To mist or not to mist?

[rockm]

We have...

So... Don't.

So... Do it.

As everything in bonsai, you never get a definitive answer. Which is good, one has to try for himself.
By reading carefully all the answers above, perhaps the probability of fungus in my area is more because lack of enough air circulation, than the misting habit.
I'll make an experiment with two similar bad trees, one misting and the other not misting, all the other factors kept the same.
Let's see!

You have been given advice from people living in non-tropical areas. I assume that conditions are not the same in Brazil as they are in alpine Colorado or Oregon. I also assume you have pretty darn high relative humidity in your location, which makes misting a tree seem a bit redundant.
You have not said if the tree is inside, which makes things even more problematic and the comparisons to misting trees located OUTDOORS kind of beside the point.
What I have said is a rule of thumb for most bonsai in most situations--misting is mostly unnecessary and potentially harmful. You will find people will post stuff just to be contradictory. If you read between the lines, the details of what they're talking about don't really match up with what you're doing...

 

[Clicio]

I also assume you have pretty darn high relative humidity in your location, which makes misting a tree seem a bit redundant...

Yes, I agree with you.
The trees are outside, but some are near walls that don't get much wind.
You see, Brazil is almost as big as the USA. So we have temperate and altitude climate in the south, almost desert weather in the northeast, and, of course, the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal.
Humidity in the Amazon is amazingly high.
Humidity in Brasilia is almost 0.
I live in Sao Paulo, which is humid in the summer (rain season) and pretty dry in the winter, but it is not as humid as people think when we say Brazil.

 

[Anthony]

Heh heh Clicio,

try Venezuela, from sea level to around 16000 feet - with snow.

or Jamaica over 7,000 feet and with frost and strawberries.

Poor Trinidad is just 3000+ but already the vegetation is going to meadows.
Face east and add on breeze ----------- getting near the barrier 55 deg.F

It helps to know the Geography.
Yup we don't have nutting but hot Tropical weather

So how did Barbados end up with a Juniper, Trinidad a Podocarpus and Cuba with an
isle of Pines ?
Good Day
Anthony

Brazil ----- over 9000 feet.

 

[It's Kev]

@Anthony try your homeland, ranging from sea level to Himalayas

 

[rockm]

Yes, I agree with you.
The trees are outside, but some are near walls that don't get much wind.
You see, Brazil is almost as big as the USA. So we have temperate and altitude climate in the south, almost desert weather in the northeast, and, of course, the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal.
Humidity in the Amazon is amazingly high.
Humidity in Brasilia is almost 0.
I live in Sao Paulo, which is humid in the summer (rain season) and pretty dry in the winter, but it is not as humid as people think when we say Brazil.

I've never been to Brazil, so thank you for clarifying.

Looking at relative humidity averages, Sao Paulo comes it at 78 percent yearly average--which is a lot more humid on average than anywhere in the U.S., including the deep south and even subtropical southern Florida.

http://www.sao-paulo.climatemps.com/humidity.php
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/humidity-city-annual.php

So, no, I don't think misting is really all that necessary...

 

[Clicio]

Looking at relative humidity averages, Sao Paulo comes it at 78 percent yearly average--which is a lot more humid on average than anywhere in the U.S...

Thanks for the links! Very useful.
And I had thought South Florida was much more humid than Sao Paulo!
But like I have said above, I agree. Misting to "create a microclimate of humidity" around the trees makes no sense at all.
BUT!
When things get hot around here in the summer, we sweatingly look at the trees and think...
"They surely could use some water to cool them down!"
BUT!
Then comes the afternoon rainshower and everything gets soaking wet again...

 

[Vance Wood]

I've never been to Brazil, so thank you for clarifying.

Looking at relative humidity averages, Sao Paulo comes it at 78 percent yearly average--which is a lot more humid on average than anywhere in the U.S., including the deep south and even subtropical southern Florida.

http://www.sao-paulo.climatemps.com/humidity.php
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/humidity-city-annual.php

So, no, I don't think misting is really all that necessary...

I didn't say it was necessary I just said that there are a lot of good points about misting where-as there are those who object to misting with the passion of a right to life activist. Misting is like repotting; it is a tool to be used when necessary not constantly. However when I water the foliage on everything gets watered, that too is poo-pooed by some. An earlier comment said that misting the foliage can leave spots on the leaves. Yes but that's mostly because of the calcium in the water.

 

[Clicio]

An earlier comment said that misting the foliage can leave spots on the leaves. Yes but that's mostly because of the calcium in the water.

Yes, we have this problem here, and it's of course not only when misting, but when watering with tap water as well.

 

[Anthony]

Evening pass ------- fine shower head around 4.30 p.m to wash leaves and moisten
the soil. So the trees can re-establish equilibrium [ Dry Season no ran 6 months ]
Also dry before sunset.

Morning - one pass with heavy shower head and one with fine shower head.
Usually a drip or two out of the drainage hole.

Tap water has always been free of extra calcium. Plus we use stored rainwater.

However, tapwater will cause a slime to grow on compost.

Please note the humidty rating for flatland in Trinidad is not the same for the
elevated zones. Humidity coming out of Piarco Airport [ 30 feet above sealevel]
is 82 %.
For the hills with the Easterlies, it is 80% when the rain is falling.
Otherwise the range is more like 60 to 45 %
And a breeze.

Which is why I get heat rash when visiting Port of Spain or Diego Martin
flatland, with nearness to the sea, facing West and a high water table.
Greasy skin in seconds, then heat rash.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[rockm]

I didn't say it was necessary I just said that there are a lot of good points about misting where-as there are those who object to misting with the passion of a right to life activist. Misting is like repotting; it is a tool to be used when necessary not constantly. However when I water the foliage on everything gets watered, that too is poo-pooed by some. An earlier comment said that misting the foliage can leave spots on the leaves. Yes but that's mostly because of the calcium in the water.

Vance--buddy--I'm hardly an activist

Just saying that for the most part, you don't need to mist anything. Not really worth the trouble.

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance--buddy--I'm hardly an activist

Just saying that for the most part, you don't need to mist anything. Not really worth the trouble.

I didn't mean to suggest that you were an activist of any sort, but I know some that are violently opposed to misting.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

It's been raining for the past 2 weeks nearly endlessly. I don't need to mist or water in fact, I'm thinking about moving my pots somewhere where they get some rest from the rain.

My tap is nearly pure water in terms of salts. Less than 100 uS TDS. Volcanic origin. No calcareous rocks around.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You will find people will post stuff just to be contradictory.

Not me.
?