Extreme disappointment over Angraecum and brewing dissatisfaction with heater.

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello all,

This is my first post in a while. So far, everything has been good in regard to the greenhouse renovation. I have had several blooming plants and the drainage has been good.

That said, I am extremely angry at my space heater. It completely ruined my Angraecum spikes on my Crestwood for the second year in a row.

Lately, my heater has a problem with the heating temperature cycle. It is supposed to cycle around whatever temperature is currently in the greenhouse when I pull the set knob. I think this is a stupid system. It should have a place to set the desired temperature like an A/C rather than “cycle around current temperature”.

After a few weeks, the program will get corrupted and the heater will blow past the temperature it’s supposed to keep and end up above 86f (bad for the plants and the electric bill). This time, it directed most of the hot air at an Angraecum crestwood with 2 spikes and 6 buds. All of those buds are of course now dead from low humidity (the high temps caused <18% humidity) and all my plants are dried out from just 60 hours of low humidity and high temps.

My New Years display is ruined a second year in a row.

[Ray]

Look into a remote, through-plugged, line voltage thermostat. I use one for the big plants and “epiphyte tree” I keep on my porch.

It plugs into the wall outlet and the heater plugs into it. Just set the crappy thermostat on the heater to its maximum setting, and set the remote thermostat to your desired minimum, and let it do the controlling.

[SouthPark]

Absolutely ------ when there is a need for 'mission-critical' components ----- it's necessary to really get in there and check out the specifications and operation modes before buying the system. And for very mission critical ------ backup systems, extra heaters etc maybe necessary - in case of failure.

You'll definitely get your system working eventually and nicely BS. The issues will get sorted eventually. It will be good in the end.

[Ray]

Let me clarify something - you don't want the thermostat to be set to your "preferred growing temperature", you want to set it to establish a minimum only, and let the sun and clouds control the warming.

If you artificially increase the temperature when it's cloudy, your plants will end up being leggy and weak.

[Orchidtinkerer]

Hi Brassavola,
I am pretty sure one of the last post I saw you write was asking about cold damage to some of your plants now a couple months later you have gone and toasted your flower spikes . I use plug in thermostats routinely too, sounds far better than what you have. Unfortunately when it comes to growing orchids nothing is ever straightforward.
a plug in thermostats would mean you could set the tmeperature you want. But it depends if your heater resets itself when it loses power, it might not work

[DirtyCoconuts]

Don’t point the heater at the plants. Point it either toward a fan or open air space. That give you more general control instead different regions of micro climates.

Unless you want different areas

[DirtyCoconuts]

I wanted to add an apology

In trying to just be helpful with the problem I was not at all sympathetic or validating of the really annoying loss you had. It sucks to work really hard at growing something (and building a world for them to grow in!) and to get set back like this is heartbreaking

Major bummer

[WaterWitchin]

That really stinks BStars! I'm also in a new grow space, and it's sure a learning curve to tweak it to a new environment. Warmer months will be a piece of cake, but regulating a new space with different heat and different space heater has been a slow learning curve. I go in and check my temperature/humidity more frequently than I care to admit. Even the lighting is different, both natural and artificial. Ugh.

I am super happy to hear the greenhouse remodel and drainage is working well. There's one step up from where you started, and a big one. Bravo!