No room for more - what do you do?

[Merlyn]

My "windowsills" are 2 ft wide because I added 3/4" plywood shelves on ALL of them in 2 rooms and 2 deep in what USED to be my dining room !!! And, YES, I cull the ones that I either can't do well with or just plain get bored with i.e. I no longer have a single common dinner plate Phal as I've lost interest and evolved into the specie Phals. I STILL and ALWAYS WILL admire and enjoy seeing them but just don't want to grow them so they left the nest !

[keithrs]

For the ones(seedlings) that are in the house, I use "baker" racks. I taped plastic to it to enclose it. Added a zipper to the front and a dip pan in the bottom and 2 fixtures of t5 lights. I have a ultra sonic fogger in the tray on the bottom and 4 big(140mm) computer fans that circulates the air. I was using domes with computer fans but I got 4 more flasks from Troy and have more coming, So I had to do something different.

They look like this but with wheels.....

[quiltergal]

Go verticle young man! Truly shelves with lights are the only way to go indoors. It also makes it easier to keep plants with similar cultures together. Shelves also take up less space footprint wise and have the added bonus relieving you of the necessity for blinds or curtains. My plants are so tight I dare anyone to see through all those leaves into my bedroom!

Keith, that is exactly the same setup I have only mine are white.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by keithrs

For the ones(seedlings) that are in the house, I use "baker" racks. I taped plastic to it to enclose it. Added a zipper to the front and a dip pan in the bottom and 2 fixtures of t5 lights. I have a ultra sonic fogger in the tray on the bottom and 4 big(140mm) computer fans that circulates the air. I was using domes with computer fans but I got 4 more flasks from Troy and have more coming, So I had to do something different.

They look like this but with wheels.....

I use the same racks! I have been wanting to add an additional one since I have run out of room. And while the compact/mini orchids are great...there is nothing like a large floofy orchid!

[keithrs]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Keith, that is exactly the same setup I have only mine are white.

Mine are chrome..... HEHEHE

I have used these for years, Starting seeds under T -12 lights in the garage.

[Daethen]

I also have these shelves. I put a wooden frame over the top shelf to have a place to put a light above it. Tallest plants go on the top shelf and a few mounted ones hang at the end. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Keep the suggestions coming guys! Oh, I also stole 2 6ft. shelf spaces in our wood shop and added extra lights out there. Hubby seems ok with it.

[Paul Mc]

LOL... Yes, the shelf method seems to be the direction I've been heading recently myself!!! Too funny!! I guess great orchid minds do tend to think alike after all!!

[BikerDoc5968]

Originally Posted by Bud

did you try hanging hooks up the ceiling one foot away from the window at 6 inches interval from right to left?
I also did a second table on top of the fist table and bought from home depot wooden tiers and I can put orchids on the tiers and inside the tiers are hanging ones...I lined the table with plastic picnic table cloth thats water resistant and also put rows of humidity trays below the tiers...to catch the drippings from watering

Did this in the greenhouse, too and now have no room up there, either.....

[Paul]

Paul, I take it you've noticed that no one here has suggested you simply stop getting more orchids, haven't you?

Bud mentioned one of the things I was going to -- hanging them from the ceiling in front of the window. You could also install a set of shelves on the windowsill thereby increasing your efficient use of that area. Another suggestion would be to set up a 90gal or larger (and larger is always better isn't it? heh) terrarium and start collecting mini's.

[silken]

I too added a shelf in the greenhouse when I had no more space and needed a warmer area for some seedlings and more tender chids. I bought a resin shelf for under $30.00 at Costco recently. It is 6 ft. tall and 3 ft wide (would have liked 4 ft wide) but the price was right. The shelves are not solid but an open grid. It all snapped together in minutes. I used tie wraps to mount 3 ft T5's on the underside of each shelf (I only set up 2 shelves for now) Put seedling heat mats on the shelves and covered top, back and sides of the shelf with one of those space blankets (shiny silver survival blankets). It has boosted day and night time temps by about 6 or 7 degrees and the space blanket really reflects the light. My stuff seems happy in there!

Forgot to add, there are some water containers for humidity and small fan with good air movement.