recent days. I use Deerfield because I visit there every February and have a freind that live there. The last 5 days there have been 84-73 85-74 83-70 83-75 85-72 ave temp: 78.4. I would never suggest that we can grow palms at the same rate all summer but it is nice for us norhterners to know that for stretches it's warmer up here.

How important is humidity really?

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How important is humidity really?

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