Earlier in this thread, Al wrote, "So - we've seen that rain or mist on leaves obviously slows water loss from foliage by making (near) perfect the boundary layer. Since this slows transpirational loss, it closes stomata" (end quote) That sounds backward to me. Stomata should open when there's plenty of moisture, all else equal. That's when they can get CO2 most cheaply, in terms of work the roots have to do in order to replace the water. Here's what a search turns up. When the leaves of a plant were wet by dew or rain, or wet artificially, the stomata usually opened if closed, or opened more widely if partially open. http://books.google.com/books?id=CBUoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=stomata+rain&source=bl&ots=OHXooQEPZX&sig=VnRDj1fwARuoWe7xr-kUSRJt3hI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=16XvUJYyy-_RAfPLgOgC&ved=0CFUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=stomata rain&f=false In case that link doesn't work, here's another source saying somewhat the same thing. In nature, many foliar bacterial disease outbreaks require high humidity, rain, or storms, which could favor stomatal opening http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18422426

Here`s how i would do it. Use a make-on-rise thermostat (used for cooling applications) to control the fan, so it kicks in when the desired highest temperature is reached. For the misting side you have a few options, the easiest is to use a low voltage solenoid valve (usually 24v ac here),a 24v ac transformer,a normal 15 minute type segmental timer and a spdt (changeover)relay with a coil voltage that matches the solenoid voltage (ie:24v ac). The relay contacts also need to be rated for the fans voltage and current. The idea is that the fan runs to cool the air via the thermostat, when the timer fires up the misting solenoid it also activates the relay coil which cuts the supply to the fan during the misting duration. When the timer drops out,the solenoid closes and the relay coil de-energises restoring power to the fan. It sounds more complicated than it is :)

Hi everyone. Dave - I know these displays aren't everyone's "cup of tea" but I just thought I'd show the work put in by one very dedicated member every year. Our spring show is just part of a much larger fair and is not a stand alone bromeliad show, so we have to cater to not only bromeliad growers, but also the general public, and of course children who are after all our bromeliad growers of the future. I do have pictures of the exhibition plants which I'll show a few at a time for those people like yourself who are more interested in the "nitty gritty" of the competition part of the show. Ours is only a small society compared to other societies and likewise our show is small also. Personally, although I do show my plants, I don't think it's so much about winning prizes but more the thrill of being able to share and discus your plants with interested members of the public. All the best, Nev.

Please explain how quality lighting is achieved Unfortunately, have to deal with the hand you're dealt when it comes to how much and the quality of natural light you have in a room. Adding windows and doors (called fenestration) to improve the amount and balance of light usually isn't realistic. Neither is changing light bulbs. Because even if you were to leave the lights on all day (and who does that?) the affect is comparable to spitting into the ocean and expecting it to rise. Window treatments that open to expose as much of the window as possible helps the most when trying to bring some balance to the quality of inherent light. By balance I mean a quality of light that shines a mix - or balance - of wavelengths across the whole visible spectrum. Not just warm like incandescent light bulbs and not just cool like many daylight light bulbs. What kind of light source will Balboa Mist need to look warm grayish purple. A natural or artificial light source that is 'cooler' and shines more wavelengths from the blue end of the spectrum can make Balboa Mist show up purple. Again, during the day the color and kelvins of a light bulb mean nothing. At night, it's going to change how the color looks - and the atmosphere. So, it's really important that you like the vibe you get in the room from a light bulb. That's just as important as how changing the light changes a paint color.