Thoughts? Ideas? Cool growers in less than idea conditions

[Salixx]

Thank you very much

I wanted it to look nice. It's still got a ways to go, but it's been coming along. I keep fiddling here and there. I want to get some kind of grid on the sides as well to hang plants. I used to be able to get fluorescent light egg-crate from HD, but not anymore. I've been thinking about trying chicken-wire or similar fencing, cut to size of course.

The wood mount in the pot has the Angraecum didieri on it. Both orchid and mount were originally in my Exo Terra in my "cool" room, but didn't quite seem happy. Threw a lot of roots, but nothing else while its sibling that I bought at the same time grew roots and several leaves. It is finally growing a new leaf in the new set-up. Its in the pot because the wood won't stand on its own and is too heavy to hang (it's mopani drift wood). The plant has roots burrowed into the wood and there's not way to remove it without serious damage. I am trying to think of some more natural looking way to prop it up. I might eventually make a "carpet" in the foreground and just hide the pot. The spike moss is part of that plan... and also one of the few plants that has interested me lately that's not an orchid.

This is the mini greenhouse I linked on my first post. I have found that, in many ways, it has offered me more flexibility than a traditional terrarium/aquarium. It was a lot cheaper and easier to move too!

I'll try to post pics along the way as things change and get added or removed. Overall it's been a success but not everyone has like it (looking at you, Masd. torta!)

[rbarata]

You can modify the clay pot idea to create a 'zeer' that will keep the roots cool by evaporative cooling. I have a Coelogyne cristata growing happily in a zeer.

Fundamentally, azeer consists of two unglazed terracotta pots of different sizes, one inside the other. The use of unglazed (porous) terracotta is essential. Plastic or glazed materials (non-porous) will not work. The space between pots is filled with sand. I use a piece of synthetic fabric to keep the sand from filtering out of the bottom drainage hole. Place the whole thing on a drip tray for the pot. Keep the sand wet, the inside of the inner pot will stay significantly cooler than ambient air because of evaporative cooling. Look up photos of 'zeer' on the internet and you'll see how they are constructed.

Do you think they can be of any use to grow Masdies or Draculas under 28 ºC (82,4 F) and ambient HR=20%?

[Subrosa]

My situation is similar to yours in that I heat 100% with my woodstove. My cool room is at the opposite end of the house and closing the door at night gives a substantial temperature drop, routinely 20°F sometimes closer to 30°F. I lost my Masdevallia due to summer heat but I keep my Aussie Dendrobium, Cymbidium, Vasqueziella, Coelogyne mooreana and a few others there.

[Salixx]

I have, with a few exceptions, stuck with those listed as intermediate or warm because I do have to consider summer. I did buy a veitchiana from Ecuagenera that may have been a bad idea but we'll see. I am somewhat prepared to lose some as I find out what works and what doesn't. All of my cool or cool favoring plants will remain indoors this summer in the bedroom with the AC. My Masd. Flying Colors did well with this set-up last year and my chaparensis also pulled through even after it spent a day in my dark and hot mailbox. It did decided it didn't like s/h anymore and pouted though. I put it on a kool-log as well and it seems happier.

[u bada]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Do you think they can be of any use to grow Masdies or Draculas under 28 ºC (82,4 F) and ambient HR=20%?

Just seeing this and thought to reply... I'm going to try the zeer pot thing come summer but from what I've researched you HR to be low AND good air flow to aid evaporation.

This means that this would be good practice for orchids that need it cooler but can also handle lower humidity, leaf wise that is. Masdies and Draculas get wilty and develop brown tips if humidity is too low, also don't grow well. So you could theoretically keep them alive that way but they won't thrive that way in a zeer pot.

for what OW uses it for in terms of coelogyne, it works most likely because the psuedobulbs and waxy leaves can handle lower humidity while keeping the roots and pbulbs relatively cooler. could work with cooler growing paphs perhaps, or certain cooler growing epidendrums for instance... but for pleuros in generaly probably not.

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How's the tent grow room going, Salixx?

[Orchid Whisperer]

My zeer would work better in low relative humidity, but I do get cooling even in the hot and humid summers of Georgia. Roughly a 10 degree F drop compared to ambient temperature. I use mine mainly to keep roots cool on one large plant.

[No-Pro-mwa]

It's looking wonderful. I have a larger one of these shelves in my basement garage that I have put all my Masdies in. Mine doesn't look as nice as yours but they seem to all be happy. I must get more now.