My Latest Closet Setup

[estación seca]

None of the plants seems to be suffering from too much light. You could probably raise the shelving still more, and put more shade-loving plants underneath, replicating a typical forest, with plants at different levels.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Originally Posted by estación seca

None of the plants seems to be suffering from too much light. You could probably raise the shelving still more, and put more shade-loving plants underneath, replicating a typical forest, with plants at different levels.

This is pretty new. They've only been under the three bulbs for about a week.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Originally Posted by estación seca

None of the plants seems to be suffering from too much light. You could probably raise the shelving still more, and put more shade-loving plants underneath, replicating a typical forest, with plants at different levels.

Also, I'm planning on trying my hand at some of the lesser grown Oncidium species that tend to have long inflorescences, so I want to make sure that they have the room.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Well, I've done some slight (read, a LOT) adjustments since first setting this thing up, mainly lowering the lights. I put them so high at first because I originally thought I wouldn't be getting much more orchids (I should have known better ) and that I would be mainly growing Phals and annuals. I had some people telling me the lights could go much lower, and after thinking about it, I agreed. Besides sun burn
Lowered lights. Oct 15th, 2016. by TheBlazingAugust, on Flickr

I was also a bad college student and went out and bought this little Sunblaster seedling dome that came with a light and their fancy new reflectors. I figured that it would be an investment if it'd help the cross I made bloom faster. . .
Seedling house. Oct 15th, 2016. by TheBlazingAugust, on Flickr

And while yes, this looks like a regular pot of dirt, what's in it is very special to me. Several years ago, while I was still living with my parents, I went out to visit my grandma, and she noticed how I was fascinated by the wild viola growing beneath her deck and all of the diversity they expressed in flower morphology. Later that year she brought me a bag of seeds that she collected from those same viola. However, in the various moves I went through, I managed to lose them without ever once planting them. Due to family stuff, I don't get to see her that often, and this summer when I did manage to get back out there (she lives a province away), they were all completely gone! So imagine my delight when I found the bag when I was looking through my old stuff still at my parents house. So here's hoping that they sprout!
Precious pot of dirt. Oct 15th, 2016. by TheBlazingAugust, on Flickr

[smokinjoe52]

That really looks good. I like how you have raised some plants with the cups and the lighting grid. I may need to do something like that in my grow chamber.

I am doing something very similar to your closet set-up in a grow chamber. I have a 4'x1.5'x6' chamber that is insulated. I upgraded a few months ago to Fluence bio-engineering lights. They are so efficient, that I need to use cermaic reptile heaters to raise the temp, during the day, even though room ambient is around 70-72 degrees F. I turn the heaters on and off with the lights, so that during the day I am at ~80 degrees, yet fall to ~68 degrees at night. All my orchids are in S/H and they seem to really like the environment. I am now trying to optimize air circulation in the chamber.

Thanks for sharing and a few tips!

-Joe

[Tyrfing]

What are the white plastic "shelves" in these pictures? I know I've seen something similar several times in the past but my google fu can't find them. So, what are they called/where do I get them?

[This Side of Paradise]

google this

light diffuser egg crate

[Tyrfing]

Thanks!

[BotanicaExotica]

I would highly suggest lowering your lights. Get a light meter, and you will see exactly how quickly the light intensity drops on florescent bulbs. I use Vero29 Gen7 full spectrum COB 100w LED diodes x 2, and the performance is phenomenal. The prices have come way down, and buying LED grow lights on Amazon or the like is a waste of money. You can get much newer tech, and exponentially higher quality light for the same price or less.

I am not sure about your financial situation right now, but if you can afford them you will be blown away by the results. My plants are doing things I have never been able to get them to do before. Some of it almost seems to be too good, . For example, my angraecum germinyanum is getting two flowers per inflorescence which there is absolutely no literature out there saying this happens. Not sure if I just got a seed grown plant with crazy genetics, but my growth, flowering, disease and pest resistance has gone through the roof compared to when I used florescent bulbs.

I too went through a rough patch, and had to give all my orchids away. I am glad to see you getting past that and getting back to your happy place.

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:27 PM ----------

I need to figure out how to post a picture. Tried using photobucket, but its not liking it and not allowing me to post with the URL it is giving me.

[BotanicaExotica]