Grow Tent advice....

[Joe_LeRoy3]

Hello-

I'm completely new to the world of orchid growing and since the weather is starting to get a little warmer here, I thought now would be a good time to order a few plants. I've been researching grow tents and I came across this:

Carnivorous Plant Terrarium and Grow Room Bundle

Does anyone know how well orchids would do in this type of setup? I live in Montana where its pretty dry and i'm hoping this would help provide the proper environment for optimal growth. If i'm wrong, please correct me...I honestly have no idea what i'm doing! haha...

[naoki]

Grow tent is great to get the humidity up. But I wouldn't get the one you linked. It will overheat for sure with such a small tent and fluorescent bulbs. Also it is expensive. It is probably better to get a large Rubbermaid type plastic container if you need a small space. Or I would get 2'(d)x4'(w)x7-8'(h) tent with D-zipper. You can make two shelves inside.

[Ray]

Another alternative is a set of standard baker's shelves from Home Depot or Lowes, and put a humidity tent over it.

When I sold my greenhouse and most of my plants before moving, that's what I did, using LED fixtures over two shelves.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Joe what kind of orchids do you grow? The only ones I have in a tent situation are my Masdevallia's. I'm down here in Wyoming and it's very dry but I do fairly well with my Phals and Catt's. That's what I mostly have. I'm not saying that they wouldn't do better with more humidity but it's not stopping me from moving forward.

[DeaC]

Botanica Ltd. - orchids are our specialty are growers in MT so the site and owners may be helpful to you.

[Joe_LeRoy3]

Originally Posted by naoki

Grow tent is great to get the humidity up. But I wouldn't get the one you linked. It will overheat for sure with such a small tent and fluorescent bulbs. Also it is expensive. It is probably better to get a large Rubbermaid type plastic container if you need a small space. Or I would get 2'(d)x4'(w)x7-8'(h) tent with D-zipper. You can make two shelves inside.

Thanks for your advice! I was worried it was too small and overheating would becoming an issue. I'll look into your suggestions!

---------- Post added at 08:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

Another alternative is a set of standard baker's shelves from Home Depot or Lowes, and put a humidity tent over it.

When I sold my greenhouse and most of my plants before moving, that's what I did, using LED fixtures over two shelves.

This is a great idea! Thanks for the link! =D

---------- Post added at 09:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:59 AM ----------

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

Joe what kind of orchids do you grow? The only ones I have in a tent situation are my Masdevallia's. I'm down here in Wyoming and it's very dry but I do fairly well with my Phals and Catt's. That's what I mostly have. I'm not saying that they wouldn't do better with more humidity but it's not stopping me from moving forward.

Right now i'm just going to be focusing on Phalaenopsis. Once I figure out how to grow them, than i'll start branching out.

---------- Post added at 09:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 AM ----------

Thanks for the link! I will definitely be checking them out! =D

[No-Pro-mwa]

Good luck Joe. Most of mine do pretty well without the humidity, plus they are much colder than they like to be. They seem to march on. But this year I have been very careful to make sure the water is warm when I water.

[Joe_LeRoy3]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

Good luck Joe. Most of mine do pretty well without the humidity, plus they are much colder than they like to be. They seem to march on. But this year I have been very careful to make sure the water is warm when I water.

Thanks! I've decided just to grow under a grow light with a humidifier and fan. Since you've had success without humidity I might just skip the humidifier. I'm so paranoid about mold growth! haha...