I live in a north-facing one-bedroom apartment and have been growing orchids (and a few other plants) for about a year under artificial lights on this 4'W x 2'D x 6'H wire shelving unit in my living room.
Watering by soaking and draining was a hassle, especially as my collection grew, so I decided to figure out how to water my orchids in place. This change went hand-in-hand with expanding into orchids that required daily watering in my environment (typically warm and dry), including some Vandas potted in cork and a small terrarium of mounted miniatures. I made this pivot as soon as all my travel plans were squelched by COVID and I committed to never leaving my home for the foreseeable future.
I'm also opting for less water retentive media that I can water more frequently and my orchids seem to be responding well to the change.
Watering was the more straightforward part of this equation. I attached a hose under the bathroom sink, which is the nearest water source. It's a branch off the cold water, but I leave the hose full of water so it stays around room temperature. (The orchids quickly let me know that the water straight from the tap was too cold!)
Draining was a bit more of a puzzle. I wanted some kind of trough under each shelf that would drain into a bucket. First, I got some 1/2" rubber gaskets, elbows, and tubing at a hydroponics specialty store for the drain portion.
After some crummy first attempts, I found PLAS-TEX Polywall, a flexible, durable and relatively inexpensive plastic paneling material for the trough. I cut it to fit under each shelf, scored a curve and cut a hole for the drain on one end, and mounted it with zip-ties so the non-draining end was flush against the shelf.
The tubes drain into a bucket next to the shelf.
The material on the top shelf extends all the way up the back wall so I can water with abandon. As a bonus, the white material reflects light and brightens the whole setup. Especially as we enter the dark gloomy months, it's like an artificial sun for plants
and humans!
I'm really pleased with how this turned out and wanted to share in case it helps anyone simplify their watering routine! Happy to answer any questions.
Draining Shelf for Indoor Growing
Linear Mode
