Grow Tent Orchids

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by itzi

Hey y'all, I'm considering getting a Mars Hydro grow tent, preferably one of the smaller ones. Could I have a full tent without splurging on the proprietary equipment from Mars Hydro, like the LED panel and fan setup? I have seen people use their tents for orchids and all the photos look to have beautiful and happy plants, but the whole thing costing ~200 dollars for a 2x2 tent is a bit much for me.

People sell their used tents and lights fairly often. You might be able to find a good deal online.

[Shadeflower]

with Mars Hydro you are just paying for the name and a crap product.

Generic 2 x 2 grow tents go for £50 on ebay.

A good grow light is £50

A mars hydro light is rubbish.

a bathroom extractor fan and a mini oscillating fan is all that is needed.

£15 for each

total £130 so maybe a bit more in dollars.

If you apply the -20% voucher then this light works out to about 50 dollars:

Amazon.com

[stevek216]

Stephen inspired me to set up a grow tent last fall - I started with a 4x4 but recently scored a cheap used 4x8 and added another light/shelf. So far it's been a dream to use.

I keep it in my basement in Michigan with two Spider Farmer SF2000 lights. I have two fans and a humidifier running 24/7. Daytime temps hover around 80, night drops to the 60s. I expect these #'s to bump up a few degrees in the summer but the location in the basement will blunt most of the seasonal swings I'm guessing.

Humidity stays pretty steadily in the 80%-100% range. With all the airflow I haven't had any problems.

I basically only have one orchid that isn't thriving, a chiloschista, the rest seem to love it. I know I love it, it has turned into my happy place, especially in the dark cold MI winters.

[Mr.Fakename]

Damn that's an impressive setup! Have you calculated the montly electricity costs?

[stevek216]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fakename

Damn that's an impressive setup! Have you calculated the montly electricity costs?

I hadn't given it too much consideration but here's a quick back-of-the-envelope calc. My electricity rate is ~$0.10 per kWh.

Lights: 400W * 14hrs * 30days / 1000 * $0.10 = $16.80

Fans + Humidifier = 110W * 24hrs * 30days / 1000 *$0.10 = 7.92

So I'll round up to $25 a month. I'm probably overestimating the wattage a bit on the fan/humidifier side but even so the cost is mostly driven by the lights. Fortunately the lights are very efficient.

When it comes to looking at my bill, year over year it's not noticeable b/c the natural variance in my bill is more than $25. Turns out keeping me warm and happy is a lot more expensive than keeping the orchids warm and happy...

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by stevek216

I hadn't given it too much consideration but here's a quick back-of-the-envelope calc. My electricity rate is ~$0.10 per kWh.

Lights: 400W * 14hrs * 30days / 1000 * $0.10 = $16.80

Fans + Humidifier = 110W * 24hrs * 30days / 1000 *$0.10 = 7.92

So I'll round up to $25 a month. I'm probably overestimating the wattage a bit on the fan/humidifier side but even so the cost is mostly driven by the lights. Fortunately the lights are very efficient.

When it comes to looking at my bill, year over year it's not noticeable b/c the natural variance in my bill is more than $25. Turns out keeping me warm and happy is a lot more expensive than keeping the orchids warm and happy...

I'm glad you posted this. I'm planning a move to Michigan later this year and have been wondering how I'm going to set up a grow area. This gives me tons of ideas, and the cost factor is reasonable. If it gets to be too expensive to keep the house warm, I'll just move in with the orchids!

[stevek216]

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

I'm glad you posted this. I'm planning a move to Michigan later this year and have been wondering how I'm going to set up a grow area. This gives me tons of ideas, and the cost factor is reasonable. If it gets to be too expensive to keep the house warm, I'll just move in with the orchids!

Welcome in advance! It's really a beautiful place if you can stomach the winters, and we have some very welcoming orchid societies. I know quite a few people with greenhouses up here so it's not like that can't be done, but in terms of affordability the tent is pretty great. And in my opinion it has a lot of advantages over a greenhouse.

By far the most expensive part (excluding the plants) is the lights. The ones I went with run about $250 each.

I have considered just turning my basement into one massive tent and spending all my time down there maybe someday.... they do sell 8x8 tents!

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by stevek216

Welcome in advance! It's really a beautiful place if you can stomach the winters, and we have some very welcoming orchid societies. I know quite a few people with greenhouses up here so it's not like that can't be done, but in terms of affordability the tent is pretty great. And in my opinion it has a lot of advantages over a greenhouse.

By far the most expensive part (excluding the plants) is the lights. The ones I went with run about $250 each.

I have considered just turning my basement into one massive tent and spending all my time down there maybe someday.... they do sell 8x8 tents!

Where in Michigan? My plans include Alpena area.

[stevek216]

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

Where in Michigan? My plans include Alpena area.

I'm in the Lansing area, I'm only aware of the lower/mid Michigan orchid societies but I'm sure there's something up in Alpena!