My Growing Space #2

[imagineink]

this is by far my fav thread! i love to see all the different ways people have there growing areas set up and i admit i do get jealous. katrina's and forever-mango's are my favs. i cant wait to someday walk in my house and be greeted by endless shelves and benches covered in orchids of all sorts. good things come to those that wait... i hope till then the few i have will have to winter in my folks kitchen for my house is not really orchid friendly till summer when they can go outside. my mom loves it cause then she gets watch all the winter bloom, and with many phals and a couple paphs showing that christmas blooms are certain, shes pretty excited as am i
I wish an awesome Christmas to everyone, your families,pets and your beautiful chids

[katrina]

Originally Posted by imagineink

the black ones that hold the shelves in place, they snap together

Mine came w/the shelves. I'm not sure where you'd find them on their own. Sorry...wish I could be of more help.

Originally Posted by imagineink

katrina's and forever-mango's are my favs.

Thank you...Thank you very much!

And, an awesome Christmas and New Year to you and yours too!

[imagineink]

i would have put these with my last post but the computer at home was having issues
katrina- thank you anyways i guess i just misread oh well

[RebelCowgirl]

Originally Posted by imagineink

i would have put these with my last post but the computer at home was having issues
katrina- thank you anyways i guess i just misread oh well

Lol I love the last picture with the kitty in it, Beautiful

[pikkumyy]

:d ribble:

that is absolutely AMAZING!!!! i would LOVE to have a house like that, though i wouldnt like the electricity bill that would go along with it . speaking of which, does it cost a lot?

and are they only in for winter or all year round? and if only for winter do you have any photo's of the outdoor area?

Originally Posted by katrina

Hubby said we could probably fit some shelves in the center of the space but I think that would make me feel claustrophobic. Plus, I'm not sure my circuits could take anymore lights. LOL!

hehehehe i look forward to what you say when you run out of space

[katrina]

The minute the temps outside are warmer enough...the orchids are OUT! I have several spaces outside...I'll see if I can find the pics. They spend about 3.5 months of the year out there.

As for my electric bill...well...it's in line w/a small business. I run the lights around 12hrs/day right now. They will run longer when we get closer to Summer...in the late Winter/early Spring I start increasing the light up to 14hrs/day. I keep to this schedule most days but I've been known to shut them off early some days (for various reasons)...I just tell them a big cloud is moving over their little orchid heads.

Glad you like it Michael!! I'll see if I can find those outside pics.

[katrina]

Here you go Michael.....I'm surprised I don't have more pics of the outside space...the below is all I have.

I have 4 zones/spaces but pics of only 2.

The 1st pic is an East facing zone...direct morning sun until mid morning. That's a 4'w, 72"h shelf.


The 2nd pic is the giant shade shelf my husband built me a few years ago (8' wide, 4' deep, 8' tall)...SW exposure and gets unobstructed sunlight from around Noon until the sun goes down. Off to the left (in pic) you can see one of the mount stations...they also hang off the end of the shelf there. The front of this shelving unit has a roll shade I made...it's up for the pic.


What I don't have pics of are...
Just around the corner in the 2nd pic is another shelving unit (med sized) NW exposure w/some late day sun...low light plants there.
Behind me (where I'm standing in the 2nd pic) is another shelf like the one in the E exposure pic...more high light plants.
I also have a number of orchids and other plants hanging from various trees around the yard.

All the shelves in the back w/the SW exposure are covered in shade cloth...I think it's 70% but I don't remember anymore.


Not the best pics but it gives you an idea of their Summer vacation spots. Looking at the pics makes me wish for those warm, Summer days when I didn't have to carry plants to the sink and tub.

[pikkumyy]

absolutely AMAZING katrina, i love it, can you take some more photo's in summer?

it looks like you have a lovely yard as well.

[katrina]

Thanks Michael! No problem...I'd be happy to take pics of the rest when they go out again. If I forget when the warm weather rolls around next year (late May/early June)...just give me a little reminder.

[JudyC]

Just beautiful Katrina! You must not get hi winds where your home is. I definitely couldn't out here - we get crazy winds sometimes

[katrina]

Oh but that would not be correct. We get some serious winds and storms around here. I have a weather radio and am on the listen for anything popping up...when it does...things get moved and I batten down the hatches.

A couple of years ago we had a really nasty storm that ripped through w/70+ mph winds...I lost a number of plants. Some never to be seen again. Some I found in the following days/weeks...dried up and dead. It was like something out of a horror story (an orchid growers horror story)! 12" pots...clay pots...going air born. Since that awful storm I've incorporated an emergency protocol and I go into hyper-drive getting things secured whenever heavy winds are expected. Thankfully, I have avoided any repeat performances of that awful day.

[koshki]

LOL, Kat, I can just picture you putting your orchids through a tornado drill!

[vanda_obsession]

This is how I started....... and what I'm at now... lol during the winter they get hung just inside and if/when it warms up enough they get put outside. During the summer I leave them out 24/7. I started out with my vandas back home, but when I moved to SC I left them behind. I had only had one little NOID mini den that my mom gave me... which I ended up killing but I had about 5 keiki's off of. I wouldnt trade my hobby for anything else

Funny cause as a kid my mom grew lots of orchids.... but the only ones I remember she had were her vanda varieties. She bought one for me and said it was my plant, and would always tell me when it was about to bloom.. It was a very rich redish pink one. She ended up losing it, but I guess my love of orchids comes from her. We dont get along at all and don't have a close relationship after I turned 12. So I guess this is my way of being close to her is by growing orchids.

My dream is for us to get out of this dang apartment and be able to have a area where I could have a bunch more vandas, since they are my absolute favorite.

I admire all of your collections and growing spaces/shade houses.. so awesome and I can't wait to get somewhere where I could have a setup like that

[pikkumyy]

absolutely brilliant Vanda Obsession,
when i the photo's of when you began and now i had to laugh because the same thing happens to everyone

can i ask what the plant is in the second photo, and it's grown into a ball and it's hanging from the second top shelf

[Ghana O]

Seeing the lovely growing spaces have inspired me to show my latest growing space. It is about 2 months since I have set up this area.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by koshki

LOL, Kat, I can just picture you putting your orchids through a tornado drill!

Hubby laughs at my antics but...well...ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Right?

Ghana -- that is GORGEOUS! How nice it is to be able to grow outside like that all year. Jealous here.

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by Ghana O

Seeing the lovely growing spaces have inspired me to show my latest growing space. It is about 2 months since I have set up this area.

Oh wow! Your lucky to get away with having them on the ground like that. If it were my backyard they would have been eaten by snails the next day!

[vanda_obsession]

Originally Posted by pikkumyy

can i ask what the plant is in the second photo, and it's grown into a ball and it's hanging from the second top shelf

it's a airplant ball! I bought it at a craft fair they have here every november. We had them growing up when we lived in Florida... and I found this one and thought it looked like an ornament! It's in the process of putting out its wild looking purple and yellow 'blooms' right now It's a neat little plant! Theres probably about 25 plants total on it.

[vanda_obsession]

Heres a closer look of when it's in bloom..

[katrina]

I have an airplant ball too! I made it myself! I tied some fishing line around a plant and it's now growing around on itself. Mine hasn't completed the ball look yet...but it's working on it.

[vanda_obsession]

I bought it for $11. Wasn't too bad of a deal... its about the size of a softball. It's kinda odd shaped because there is one 'naked' spot on the backside of it lol. But they are neat. Love how they will turn a reddish color and then purple 'things' start to come out of it everywhere and bloom.

[bearded orchid]

Here are some shots of my winter setup. I've got it in my basement with two banks of 4' t5 fixtures. They have 4 bulbs with 6500 and 3000 bulbs alternating for true color representation. I've got extras of each in case I ever decide to up ot to full 6500s. I got the shelf at Lowes and some plastic totes for humidity and catching drips and runoff.



Top shelf has my Catts and a couple others (Den. aggregatum, Neofinetia falcata, B. nodosa, and a Tiger Jaws succulent)


Bottom shelf has my Phals, Vanda, and Oncidiums and a couple others.


The Phals are all really loving it right now. 8 spikes and counting

[sunshine]

I like your setup Nice looking shelf. I got the chrome one. This is my next step is too add some lights. I got the the 4 tier that is 14 inches wide.

After the holidays am gonna start looking around.

[Toady]

My two growing areas:


Indoor Phal section. There's a few windows around so lots of filtered light through tinted glass.


Greenhouse, fixed it up so there's a 'door'. South east corner of the house, the exact opposite corner to where my Phals are

[Anton]

I have recently installed a warm air recycling unit which I am glad to report seems to be working a treat and making the heater more efficient.

It consists of 10" flexible ducting with one end connected to the intake of my horticultural heater and the other end is supported about 2 feet below the ceiling of the warmhouse to suck in the warm air trapped up there.

Previously the thermostat would kick in regularly to get the temperature up to the setting I put it on due to the fact that it was sucking in cold air off the floor and as hot air rises, the heater was on for extended periods until the warm air filled the space and tripped the thermostat off.

At present it is sucking warm air in and then blowing this same warm air out of the sock connected to the output on the heater, and as a result the warm air fills the space from the ground up more efficiently.

This also means that the gravel floor warms up from the warm air flowing over it, and moisture trapped there evaporates thereby creating humidity.

The humidity which raises to the ceiling with the warm air is then sucked back down creating a stable warm / humid atmosphere.

Ok, that's it for the technical stuff, the rest of the images show the plants in the warmhouse.

[katrina]

Looks great Anton! Jealous here!!

I noticed what appears to be lights by the phals....do you have supp lighting throughout or just in that area? And, is the lighting just for the darker, shorter Winter days?

[Anton]

Originally Posted by katrina

Looks great Anton! Jealous here!!

I noticed what appears to be lights by the phals....do you have supp lighting throughout or just in that area? And, is the lighting just for the darker, shorter Winter days?

They are 2 grow lights (250w 6400K CFL Super Lamp White/Blue Spectrum for Propogation and Growing) and a flowering light (250w 2700K CFL Super Lamp Red Spectrum for Flowering)which are mounted in my warmbox for winter to provide the extra light, as it is not unusual for us to have up to 3 months without direct sun through winter.

This is the UK Web site, and we have agents here in Oz, as I was able to buy them at the local hydroponics supply shop, so they should be available ovcer there too.
Enviro-Gro-Lites: CFL Grow Lamps

Due to heavy cloud cover in winter they don't get enough "good" light coming in, so, yes, it is supplemental lighting. Being in the warmbox, it also acts as a reflector and lights up the whole warmhouse as can be see by this image at 6am last winter.

The local joke is that the International Space Station uses it as a direction beacon.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Anton

The local joke is that the International Space Station uses it as a direction beacon.

Too funny! But...I can see why they say that.

Thanks for the additional info.

[Ghana O]

One of the pleasures I really enjoy is visiting my friends who also grow Orchids. They are warm, freindly and delightful to be around. And extremly creative in how they display their orchids.
The following pictures were taken to show how they have creatively chosen to showcase their orchids. Thanks Mona, Edith and Monica for giving me (and now others) some wonderful ideas on how I can enhance my Orchid spaces. I particularly like the use of the logs, baskets and other interesting recepticals used to grow the orchids. Making each garden unique. Creativity is alive and well in the Orchid world. I would love to see other samples of where or in what you are growing your orchids.

[ceciyang]

Hello, I thought it was amazing to see the different ways to grow the same type of orchids in different conditions (lighting, humidity, medium). Whatever we're doing I think we're doing a great job so keep it up guys!!
As for my orchids, they grow mainly by the windows. My phals have NW and NE windows (bay window) and my cymbs have SE window. The humidity inside the house is only 15-20% but they seem to be doing ok (maybe because they're close to the window?). The cymbidiums that are still blooming are left outside (1 hr or so morning sun and full shade all the way through) and bring them back inside when they're fully bloomed. Temperature here in San Diego is pretty ideal for orchids which is 60-90 F throughout the year and no less than 45 F at night. I have lots of humidity outside because I live 5 minutes away from the beach. I want to expand my collection but don't have the best lighting or any more windows. What do I do?

[ceciyang]

Originally Posted by dillon935

Just sharing my small collection of orchids. I grow under lights and at my deck windows...no greenhouse and can't grow outside.

The deck area was getting really crowded so I got this new shelving online and now I have space and it looks neater..I guess..who cares. I love it

That shelf is the shelf of my dreams. Please please tell me where you got them!!!

[lynda]

Originally Posted by dillon935

Just sharing my small collection of orchids. I grow under lights and at my deck windows...no greenhouse and can't grow outside.

The deck area was getting really crowded so I got this new shelving online and now I have space and it looks neater..I guess..who cares. I love it

You healthy orchid display looks wonderful

[trev]

I just found this thread, and found it so informative and interesting to see how orchid hobbyists from all over accommodate their collections.

I started to be more actively collecting in 2009, with the help of attending orchids shows, visiting local farmers market, I have gradually added some orchids. I used to place them all indoors, too afraid that they may just end up being ditched by the strong winds that oftentimes come our way. Have always been wondering how I can safely put them outdoors in winter.

From a plant show we got this hang-a-pots that allowed us to put up the containers in a vertical post indoors. With the awkward angle of our house, the light that the 'chids can get is from a west-southwest location. Luckily there are two big windows and a sliding door infront, so there will be dappled light coming in. The canopy of city trees further provide shade in the hottest part of daytime. I have noticed how dry our area is so I have added a small indoor table top fountain so there would be some moisture around the plants, and as far as I can see, they like it. This portion of the house should have been the family room, but instead we use it as our dining area cum indoor plant area. I like seeing the view of my garden and the trees Other plants are by the kitchen sink and during winter time, I add another table beside the orchid stand so the other plants can stay altogether, hoping to increase humidity collectively.

This 2012, we chanced upon a good clearance sale from a local hardware store of the Growcamp, so now most of my orchids are outdoors but inside that Growcamp. I have placed it beside our outdoor water fountain, so there will still be some moisture coming from it. The only orchids that will surely stay indoors will be my Phals and Paph. So far I feel glad that we have changed the set-up, getting our room back and less cluttered feels good..but I still have to see how things go come winter though.. I usually bring inside the cymbidiums when they start to bloom. And I will have to see how far along the 'chids can take the weather there, with the plastic foil fully down and all by winter. A bit of a wait to see this since it is only late spring right now
Here are the photos before and after:

[katrina]

Looks great Trev!

I especially like the metal stand you're using for the Cyms...did you make that or buy it? Is that the "hang a pots" thingee you mentioned?

[trev]

Originally Posted by katrina

Looks great Trev!

I especially like the metal stand you're using for the Cyms...did you make that or buy it? Is that the "hang a pots" thingee you mentioned?

Oh the metal stand I bought that online years ago..and the cyms stayed there for a couple of years, since those ones are really able to stand all kinds of weather. It is now being used by my other outdoor plants, as the Cyms have joined the other 'chids inside the Growcamp . Nope, that is not the hang-a-pot..

This is a photo of the hang-a-pot, useful if you are using a pot with a lip, so it can easily latch onto the clip. Or you can have an inside pot and an outside pot with a lip that will latch on to the clip, actually makes it easier come watering time, just lift inside pot and return later. I like using it, since it makes the containers seem to float, and arranging the pots vertically makes good use of limited space.