My Growing Space #2

[-K-]

Originally Posted by syndywindy

Very nice, I love the cym, does it have a name? And I'd love to see it when the buds open.

Cym is a NOID sadly, but none the less beautiful I have two blooms opening now, hope one will be full by late tonight
Also just picked up another Paph since I only had one I figured it could use a friend, this one is in bloom with another bloom developing. Pics soon to come!

[poozcard]

Originally Posted by Maddy

My growing area is wherever I have good light - these are all from over the past year...

that's great
it's next to the bed
wow

[Schlyne]

Warning, there's a snake in this bottom of this photo!

Ok, so this is currently main grow space #1. main grow space #2 is the other carpet python cage which is at a right angle to this one against the wall (it was too dark to get a picture) with all the rest of the 'chids on it right now.



There are a few more orchids on the floor in front of the cage and 4 orchids on top of the rest of the snake racks in the middle of the room.

This room will probably end up being the paph, phal and rest of the lower light room in the summer while everything that needs high light will move toward the balcony windows. It's too easy to burn anything that needs lower light out in the living room as the sun changes position in the day.

I don't normally think about it, but the chid's do get a little bit of supplemental heat that rises out of the snake cages, but it's not very much.

The masdies float around on different furniture in my bedroom depending on where they stay out of the cats way and where they can get more ventiliation (I think I might need to get them a small fan).

The previous photo growing space is still an area, it just holds my spectabile and flying stars and bars at the moment.

Eventually this cage will be moved and this area in front of the large 2 panel window will be replaced with a wire shelf.

[ldrhawke]

I have already posted a few of these, but I thought I'd post on my Growing Space #2 which seems to be a somewhat different discussion.

[rschluss]

okay, so while I am planning my growing area -and more importantly convincing the hubby to let me keep one in the house- my plants live in the dining room.

I have a humidifier on one chair and put cfl's in the lamps on a timer. I use the radiator and an east-facing window for some morning-light-only plants. oh, and I do have an Odt. in the living room (and maybe some phals at work the hubby doesnt know about).

I am hoping to come up with a shelf system and lighting, but his concern is that it will be "too bright" for the house and will be obnoxious. I could put something in the basement, but it makes me sad to think of my chids down there all lonely.

oh, and look closely in the last picture, you can see Dr. Sparky (my schnauzer) snoozing away.

[Irene]

Too bright?! Husbands!

Maybe a pretty wrought iron stand? That's something I have my eye out for. I've got my sister and nieces, who love the yard sale scene, also on the alert.

[sunshine]

Originally Posted by rschluss

okay, so while I am planning my growing area -and more importantly convincing the hubby to let me keep one in the house- my plants live in the dining room.

I have a humidifier on one chair and put cfl's in the lamps on a timer. I use the radiator and an east-facing window for some morning-light-only plants. oh, and I do have an Odt. in the living room (and maybe some phals at work the hubby doesnt know about).

I am hoping to come up with a shelf system and lighting, but his concern is that it will be "too bright" for the house and will be obnoxious. I could put something in the basement, but it makes me sad to think of my chids down there all lonely.

oh, and look closely in the last picture, you can see Dr. Sparky (my schnauzer) snoozing away.

Nice to see some more people from the northeast.

The basement wouldn't be such a bad idea. You would have a place to hang your lights and an area to set up some type of a work bench and storage area
all within reach. Maybe some type of sink for watering. Some music and make the basement into a tropical retreat. I have a feeling it's gonna be a long cold winter. This would leave more diaplay space upstairs for your blooming chids. Lowes and Walmart has all sizes of storage shelves.

Dr.Sparky looks very comfy. The little dog in my avatar is Tramp, and he is a cockerpoo I adopted from my local animal shelter.

[rschluss]

THANK YOU EVERYBODY! for your great pictures. I showed the hubby and actually got him to agree to let me put up a small/medium shelving unit with some lighting. The best part is it will be in a visible location in our home instead of down in the basement.
I am going to do some more research on local pricing for shelves and lighting. I am still on the fence about whether to go with t5 vs t8, but that is a discussion for another thread (or a 100 threads). Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing.

[plucker]

My setup is a bit different to most of the ones shown in this thread.

I am lucky enough to live in the tropics where my plants grow all year round except of course the dens which have a dormant period.

I constructed the greenhouse a few years ago now and have all my senior catts hanging to ensure they have good air circulation and drainage around the root systems. I have also put them at eye level to monitor things closely.

The plants are close together but not touching or dripping water onto others.
The ones below on one side are junior catts and junior dens, which are not as dependant on light and are not expected to flower for a while.

On the other side I have my phals which have an extra layer of shade cloth to cover them.

Both of the bottom rows have a clear plastic covering over them from the bench above. This is preventing any unknown virused plants contaminating things and also helping prevent spotting on the phals, and sometimes crownrot, as the wet season here really knocks them around.

I label all the suspended pots with tags cable tied on the hanger and make the hanger permanent to the pot. I can see every label without touching it.

The greenhouse is 4X3 metres and high enough to be comfortable.

[MimiCH]

How lovely! Would love to see when some are in bloom!

[PhalPal]

Okay plucker you are just flat out making us jealous!!!!! I soooo wish I had space for that in my back yard! Really nice.

Rschluss - do you have Home Goods in your area???? Its owned by TJ Maxx but sells only high end home stuff at amazing discounts. They have GREAT iron stands that would look beautiful in any home. If you are looking for something special, go every day or a few times a week until you find what you want. Right now my store is full of great garden stuff, so if you have one near by check them out.

BTW - they will also take your name and let you know when they get certain merchandise in. (at least they do here) That's real handy if you have a drive to the nearest store.

[rschluss]

Originally Posted by PhalPal

Okay plucker you are just flat out making us jealous!!!!! I soooo wish I had space for that in my back yard! Really nice.

I totally second the jealousy.

Thanks for the suggestion, Phal. I found a nice chrome wire shelf at home depot for $56. it is 36" wide and will fit perfectly into the corner of my diningroom. I am not so concerned about the look of the shelf (anything covered in plants is beautiful to me). My concern was that my husband thought the lights would be too bright. I was able to convince him that with proper reflectors, the light could be directed onto the plants and would be less obnoxious than the cfls we are using now.

[plucker]

Originally Posted by MimiCH

Would love to see when some are in bloom!

I will start up a thread when things in the flowering department start to happen.

Right now seems to be a growing period for most and the start of the flower spike and sheath season. Soon it will all happen again.

[berniep]

G'Day All

Have just commandeered an old outside swing and made it into a spot for my cymbidiums, so thought I would post a pic and some of my shade house.

1. Cymbidiums
2. Summer growing area for nobile types
4. my stanhopea
Others shade house.

Cheers
Bernie

[tizzycat]

Bernie, your growing space looks amazing.

Just for comparison, On the news yesterday we had a climpse of Melbourne (the Australian Open Tennis) and the commentator said " 23 deg. in Melbourne and 3 deg UK.

Rather chilly here at the moment.

[berniep]

G'Day Chris

Everything seems happy so far. And certainly a difference in temps LOL.

Cheers
Bernie

[katrina]

WOW! It's been awhile since I revisited this thread...so many new posts...it's great! I really like how everyone is so creative using the space they have available. Kudos everyone!!

Plucker and Bernie -- jealous here!! They both look awesome!

Berine -- great recycling of the old swing!

[Note to self: Remember to post pics of my expanded/upgraded grow space.]

[berniep]

G'Day Kat

Thanks and looking forward to seeing updated pics of your orchid world.

Cheers
Bernie

[Anton]

Well, here 'tis in all it's glory, the saga has ended, enjoy.

[psyc1210]

So jealous of all of you that have the space for a greenhouse! And better year round temps than I have here!

[berniep]

G'Day Anton

Very impressive, makes one's mouth water, love the whirlygigs on the roof, great idea.

G'Day JoBeth

Going by your orchids you have shown us are you sure you need a greenhouse?

Cheers
Bernie

[Anton]

They certainly help draw the heat up Bernie.

First thing in the morning, they are motionless, but once the sun comes up and starts to warm the GH up they kick into motion quick smart, even if there is no breeze to drive them.

They also help draw the moisture up from the gravel floor to aid with humidity.

[ysanabria]

Wow Anton that's a beauty and a dream!!! Beautiful!!
Here some pics of my new humble growing babys!

[Julez]

Originally Posted by ysanabria

Here some pics of my new humble growing babys!

Hi ysanabria, I would like to know more about your 4 & 5 pictures.
Did you design the orchid stand? What is the stand? Are there other plants? I really like what you have done with your chids. Thanks for showing us

[katrina]

Anton -- it looks GREAT! I watched your video post and meant to comment but got pulled away from the computer. It sure was a lot of work but WOW!...it's awesome!

ysanabria -- I really like your mount stand too. Did you do that yourself?

[ysanabria]

This was a plant that was not doing so good and I add my mini phals to the trunk, to my surprise, the plant taking advantage of the love, water and fertilizer from the orchids came back to life!!
I created little pouch with coconut fiber and moss and plant the phals. Very simple and easy!
Thank you

[mytwogirls]

Anton, you are THE MAN! Awesome! Now, come on over and build me one okay? he he he

[dillon935]

Originally Posted by mytwogirls

Anton, you are THE MAN! Awesome! Now, come on over and build me one okay? he he he

Ditto; this is just perfect...I WANT ONE!!!

[Anton]

Just call me Tim The Toolman. ;o)))

[sunshine]

Anton, love your green house I see lots of room for more chids on those stands. The is. Are you like Tim, the Toolman

YouTube - Home Improvement: Tool Time Part 1

[mytwogirls]

Originally Posted by Anton

Just call me Tim The Toolman. ;o)))

Ok, "Tim" come on over! I am making meatloaf for dinner with rolls. You can even stay for dinner!

[kmarch]

I can't believe this is the 1000th post in this thread!

Thank you to all of you who have posted pictures and provided information about your growing areas. This thread has quite literally become a very useful and practical "how to" on arranging and equipping your orchid-growing spaces.

I've learned so much through this thread and never cease to be amazed by the clever ideas you come up with for your growing spaces.




Happy 1000th Post!

[Anton]

Well Kevin, you should be happy, after all, you were the one to start it.

[Julez]

I agree with Anton Well done Kevin!

So I thought I better keep it going with my effort. This where my shade lovers live at the moment and it is on the west side of my house.
The Stag hanging on the fence is over 30+yrs old. It was the first plant that my Darling gave to me.
The other ferns are elk and the little stags are babies of the big one (lots of those over the years).

[katrina]

Looks great Julez!!

In pic 5 of 5...is that a hunk of tree fern you have the little plant potting in/on? It looks really cool!

[Julez]

Originally Posted by katrina

Looks great Julez!!

In pic 5 of 5...is that a hunk of tree fern you have the little plant potting in/on? It looks really cool!

Hi Katrina

Thank you. Yes, I have two. I am not sure what type of fern the pots were cut from. I have had these pots forever and as the first one worked out so well I did it again, eventually it will have stag ferns add around the sides. Here's one I prepared earlier.


This pot is sitting in an old wheelbarrow filled with orchid mix and I have rested my new pots there as the keiki's that I started in the barrow have now been moved to the other fern pot. When I first got this Den, I knew nothing about them and I thought the keikis were normal life cycle. My learning curve in the last few weeks has been huge.

[katrina]

That is VERY cool...I really, really like it!!

You've just given me one more reason to wish I could grow outside year round. It looks fantastic!

I am definitely logging this idea into the memory for that day when I have a g/h.

[Brooke]

I love your ferns - gorgeous.

Brooke

[katrina]

Ok...so I keep mentioning my recently (before the 'chids came inside last Fall) expanded and newly improved grow space.

Once again...my camera has not captured the colors of the walls correctly. The yellow is not that yellow...more of a very, very pale yellow. And the darker wall looks like a terra cotta in these pics but it's more of a cinnamon tone. I don't know why my camera grabs them this way but I figure it's something in the tone that the camera sees. ?? Anyway....I loved the colors when I did a few years ago...hate them now. The whole place will be re-painted this coming Summer.

This is a space that non-orchid addicts would use as a Living Room and the Dining space off our kitchen.

It's not a g/h but I'm pleased w/the way things came out. We don't have a basement so this was the only way I could squeeze my many plants into our living space. In Summer everyone is outside but this is where they spend at least 8 months each year.

This is also the view people have when they first enter my home. Hence, some of the looks I get that scream "are you crazy?". LOL!

Oh, while I'm thinking about it...the mesh and/or grating you see in front and on the sides of the shelves...kitty-proofing. It's the only way to keep my ornery kitty (Cosmo) from eating the 'chids.

I have a couple of things I still want to do. 1) get rid of the ugly desk the tank is on and that will happen this Spring when my hubby builds me a proper stand. 2) Figure out a way to squeeze in one more shelving unit.

Ok...so this is the view upon entering our home. The shelves you see in front of you are 4' long x 18" deep x 74" high...bigger than they look in the pic. Yes, I need a ladder to water all upper shelves.
Above these shelves are the New Wave HO T5's I bought last fall -- 4 bulb unit on top shelf and 2 bulb units on each of the lower shelves.
This space is a big circle so I'll take you around the circle here.
You can see one of my big boys (120lb baby) laying in doorway there and one of the kitties is laying in the kitchen. They love the space as much as I do.


Now you are standing in that kitchen doorway (over the dog) and looking back toward the front of the house. The shelves in the corner there are not the 4'-ers...they are only 36" wide x 18" deep and 72" high. This is a lower light area...shop lights on top and 2- 2' T5 strips above each shelf....much lower light over here.


Now you're in the kitchen looking toward the front of the house. (Where the kitty was laying) In front of you is another 4' shelving unit another 4 bulb T5 unit for top shelf...high light zone. And, regular shop lights on the lower 2 shelves which are the masdie shelves. Also...my mount rack...another new T5 unit. And assorted orchids and plants in front of the window. A couple of cacti, some of my tilandsia and assorted plants on top of the pantry.


A bit of a closer look at the mount rack. I have a few mounts scattered around the space but this was my attempt at having them all together and over a space that isn't carpet.


Now you're standing in front of the masdies looking back toward the front door/garage door area. Another 4' shelving unit w/the 4 bulb T5's on top and 2 bulb T5's above each of the lower shelves.


Lastly, the home of some of my few remaining non-orchid plants.


That's it! Thanks for joining me on the tour.

[Tommyr]

SAAAAWEEEEET! What great photos! A slice of heaven!

[Anton]

Gee, I wouldn't have a wife if my place was like that............

Must be great during flowering season.

[katrina]

Thanks guys! I'm limited in what I can do in this house but I think I've done a good job of using the available space to it's fullest. Of course, I'm sure Martha Stewart would never approve of what I've done. LOL!

Anton -- good thing I'm with wife. Seriously though, my orchid obsession is right in line w/his woodworking and tool thing...so we're even on our collections. Just that he has to keep his tools and stuff in the garage...mind you the entire 2 car garage is his workshop. And then, he gets to store the furniture (before it's sold) in one of the spare rooms. Thankfully, he feels this arrangement is fair.

[fred]

beautiful Kat
I am sure my wife would kill me if I did that
just the thought of doing that has me shaking in my boots lol
excellent growing area
thanks for sharing with us
very very nice

[Irene]

Umm Katrina, how is your floor so clean?!

Beautiful space and beautiful plants (and dog and cat).

[katrina]

You're funny Irene!

Just chalk it up to LOTS of vacuuming! I have 3 cats, 2 very large dogs and all these plants...I vacuum almost daily. I do have trays under all the orchids so that helps to contain any mess from them...for the most part.

Aside from new windows this Spring/Summer...one of the other possible home improvements that we're discussing is ripping out the carpet next Summer and redoing the entire space in a hard flooring of some sort. It would be much easier than worrying about spilling stuff on the carpet. But...we'll have to firm up that part of the budget before we make it a definite. I want new flooring but the hubby wants a new concrete drive. Soooo we'll see.

[Irene]

One of these days (soonish), I'm going to rip the carpet out of my master bedroom, put down tile, and turn it into my orchid room.

I'm thinking about putting a drain in the center and just pulling a hose from the nearby bathroom.

[dillon935]

I am impressed with your creativity and the skills of your husband with the wood work. All of the plants look really healthy and the main thing is that you're happy. Great job

[berniep]

G'Day Kat

Wow! Where do you live, have you got another house as well? All jokes aside magic tour, being a bit of a woodie myself would love to see hubby's w'shop.

Cheers
Bernie

[katrina]

Tile would be really nice Irene! Definitely easier to keep clean...and fairly easy to install. For us though...this house is a stepping stone. We're hoping to be out of here in the next 3 yrs...hoping. We're looking for land right now...Southern OH...where we will build the house we really want. With g/h structure and non-attached woodworking shop. Sooo...this grow space will have to be reverted back to a normal living space for the next buyers and I don't want to put a lot of money into something I'm going to have to rip out and re-do in a few years. I'm thinking inexpensive...probably some sort of vinyl. As much as I dislike vinyl (it's already in the kitchen)...this mean I might be able to get it AND hubby gets his new drive. Fingers crossed! BTW -- if you can figure out the drain thing that would be excellent...just spray it down and go. No worries of standing water would be perfect.

Thanks Ginger!!

Bernie -- Well...I do live a lot of each day in this space BUT we spend the rest of our time in one of the other 2 levels. LOL! As for the workshop...it's pretty messy and basically just very utilitarian at the moment. Nothing to write home about right now...it gets the job done but it ain't pretty. The garage really isn't an ideal space because he constantly has to move some of the larger things around just to work. He's talked about knocking out the side wall and making it a 2.5 car garage...allowing for more space...but it's not practical. It's an expense that would never give us a decent return on investment. I keep telling him...I have to wait for the g/h so that means he can wait for the workshop. He may be cramped but he does do some really cool furniture...most of it made from natural slabs of trees that are dead or being removed for whatever reason.

Thanks again everyone!

[koshki]

Originally Posted by Anton

Gee, I wouldn't have a wife if my place was like that............

I was just thinking the same thing about my husband!

Kat, it's no wonder you have such success with your plants! Great job! Now, I'd like to see what they all look like when they're outside next summer!

[sunshine]

Katrina, love your growing spaceI have no hubby so I pretty much set things up the way I want. I do have very limited space.

On the 5th pic down you have a grow light attached to your shelf. What kind of lighting is it How did you attach it to a wire shelf? Basically I really like how it looks. Neat and compact and easy on the eye.

[katrina]

In my explanation of my husband's tolerance of all of this...I should've mentioned he is a plant guy. When we bought this place...moving each of us from separate abodes...we moved in around 80 tropicals. Several of which were extremely large...in pots that required a dolly and 2 men to move. Along w/my 5 fish tanks. This room has always been dedicated to something other than normal living space.

Sunshine -- I'm not exactly sure which lights you're talking about in the 5th pic but if you mean the lights tucked up under the wire shelves then it's one of the New Wave units and I just used S Hooks to hang it in place. The same can be done w/any shop type lights. The masdie shelves have simple shop lights and I did the same...S Hook them in place. Very simple.

[Brooke]

WOW very impressive! I also see how and why you grow great orchids - very creative use of space.

Brooke

[psyc1210]

Nice Katrina!!

[11Orchid126]

What a wonderful thread. Thank you for starting it, Kmarch! Imagine! The three year anniversary is only a week away!

[Olive Cook]

Now that my collection has gotten larger, I thought I'd post an updated space:
random orchid stuff 001.jpg

random orchid stuff 002.jpg

These days I have 7 Phals, 6 Dend, 1 Neo. Lou Sneary 'Bluebird', 1 Onc. Sharry Baby, and soon I'll also have my Onc. Twinkle
(My 'Bluebird' is tucked away closer to the window, but it's there)



My husband asked me yesterday if I had enough orchids yet, without even a thought I said "NO".
LOL, he will never understand

[katsrevenge]

Here is my kitchen growing space. Most of the phals live above my sink. They seem happy. The rest live on the kitchen table... It's no longer used! Oh, and don't mind the mess.

Added shelf. For some reason it didn't add the first time.

[Orlandohobbiest]

This is a great thread. Good advice and pics from all. I just sort of finished a shade house. Only got a few orchids that were out of bloom. The ones in bloom are in the house. Im not sure if I have too much sun. Question, what fans do folks use? the shade material lets the rain in so I have no cover, it is quite breezy but its not summer here yet. It will get up to 95.

[Orlandohobbiest]

Pics are great. I just finished what I call a shade house here in Orlando. Didnt do much research on orchids first, had an existing dog run 8x13x6 high and put up supports over it and hung shade cloth with pullups on all sides. Concerned about heat in summer the rain comes in thru the cloth and i didnt make a place of cover for fans. I will post pics soon. thanks for your wonderful photos and comments.

[plucker]

Originally Posted by Orlandohobbiest

Concerned about heat in summer the rain comes in thru the cloth and i didnt make a place of cover for fans.

It all depends on what you grow.
Phals prefer not to have rain land on them. Most sucessful growers including commercial growers around my way have a sealed roof to prevent rain.
It is also suggested that they use 80% shade and double it in summer.
Paphs like low light too.

Cats, and dens grow quite happy in 30-50% shade in the tropics. I have 70% currently but if I had to change it, would definately go to at least 50%.

Vandas like higher light again.

Another thing, the lower the percent shade cloth you use, the more air flow.

Heat doesn't seem to bother my Phals, dens or cats, but rather thrive in the Jungle like conditions that I give them. The temp the other day in the greenhouse was 107!!!
For 2-3 months of summer, my greenhouse would be over 100 no worries with very high levels of humidity.

[katrina]

Nice groupings you have there Katsrevenge!!

[pinkivvy]

Hello, im a new orchid lover and was curious why some of yours where on the tree? they look great!

[CindyLouWho]

QUOTE= the box they are sitting on is my humidity tray that holds around 7 gallons of water and is great for watering them on

That is quite interesting.....is that grid some kind of lighting panel?...and what do you have the water in underneath? I like the idea of bringing the water to the orchids rather than taking them all to the sink once per week!

Cindy

[Phalcycle]

It looks so peaceful in there, mostly with all the other plants climbing over the windows! makes it look like a natural home for those pretty orchids you have there

[dounoharm]

i love your jungle room! it looks like everything is happy there and you have so many buds and blooms! good growing!

[Irene]

Beautiful!

[maiseymoo]

Lovely! I bet you can spend hours in there!

[mehitabel]

A beautiful plant room. I love the lushness of lots and lots of plants at different levels. Do you have to use a stool for watering up high?

And great to have all that new growth on the dends and spikes on phals. Good growing!

[mytwogirls]

I am so jealous right now.......

(VERY NICE PICS!!!!!)

[psyc1210]

Here's my most recent photo of my growing space...now if I could just convince my husband we don't need the one couch, I could get another table with shelves in front of that window too. LOL

[berniep]

G'Day JoBeth

That's quite a collection! Thanks for showing them to us.

Cheers
Bernie

[katrina]

Very nice JoBeth!! Looks great!

As for the couch...awwww...why ask? Tell him you're changing up the decor just a bit...then...when he's not around...move the couch somewhere else and move in the new shelves.

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by katrina

Very nice JoBeth!! Looks great!

As for the couch...awwww...why ask? Tell him you're changing up the decor just a bit...then...when he's not around...move the couch somewhere else and move in the new shelves.

Swap out the couch for a couple of bean bag chairs. Call it retro. He'll appreciate it even if he's not willing to admit it.

[Olive Cook]

oh, here is the corner with my Cym added...
new growing corner.jpg
I have 3 more n the kitchen, and my Paphs a few feet away....
Soon they will be all over the new house, I'll try not to post SO many updates, I just love how it looks!

[berniep]

G'Day Olive

Very nice!

Cheers
Bernie